2022/2147(INI) Assessment of the new communication of the European Commission on Outermost Regions
Lead committee dossier:
Progress: Procedure completed
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | REGI |
AMARO Álvaro ( EPP)
|
CARVALHAIS Isabel ( S&D),
BIJOUX Stéphane ( Renew),
ROOSE Caroline ( Verts/ALE),
ROUGÉ André ( ID),
OMARJEE Younous ( GUE/NGL)
|
| Committee Opinion | AGRI |
MATO Gabriel ( EPP)
|
Thomas WAITZ ( Verts/ALE),
Sandra PEREIRA ( GUE/NGL),
Irène TOLLERET ( RE),
Mazaly AGUILAR ( ECR),
Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO ( S&D),
Eric MINARDI ( ID)
|
| Committee Opinion | EMPL |
ORVILLE Max ( Renew)
|
Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT ( PPE),
Sandra PEREIRA ( GUE/NGL),
Margarita DE LA PISA CARRIÓN ( ECR),
João ALBUQUERQUE ( S&D)
|
| Committee Opinion | TRAN |
MAZUREK Beata ( ECR)
|
Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA ( RE),
Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR ( PPE),
Leila CHAIBI ( GUE/NGL),
Sara CERDAS ( S&D),
Ciarán CUFFE ( Verts/ALE)
|
| Committee Opinion | BUDG |
FERNANDES José Manuel ( EPP)
|
Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL ( S&D),
Younous OMARJEE ( GUE/NGL),
Bogdan RZOŃCA ( ECR),
David CORMAND ( Verts/ALE)
|
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Subjects
Events
2023/06/13
EP - Decision by Parliament
Details
The European Parliament adopted by 589 votes to 22, with 16 abstentions, a resolution on the assessment of the new Commission communication on outermost regions.
While welcoming the visible progress achieved by the EU strategies for the ORs, Members regretted, nevertheless, the lack of commitment shown by the Commission in this new strategy in essential areas for the ORs, in particular as regards boosting their competitiveness in order to reinforce the EU’s position as a major oceanic player.
Better application of Article 349 TFEU
Members believe that Article 349 TFEU has been used in a limited way and could be interpreted in a more innovative and positive way, in particular with a view to creating ad hoc programmes and new specific policies. This article should be applied across the board to EU policies and initiatives . Members insisted on the need to preserve the current specific status of the ORs.
According to Parliament, the EU should show greater ambition in deepening its integrated policies for the ORs, adopting a voluntary and coherent approach and providing strong support for the sustainable endogenous development of each of these regions. The Commission should extend the POSEI model to other economic sectors in the ORs , with priority given to fisheries, transport, connectivity, energy and the digital transition. These specific measures are essential to encourage progress towards sustainable green and blue economies in the ORs.
Members called on the Commission to provide the OR strategy with an action plan and consider that it should be allocated specific and sufficient financial resources, take account of the characteristics, strengths and difficulties of each OR and define an individual action plan for each OR, if they so request. The action plan should be based on a bottom-up approach and a multi-level governance framework. The impact of the current crisis in the ORs must be taken into account in the revision of the 2021-2027 MFF.
Reaffirming the need to reassess state aid rules for OR businesses, Members called on the Commission not to count as state aid compensation for insularity and remoteness, particularly in the field of transport. They stressed the importance of ensuring the continuity of all existing tax regimes in the outermost regions.
Social and human development
Recalling that the rates of people at risk of poverty in the ORs are among the highest in the Union, Parliament called on the Commission and the Member States to do their utmost to guarantee access to essential services in these regions , this being a key factor in the fight against poverty and social exclusion.
Members believe it is necessary to take measures to promote and support the installation of teachers, particularly those teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), who play an important role in the twin transition, to enable the acquisition of skills in these areas and to stimulate young people's interest in these subjects. They deplored the levels of unemployment, school drop-out and poverty in the ORs, which are in an extremely fragile situation compared with other EU territories, exacerbated by the current context of multiple and complex crises, which calls for greater European solidarity.
The resolution stressed that the social situation of young people is a central concern in the ORs and welcomes the Commission's commitment to using the ESF+ to improve education, training, mobility and employment for young people.
The Commission is invited to put in place specific actions on training, apprenticeships, skills development and conversion in these regions. Members stressed the need to define strategies to combat the brain drain and increase the attractiveness of the ORs, particularly for young people, to guarantee gender equality and the social, economic and political empowerment of women in the ORs, and to ensure the proper implementation of the European Child Guarantee.
There is also a need for a thorough evaluation of the national policies and support programmes that have been deployed in the ORs to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment , in order to identify effective instruments that can be maintained or used in the future.
Ocean governance and the potential of the blue economy in the ORs
Parliament called on the Commission to make the outermost regions the European Union's benchmark for ocean governance, the blue economy and fisheries. It stressed the need to continue investing in the modernisation of the fishing fleet , in particular the traditional artisanal fishing fleet, in order to improve the safety and working conditions of fishermen, attract new people, in particular young people, to the fishing sector, reduce CO2 emissions and improve conditions for the storage and conservation of catches. It urged the Commission and the Member States to work together more effectively to rapidly release funding for the renewal of fishing fleets in the outermost regions.
Agriculture, one of the pillars of development in the ORs
Parliament has called for a significant increase in the current allocations for the POSEI scheme for agriculture, in particular the aid provided by the specific supply arrangements, as part of the mid-term review of the multiannual financial framework or the multiannual financial framework for the post-2027 period, in order to better support local production in the outermost regions in the face of rising additional costs and to strengthen and increase the resilience of supply chains, but also to support agricultural diversification efforts, in order to help the outermost regions achieve greater food self-sufficiency.
The outermost regions are frequently subject to adverse climatic events which lead to higher production costs and prevents economies of scale from being made. Members urged the Commission, in order to meet these challenges, to grant coupled support to local producers to strengthen the whole value chain in such difficult situations.
Mobility, transport and tourism
Parliament supports the creation of a specific financial operational programme for transport and connectivity in the outermost regions, a ‘POSEI transport programme’, similar to the POSEI programme for agriculture and additional to the Structural Funds, to offset the additional costs arising from remoteness and/or insularity. It stressed the importance of this programme for the outermost regions, as in the case of the Azores archipelago, which suffers from ‘double insularity’ due to its distance from the mainland and the distance between the islands.
Members reiterated the need to work towards the development of efficient public transport systems in the outermost regions that are adapted to local conditions. They stressed the importance of developing resilient and sustainable tourism and of launching new measures to promote the revival of the tourism sector in the outermost regions, paying particular attention to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the regions most dependent on tourism.
Action on climate, biodiversity, energy independence and renewable energies
Parliament stressed that targeted regional policies and actions to protect the ecosystems of the outermost regions and restore their unique and exceptionally rich biodiversity are necessary to preserve their natural resources and livelihoods. It reiterated the need to continue and improve measures to protect and restore biodiversity and called for the specific situation of the outermost regions to be taken into account in the regulation on nature restoration.
Stressing the vulnerability of the outermost regions to the effects of climate and geological change, in particular extreme weather and seismic events, Members regretted that the annual ceiling of the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve’s annual ceiling is not sufficient to respond to emergencies, particularly in the outermost regions.
Parliament recalled the potential of the outermost regions for the development of innovative renewable energy pilot projects. It called for the Modernisation Fund to be applied to the outermost regions to address the energy poverty endured these extremely vulnerable regions.
The Commission is also invited, inter alia , to:
- assure the Member States of its support in order to ensure the rapid use of all funding opportunities for infrastructure and digital connectivity ;
- support the development of health systems and access to care, and develop e-health solutions to help remedy the shortages of health professionals and the insufficient digitisation of health systems;
- better support national plans to relaunch space activities , which are a major source of innovation and European sovereignty, given the privileged location and infrastructure available in certain outermost regions for space activities;
- grant preferential treatment to products from the outermost regions , both in their local markets and EU market, to fully protect sensitive agricultural products, such as bananas, tomatoes, sugar and milk, when negotiating free trade and economic partnership agreements, and to ensure that imports from third countries comply with EU standards.
Documents
2023/06/12
EP - Debate in Parliament
Documents
2023/04/26
EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
Documents
2023/04/26
EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Documents
2023/03/22
EP - Vote in committee
2023/02/27
EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2023/02/10
EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2023/02/01
EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2023/01/31
EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2022/12/13
EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2022/12/13
EP - ORVILLE Max (Renew) appointed as rapporteur in EMPL
2022/11/22
EP - FERNANDES José Manuel (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in BUDG
2022/11/10
EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2022/10/24
EP - MAZUREK Beata (ECR) appointed as rapporteur in TRAN
2022/10/20
EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2022/10/10
EP - MATO Gabriel (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in AGRI
2022/06/15
EP - AMARO Álvaro (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in REGI
Documents
- Decision by Parliament: T9-0228/2023
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A9-0156/2023
- Committee report tabled for plenary: A9-0156/2023
- Committee opinion: PE739.829
- Committee opinion: PE739.681
- Committee opinion: PE738.443
- Committee opinion: PE738.533
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE739.739
- Committee draft report: PE738.459
- Committee draft report: PE738.459
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE739.739
- Committee opinion: PE738.533
- Committee opinion: PE738.443
- Committee opinion: PE739.681
- Committee opinion: PE739.829
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A9-0156/2023
Activities
- Evelyn REGNER
- Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Gabriel MATO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Caroline ROOSE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Stéphane BIJOUX
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Sara CERDAS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Álvaro AMARO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Isabel CARVALHAIS
Plenary Speeches (1)
Votes
Évaluation de la nouvelle communication de la Commission européenne relative aux régions ultrapériphériques - A9-0156/2023 - Álvaro Amaro - Proposition de résolution #
2023/06/13 Outcome: +: 589, -: 22, 0: 16
The Left
NI| Amendments | Dossier |
| 704 |
2022/2147(INI)
2022/12/02
AGRI
126 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Recital -A (new) -A. whereas the Programmes of Options Specifically Relating to Remoteness and Insularity (POSEI) is a vital instrument in strengthening local agricultural and food production and mitigating the risk of abandonment of agricultural activities, which would have a significant negative effect on employment and on the social and territorial dimension of the outermost regions (ORs);
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Recital -A d (new) -Ad. whereas it is important to note the principles set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights, including its contribution to eliminate inequalities and to promote gender equality and gender mainstreaming;
Amendment 100 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Calls for the Commission to exercise the utmost vigilance in the negative impact of the liberalisation of the EU market and the proliferation of trade agreements between the EU and partner countries and to carry out a report on the cumulative effect of those agreements in the farming sector of outermost regions;
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Calls for the Commission to exercise the utmost vigilance in the liberalisation of the EU market and the proliferation of trade agreements between the EU and partner countries; calls on the Commission to take effective measures to ensure that trade agreements do not compromise measures to support the outermost regions;
Amendment 102 #
7. Calls for the Commission to exercise the utmost vigilance in the liberalisation of the EU market and the proliferation of trade agreements between the EU and partner countries; emphasises the need to protect the agricultural sectors of the ORs in the free trade agreements currently being negotiated;
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Calls for the Commission to exercise the utmost vigilance in the liberalisation of the EU market and the proliferation of trade agreements between the EU and partner countries and to take into account their specific impacts on the outermost regions;
Amendment 104 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Calls for the Commission to
Amendment 105 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Expresses its concern about imports of products from third countries that do not comply with EU environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards, including organic- labelled products, many of which are in direct competition with the outermost regions' products; therefore calls on the European Commission to promote the conformity of these imports with the European standards and the revision of trade agreements with third countries to incorporate mirror clauses;
Amendment 106 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Recalls that the outermost regions are more exposed to the problems arising from price increases due to their geographic allocation; stresses that these regions have an absolute dependence on maritime and air transport for the arrival of raw materials and that there is no alternative to this means of transport;
Amendment 107 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Calls for the mechanisms for supporting agricultural production in these regions to be reviewed so that support for agriculture has a positive impact on farmers’ incomes and on the lowering of consumer prices;
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Considers it necessary to provide for differentiated treatment in favour of outermost regions' production in the negotiations and renegotiations of trade agreements with third countries by envisaging, if necessary, safeguard clauses, transitional periods, appropriate quotas and customs tariffs or the exclusion of sensitive products;
Amendment 109 #
7b. Notes that milk and related upstream and downstream products constitute one of the fundamental pillars of the economy of the Autonomous Region of the Azores; recognises that their socio-economic importance and the number of direct and indirect jobs and services they provide are indispensable for ensuring economic and social cohesion;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) should be strengthened
Amendment 110 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Considers that producers in the ORs in recent years, like tens of thousands of milk producers across the EU, have been forced to abandon production because of the ruinous prices paid to producers, which do not compensate for production costs; takes the view that the situation affecting milk production is inseparable from its liberalisation and the end of production quotas, and that it can only be resolved by means of mechanisms to regulate the markets;
Amendment 111 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Supports the setting up of a task force bringing together the European Commission, the Member States concerned, members of the European Parliament and farming representatives to analyse the difficulties faced by these regions as a result of the increasing external competition, including from third country products with the organic label;
Amendment 112 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 Amendment 113 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Calls for strict compliance of tropical goods from non-EU countries with the applicable EU environmental and social standards
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Calls for
Amendment 115 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Calls for strict compliance of tropical and other goods from non-EU countries with the applicable EU environmental and social standards;
Amendment 116 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Calls for strict compliance of tropical goods from non-EU countries with the applicable EU environmental, quality and social standards;
Amendment 117 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Calls for strict compliance of tropical goods from non-EU countries with the
Amendment 118 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Draws attention to the importance of maritime animal transport for the ORs’ economies, with small and distant islands being dependent on agriculture;
Amendment 119 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. Stresses the importance of integrated territorial development in the ORs, such as coordination by the community of investment and local development, and the promotion of initiatives such as ‘smart villages’ to support sustainable agriculture and sustainable food production;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) should be strengthened in order to help the outermost regions to achieve the ambition of the new Green Deal and to cope with increasing competition from third countries and soaring energy prices; calls, in this re
Amendment 120 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 c (new) 8c. The new strategy for the outermost regions must focus on improving residents’ quality of life, combating poverty and developing opportunities for young people;
Amendment 121 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 d (new) Amendment 122 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 e (new) 8e. Stresses the importance of developing policies that better reflect the realities and interests of those territories, particularly when negotiating trade and fisheries agreements;
Amendment 123 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Recalls the joint declaration by the three institutions annexed to Regulation (EU) 2017/540 on the stabilisation mechanism which was revised when Ecuador joined the EU-Colombia/Peru Trade Agreement: ‘The Commission will continue to carry out regular analyses of the state of the market and the situation of Union banana producers after expiry of the stabilisation mechanism. If a serious deterioration in the state of the market or the situation of Union banana producers is found to have occurred, given the importance of the banana sector for outermost regions, the Commission will examine the situation, together with the Member States and the stakeholders, and decide whether appropriate measures should be considered. The Commission could also convene regular monitoring meetings with the Member States and the stakeholders’; reminds the Commission of its commitment to halt the gradual reduction of the customs tariff by permanently ring-fencing the residual tariff of EUR 75/tonne applicable to third countries with which the EU has signed trade agreements.
Amendment 124 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Cautions that any change to the current provisions regarding animal transport has stronger impacts on regions such as the outermost regions, namely due to their remoteness, archipelagic condition, insularity and small size, which cause notably their strong dependence on sea transport; insists that pursuant to Article 349 TFEU, the special characteristics and constraints of the outermost regions in this regard must be taken into account in the context of the forthcoming review of European rules on animal welfare, notwithstanding the continuous efforts that must be made to reduce the need for the transport of live animals;
Amendment 125 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Highlights that, while no duties shall apply to direct imports from third countries into the outermost regions of agricultural products which are essential for human consumption, for the manufacture of other products or as agricultural inputs, in implementing this “specific supply arrangement”, account shall be taken in particular to the need to ensure that existing local production is neither destabilised, nor obstructed in its development;
Amendment 126 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. Considers essential to reinforce actions to promote outermost regions agri-food products, both within and outside the EU, given their vital contribution for the viability of their rural areas and for local economies; calls in this regard fora better adaptation of EU promotion rules to the specificities of these regions;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) should be strengthened, maintaining its status as an EU programme linked to the common agricultural policy and exclusively funded from EU resources; calls, in this regard, for an increase in the budget of POSEI from 2027;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) should be strengthened; calls, in this regard, for an increase in the budget of POSEI
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) should be strengthened; calls, in this regard, for an increase in the budget of POSEI
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Welcomes the fact that the new revised strategy of the ORs recognises the agricultural sector as crucial for the creation of jobs and economic growth in the ORs; welcomes the increased cooperation between the Commission and the Member States to enable them to adapt and modernise their POSEI-funded activities;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Points out that the ORs must be supported by the Member States to improve the way in which POSEI funds are used and maximise their impact;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses that the conclusions of the December 2016 EC report on the implementation of the POSEI programs, highlighting their ability to address the particular agricultural challenges of the outermost regions, as defined in Article 349 of the TFEU, remain highly relevant;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Recital -A (new) -A. whereas agriculture is a key sector for the economy, employment and territorial and social cohesion of the outermost regions;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Calls on the Commission to follow through on its commitment to work closely with the Member States to adapt and modernise existing POSEI-funded actions with a view to achieving better balanced development between the various agricultural sectors in the outermost regions;
Amendment 21 #
1a. Calls for Community measures to support the outermost regions (ORs) to be permanent, given the permanent constraints they face;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Recalls that the effects of COVID- 19, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the current context of inflation have had particularly harmful effects on the ORs; calls for specific measures to address the consequences of higher prices of livestock inputs; suggests that POSEI and other financial instruments include flexibility measures in the face of unforeseen circumstances in the current geopolitical context;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Welcomes the fact that the new CAP strategic plans take into account the specific situation of the outermost regions and considers it necessary to promote modernization, including farming digitalization, diversification of agricultural production and greater support for the most vulnerable sectors, with a view to achieving greater food sovereignty;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Calls on the Commission to maintain close coherence between POSEI programmes and rural development programmes (RDPs), given the great interdependence between these two types of support;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Considers that, in line with Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty, as regards access to the Structural Funds for the outermost regions, the Community co- financing rates for these regions should be increased and that the funds earmarked for these regions should not be conditional on their GDP relative to the Community average;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 d (new) 1d. Calls for the POSEI programmes to be used to recognise and promote regional crops and products as part of the historical and cultural heritage and identity of these regions;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 e (new) 1e. Considers that family farming plays an irreplaceable role in maintaining and protecting the countryside and in crop diversification and is of particular importance in increasing traditional agri- food production, supplying fresh food to the local and regional market, diversifying agriculture, protecting biodiversity and the environment, reducing the use of plant protection products, increasing self-consumption and reducing external food dependency; recognises that the outermost regions face social and economic development constraints due to their remoteness, insularity, small markets, geographical dispersion and small size;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 f (new) 1f. Considers that the outermost regions should continue to design, implement and manage their own rural development measures;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Recital -A (new) -A. whereas the agri-food sector is of strategic importance for outermost regions in terms of using natural resources more sustainably; whereas the new representative concentration pathway (RCP) climate scenario RCP4.5 forecasts acute future problems for agriculture, the ecological balance, water availability and food security;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Commission to increase the financial allocations for POSEI in exceptional circumstances, such as those faced by the agricultural sector in La Palma in the Canary Islands following the volcanic eruption that began on 19 September 2021; calls on the Commission, as an alternative possibility, to make the management and implementation of POSEI more flexible so as to ensure that agricultural and livestock farmers in the outermost regions receive the full amount of aid without being required to attain 70 % production in such situations of force majeure or natural disaster;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Commission to increase and speed up the financial allocations for POSEI in exceptional and unforeseen circumstances, such as those faced by the agricultural sector in La Palma after the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano; recalls that the consequences of this volcanic eruption have affected more than 370 hectares of agricultural cultivation worth EUR 200 million; calls on the Commission to give greater flexibility and speed to the funds earmarked for such natural disasters;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Commission to increase the financial allocations for POSEI in exceptional circumstances, such as those faced by the agricultural sector in La Palma or after strong tropical storms, which are expected to increase in frequency and intensity due to climate change;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Commission to increase the financial allocations for POSEI in exceptional circumstances, such as those faced by the agricultural sector in Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte, Saint-Martin and La Palma;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Commission to increase
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Commission to increase the financial allocations for POSEI in particular in exceptional circumstances, such as those faced by the agricultural sector in the Azores, Madeira and La Palma;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Stresses that the outermost regions are frequently subject to adverse climatic events which are instrumental in altering the landscape, resulting in smaller farm sizes, which likewise leads to higher production costs and prevents economies of scale from being made. Hence, in order to meet these challenges, urges the Commission to allocate coupled support to local producers so as to strengthen the entire value chain in difficult circumstances like these, in parallel with a rapid adjustment of financing procedures in cases of serious adverse events;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Considers that the agricultural sector plays a key role in structuring the outermost regions, providing jobs and helping to ensure food security, which in the current context seems to be an unavoidable priority, bearing in mind that unemployment rates in those regions are among the highest in the EU, reaching up to 50 % of the active population;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Recital -A a (new) -Aa. whereas the overall performance of the POSEI programmes is positive, especially when it comes to their ability to address the agricultural challenges specific to the permanent constraints of the outermost regions, as defined in Article 349 of the TFEU;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding for the outermost regions, in order to support sustainable farming practices by providing schemes which are supporting sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Considers that a higher absorption rate of POSEI funds can be achieved by improving local advisory systems through tailored training courses and best practices exchange;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls for urgent measures to be adopted to help tackle the persistent nature of unemployment, poverty and inequalities in these regions;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Considers it extremely important for the economic and social cohesion of the outermost regions to guarantee public services, including in the areas of air and maritime transport, energy and communications;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 c (new) 2c. Considers it of utmost importance for the development of these regions to ensure that people have access to the means of information and communication offered by new technologies, in particular broadband;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses that the EU biodiversity strategy’s targets should
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses that the EU biodiversity strategy’s targets should not hinder the sustainable development and thus the survival of the agricultural sectors in the outermost regions (ORs). In these remote regions, farming is the mainstay of the local economy, and the Commission’s ‘green’ requirements may make it impossible for farms to survive;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses that the EU biodiversity strategy’s targets should not hinder the sustainable development of the agricultural sectors in the
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses that the EU biodiversity strategy’s targets should
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses that the EU biodiversity strategy’s targets should not hinder the sustainable development of the agricultural sectors in the outermost regions (ORs), and that a balance must be struck between the protection and restoration of ecosystems, on the one hand, and investment in the various agricultural sectors on the other hand;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Recital -A a (new) -Aa. whereas agriculture holdings in outermost regions are challenged by their remote location, a limited diversity of production due to local and climatic conditions and historical developments, a high dependence on local markets, the climate crisis, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and a lack of energy, and often a lack of fresh and clean water;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses that the
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses that the targets of the EU biodiversity
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Highlights the dire economic situation of some outermost regions, notably the lack of employment opportunities, lower salaries and higher prices, in particular of food products; notes in particular the high level of unemployment of young people in the outermost regions, 10 to 20% higher than the EU average; calls on the member states to facilitate the access to land for young farmers; highlights that the Farm to Fork Strategy, by aiming at developing a sustainable, regionalised and climate friendly food and farming sector, could be a chance for these regions;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Stresses that the outermost regions are home to ecosystems with a high ecological value, which should not be seen as a threatening factor for the balanced development of productive work in the agricultural sector;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Stresses the important role that a successful extension of high-capacity digital networks in the outermost regions can play as a tool to facilitate the modernisation and transformation of farms towards more sustainable agriculture;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 c (new) 3c. Points out that the use of new technologies and precision farming can facilitate the transformation towards more efficient and competitive agriculture, saving costs, improving performance and minimising environmental impact;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that the proposal for a farm to fork strategy requests the EU to further limit the use of plant protection products; stresses, in this context, that the specific characteristics of the tropical and sub- tropical climates in the ORs must be taken into account; stresses that inappropriate or scant administration of plant protection products in tropical and subtropical climates increases the risk of diseases and pests, which may escape control and hence endanger food and health security and safety throughout the European Union;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that the proposal for a farm to fork strategy requests the EU to further limit the use of plant protection products; stresses, in this context, that the specific characteristics of the tropical and sub- tropical climates in the ORs must be taken into account and that access to the EU markets for products that do not comply with the EU standards, such as bananas from third countries that massively use plant protection agents that are not authorised in the EU, should be limited;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that the proposal for a farm to fork strategy requests the EU to further limit the use of plant protection products; stresses, in this context, that the specific characteristics of the tropical and sub- tropical climates in the ORs must be taken into account; calls on the Commission to offer farmers alternatives to these plant protection products in order to ensure farmers’ viability and not to compromise agricultural production in the outermost regions;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Recital -A b (new) -Ab. whereas the ORs are particularly vulnerable to socioeconomic crises as well as natural disasters, such as volcanic activity; whereas due to their isolated location and difficulties in accessing basic supplies from mainland territories, such as fuel or water, the ORs are more severely affected by crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine, which create particular difficulties for farmers;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that the proposal for a farm to fork strategy requests the EU to further limit the use of plant protection products; stresses, in this context, that the specific characteristics of the tropical and sub- tropical climates in the ORs must be taken into account and that funding for public research into alternatives to plant protection products must be increased;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that the criticised proposal for a farm to fork strategy requests the EU to further limit the use of plant protection products; stresses, in this context, that it is essential for the specific characteristics of the tropical and sub-
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Stresses that some of outermost regions are located in tropical, subtropical and humid equatorial environments, which are particularly conducive to the development of diseases, and that they are therefore at a serious disadvantage, in relation to the continent and the third countries, in terms of covering their needs for plant protection products to fight against pests; therefore highlights the need to promote the research on new solutions adapted to these territories, as well as the promotion of agri-ecological practices and the application of innovative production techniques, including new genomics techniques;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Notes the difficulty to access certain food products and agricultural inputs in some outermost regions, especially environmentally-friendly ones; calls on the Member States to use all available tools under cohesion policy to reinforce the self-sustainability of outermost regions and make them an integral part of the transition towards sustainable food systems, thus turning geographical handicaps into opportunities;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Highlights the need to adapt as much as possible to climate change, notably in the food and farming sector; stresses that a resilient agriculture using locally adapted and sourced, non-GM crops has better chances to withstand the effects of climate change and to reduce agriculture’s water consumption; calls on the Member states to make the best use of funds available, and notably of the cohesion funds to support farmers in making the necessary changes in that regard; notes that this necessitates a reinforced and tailored advisory system and the facilitation of the exchange of best practices between farmers;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. Stresses the need to support remunerative and environmentally friendly short supply chains and the development of a farming and food processing sector geared towards local consumption, as opposed to the situation in most outermost regions where the farming sector is mainly producing commodities for commercialisation on the mainland;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 d (new) 4d. Regrets the exceptionally high concentration of the food retail sector in some outermost regions, impacting the food prices and the possibilities of diversifying local farming, its source of income and marketing options; calls the attention of the Commission and Member states on the effects this concentration has on the distribution of public funds, notably from the POSEI;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 e (new) 4e. Stresses the importance of ensuring a reliable access to clean water in outermost regions, both for consumption and for agriculture; highlights in particular the dire situation in Martinique where the pollution with chlordécone has reduced drastically the availability of clean water and soils and the situation in French Guiana where gold mining is altering the quality of water streams due to the massive discharge of fine particles and pollutants; recalls that agriculture is one of the main consumers of water resources, especially for water intensive crops often sold to the mainland;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 f (new) 4f. Highlights the lack of sustainable solutions for transporting agricultural products between most outermost regions and the mainland and for exporting and importing agricultural products from and towards outermost regions, and urges the Commission and the Member States to factor the need to develop greener connections into their development plans for these regions; points in particular to the need of reducing transport of live animals, in line with the conclusions of the ANIT committee;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 g (new) 4g. Calls on member States to improve their POSEI programming and to ensure that POSEI-financed actions are coherent with their CAP strategic plans, notably concerning environmental and social objectives, and diversification of production; notes the opportunities under the EAFRD and the LEADER program for the outermost regions and calls on the Member states to make the best use of those resources;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Recital -A b (new) -Ab. whereas outermost regions contain 80% of the European Biodiversity, harbouring many of the EU's endemic species, and encompass very rare, primary ecosystems; whereas outermost regions are also among the most ecologically vulnerable territories of the Union, as their small size, isolation and high level of endemic biodiversity, make them particularly exposed to anthropogenic and climate-change induced dynamics threatening natural ecosystems on a global scale and the communities which rely on them;
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 h (new) 4h. Notes that outermost regions are particularly suited to produce solar and wind energies; Calls on the Member states to prioritise the development of these forms of energies in the outermost regions, without encroaching on the existing agricultural land;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 i (new) 4i. Notes that low levels of anthropization were linked to harsh vertebrate biodiversity declines in Amazonia1a, and that the part of Amazonian forest situated on the EU territory should therefore be appropriately protected; notes that deforestation is mainly happening in French Guiana under the pressure of legal and illegal mining projects, but that farmed surfaces are also increasing; calls on the Commission and the concerned Member states to stop supporting any project leading to deforestation in the Amazonian forest, and to any project leading to high impact land use change in all outermost regions, including mining, farming or energy production; _________________ 1a Cantera, I., Coutant, O., Jézéquel, C. et al. Low level of anthropization linked to harsh vertebrate biodiversity declines in Amazonia. Nat Commun 13, 3290 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022- 30842-2
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to establish a separate chapter dedicated to the ORs in its
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to establish a separate chapter dedicated to the ORs in its impact assessments of the
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to establish a separate chapter dedicated to the ORs in its impact assessments of the farm to fork and biodiversity strategies; similarly, and in the context of increased demand for a principle of ‘rural proofing’ in European legislation, calls for impact studies for the ORs in the creation of European policies, especially as regards emissions trading, agricultural funds and cohesion;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to establish a separate chapter dedicated to the ORs in its impact assessments of the farm to fork and biodiversity strategies; The specific characteristics of production in these climates, which differ to much from the mainland, require a different set of rules and an exemption from the objectives of the Commission’s strategy, which are inapplicable;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to establish a separate chapter dedicated to the ORs and their agriculture sectors in its impact assessments of the farm to fork and biodiversity strategies;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to establish a separate chapter dedicated to the ORs in its impact assessments
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Welcomes the Commission commitment under the Communication on the Long-term vision for rural areas to include the outermost regions analysis within the EU Rural Observatory’s scope; considers that the proposed rural observatory could be a valuable opportunity to identify data gaps and improve statistical databases on the outermost regions, in order to fully capture the needs of their rural population;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Recital -A c (new) -Ac. whereas ORs can be at a considerable disadvantage due to harsh competition from third countries, which often do not respect the same environmental, social and food safety production standards and have much lower costs;
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Believes that cohesion policy should offer more benefits to women living in outermost regions, notably in the agri-food sector, and should promote gender equality and effective implementation of the EU Gender Equality Strategy in the ORs;
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls for a specific regulation for the ORs on the common organisation of the markets tailored to the specific needs of islands and outermost regions and correlated with the other specific EU regulations, such as the one on geographical indications, so that the ORs do not fall within the compass of multiple legislative acts, which could result in additional bureaucratic and administrative burdens;
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls for
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls for
Amendment 88 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls for a specific regulation for the ORs on, inter alia, the common organisation of the markets;
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls for
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Recital -A c (new) -Ac. whereas most outermost regions are highly vulnerable in the face of climate change and extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, aggravated by the fact they are located further away from the continents, in vast ocean basins;
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls for the restoration of POSEI Fisheries and the creation of POSEI Transport, providing the Community funding necessary to strengthen the production, processing and marketing structures of these regions so as to offset the disadvantages of remoteness;
Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the Commission to work closely with the Member States to identify the most effective measures for consolidating and enhancing resilience in supply chains in the outermost regions;
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Reiterates the importance of keeping the EAFRD cofinancing rates for the ORs at 85 %, in particular to restore, preserve and enhance biodiversity in agriculture and forestry, and to encourage development in rural areas;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) Amendment 94 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Considers of great importance the creation of a POSEI transport scheme for regions such as the Azores archipelago, which, owing to its physical make-up, suffers from a so-called double insularity – its remoteness from the mainland and the distance between the islands – both of which significantly increase the transport costs for people and goods in transit between the islands and between the islands and the mainland, with the obvious effect of increasing the cost of production inputs;
Amendment 95 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Calls on the Commission to pay particular attention to the outermost regions in the process of suitable crisis preparedness and management under the Single Market Emergency Instrument;
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Stresses the importance of maintaining the EAFRD co-financing rate at 85 % for the outermost regions in order to achieve the development of their rural areas and their agriculture and livestock;
Amendment 97 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Calls for the Commission to exercise the utmost vigilance in the liberalisation of the EU market and the proliferation of trade agreements between the EU and partner countries
Amendment 98 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Calls for the Commission to exercise the utmost vigilance in the liberalisation of the EU market and the proliferation of trade agreements between the EU and partner countries; especially with regard to compliance with EU standards and requirements related to environmental sustainability, thus contributing to honouring our climate commitments and to compliance with international labour standards;
Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Calls for the Commission to e
source: 739.556
2022/12/05
TRAN
62 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas the outermost regions are an integral part of the EU and their inhabitants suffer from natural constraints impacting their mobility, accessibility and connectivity and should have access to EU funding instruments and programmes supporting mobility, transport and tourism;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Recital B a (new) B a. whereas the outermost regions are characterised by their remoteness, insularity and strong economic and social dependence on the tourism and transport sectors, which makes them even more vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Recital B b (new) B b. whereas the tourism sector is highly important for the economies of these regions and that boosting this sector can have positive repercussions in terms of employment levels and economic growth;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Recital C C. whereas tourism contributes to a significant share of the outermost regions’ economies and whereas the sector has suffered greatly from the COVID-19 crisis, rising energy and food prices, and has to respond to the twin transition;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Recital C C. whereas tourism contributes to a significant share of the outermost regions’ economies and whereas the sector has suffered greatly from the COVID-19 crisis and the increase in fuel and energy prices following Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Recital C a (new) C a. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic had severe negative impacts in the economies of the outermost regions, in particular sectors related with blue economy, of which outermost regions are highly dependent; whereas coastal and maritime tourism represents 60% of the employment in the blue economy and which needs highly qualified and skilled professionals; whereas the promotion of these “blue jobs” can boost the tourism sector and help in raising employment levels in the outermost regions;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Recital C a (new) C a. whereas the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 recognises that outermost regions have an exceptionally high biodiversity value and the Commission would welcome the inclusion of outermost regions in the EU Natura 2000 Network of protected areas, which is not yet the case;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Recital C b (new) C b. whereas outermost regions are particularly threatened by the impact of climate change despite not having contributed in a significant way to the causes of climate change;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Recital D D. whereas the outermost regions have great potential to develop key sectors such as ecotourism, sustainable mobility, the circular economy and renewable energies as they are natural enclaves;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Recital D D. whereas the outermost regions have great potential to develop key sectors such as ecotourism in order to combine economic development and preservation of vulnerable ecosystems;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Recital D D. whereas the outermost regions have great potential to develop key sectors such as eco
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas the outermost regions are an integral part of the EU and places of opportunity and challenge and should have access to EU funding instruments and programmes supporting mobility, transport and tourism;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Recital D D. whereas the outermost regions, in the climate and energy transition, have great potential to develop key sectors such as sustainable mobility, renewable energy, and ecotourism;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Recital D D. whereas the outermost regions have great potential to develop key sectors such as ecotourism and other subsectors of tourism;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 (new) -1. Reiterates the need to ensure territorial cohesion of all outermost regions through maritime and air transport, which should not be affected by disproportionate high costs whether for passengers or goods;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal to revise the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Regulation to reflect outermost regions’ connectivity needs and specificities, and to make them eligible for support from the Connecting Europe Facility, ask to remove the 200 kilometres minimum distance limitation for outermost regions to allow TEN-T funding of projects between islands;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Calls on the Commission to ensure the mainstreaming of the outermost regions and their specificities in future legislative acts, including, when appropriate, by conducting dedicated impact assessments; calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure monitoring and reporting tools on the implementation of legislative measures in the outermost regions to assess their adequacy and tailor-made solutions;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Calls on the Commission to create a specific POSEI programme for the transition to sustainable and digitised transport;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Points out that, taking into account the dependence of the outermost regions on air connections, flights from those regions to the mainland of their respective Member States, as well as within and between the regions, should be exempt from the EU Emissions Trading System until
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Recital A a (new) A a. whereas the outermost regions are especially vulnerable to negative impacts of climate change, like extreme weather events, rising sea levels or heat waves; whereas the outermost regions have an exceptionally high biodiversity value and focus should be put in protecting and restoring ecosystems;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Points out that, taking into account the dependence of the outermost regions on air connections, flights from those regions to the mainland of their respective Member States should be exempt from the EU Emissions Trading System until 2030, calls to take into account the impact of the pandemic on regional airlines to allow derogations foreseen in article 349 of the Treaty on competition rules, and calls on the Commission to take into account the regions’ specific characteristics in the revision of all relevant legal acts;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Points out that, taking into account the dependence of the outermost regions on air and maritime connections, flights from those regions to the mainland of their respective Member States should be exempt from the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) until 2030
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Points out that, taking into account the dependence of the outermost regions
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Points out that, taking into account the dependence of the outermost regions on sea and air connections, flights and sea transport from those regions to the mainland of their respective Member States should be exempt from the EU Emissions Trading System until 2030, and calls on the Commission to take into account the regions’ specific characteristics in the revision of all relevant legal acts;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 bis. Given the existence of permanent constraints in the ORs related to remoteness, low connectivity and mobility, dependence on air and maritime transport, and to the terrain, the Commission is called on to create a POSEI in the field of transport as an instrument to compensate for these cumulative disadvantages and impairments;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Points out that the exemptions foreseen in the Parliament's position on FuelEU Maritime should be respected at the same time the green transition is accelerated in a fair way taking into account the outermost regions' specific characteristics;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Encourages the Commission to facilitate the uptake of EU tools dedicated to connectivity and mobility,
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 bis. Calls for a significant reinforcement of budget lines linked to cohesion, namely those that can contribute to public investment in sustainable mobility options and transport infrastructures; highlights, in this context, that there is an urgent need to support the outermost regions, namely through the Programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) , and calls for the creation of a POSEI Transport, as additional support to compensate for the cumulative disadvantages and impairments suffered by the outermost regions;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Recognises that sustainable forms of tourism hold significant potential for the further development of outermost regions, as these are connected to many different environmental, economic and societal sectors that can have significant multiplier effects on other industries; calls therefore on the European Commission to make sustainability in tourism the overarching goal of its tourism strategy, rather than only one of its pillars, something that should follow through in related financial programmes and EU policies;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Recital A b (new) A b. whereas the decarbonisation of the maritime and aviation sector is necessary to achieve the goals set out in the European Green Deal and the European Climate Law, sufficient time to adapt to such a transition should be given to the outermost regions;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Recalls the necessity for all Member States to have modern, safe and sustainable transport infrastructure in order to facilitate travel across the EU and to make the outermost regions, peripheral and remote areas and islands more accessible for intra-European and international tourism and strengthen territorial cohesion;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Calls on the Commission to establish a specific transport programme of options, similar to the POSEI model, in addition to existing EU programmes, as a supplementary support to the outermost regions to face any potential negative impacts in the sector and increase in the costs of transport of passengers and goods;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 bis. Calls on the Commission to set up a technical support platform for the ORs to facilitate access to European funding in the area of transport and tourism for major projects and to organise workshops, road shows and info days on the opening of calls as opportunities for these regions;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3 b. Highlights that the TEN-T guidelines recognise as a priority to ensure and enhance the accessibility and connectivity of all regions of the Union, paying particular attention to outermost regions and other regions with demographic and accessibility challenges such as insular and remote regions; recalls that the Connecting Europe Facility 2021-2027 foresees a maximum co-funding rate of 70% for projects located in outermost regions in the transport, digital and energy sectors;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3 b. Calls on the Commission and Member States to support the development of sustainable mobility in the outermost regions, promoting alternatives to fossil fuels and the modernisation and decarbonisation of port and airport infrastructures, including through an increase in investments;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 c (new) 3 c. Calls on the Commission, Member States and regional authorities to promote and ensure the diversification of transport modes, supporting the establishment of necessary infrastructures, such as bicycle and pedestrian lanes, taking into account outermost regions’ specificities, such as their orography;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Encourages the Commission to support investments in tourism, to ensure EU funding for its recovery and sustainable development and to provide the sector with information on funding opportunities; considers it crucial to create a funding line for tourism in the next multiannual financial framework and to provide funds for the ecosystem in the Union’s annual budgets, and to set up a European Agency for Tourism;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Encourages the Commission to support investments in sustainable tourism, including longer stay-tourism, to ensure EU funding for its recovery and sustainable development and to provide
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Recital B B. whereas the outermost regions are highly dependent on transport, especially air and maritime connections, with additional costs with regard to the import and export of goods and the transport of passengers, and that, in the case of archipelagos, double insularity exacerbates these challenges;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Encourages the Commission to support investments in tourism, to ensure EU funding for its recovery and sustainable development and to provide the sector with information on funding opportunities; recognises, in particular, the potential of ecotourism to reduce the environmental footprint of the sector, ensuring the protection of our climate and biodiversity, while contributing to the socioeconomic development of local communities in the outermost regions;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Encourages the Commission to support investments in sustainable, digitised and quality tourism
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Regrets the fact that many people in these regions lack basic services, including access to public transport, with knock-on effects for accessing other services, education and economic opportunities; supports the Commission call for further action to improve such access and urges the development of pilot projects and preparatory actions, modelled on policies and initiatives like SUMPs (for urban mobility) and SMARTA (for rural mobility), that aim to bring stakeholders together in order to create a meaningful and coherent sustainable transport offer for citizens and visitors alike;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 bis. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support the tourism sector in the ORs in order to promote its recovery and digital and environmental transformation, with a particular focus on SMEs in the sector, using existing EU funds and setting up pilot projects for outermost destinations;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Calls on the Commission to present an EU common policy on tourism that should ensure the resilience of the sector against the impacts of future pandemics or any kind of events that put in risk tourism activities, such as climate change, and should take into account the particular case of outermost regions;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4 ter. Calls on the Commission to develop initiatives for nautical and coastal tourism, in particular the development and dissemination of a network of maritime routes;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4 b. Calls for strict implementation of the recommendation that live animal transports should not last longer than 8 hours1a; _________________ 1a Recommendation to the Council and the Commission following the investigation of alleged contraventions and maladministration in the application of Union law in relation to the protection of animals during transport within and outside the Union 021/2736(RSP)
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Member States to unlock the potential of the outermost
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Member States to unlock the potential of the outermost regions
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Highlights the need to prepare contingency plans in the outermost regions for the transport sector, with a view to ensuring its resilience, especially in terms of infrastructure and public services, taking into account the impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lessons learned, to avoid any future disruptions on essential services for passengers and goods, in particular in the case of sanitary crises, extreme weather events or conflicts such as the one on Ukraine;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Recital B B. whereas the outermost regions are highly dependent on transport, especially air and maritime connections for accessing to basic goods and services, as well as for their regional economic development;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Funding will be available to the outermost regions for the deployment of innovative mobility systems such as drones and unmanned eco-boats;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5 b. Highlights that the potential of the outermost regions can only be achieved through the cooperation of different stakeholders, including European, national, regional and local authorities, economic and social agents, the civil society, the academic community and nongovernmental organisations; highlights, in this regard, the positive contribution of the Conference of Presidents of Outermost Regions to identify priorities and challenges faced by these regions and incentivise further action; points out that collaboration between outermost regions is also essential to ensure an holistic approach which answers to their specific needs and the sharing of best practices;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Calls on the Commission to examine the possibility of creating a specific tourism quality label reflecting sustainable, digitised tourism and gastronomic variety.
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Recital B B. whereas the outermost regions, as it is the case also for islands in Europe belonging to a Member State, are highly dependent on transport, especially air and maritime connections;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Recital B B. whereas the outermost regions are highly dependent on transport, especially air and maritime connections as the only link to the continent;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Recital B a (new) B a. whereas the blue economy sector plays a vital role in the economic growth and prosperity of outermost regions, that, due to their insularity, are especially dependent on blue economy-based activities, such as maritime transport, shipping, and tourism, with ports being important hubs for the transport of goods and passengers;
source: 739.606
2022/12/13
REGI
339 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 — having regard to Article
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 a (new) — having regard to the final declaration of the 27th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions of the European Union, held in Brussels from 15 to 17 November 2022,
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Takes the view that limited use has been made of Article 349 TFEU and that it could be interpreted in a more innovative and positive way, in particular with a view to creating ad hoc programmes and specific new policies; calls on the Commission, on the basis of Article 349, to come up with an omnibus regulation for the ORs so that specific measures designed to take account of the structural economic and social situation of the ORs can be applied in all the EU regulations and funds where this is necessary; takes the view that this omnibus regulation would make it possible for specific work to be done on the ORs, taking place outside the negotiations on other aspects of the regulations concerned which do not always allow for a precise, in-depth examination of the set of measures designed for these regions;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Considers that the EU should be more ambitious in deepening integrated policies for the ORs, through a proactive and consistent EU approach and through a clear and robust support for the sustainable endogenous development of each of these regions;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Advocates using this strategy as a guiding light for negotiations on the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) concerning the ORs, taking into account the impacts of the current climate of crisis;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Commission to ex
Amendment 104 #
4. Calls on the Commission to expand the POSEI model to other sectors, with fisheries, connectivity and transport being priority areas; points out that these new programmes should under no circumstances undermine existing programmes for the ORs, such as the POSEI agricultural scheme;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Commission to expand
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Commission to expand the POSEI model to other sectors, in particular fisheries, and to increase the POSEI budget accordingly;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Calls on the Commission to contribute to the overall simplification of the POSEI scheme through Article 50 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 793/2006 of 12 April 2006, which provides for the financing of studies, demonstration projects, training and technical assistance;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 a (new) — having regard to the final declaration of the 27th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions of the European Union, held in Brussels from 14 to 16 November 2022,
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on the Commission to show greater flexibility and speed in the deployment of funds earmarked for the effects of natural disasters in the ORs;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 b (new) Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to stepping up dialogue with the ORs and providing them with individualised support; calls on the Commission to adopt a tailor-made approach, working with the Member States, the local and regional authorities and the populations concerned, in particular by means of public consultations, to def
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to stepping up dialogue with the ORs and providing them with
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to stepping up dialogue with the ORs and providing them with individualised support; regrets that the Commission's communication only partially addresses some of the concerns of these regions; calls on the Commission to adopt a tailor-made approach, defining an individual action plan for each OR in the context of a multi-
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to stepping up dialogue with the ORs and providing them with individualised support;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure monitoring and reporting tools on the implementation of legislative measures in the outermost regions to assess their adequacy and tailor-made solutions;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Recommends that Member States with ORs sign up to this Strategy, thereby guaranteeing territorial, social and economic cohesion for these regions;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Reiterates the need for greater flexibility in the rules on State aid for companies in the ORs; draws attention in this regard to the ongoing revision of the de minimis regulation, which sets out very low thresholds fails to take account of factors such as the additional operating costs borne by businesses in the ORs;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Reiterates the need
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 b (new) — having regard to the judgment of the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the EU of 15 December 2015,
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Recalls that the ORs suffer from structural and permanent disadvantages because of their insularity and remoteness; calls on the Commission to exclude payments to offset insularity and remoteness, particularly in the transport sector, when calculating State aid;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Underlines the importance of ensuring the continuity of all tax regimes in the ORs, given their impact on the local economies; calls on the Commission to initiate a tailor-made consultation procedure with the ORs on the future of, and developments in, the dock dues scheme;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Underlines the importance of ensuring the continuity of all existing tax regimes in the ORs, given their impact on the local economies;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Underlines the need to protect the ORs' interests in the international agreements (FTAs, EPAs, ODA) concluded by the European Union; calls on the Commission to systematically include in its impact studies an evaluation of the impact of a draft agreement on the ORs and to give due consideration to the ORs' interests in international negotiations;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Underlines the need to apply Article 349 with a view to increasing investment in the ORs by the Union, the Member States, local authorities and private and public actors, avoiding any negative approach, in other words, specific measures that would hinder the process of making up for underdevelopment and the reduction in development disparities;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7 a. Stresses that in order to better tackle the ORs’ structural problems, it is necessary to analyse the specificities of each of them and to conceive measures within a specific plan, with specific and adequate financial allocations, that take into account the characteristics, assets and challenges of each OR;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7 a. Calls, in the context of the forthcoming Convention for reforming the European Union Treaties, for the imperative safeguarding of the current specific status of the ORs - Articles 355(1), 349 and 107(3)(a) of the TFEU - be safeguarded or, if appropriate, its extension;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Recalls that Article 7 TEU confers on the Commission the role of guardian of the Treaties; emphasises that the outermost regions are fully integrated into the European Union and assimilated to its legal order, with their specific situation acknowledged by the Treaties, particularly Article 349 of the TFEU, which establishes a principle and a right of adaptation, addressed at the level of different Union policies;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7 b. Stresses the need to produce up-to- date, harmonised data on the ORs so that the impact of European policies can be properly ascertained; advocates breaking EUROSTAT data down by OR;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 a (new) — having regard to the Final Declaration of 15 November 2022 of the 27th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions of the European Union,
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7 b. Considers that for ORs to feel a true part of the EU, imbedded into EU’s political action, the EU should be more politically proactive and deliver specific measures to help the sustainable growth of the ORs;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Reiterates the Member States' responsiblity to commit fully to supporting the development of the ORs; recalls that the Member States must undertake to make all of the necessary base investments, which are the only way to make up for underdevelopment; regrets that some of the ORs continue to be among the poorest and least developed regions of the Union despite their Member State being one of the richest and most developed;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 c (new) 7 c. Advocates the European institutions (the European Parliament and Commission) being represented in the ORs and not just in the Member States, to ensure their proximity to the population;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Welcomes the Commission
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Welcomes the Commission’s focus on ‘putting people first’; recalls, however, that the number of people at risk of poverty in the ORs is among the highest in the Union; underlines the importance of implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights in the ORs, in order to ensure greater solidarity between the generations, promote social protection and inclusion, and create new job opportunities;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Calls on the Commission to authorise, subject to conditions, the establishment of social free zones, and to work with the Member States to evaluate, renew and adapt the existing free zones with a view to supporting economic recovery, job creation and skills development in these regions, above all in the most vulnerable sectors and those with most potential;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Deplores the unemployment, school-drop-out and poverty rates in the ORs, which are in an extremely fragile situation compared with other EU territories, aggravated by the current context of multiple and complex crises, a situation that requires greater European solidarity;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Demands new sustainable employment opportunities in the context of the green and digital transitions, and to achieve the Porto 2030 summit goals;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8 b. Calls on the Commission and Council to make full and optimal use of the funding available under the multiannual financial framework 2021- 2027 without prejudice to the programmes already established under the ESF+, following structural problems related to youth unemployment and poverty; recalls that the outermost regions are particularly affected by these issues and therefore need specific support;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8 b. Highlights the difficulties encountered in attracting and retaining professionals in certain areas; calls, therefore, for specific measures to provide effective solutions to address this problem, including through an additional budgetary envelope for the ESF+;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 b (new) — having regard to the Final Declaration of 18 and 19 November 2021 of the 26th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions of the European Union,
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 c (new) 8 c. Welcomes, in this respect, the availability of funds under the RRF for measures dedicated to children and young people and expects this to lead to significant opportunities being created for young people in Europe; calls for social partners and youth organisations to be involved in the monitoring and evaluation of the national recovery and resilience plans; calls on the Member States to ensure that the just transition fund and the ESF+ support integrated plans at local level to help upskilling and reskilling, in particular for the most vulnerable groups affected by the transition;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Underlines the importance of young people for the revitalisation of traditional sectors in the ORs; calls for measures to attract young people into the primary sector; stresses the importance of green skills development and sustainable employment opportunities in a climate- neutral, energy efficient and circular economy, especially in the regions most impacted by the green transition, such as those which are heavily dependent on the agricultural sector and those involved in combating climate change, the production of energy from renewable sources, reducing carbon emissions, increasing energy efficiency, waste and water management, improving air quality and restoring and preserving biodiversity;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9.
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9.
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Underlines the importance of young people for the revitalisation of traditional sectors in the ORs; calls
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Underlines the importance of young people for the revitalisation of traditional sectors in the ORs; calls for measures to attract young people into the primary sector through the provision of fresh job opportunities and funding;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Underlines the importance of young people for the revitalisation of traditional sectors in the ORs; calls for measures such as specific training courses to attract young people into the primary sector;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. Recalls that the particular vulnerability of its regions is delaying the recovery from the health crisis, including the implementation of projects funded by REACT EU; calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide for measures to simplify and make more flexible the 2021-2027 programmes, to the benefit of citizens;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. Stresses that measures must be taken in order to ensure availability of sufficient job opportunities for young people;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 c (new) — having regard to the Council Conclusions of 1 December 2022 on a European Agenda for Tourism,
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10.
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Defends the creation of Blue Erasmus to enable young people to take advantage of the opportunities of the blue economy; welcomes the fact that the Commission will use Interreg to further develop regional learning mobility programmes in synergy with Erasmus+;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Defends the creation of Blue Erasmus, based on the model of the Erasmus+, to enable young people to take advantage of the opportunities
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Calls on the Commission to work with the Member States and the Erasmus+ national agencies to ensure better protection and support for young people from the ORs taking part in the Erasmus mobility programme in other parts of the European Union, in accordance with the inclusion chapter of the Regulation establishing Erasmus+, especially through pre-financing for mobility, additional specific subsidies and enhanced support;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Stresses that it is crucial to increase the participation of the ORs in all Erasmus+ program actions, to promote strong cooperation, mobility and knowledge exchange between education, research and technological innovation institutions, companies and citizens;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls on the Commission to launch a pilot project, as soon as possible, aimed at combating early school leaving in the ORs; emphasises the 'second-chance school' model, supported by the ESF, which has proven effective in getting early school-leavers back into training and employment;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls on the Commission to launch
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11 a. Highlights that the promotion of training and certification in the ORs can create more highly qualified and skilled professionals that are normally more attentive and open to implementing behavioural changes, such as more openness to the use of new technologies; recalls that the digital transition and the use of new technologies should be duly accompanied by a proper training for all, local and regional authorities and civil society;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 a (new) — having regard to the final declaration of the 27th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions, which took place at the European Parliament in Brussels on 15 and 16 November 2022,
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11 b. Stresses that specific training on blue economy activities would contribute to awareness raising for marine ecosystems and the need to protect them;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13.
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Points out that the call for proposals ‘Empowering youth in the EU Outermost Regions’ did not have the expected participation levels; calls for improved communication campaigns on such proposals; defends an enlargement of the initiative to people up to the age of 30 and asks for the involvement of regional authorities in its promotion;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Points out that the call for proposals ‘Empowering youth in the EU Outermost Regions’ did not have the expected participation levels; defends an enlargement of the initiative to people up to the age of 30 and asks for the involvement of regional authorities and socio-professional organisations in its promotion;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Points out that the call for proposals ‘Empowering youth in the EU Outermost Regions’ did not have the expected participation levels; defends an enlargement of the initiative to people up to the age of 30 and asks for the involvement of regional and local authorities in its promotion;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the Commission to develop specific actions aimed at the ORs as part of the European Year of Skills in 2023; calls on employers to enhance the provision of more effective apprenticeships in line with the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the Commission to develop specific actions
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14 a. Points out the need for urgent measures to combat the depopulation of outermost regions and improve citizens’ lives, including by supporting local businesses and regional production; points out that the need to incentivise vocational training and employment promotion in the outermost regions, namely in the tourism sector;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Reiterates Parliament's request to the Commission to present a proposal to make 2024 the European Year of Islands;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 b (new) 14b. Underlines that the cultural sector in the ORs has been hit harder than the regions of mainland Europe; calls for additional specific instruments adapted to the characteristics of the cultural sector in the ORs to support and promote artists and tangible and intangible heritage and protect regional languages;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7 a (new) — having regard to the 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP) and the concepts set out therein,
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the need to define strategies to retain young people in the ORs and to combat the brain drain; advocates, in this context, increasing support and assistance for higher education institutions in these regions, as well as for their vocational schools, so that they can better equip themselves and enhance the quality of the range of training they offer;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the need to define strategies to retain young people in the ORs and to combat the brain drain; calls on the Commission to put in place a tailored mobility plan for the ORs to make it easier for their inhabitants to travel to the mainland;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the need to define strategies to retain young people in the ORs and to combat the brain drain; highlights the need for development and diversification of employment opportunities that enable decent living standards;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the need to define strategies to
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Emphasises the importance of having a well-coordinated, humanitarian, effective and safe EU Migration Policy, which takes into account the specific realities of the ORs, particularly those dealing with
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Emphasises the importance of having a well-coordinated, humanitarian, effective and safe EU Migration Policy, which takes into account the specific realities of the ORs, particularly those dealing with high migration flows; underlines the importance of helping the ORs to combat illegal migration; calls on the European Union and the Member States to work to expand the scope of the European Border and Coastguard Agency to include the French ORs;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Emphasises the importance of having a well-coordinated, humanitarian, effective and safe EU Migration Policy, which takes into account the specific realities of the ORs, particularly those dealing with high mixed migration
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Emphasises the importance of having a well-coordinated, humanitarian, effective and safe EU Migration Policy, which takes into account the specific realities of the ORs, particularly those dealing with high migration flows that are considered to be excessive at local level;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16 a. Urges national, regional and community authorities in charge of education and lifelong learning, as well as social partners, to put in place a legal framework to encourage companies to invest in programmes and measures that aim to guarantee professional integration and to promote gender balance, diversity and inclusion, for a successful transition to an ecologically sustainable, socially responsible and zero-emission economy, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups that may need additional targeted measures, people with disabilities who often suffer from double discrimination and those affected by transitions in the labour market;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 25 a (new) — having regard to the European Parliament resolution on a new approach to the Atlantic maritime strategy (T9- 0369/2021)1a, _________________ 1a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/doc ument/TA-9-2021-0369_EN.html
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Advocates the launching of pilot projects for integration, inclusion, training and service provision in those areas of the ORs that are coming under high migration pressure;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16b. Calls on the Commission to consider the possibility of launching a specific Frontex mission to the ORs in order to assist local authorities, particularly in places with the largest irregular migration flows;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 c (new) 16c. Calls for the implementation of Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001 and the new measures introduced by the CARE Regulation in order to ensure genuine solidarity in responding to migration flows from conflict-affected areas in particular;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recalls that the ORs
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recalls that the ORs’ fishing fleet is old and obsolete; regrets the fact that the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) still does not support the renovation of fleets by covering the purchase of new vessels; calls on the Member States to renew the ORs' fishing fleets as soon as possible; regrets that it has taken the countries so long to carry out these renewals;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recalls that the ORs’ fishing fleet is old and obsolete; regrets the fact that the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) still does not support the renovation of fleets by covering the purchase of new vessels; calls for a swift solution to this problem, taking into account the specific characteristics of the fleet, in order to improve on-board safety and ensure food sufficiency in these regions;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recalls that the ORs’ fishing fleet
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recalls that the ORs’ fishing fleet is old and
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Stresses the need to continue investing in the modernization of the traditional small-scale fishing fleet especially in solutions meant to improve safety and working conditions for fishers, to reduce CO2 emissions, and to improve storage and conservation conditions of the captures; highlights that these measures are crucial for the fisheries’ sector to be able to keep safely and securely providing healthy food, with less negative environmental impact and without increasing the capacity to catch fish;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Recalls that it is essential to renew the fishing fleets in order to ensure the safety of fishermen in the ORs, guarantee food security in the ORs and attract new people, particularly young people, to the fishing profession;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 25 b (new) — having regard to the European Parliament resolution ‘Toward a sustainable blue economy in the EU: the role of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors’ (T9-0135/2022)1a, _________________ 1a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/doc ument/TA-9-2022-0135_EN.html
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Points out that small-scale fishing is a key traditional sector in the outermost regions that is enabling a shift towards food autonomy;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17b. Urges the Commission and Member States to work together more closely to unlock funds to renew fishing fleets in the outermost regions; calls on the Commission to adjust the ecological, economic and technical indicators set to demonstrate the balance between fleet capacity and fishing opportunities, taking into account the particular characteristics of the ORs when revising its guidelines on State aid for the fisheries and aquaculture sector; also stresses the need to speed up the collection of the scientific data needed in the ORs;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17b. Points out that the EU owes its status as the world's leading maritime power to a large extent to the EEZs in the ORs; regrets the fact that the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund lays insufficient emphasis on maritime affairs in this regard and calls for this aspect to be strengthened;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 c (new) 17c. Calls for the Commission to engage in an immediate dialogue with Brazil and Suriname, and to exert pressure by all available means to put an end to the illegal fishing that fleets from these two countries are carrying out in the waters of French Guiana;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 c (new) 17c. Calls on the Commission to revise its guidelines on State aid in the fisheries and aquaculture sector in order to allow support for the fish aggregation devices anchored in the outermost regions;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Recalls that the Commission has pledged to write an interim report on the EMFAF chapter on the ORs and to analyse the ORs’ need for an autonomous regulation for fisheries; reiterates its appeal for the
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Recalls that the Commission has pledged to write an interim report on the EMFAF chapter on the ORs and to analyse the ORs’ need for an autonomous regulation for fisheries;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18 a. Stresses that the fishing and aquaculture sectors play a key role in the sustainable socio-economic development of the ORs, responsible for the creation of jobs and for the supply of a high nutritional value food;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Defends the importance of effectively compensating the ORs’ fisher
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Defends the importance of effectively compensating the ORs’ fishermen for their efforts to meet the Commission’s goal of protecting 30 % of the EU’s marine areas by 2030;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 a (new) — having regard to Article 355 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which sets out the territorial scope of the Treaties, and the specific provisions applying to the outermost regions of the Union,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 25 c (new) — having regard to Directive 2014/89/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning1a, _________________ 1a OJ L 257, 28.8.2014, p. 135.
Amendment 200 #
19 a. Points out that defining protected marine areas has allowed local fishers to increase their income, leading to an increase in local employment in the fisheries’ sector and to an increase recreational activities, boosting opportunities for growth in sectors such as sustainable tourism; underlines that, if properly created, with due public consultation with local authorities and stakeholders, in particular fishers, the definition of these protected areas is fundamental for the protection and the recovery of species, as well as for the coastal sectors that depend on them1a; _________________ 1a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank /en/document/IPOL_STU(2022)733087
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20.
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Stresses the role that the ORs could play in combating illegal fishing and ocean pollution; urges the Commission and the Member States, due to the impact of serious loss of marine biodiversity in the ORs, to take all necessary measures to address the causes of over-exploitation, pollution and climate change in the ORs, and to reform their sectoral policies accordingly;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Stresses the role that the ORs could play in combating illegal fishing and ocean pollution; calls on the Commission to set up a European centre in the Autonomous Region of Madeira to fight marine pollution by plastic;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Stresses the role that the ORs could play in the climate and biodiversity crisis, namely through combating illegal fishing and ocean pollution;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Stresses the role that the ORs could play in combating illegal fishing and ocean pollution and in conserving marine biodiversity;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Stresses the role that the ORs could play in combating illegal fishing
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20 a. Considers that due to their geographic position, the ORs have the ability to lead the blue economy in areas such as offshore renewable energy technologies, development of nature- based activities, like sustainable tourism, but also to help fisheries and aquaculture sectors become fully part of sustainable, resilient and safe food system;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide funding to combat the massive proliferation of Sargassum seaweed, which is particularly affecting these regions, with serious environmental and socio-economic consequences;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Urges the Commission to take the ORs as the European Union benchmark in the fields of ocean governance, ocean knowledge, the blue economy and fishing;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 25 d (new) — having regard to Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources1a, _________________ 1a OJ L 328 21.12.2018, p. 82.
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 b (new) 20 b. Highlights the importance of collaborative, inclusive and cross-sectoral maritime spatial planning in the ORs that takes socioeconomic, environmental and biodiversity concerns into account;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Recalls that the budget allocation for the POSEI agriculture scheme has neither been increased since 2009, nor has it been updated for inflation, which has resulted in chronic underfunding
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Recalls that the budget allocation for the POSEI agriculture scheme has neither been increased since 2009, nor has it been updated for inflation, which has resulted in chronic underfunding; advocates a
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Recalls that the budget allocation for the POSEI agriculture scheme has neither been increased since 2009, nor has it been updated for inflation, which has
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Argues that the ORs should continue to design, implement and manage their own rural development measures, for which purpose a regionalised structure is therefore essential, so that regions can continue (particularly from 2028) to develop their own measures, with a regional management authority, as well as regional monitoring committees; calls for a direct communication channel to be established between the regional governments and the European Commission so that the European farm policy is implemented and enforced appropriately, efficiently and effectively;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Reiterates the need to achieve a reasonable degree of food security in the outermost regions by stimulating local food production; calls on the Commission to establish a common definition of the concept of food self-sufficiency and reliable indicators by which to calculate this;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to urgently increase aid supplied under the specific supply arrangements (SSA) to take account of the continuous rise in agricultural input prices and import costs, particularly following Russia's invasion of Ukraine;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Reiterates that food autonomy remains a priority for the ORs and that, while putting traditional sectors on a stable footing, the diversification of production also needs to be stepped up and supported;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Calls on the Commission to keep the POSEI and regional development programmes closely aligned, given the strong interdependence between the two types of support;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Reiterates the need to restore co- financing rates for the ORs to 85 % in the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), vital for family farms and small farmers;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 25 e (new) — having regard to the Commission communication of 20 May2020 entitled ‘EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 - Bringing nature back into our lives’ (COM(2020)0380), and the European Parliament resolution of 9 June 2021 (P9_TA(2021)0277),
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Reiterates the need to restore a co- financing rate
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Recalls the importance of live animal maritime transport for the ORs’ economies, with small and distant islands very dependent on agriculture; urges the Commission to take account of this in the legislative revision it is due to present on the matter;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Recalls the importance of animal maritime transport for the ORs’ economies, with small and distant islands very dependent on agriculture; stresses the need to continue working towards decent, animal-friendly transport conditions;
Amendment 223 #
24.
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24 a. Highlights the lack of sustainable solutions for transporting agricultural products between most islands and the mainland and for exporting and importing agricultural products from and towards islands, and calls on the Commission and the Member States to support innovative projects for greener connections into their development plans for the islands;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24a. Is concerned about the growing pressure on water resources and about usage conflicts between the general public and farmers; calls on the Member States to improve water sanitation, supply and storage systems in order to alleviate this pressure;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24a. Points out that uncompetitive prices and a lack of competition in the ORs' transport sectors, particularly in freight transport, is placing constraints on their agricultural sector;
Amendment 228 #
24 b. Stresses the need to support remunerative and environmentally friendly short supply chains and the development of a farming sector that prioritises high value-added traditional products, local consumption and green solutions;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24 a. Highlights the need to ensure territorial cohesion and the principle of territorial continuity by minimising the costs of transport, either of passengers or goods; highlights, in this regard, that ensuring territorial continuity will enable social cohesion, including equality of opportunities for outermost regions’ populations;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 25 f (new) — having regard to the Commission communication of 9 December 2020 entitled ‘Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy –putting European transport on track for the future’ (COM(2020)0789),
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Supports the creation of a
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25.
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Supports the creation of a POSEI transport scheme in order to tackle the rising costs resulting from insularity and remoteness; highlights the fact that the introduction of this new scheme should lead to an increase in the allocation for POSEI;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Supports the creation of a POSEI transport scheme, in addition to structural funds, in order to tackle the rising costs resulting from insularity and remoteness;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 a (new) 25a. Points out that, due to ongoing constraints and structural factors, the additional strain on their regional budgets arising from the twin environmental and digital transition is beyond comparison with that placed on other European regions; calls on the Commission to carry out an impact analysis on application of the 'Fit for 55' package in the transport sector in the ORs and provide for financial instruments suitable for its implementation;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 a (new) 25a. Highlights the benefits associated with the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), particularly in terms of connectivity and access to funding; calls on the Commission and Member States to encourage the integration of more airports and ports located in the outermost regions into the TEN-T comprehensive network;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Recalls that stability in the transport sector and infrastructure in the ORs is fundamental for their key sectors such as tourism, agriculture and fisheries; points out too that it is the ports, airports, shipping routes and regular flight connections that connect the ORs to continental Europe, surrounding countries and the rest of the world; stresses, in this regard, that the Commission needs to consider the significance of transport and connectivity for the ORs entirely in the light of Article 349 TFEU, and that any weakening in the transport sector in the ORs exacerbates the risk of isolation, of an economic slowdown and of rising costs of living; believes that competition cannot be the only principle applied to the maritime and air transport sector in the ORs;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Recalls that stability in the transport sector and infrastructure in the ORs is fundamental for their key sectors such as tourism, agriculture and fisheries; calls on the Member States and the Commission, where it is in the interest of these regions, to include their infrastructure in the core or extended trans-European transport network, in order to gain access to the Connecting Europe Facility and to the European Transport Corridors and provide support for, inter alia, alternative fuel supply infrastructure, the extension of ports, urban mobility, aviation and the road network;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Recalls that stability in the transport sector and infrastructure in the ORs is fundamental for their key sectors such as tourism, agriculture and fisheries; recalls that infrastructure for cycling or electric charging ports will help ORs reduce GHG emissions and air pollution and support them in their sustainable transition;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Recalls that stability in the transport sector and infrastructure in the ORs is fundamental for their key sectors such as tourism, agriculture and fisheries; highlights the need to diversify modes of transport and their infrastructure in order to promote a sustainable mobility that protects the environment and guarantees air quality;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 25 g (new) — having regard to the Commission communication of 19 November 2020 entitled ‘An EU Strategy to harness the potential of off shore renewable energy for a climate neutral future’ (COM(2020)0741),
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 a (new) 26a. Highlights the difficulties faced by the outermost regions in accessing the opportunities offered by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF); asks that the Commission give an account in the context of a mid-term evaluation of the projects that have applied for CEF funding in the ORs and consider the possibility of creating a specific budget line for the ORs within the CEF;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 a (new) 26a. Calls on the Commission to issue calls for proposals specifically relating to ORs within the EU programmes managed by it, such as the Connecting Europe Facility, as well as carrying out other actions in these regions, such as info days and road shows, to promote existing opportunities for the ORs.
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 b (new) 26b. Emphasises that, given the ORs' dependence on air and maritime connections with the European continent and between themselves, such connections should be exempt from the EU Emissions Trading System pending an impact analysis by the European Commission relating to inclusion of the ORs therein, taking into consideration the economic, social, territorial and environmental consequences of such a measure;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 c (new) 26c. Calls on the Commission to examine the possibility of special treatment for the ORs with regard to state aid for airport, port and road infrastructure that has a purely local impact and does not create any distortion of intra-Community competition;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Stresses the crucial role of tourism for the development of the ORs, which are highly exposed to externalities; urges the Commission to develop a truly European tourism policy, in particular by creating a single label for sustainable tourism, and to launch further measures to promote the recovery of the sector; calls on the Commission to launch a pilot project aimed at harnessing the potential of the outermost regions to develop and create new professions linked to blue and green tourism;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Stresses the crucial role of tourism for the development of the ORs, which are
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Stresses the crucial role of tourism for the development of the ORs, which are highly exposed to externalities; urges the Commission to develop a truly European tourism policy and to launch further measures to promote the recovery of the sector, such as creating a dedicated funding line for tourism in the next multiannual financial framework and providing funds for the tourism ecosystem in the Union's annual budgets; calls, in this regard, for a European Tourism Agency to be set up;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Stresses the crucial role of tourism for the development of the ORs, which are
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Stresses the crucial role of sustainable tourism for the development of the ORs, which are highly exposed to
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Stresses the crucial role of sustainable tourism for the development of the ORs, which are highly exposed to externalities; urges the Commission to develop a truly European and sustainable tourism policy and to launch further
Amendment 25 #
— having regard to the Commission Study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the outermost regions (ORs)1a, _________________ 1a https://op.europa.eu/en/publication- detail/-/publication/2216604f-7420-11ec- 9136-01aa75ed71a1/language-en
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 a (new) 27 a. Therefore calls on the Commission to follow up on the Transition Pathway for Tourism and present a set of binding and concrete actions and interim targets, including in the area of R&I, infrastructure, technology development and skills to ultimately allow the sector to reach the goal of climate neutrality as well as supporting the development of sustainable and soft tourism throughout European destinations for both tourists and local populations whilst ensuring consistency and synergy among EU policies and objectives, funding and regulatory instruments that support industries through their sustainable transitions;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 a (new) 27a. Calls on the Commission to set up a European Tourism Agency with antennas in each of the ORs’ geographical areas, thus drawing on the experience and dynamism of the sector in these regions for the benefit of the entire EU, in keeping with the Final Declaration of the 26th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions of the European Union;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 a (new) 27a. Calls on the European Commission and the Member States to support the tourism sector in the ORs in order to promote their recovery and digital and environmental transformation, with a particular focus on SMEs in the sector and the regions most dependent on tourism, using existing EU funds and setting up pilot projects for outermost destinations;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 a (new) 27 a. Highlights that the ORs should dedicate any future tourism measures towards sustainable tourism, ensuring that they make the most of their natural capital, while at the same time protecting the environment and biodiversity;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 a (new) 27a. emphasises the inadequacy of public transport in most outermost regions and calls on the Member States to support the regions' related initiatives;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 a (new) 27a. points to the need to work on developing efficient public transport systems in the ORs;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 b (new) 27 b. Calls on the Commission, Member States and regional authorities to ensure contingency plans in vital sectors for the outermost regions, such as tourism and transport, in light of possible future crisis, in order to mitigate the fragilities shown by the Covid-19 pandemic;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 b (new) 27b. Calls on the Commission to develop initiatives for nautical and coastal tourism, in particular the development and enlargement of a network of maritime routes;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 6 Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the outermost regions (ORs) represent major
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 28. Regrets the fact that the specificities of the ORs have
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 28. Regrets the fact that the specificities of the ORs have not been systematically taken into account in the ‘Fit for 55’ package; calls on Member States to support the ORs without delay, including by way of new dedicated budget allocations, in the carbon-neutral transition and in achieving all the objectives laid down in the 'Fit for 55' package.
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 28. Regrets the fact that the specificities of the ORs have not been systematically taken into account in the ‘Fit for 55’ package; stresses that the EU's environmental objectives and targets need always to take into account the remoteness, isolation and/or insularity of the ORs, particularly with regard to the objectives on transport to and from each OR;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 28. Regrets the fact that the specificities of the ORs have not been systematically taken into account in the ‘Fit for 55’ package; calls, therefore, on the Commission to better reflect their specificities in future climate and energy packages such as this one, in order to ensure their adaptability to the transition;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 28. Regrets the fact that the specificities of the ORs have not been systematically taken into account in the ‘Fit for 55’ package and that the measures included in certain policies are not adequately guaranteed;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28a. Stresses the importance of taking the ORs' vulnerable situation into account in budgeting for environmental transition during deliberations on the 'Fit for 55' package, specifically under the Social Climate Fund, Modernisation Fund, Innovation Fund, Ocean Fund, Climate Investment Fund and others that may be created, ensuring that families and businesses in these regions have access to these funds and providing support for small-scale projects;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28 a. Highlights that the Member States and the European Parliament should continue to have an active and reactive role to ensure the protection of outermost regions and reflection of their particularities;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29. Insists that the opportunities for carbon retention offered by the ORs be considered, particularly blue carbon related to marine and coastal biodiversity and green carbon from forest carbon capture;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 a (new) Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 30. Underlines the ORs’ vulnerability to climate change effects, in particular to extreme weather events; defends the position, therefore, that the EU Solidarity Fund should be revised to enable it to respond adequately to smaller-scale disasters also and to include the costs associated with prevention, regulatory compliance, evacuation and the disruption of local economies, in the event of extended seismic activity for example;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the ORs and their five million European citizens represent major
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 30. Underlines the ORs’ vulnerability to climate change effects, in particular to extreme weather events; defends the position, therefore, that the EU Solidarity Fund should be revised to enable it to respond to smaller-scale disasters, including in the ORs, and to include the costs associated with prevention, evacuation and the disruption of local economies in the event of cyclones, floods, forest fires or extended seismic activity;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 30. Underlines the ORs’ vulnerability to climate change and geological effects, in particular to extreme weather and seismic events; defends the position, therefore, that the EU Solidarity Fund should be revised to enable it to respond to smaller-scale disasters and to include the costs associated with prevention, evacuation and the disruption of local economies in the event of extended seismic or volcanic activity;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 30. Underlines the ORs’ vulnerability to climate change effects, in particular to extreme weather events; defends the position, therefore, that the EU Solidarity Fund should be revised to enable it to respond to smaller-scale disasters and to include the costs associated with prevention, evacuation and the disruption of local economies in
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 30. Underlines the ORs’ vulnerability to climate change effects, in particular to extreme weather events; defends the position, therefore, that the EU Solidarity Fund should be revised to enable it to respond to smaller-scale disasters and to include the costs associated with prevention, evacuation and the disruption of local economies in the event of extended seismic or cyclonic activity;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 a (new) 30a. Calls on the Commission to propose an EU Climate Change Adaptation Fund in the next multiannual financial framework to help regions, including the ORs, adapt their infrastructure and implement preventative actions to improve their resilience to climate shocks;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 a (new) 30a. Reiterates the need for the specific characteristics of the ORs to be taken into consideration by way of consistent and appropriate regulations, in order to strike a fair balance between the environmental imperative, accessibility needs and the high social and economic costs borne by their populations;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 a (new) 30a. Stresses the importance of cooperation for the development of renewable energy and welcomes the cooperation agreement on innovation, development and renewable energy between the Azores and the Canary Islands;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 b (new) Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 c (new) 30 C. Warns of the increased risk of energy poverty in the ORs; advocates therefore the adoption of specific measures to prevent and tackle this situation; stresses, therefore, that the ORs face very specific constraints resulting from their isolated electricity production systems, with no possibility of connection with other regions; calls for the Modernisation Fund to be applied to the ORs in order to address the energy poverty endured by these extremely vulnerable regions;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 d (new) 30 D. Urges the Commission to make a special contribution to energy self- sufficiency in the outermost regions, developing their potential, including geothermal, solar, wind and marine energy, and to define a mechanism to support these regions in combating energy poverty;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the ORs represent major assets, but also face permanent difficulties as a result of their insularity (except for French Guiana), geographical dispersion, remoteness, small size, a low-density permanent population which has to cope with seasonal demographic pressure, rough terrain and harsh climate, and economic dependence on a few products;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 31. Reiterates the potential of the ORs for the development of innovative pilot projects on renewable energies; calls on the Commission to build on the ORs' potential and support the development and expansion of solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and salinity gradient energies, low-carbon hydrogen and biomass energy; stresses the need to support the ORs in transitioning to carbon-free energy autonomy tailored to local realities;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 31. Reiterates the natural potential of the ORs for the development of innovative pilot projects on renewable energies; calls, however, on the appropriate bodies not to regard these regions merely as 'test laboratories' but also as regions which should be targeted to benefit from the resulting policies;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 31. Reiterates the potential of the ORs for the development of innovative pilot projects on renewable energies; highlights, in this regard, the enormous potential of outermost regions in the clean energy transition, especially to support the EU’s energy autonomy and complying with the 2050 climate neutrality objective;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 31. Reiterates the potential of the ORs for the development of innovative pilot projects on renewable energies; emphasises that ever-increasing energy consumption dictates a rapid roll-out of renewable energies tailored to the specific characteristics of each area;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 31. Reiterates the potential of the ORs
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 a (new) 31 A. Advocates the need to consider the specific situation of the ORs in the legislative initiative on 'nature restoration', as these regions account for a large part of the EU's biodiversity; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the national plans are drawn up in conjunction with the authorities of the ORs and that they are designed with an appropriate balance between the economic, social and environmental dimensions;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 a (new) 31 a. Reiterates the need to continue and improve measures aiming at biodiversity protection and restoration, given that the outermost regions have an exceptionally high biodiversity value, including through the LIFE programme and the proposal for a regulation on Nature Restoration;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 a (new) 31a. Calls on the Commission to launch, by way of the Horizon 2020 programme and ERDF funds, a major programme for all the ORs and all European islands designed to develop green hydrogen;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 a (new) 31a. Stresses the importance of the recovery and resilience plans in delivering a set of investments for renewable energy generation, thereby reducing the environmental footprint and greenhouse gas emissions;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 32. Calls on the Commission to guarantee its support to Member States in order to ensure the swift use of all opportunities to fund digital infrastructure and connectivity; underlines that some of the submarine cables connecting the ORs are in need of urgent replacement, and calls on Member States to use funding from the Connecting Europe Facility for these projects;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the ORs represent major assets, but also face permanent difficulties as a result of their insularity (except for French Guiana), geographical dispersion, remoteness, small size, rough terrain and harsh climate, and economic dependence
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 32. Calls on the Commission to guarantee its support to Member States in order to ensure the swift use of all opportunities to fund digital infrastructure and connectivity; underlines that some of the submarine cables connecting the ORs are in need of urgent replacement and that that work should help to stimulate the local digital economy sector;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 33 33. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 34 34. Calls on the Commission to create a regular
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 8 Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 35 35. Points out the fragility of the ORs’ health systems, which are characterised by a lack of infrastructure and health professionals; is concerned about the health scandals in some ORs, which undermine public trust in public health strategies;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 35 35. Points out the fragility of the ORs’ health systems, which are characterised by a lack of infrastructure and health professionals; notes that this fragility was exacerbated since the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 35 35. Points out the fragility of the ORs’ health systems, which are characterised in some cases by
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 35 a (new) 35a. Proposes the creation of a research centre for tropical infectious diseases and medical conditions that are particularly common in the ORs, such as diabetes, obesity and certain cancers;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 35 a (new) 35 A. Calls for the situation of the ORs and the state of their health systems to be taken into consideration in particular in the improved and more effective health coordination that the EU seeks to pursue following the pandemic;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 35 b (new) 35 B. Argues that the vulnerabilities of the sector in these regions reinforce the need to focus on prevention and early detection and should be considered and duly supported in Europe's Beating Cancer Plan;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 b (new) Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the ORs represent major assets for the European Union, but also face permanent difficulties as a result of the combination of their insularity (except for French Guiana), geographical dispersion, remoteness, small size, rough terrain and harsh climate, and economic dependence on a few products;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 36 36. Calls on the Commission to support regional authorities in designing and funding plans to attract and retain health professionals; criticises the behaviour of certain Member States which laid off healthcare workers in the middle of the COVID pandemic, seriously reducing hospital capacities;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 36 36. Calls on the Commission to support regional authorities in designing and funding plans to attract and retain health professionals; deplores the fact that medical students prefer to leave ORs in order to finalise their studies, and calls on the Commission to investigate possible causes;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 36 36. Calls on the Commission to support regional and local authorities in designing and funding plans to attract and retain health professionals;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 38 38. Regrets the fact that the Commission has not yet involved the ORs’ authorities in the definition of the annual EU4Health work programmes and expects the Commission to do so without further delay, and to involve the ORs in discussions about policy initiatives of specific interest, such as on vaccination, cancer, mental health, climate change and long-term care;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 38 a (new) 38 a. Asks the Commission to encourage concerned Member States and ORs to: support health system development and access to care (including health promotion and preventive care, and long- term care), develop and adopt/uptake e- health solutions to help address shortages in health professionals and health system digitalisation, while investing in digital skills, competences and literacy, in particular of the most vulnerable population groups and health professionals; participate in actions under the EU4Health programme (including in the Joint Actions) in particular on bridging health inequalities, crisis preparedness and response, including climate change emergency, e-health, health promotion and disease prevention, access to healthcare, including mental health and long-term care, and tropical diseases;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 38 b (new) 38 b. Encourages OR's participation in actions under the Horizon Europe programme, as well as cooperation with the Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority to secure provision of critical medical supplies and health workforce during a crisis, and with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on preparedness and response to health threats, including to those of mental health nature and climate change emergency;
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 38 c (new) 38 c. Suggests to improve the accessibility, quality and sustainability of healthcare through ESF+ (including the European Child Guarantee), ERDF, and TSI, supported with the RRF and the European Semester cycles;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 39 39. Underlines the privileged location and available infrastructures in some of the ORs for space activities; regrets the lack of specific commitments by the Commission in this area; calls on the Commission to better support national plans to relaunch space activities, which are a major source of innovation and European sovereignty;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 39 39. Underlines the privileged location and available infrastructures in some of the ORs for space activities, in particular to ensure the Union has autonomous access to space; regrets the lack of specific commitments by the Commission in this area;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 40 40. Calls for
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the ORs represent major assets, but also face permanent difficulties as a result of their insularity (except for French Guiana), geographical dispersion, remoteness, small size, rough terrain and harsh climate,
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 41 a (new) 41a. Points out that almost all the ORs are composed of volcanic islands or archipelagos; calls on the Commission to set up, based on EUROVOLC, a major EU programme in this regard focusing on the potential of volcanic regions, as well as a European research centre that could be based in an outermost region;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 41 a (new) 41 a. Calls for enhanced environmental impact assessments on the space related activities taking place in the OR and the development of appropriate sustainability measures that will ensure that the negative impact is prevented as much as possible, and compensated where prevention is not possible;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 41 a (new) Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 41 b (new) 41 B. Reiterates the importance of the participation of higher education institutions and marine research centres, as well as the involvement of maritime schools in the ORs and their business fabric in European and international research networks, owing to their knowledge of the unique dynamics and characteristics of these regions, with a view to strengthening their innovation systems and creating more 'blue jobs';
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 10 Better use of European funds
Amendment 315 #
41 A. Stresses the need to simplify and reduce the administrative burden on the ORs' with regard to access to European funds;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 42 42. Recognises the relevance of the Recovery and Resilience Facility for effective recovery in the ORs; points out, however, the importance of reconsidering the execution deadlines, taking into account the current context of war, inflation and labour and raw material shortages; calls on the Commission to ensure the cohesion objectives in national recovery and resilience plans are met and calls for a detailed report to be submitted to the European Parliament containing the final allocations in the national plans in the different categories of regions;
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 42 42. Recognises the relevance of the
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 42 42. Recognises the relevance of the Recovery and Resilience Facility for effective recovery in the ORs; points out, however, the importance of reconsidering the execution deadlines, taking into account the current context of war, inflation and labour and raw material shortages; calls for greater flexibility in the processing of files;
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 42 a (new) 42a. Emphasises that the ORs represent European Union outposts and enhance the Union's outreach into neighbouring countries in their regional areas; calls on the Commission and Member States to work with the ORs' local and regional authorities to implement development strategies that include enhanced regional integration and cooperation; calls, in particular, on the Commission and local and regional authorities to promote synergies between actions supported by the NDICI-Global Europe international cooperation instrument and Interreg funds intended for the ORs;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. having regard to the richness of the biodiversity in the outermost regions – exemplified by the mangroves that surround and protect the ORs and by the Amazon forest, which covers 96% of the territory of French Guiana and is one of the world’s largest biodiversity reservoirs – and to the importance of that biodiversity in achieving the EU’s climate objectives;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 42 a (new) 42 A. Welcomes the fact that the European Commission recognises the ORs as a unique asset for the EU's external relations;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 42 b (new) 42 B. Stresses the importance of ensuring that this strategy will guide the negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework for the outermost regions;
Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 42 c (new) 42 C. Advocates that the impacts of the current crisis in the ORs be taken into account in the revision of the MFF 2021- 2027;
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 43. Welcomes the Commission’s announcement of the creation of a portal on all available EU funds, programmes and policy initiatives for the ORs; urges the Commission to create this portal without delay; calls on the Commission to continue offering support, as appropriate, to ensure better knowledge and use of existing funds by the Member States and regional authorities;
Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 43. Welcomes the Commission’s announcement of the creation of a portal on all available EU funds, programmes and policy initiatives for the ORs, which responds to a request made by Parliament in its resolution of 14 September 2021; urges the Commission to create this portal without
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 a (new) 43a. Calls on the Commission's services and national and regional authorities to strike a balance between essential controls on the use of EU funds and the simpler, more flexible administrative rules needed to optimise them in order to encourage local initiatives, particularly in the ORs;
Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 a (new) 43 A. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure greater synergies and coordinated management of European funds, particularly the ERDF, Global Europe and the OCT-EU Association Decision, in order to achieve, especially for the ORs, greater and more effective territorial cooperation and better financing, especially for their businesses and citizens;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 a (new) 43 a. Regrets that the already small number of programmes, public policies and funds specific to the outermost regions have been disappearing in favour of their integration in horizontal European programmes, thus diluting the tailor-made approach needed for ORs;
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 a (new) 43a. Calls on the ORs to make use of all EU funds and programmes; calls on the Commission to raise awareness of the ORs in all its directorates-general and to assist the ORs with their procedures in order to provide them with easier access to EU funds and programmes;
Amendment 329 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 a (new) Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the outermost regions (OR) have assets of enormous potential, as recognised by the European Commission in the communication under review: a young population, extensive maritime economic zones, a unique biodiversity, a great wealth of renewable energy sources and a location and climate suitable for the development of space sciences;
Amendment 330 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 b (new) 43b. Emphasises that the ORs enrich the European Union's cultural and linguistic heritage; calls on the Commission to further enhance the ORs' cultural wealth and promote exchanges with culture professionals in the ORs, especially by launching new pilot projects along the lines of Archipel.eu;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 b (new) 43b. Suggests that the resources of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund be mobilised to provide adequate support to Member States’ efforts in the area of migration, in particular to those Member States which are faced with specific and disproportionate pressures on their asylum and reception systems;
Amendment 332 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 b (new) 43 b. Reminds the Commission of the importance of developing a local waste management strategy that takes account of the priority issues of the ecological and energy transition and the protection of local biodiversity, and that can reinforce the implementation of a circular economy in the ORs;
Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 b (new) 43 A. Requests the European Commission to provide support for continuing the work begun under the flagship FORWARD project, so that the efforts made and the results already achieved in the nine outermost regions are not lost;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 c (new) 43c. Insists on the need for the EU to allocate specific funds to enable regions under greater migratory pressure, mainly those at the EU’s external borders, such as the outermost regions, to be able to cope with the reception and assistance of unaccompanied minors arriving on their territories, facilitating the relocation of these minors as soon as possible to the Member States and the rest of the EU if they have relatives elsewhere;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 c (new) 43 c. On EU trade, stresses that the European Union's trade policy has a major economic impact in these regions; recalls that imported goods under free trade agreements and economic partnership agreements with third countries compete with the export production of the ORs on the Community market or even with local production on its own regional market;
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 c (new) 43 C. Underlines the importance of student exchange programmes, within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, in training young professionals from the participating countries; advocates setting up an exchange programme for students from the ORs with countries and regions neighbouring these regions, along the same lines;
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 d (new) 43 D. Recalls that cooperation between the ORs and neighbouring countries or territories must be improved in the light of current realities, and that action must therefore be taken with regard to the regulatory, administrative, budgetary and political rules and regulations governing this cooperation;
Amendment 338 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 e (new) 43 E. Calls on the European Commission to strengthen and implement procedures, when negotiating free trade agreements, to take account of sensitive products from the ORs;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 43 f (new) 43 F. Calls on the European Commission to consider the impact of certain trade agreements concluded or to be concluded by the European Union on the economies of the ORs, by systematically carrying out impact assessments in advance;
Amendment 34 #
A a. whereas these structural constraints are a serious handicap for the development of the ORs and therefore specific measures need to be taken to establish the conditions for the harmonious application of the Treaties, including common policies, without undermining the coherence of the Union legal order;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the judgment of the Grand Chamber of the CJEU of 15 December 2015 clarified the broad scope of Articles 349 and 355 TFEU for the outermost regions;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A c (new) Ac. whereas, under the Common Provisions Regulation, the outermost regions have specific additional allocations from the ERDF, the ESF+ and REACT EU, a specific component under the Interreg programme for the 2021-2027 programming period and a specific allocation within the Just Transition Fund Regulation;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas GDP per capita in the ORs is below the EU average, including below their own countries’ averages;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas GDP per capita in the ORs is below the EU average, including below their own countries’ averages, and whereas poverty rates are sometimes among the highest in Europe;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 c (new) — having regard to Article 107(3)(a) TFEU, which provides that aid to promote the economic development of the outermost regions may be compatible with the internal market,
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas young people are a vital asset for the recovery and development of all EU regions, notably the outermost regions; whereas in Mayotte, half of the population is under the age of 18, while in French Guiana, one inhabitant out of two is under 25; whereas these regions have high levels of young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs) and early school leavers, higher than the EU and national averages7 ; _________________ 7
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas these regions have high levels of young people
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas these regions have high levels of young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs) and early school leavers, higher than the EU and national averages7; whereas the youth unemployment rate is above 50% in Mayotte and the Canary Islands, almost 40% in Réunion, Guadeloupe and Martinique, and almost 30% in French Guiana; _________________ 7
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas these regions have high levels of young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs) and early school leavers and of youth illiteracy or digital illiteracy, higher than the EU and national averages7; _________________ 7
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed even more the fragilities of the ORs’ economies
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragilities of the ORs’ economies and public sector, particularly hospital care; whereas the Russian invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated the economic impact of the pandemic, including rising inflation and rising unemployment rates, especially among young people;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine are having a destructive impact on the outermost regions through rising prices of energy, maritime freight, food, fertilisers and raw materials;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) D a. whereas many ORs are faced with strong migratory pressure, with extremely severe consequences for their population and significant impacts on their own resources;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 d (new) — having regard to Article 7 TFEU, which stipulates that the Union shall ensure consistency between its policies and activities, taking all of its objectives into account and in accordance with the principle of conferral of powers,
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas it has been
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas air and maritime transport are essential for connecting the ORs to the
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas air and maritime transport are essential for connecting the ORs both to the European mainland and places outside the European Union; whereas these regions have no alternatives to these modes of transport;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas air and maritime transport are essential for ensuring territorial continuity and connecting the ORs both to the European mainland and with each other;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas air and maritime transport are essential for connecting the ORs with each other, within the archipelagos which they often comprise, and to the European mainland;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas air and maritime transport are essential for connecting the ORs to the European mainland and to the countries and territories around them;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas freight transport is two to four times more expensive than on the mainland, which is having a direct impact on competitiveness and on the lives of individual citizens;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas there are no means of transport other than air and sea that link the ORs with the European mainland and the rest of the world;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F b (new) Fa. whereas it is important to increase budget appropriations for the outermost regions and simplify the procedures necessary to access funding;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas the primary sector, in particular arable and livestock farming and fishing, is very important for the ORs; whereas the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) agriculture scheme is therefore essential for the ORs, as was the former
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 3 a (new) — having regard to its resolution of 6 July 2017 on promoting cohesion and development in the outermost regions of the EU: implementation of Article 349 TFEU,
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas the primary economic sector is very important for the ORs; whereas the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) agriculture scheme is
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) G a. whereas the ORs are heavily dependent on blue economy sectors, in particular fisheries and sustainable maritime tourism, for their socio- economic development; whereas sustainably developing the blue economy sectors in the outermost regions could boost job creation and economic growth;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas bridging the development divide between the ORs and the rest of the EU must remain a top priority for the EU and the Commission;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas the ORs are home to around 80% of the EU’s biodiversity and are characterised by their wealth of natural heritage and ecosystems that are unique in the EU;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) G a. whereas islands have exceptionally rich biodiversity and ecosystems; whereas island ecosystems are particularly threatened by the impact of climate change and must be protected;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas in certain ORs the situation regarding migration is worrying, and there are problems when it comes to assimilating a large immigrant population locally;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) G a. whereas the ORs' maritime dimension provides the EU with the largest EEZ in the world;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) G b. whereas islands’ marine and terrestrial biodiversity is largely endemic, and therefore more fragile; whereas marine and coastal pollution, as well as overfishing, have an increased impact on the islands’ environment, with very serious consequences for employment, the small-scale fisheries sector and local communities;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) Gb. whereas the ORs are in the front line when it comes to the effects of climate change and are particularly vulnerable in the face of increasingly frequent extreme weather events such as cyclones and floods, as well as volcanic eruptions;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) Gb. whereas, generally, the economy in the ORs is not very diverse, relying to a large extent on tourism, and whereas this makes the markets more vulnerable in the event of socio-economic crises and natural disasters;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 3 b (new) — having regard to its resolution of 27 April 2017 on the management of fishing fleets in the outermost regions,
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) G b. whereas the continuous loss of marine biodiversity will cause major environmental, social and economic impacts in the EU fisheries sector and in particular in the outermost regions, and must be therefore urgently reversed;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) Gb. whereas the ORs and the overseas countries and territories are extremely important when it comes to conserving global biodiversity, and whereas their land and marine ecosystems are fragile;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) G b. whereas around 80% of the EU's biodiversity is to be found in the ORs;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G c (new) G c. whereas marine protected areas (MPAs) need to be established to comply with the implementation of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive; whereas the creation of those areas should be seen as a tool for reconciling the protection of habitats and ecosystems with the socio-economic sustainability of the blue economy;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G c (new) G c. whereas the economy of the ORs is intrinsically linked to the primary sector, particularly farming and fisheries, which, in addition to fostering food security and sufficiency, create jobs and help maintain the diversity of these regions' landscapes, ecology and territory;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G c (new) Gc. whereas the exceptionally rich biodiversity and ecosystems of the ORs need to be better protected; whereas the French ORs are being discriminated against because they do not have access to Natura 2000 funds, while other regions in the EU do;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G c (new) Gc. whereas the ORs provide the EU with geostrategic locations in the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean and the Amazon basin, and whereas they help make the EU the second-largest maritime area in the world;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G d (new) Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G d (new) G d. whereas, owing to the current economic climate, Europe's economies are dealing with labour and raw material shortages and a generalised increase in prices, a situation which is taking on a worrying dimension in the ORs;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G d (new) G d. whereas the creation of the MPAs have to take place, taking into account public consultation with local authorities and stakeholders, in particular fishers;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 3 c (new) — having regard to its resolution of 26 February 2014 on optimising the potential of outermost regions by creating synergies between the Structural Funds and other European Union programmes,
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G e (new) G e. whereas the ORs strengthen the EU's global dimension by extending its borders to various continents, thus enhancing their importance in projecting the EU's values and principles in the regions in which they are embedded; whereas, furthermore, cooperation with neighbouring countries and with the Member States of which they form part is important for their regional integration and economic development;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G e (new) Ge. whereas most ORs are volcanic, and whereas volcanic activity can have a devastating impact on the environment and the economy, as was the case following the eruption on La Palma in the Canary Islands in 2021;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G e (new) G e. whereas the risks of major/regional natural disasters and health emergencies have become systemic and the least developed and most fragile territories, such as the ORs, are often the most affected by such catastrophes;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G f (new) Gf. whereas, owing to their specific geographical characteristics, the ORs must be able to aim for food autonomy based on sustainable cycles and energy autonomy via renewables;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G f (new) G f. whereas the ORs are genuine natural laboratories, due to their unique biodiversity that makes them crucial to the promotion of research and conservation of marine resources;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the visible progress achieved by the EU strategies for the ORs, which is a sign of the fruitful cooperation between the Commission, Parliament and the Council, the ORs’ regional and local authorities, and civil society; regrets, nevertheless, the lack of commitment shown by the Commission in this new strategy in essential areas for the ORs, i
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the visible progress achieved by the EU strategies for the ORs, which is a sign of the fruitful cooperation between the Commission, Parliament and the Council, the ORs’ regional and local authorities, NGOs, and civil society; regrets, nevertheless, the lack of commitment shown by the Commission in this new strategy in essential areas for the ORs, ignoring successive demands from both regional authorities and Parliament;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Points out that the Court of Justice has emphasised that ‘the conditions of application of the Treaties’, within the meaning of Article 349 TFEU, must be construed as covering both the conditions relating to the application of primary EU law and those relating to the application of acts of secondary legislation adopted on the basis of that primary law; points out, furthermore, that the Court has ruled that it follows from the wording and the objectives of Article 349 TFEU and from the scheme of the Treaties that, as regards the ORs, the territorial scope of the entire acquis of EU law is defined in particular by Article 52 TEU read in conjunction with Article 355(1) TFEU and by the measures adopted pursuant to Article 349 TFEU;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Stresses how urgent it is to implementing many of the measures set out in this strategy which, in this time of crisis, are of particular importance, with a view to ensuring the sustainable (economic, social, territorial and environmental) recovery of these regions;
Amendment 89 #
2. Reaffirms the need to maintain and strengthen coordinated action at EU, national, regional and local level; supports the greater involvement of regional and local authorities in the design of EU policies; with that in mind, proposes that an executive vice-president be designated within the College of Commissioners who would work closely with the Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms and the Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights to monitor the sustainable and inclusive development of the EU’s territories, and would have special responsibility for ensuring that account is taken across all EU public policies of the problems affecting the ORs;
Amendment 9 #
— having regard to its resolution of 18 April 2012 on the role of Cohesion Policy in the outermost regions of the European Union in the context of EU 2020,
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Reaffirms the need to maintain and strengthen coordinated action at EU, national, regional and local level; supports the greater involvement of regional and local authorities in the design of EU policies; emphasises the positive impact of the regular organisation of meetings of the presidents of the ORs that MEPs and members of the Commission also attend;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Reaffirms the need to maintain and strengthen coordinated action at EU, national, regional and local level; supports the greater involvement of regional and local authorities in the ORs in the design of EU policies;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Reaffirms the need to maintain and strengthen coordinated action at EU, national, regional and local level; supports the
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Regrets the fact that Article 349 is still not being automatically applied in every legislative initiative from the Commission, while recognising that some progress has been made; reiterates the call that Parliament made in its resolution of 14 September 2021 for the Commission and the Council to adopt an ‘OR reflex’, i.e. for the ORs’ specific characteristics to be systematically taken into account in EU legislative proposals and during interinstitutional negotiations, with a view to ensuring that EU legislation is able to cope with the specific challenges and local realities of the ORs;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Regrets the fact that Article 349 is still not being automatically applied in
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Regrets the fact that Article 349 of the TFUE is still not being automatically applied
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Regrets the fact that Article 349 is still not being automatically applied in every legislative initiative from the Commission, while recognising that some progress has been made; therefore calls on the Commission to ensure that in its legislative initiatives it systematically takes into account the objectives referred to in Article 349;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Regrets the fact that Article 349 is still not being automatically applied in every legislative initiative from the Commission, while recognising that some progress has been made; recommends for the Commission to consider an OR proofing mechanism similar to the one proposed for rural areas;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Regrets the fact that Article 349 is still not being automatically applied in every legislative initiative from the Commission, while recognising that some progress has been made with regard to the need to take account of the specific characteristics of the ORs;
source: 739.739
2023/01/18
BUDG
177 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission communication on Outermost Regions (ORs) (COM(2022)0198); calls for this strategy to be factored in to the post-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF); recalls that ORs face specific permanent constraints; notes that these challenges, combined with the effects of the current crisis, suggest a slower economic recovery in ORs than in other EU regions; asks the Commission to come up with a concrete timetable for the support measures outlined in the strategy in collaboration with the concerned Member States and the ORs;
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Citation 1 a (new) — having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 26 February 2014 on optimising the potential of outermost regions by creating synergies between the Structural Funds and other European Union programmes (2013/2178(INI));
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Calls on the Commission to step up its financial support for the ORs, including via ad hoc programmes and/or specific funds;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Citation 3 c (new) — having regard to the Common position paper of the 3 Member States and the 9 Outermost Regions in the framework of the update of the European Commission's strategic partnership with the Outermost Regions and the adoption of the Communication for these regions published on 19 January 2022,
Amendment 100 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to facilitate the establishment of special economic zones in order to promote economic and social recovery, job creation and skills development in the ORs, particularly for the most fragile and promising sectors, and to support the Member States in the evaluation, renewal and adaptation of existing special economic zones;
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Stresses the importance of the European Social Fund + in the ORs, on the one hand, in combating poverty and social exclusion and providing food and material aid to the most disadvantaged, and, on the other hand, in supporting training, prevention of early school leaving, vocational guidance, youth employment and entrepreneurship;
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Stresses that the development of specific economic sectors, such as the fisheries sector, will be made easier by the ORs having control over the entirety of their Exclusive Economic Zones, enabling the creation of decent employment;
Amendment 104 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 105 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the Commission to improve access to the European Social Fund Plus in the ORs by setting up mass information campaigns aimed at institutional and associative partners, providing a support service for project leaders and financing training for managing authorities
Amendment 106 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the Commission to improve access to the European Social Fund Plus in the ORs by setting up
Amendment 107 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the Commission
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Highlights that the outermost regions' economies are heavily dependent on the tourism and transport sectors, which were severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic; calls therefore on Member-States as well as regional and local authorities concerned to work together to best ensure the socio-economic recovery of the ORs, taking into account challenges such as rising prices due to inflation and disruption of supply chains;
Amendment 109 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the Commission, in the context of the additional ESF+ allocation for the ORs, to provide the necessary technical assistance to these regions to make full use of this allocation as well as to monitor its use; calls on the Commission to promote the exchange of good practice between managing authorities in order to improve information and the proper use of these funds;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines the key role of cohesion policy in unlocking ORs’ potential and offsetting the impact of their permanent constraints and reducing economic and social gaps between the ORs and the rest of the EU; stresses the need to better account for ORs’ specific features in cohesion fund programming, while ensuring they can fully benefit from provisions enabling greater flexibility, namely higher co-financing rates and access to pre-financing; underlines that the concerned Member States and the ORs themselves are responsible for shaping and implementing the right development strategies and priorities and using the full potential of funding opportunities provided by the European instruments; stresses the need to factor ORs’ specific circumstances fully in
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Recital -A (new) -A. whereas five million people live in the nine outermost regions (ORs) of the European Union: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Reunion and Saint Martin (France), Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and Canary Islands (Spain);
Amendment 110 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Stresses that the ORs are particularly susceptible to economic crises, such as the crisis resulting from the current surge in inflation; calls on the Commission to promote instruments that offset the effects of crises on the ORs’ populations, including by controlling the prices of food and energy products, thereby combating the emergence of new pockets of poverty and exclusion;
Amendment 111 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Reiterates the need to consider the specific features of the ORs in every annual cycle of the European Semester and for those features to be reflected in the country-specific recommendations (CSRs) for Portugal, Spain and France;
Amendment 112 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the Commission to recognise ORs’ specificities and support initiatives to create better conditions for workers of agricultural and fisheries sectors;
Amendment 113 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Stresses that the ORs are particularly susceptible to the effects of extreme weather events resulting from climate change, and this particularly affects the local population and production; calls on the Commission to ensure faster response mechanisms, including through the Solidarity Fund;
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Highlights the disparities that exist even between ORs, some of which have not yet been able to provide their populations with access to basic sanitation and drinking water; points out, furthermore, that many of the most isolated people in these regions do not have good broadband internet coverage or even access to broadband internet;
Amendment 115 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to improve access to Union funding for the ORs and to advance with the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, including in the areas of quality employment, education, skills, social inclusion, and equal access to healthcare;
Amendment 116 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Calls on the Commission to step up its communication in the ORs on existing European Union programmes relating to employment and vocational training and its presence on the ground by setting up physical offices;
Amendment 117 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 c (new) 6c. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to provide tailored support to the ORs to ensure they can make the most out of EU opportunities, as well as to organise specific workshops on EU programmes and strengthen the dialogue with relevant stakeholders in the ORs;
Amendment 118 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 c (new) 6c. Highlights the shortage of labour in fundamental sectors for the ORs and the increase in material prices, which makes it impossible to carry out structural projects for these regions;
Amendment 119 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 c (new) 6c. Calls on the Commission and Member States to promote university partnerships in order to encourage student mobility to and from the ORs, as well as intra-ORs exchanges;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines the key role of cohesion policy in unlocking ORs’ potential and offsetting the impact of their permanent constraints; stresses the need to better
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Recital -A a (new) -Aa. whereas the European Union has a responsibility to respond to the economic, social and environmental challenges facing the ORs; whereas, furthermore, the development of those regions is essentially based on the choices and actions of the regions themselves and of their Member States;
Amendment 120 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 d (new) 6d. Emphasises the importance of traditional sectors for maintaining employment in the ORs, particularly farming and fisheries; considers that these sectors should continue to receive particular attention from the EU by increasing the budget allocation of its specific agriculture programme (POSEI Agriculture) and reinstating a specific programme for fisheries (POSEI Fisheries) based on the EMFAF article relating to the ORs;
Amendment 121 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 d (new) 6d. Welcomes the fact that the Erasmus+ 2021-2027 programme specifies that the constraints linked to the remoteness of the ORs must be taken into account; notes, however, that the financial aid granted is often insufficient to encourage mobility; calls for maximum aid to be granted to students from the ORs when the Erasmus+ programme is implemented, with a financial increase if necessary to cover the real costs of travel;
Amendment 122 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 e (new) 6e. Calls on the European Commission to develop partnerships with third countries neighbouring the ORs under the Erasmus+ programme in order to further promote university exchanges and business exchanges in the geographical area of the ORs;
Amendment 123 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 e (new) 6e. Reiterates the need to create measures to encourage the establishment of health care professionals in order to reduce disparities in health services;
Amendment 124 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 f (new) 6f. Points out that there are still significant inequalities in the health sector in the EU, particularly in the ORs, including in preventing and combating cancer; stresses the need to identify and pay special attention to the inhabitants of these regions in order to ensure they have proper access to cancer prevention and combating services, by encouraging and supporting the creation of public policies as part of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan;
Amendment 125 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 f (new) 6f. Calls on the European Commission to consider creating, within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme, exchanges of young people in vocational training so that companies in the ORs and in continental Europe can both send and receive a person during the same period;
Amendment 126 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 g (new) 6g. Welcomes the creation of the ALMA initiative for the active inclusion of disadvantaged young people; stresses that this initiative is of particular interest in the ORs, where there are many NEETs; calls on the Commission to ensure that this initiative is accompanied by adequate financial resources to enable the largest possible number of beneficiaries; believes that positive action should be taken to ensure the participation of young people from the ORs;
Amendment 127 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 g (new) 6g. Stresses the need to establish measures to promote and support the establishment of teachers, particularly in STEM disciplines, which are important to accompany the twin transition and ensure literacy in these areas and awaken the interest of young people;
Amendment 128 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 h (new) 6h. Stresses the importance of school canteens to ensure children in the ORs receive proper nutrition and in many cases to ensure they have a regular meal; defends, therefore, the importance of the EU school fruit and vegetables scheme, which should take into consideration the vulnerability of these regions; calls, in particular, for national plans to be adapted to better respond to these needs;
Amendment 129 #
6h. Calls for greater participation by youth from the ORs in the voluntary work and local solidarity projects made possible by the European Solidarity Corps;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines the key role of cohesion policy in unlocking ORs’ potential and offsetting the impact of their permanent constraints; stresses the need to better account for ORs’ specific features in cohesion fund programming, while ensuring they can fully benefit from provisions enabling greater flexibility, namely higher co-financing rates and access to pre-financing; regrets the fact that the specific characteristics of the ORs have not been systematically taken into account in the ‘Fit for 55’ package; stresses the need to factor ORs’ specific circumstances fully in to delivery of the Green Deal and to tap into their potential to achieve self-
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Recital -A b (new) -Ab. whereas the principles set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights are of particular importance to the ORs, including its contribution to equal opportunities, social protection and inclusion;
Amendment 130 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 i (new) 6i. Points out the risk of energy poverty for families in the ORs, as a result of the higher cost of living and higher energy prices; urges, therefore, the Commission to take this situation into account in all the extraordinary tools and measures that it may create to ensure access to essential energy services;
Amendment 131 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 i (new) Amendment 132 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 j (new) 6j. Stresses that the ageing population, increase in average life expectancy and decline in birth rate, despite the number of young people, are also of concern in the ORs, not only because they result in a shrinking labour force and significant pressure on social security systems, but also because of the need to create measures to ensure our fellow citizens enjoy autonomy and a dignified end of life;
Amendment 133 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 j (new) 6j. Stresses the need to define strategies to retain young people in the ORs and to combat the brain drain; welcomes the Commission's announcement of an initiative to alleviate the problems associated with the brain drain, including in the ORs; calls on the Commission to present this initiative without delay;
Amendment 134 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 k (new) 6k. Supports the promotion of active ageing measures in these regions, such as broadening the scope for the ‘sport’ actions of the Erasmus+ programme to include initiatives promoting physical activity for elderly people and intergenerational sporting activities; supports, furthermore, in the framework of a lifelong learning approach, incentives to set up a European network of senior universities in the ORs, with specific learning tools and access to information, sharing best practices and student exchanges;
Amendment 135 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 k (new) 6k. Stresses the importance of the EURES network, and draws particular attention to the priority needs of the labour market in EURES activities, in order to help the unemployed back into employment and to facilitate the free movement of workers to the ORs;
Amendment 136 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 l (new) 6l. Points out that there is still a considerable need for social housing in the ORs, the infrastructure of which should also meet a series of sustainability requirements, in line with the targets for achieving climate neutrality; takes the view that such requirements should not impair the fight against inequalities or impair social justice in these regions, and it is therefore incumbent on the EU to encourage and provide the necessary instruments;
Amendment 137 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 l (new) 6l. Regrets the decline in strong intergenerational solidarity in the ORs; believes that this intergenerational link could be enhanced through the creation of mentoring programmes in order to strengthen knowledge sharing and individualised support for youth and job seekers;
Amendment 138 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 m (new) 6m. Stresses that regular, safe and accessible mobility for people in the ORs is also a social cohesion measure that provides access to new employment, education and training opportunities, as well as health care; reiterates, therefore, the need for a European transport policy that allows this objective to be met and, in particular, a specific programme for transport in these regions;
Amendment 139 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 m (new) 6m. Notes that the ORs would be suitable territories for developing innovative social policies such as a “third chance pathway” aimed at the social and labour market reintegration of working people of all ages or the care of the elderly in view of the ageing population;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines the key role of cohesion policy in unlocking ORs’ potential and offsetting the impact of their permanent constraints; stresses the need to better account for ORs’ specific features in cohesion fund programming, while ensuring they can fully benefit from provisions enabling greater flexibility, namely higher co-financing rates and access to pre-financing; stresses the need to factor ORs’ specific circumstances fully in to delivery of the Green Deal and to tap into their potential to develop their strategic autonomy by diversifying supply chains and to achieve self-
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Recital -A c (new) -Ac. whereas the outermost regions (ORs) offer major assets to the EU; whereas many of the ORs have a young population, extensive maritime economic zones, unique biodiversity, rich renewable energy sources, location and climate suitable for space sciences and astrophysics activities, important space infrastructure and proximity to other countries while at the same time, they are facing challenges to their development such as remoteness, insularity, small size, vulnerability to climate change, and economic dependence on a few sectors;
Amendment 140 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 n (new) 6n. Emphasises the important role played by the social economy in the ORs, as a partner of regional and local authorities in combating the constraints linked to remoteness, poverty and social exclusion, and in creating jobs and developing initiatives in these regions; calls for this reality to be recognised at European level and for this non-profit sector to have direct access to European subsidies; calls on the Commission to ensure the participation of the ORs in the European Social Economy Regions network;
Amendment 141 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 n (new) 6n. Reiterates the important role of social support institutions in the ORs, which complement the work of regional and local authorities to combat poverty and social exclusion, as well as creating jobs;
Amendment 142 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 o (new) 6o. Supports the creation of a pilot project for a simplified, direct-access EU programme aimed at private social support institutions in the ORs, with non- repayable funding lines for small-scale projects, support for training for technical and auxiliary staff in the different areas of intervention, co-financing for large- scale projects involving cross-border partnerships and support for initiatives to share best practices;
Amendment 143 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 o (new) 6o. Invites the Commission to make full use of the tools of the European Semester and the country-specific recommendations to analyse and advise on public policies in the ORs with the aim to achieve upward social convergence;
Amendment 144 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 p (new) 6p. Calls on the Commission to organise a social summit in the ORs to discuss and adapt the Porto targets and the European Pillar of Social Rights to these territories; stresses the importance of including stakeholders from the ORs in order to ensure the ownership and proper implementation of social policies;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. 2bis. Underlines the specific vulnerability of ORs to the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss, in particular extreme weather events; stresses the environmental inequalities and injustices suffered by ORs; calls to increase efforts and investments in the environmental restauration of ORs, such as water and soil depollution; stresses that targeted regional policies and action aimed at protecting and restoring the unique biodiversity of the islands are necessary to preserve their natural resources and means of subsistence;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas social inequalities are at the heart of the challenges facing the outermost regions (ORs) of the EU; whereas the ORs collectively face structural factors, such as remoteness, insularity, small size, low population density and seasonal fluctuation in population, dependence on a small number of production units and a lack of economic diversification, and are disproportionately affected by high poverty, unemployment
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Underlines the need to promote growth and competitiveness in the ORs based on their specialities and most promising sectors; highlights the opportunities provided by Horizon Europe for research and innovation in green and blue economies; welcomes the Commission's intention to improve ORs research capacity and to propose a dedicated coordination and support action for ORs;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Urges the Commission, the Member States and regional authorities, with a view to achieving energy self-sufficiency from renewable sources in those regions, to coordinate the best use of available EU funds and to add to them;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the structural inequalities facing the ORs are tackled by policies that positively discriminate these regions, ensuring investment that increases the quantity and quality of public services and ensuring universal access, that galvanises production and local and regional markets, technology infrastructure, innovation and sustainability, and that improves connectivity between islands and with the mainland;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Underlines that outermost regions, due to their specific nature and remoteness, should receive increased support from EU funds. Ask the Commission to propose additional financing for those regions;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Recital A a (new) Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Reiterates the need to re-evaluate the rules governing State aid for businesses in the ORs; where the ORs are concerned, calls for an end to de minimis limits above which authorisation from the Commission is required;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Recital B B. whereas the scourge of drug addiction contributes to social and economic exclusion
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission communication on Outermost Regions (ORs) (COM(2022)0198); calls for this strategy to be factored in to the post-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF); recalls that ORs
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Citation 2 a (new) — having regard to the Commission communication of 24 October 2017 entitled ‘A stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the EU’s outermost regions’ (COM(2017)0623),
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Stresses the need to take account of the ORs' vulnerability in the funds being designed to support environmental transition under the 'fit for 55' package (Social Climate Fund, Modernisation Fund, Ocean Fund and Innovation Fund or Climate Investment Fund, etc.), ensuring access for its households and SMEs and support for small-scale projects;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas the presence of long-term unemployment in the ORs can be explained both by the mismatch between skills and labour market expectations and by the fact that there are too few and unsuitable employment and training opportunities in these territories; whereas it is necessary to ensure that training is adequate to the needs of businesses in the ORs;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2 b. Highlights the importance of promoting youth education and mobility; encourages the Commission to better take into account the ORs specificities and needs in this respect;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Recital B b (new) Bb. whereas the lack of training and employment opportunities in the ORs leads to massive exodus of young people, which has a strong impact on the demography and development of these territories;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the importance of mainstreaming support for ORs across EU programmes and instruments, in particular the European structural and investment funds (ESIF), the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU) programme; highlights the need to extend the execution deadlines of the RRF to boost economic recovery in ORs;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Recital B c (new) Bc. whereas the development of digital skills in the ORs is a prerequisite for achieving a digital transition that leaves no one behind;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the importance of mainstreaming support for ORs across EU programmes and instruments, in particular the European structural and investment funds (ESIF), the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU) programme; highlights the need to extend the execution deadlines of the RRF to boost economic recovery in ORs; underlines the need to revise the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF), including by adapting the current provisions applicable to the ORs in an appropriate manner, so that it can better respond to regional disasters;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Recital B d (new) Bd. whereas the lack of infrastructure and the level of digitalisation in the ORs do not allow for the effective deployment of distance learning, teleworking or the digital delivery of public services related to employment and social welfare;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Points out to the importance of air and maritime transport connections for the ORs; considers investment in transport infrastructure to be essential for their development;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Recital B e (new) Be. whereas unemployment rates in the ORs are higher than in their respective Member States and than the EU average; whereas the impact of the COVID-19 crisis has further deteriorated the situation; whereas the measures put in place have mitigated and partially limited the effects of the crisis, including its social impact; whereas the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on employment in the ORs is not yet fully known;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Highlights the success of the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI)
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Recital B f (new) Bf. whereas youth unemployment is at an extremely worrying level in the ORs; whereas the EU average was 16,8% in 2022, while it was 40 to 50% in the French and Spanish ORs2a; whereas this deteriorating social situation leads to insecurity and violence in the ORs; _________________ 2a COM(2022)0198, p.8: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sourc es/policy/themes/outermost-regions/rup- 2022/comm-rup-2022_en.pdf
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Highlights the success of the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) and calls on the Commission to replicate this instrument for other sectors, such as transport, in the post-2027 MFF; reiterates the importance of
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Recital C C. whereas the number of young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs) is at an alarming level in the ORs;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Highlights the success of the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) and calls on the Commission to replicate this instrument for other sectors, such as transport, with additional financial allocations in the post-2027 MFF; reiterates the importance of increasing allocations for POSEI agriculture in the future;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Recital C C. whereas the number of young people who are not in employment, education or training is at an alarming level in the ORs
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Notes the specific vulnerability of ORs to natural disasters; welcomes the Commission’s intentions for further support actions on risk prevention and resilience; regrets that the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve’s annual ceiling is not adequate to respond to emergencies, notably in ORs, which reduces EU support much below the potential aid amount that could be needed, and highlights the need to reconsider the architecture of the European Union Solidarity Fund mechanism to render it speedier, more flexible and more agile;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the rate of early school leaving in the ORs can be up to three times higher than the EU average4a; whereas this phenomenon has a strong impact on social development, economic growth and equal opportunities in these territories; _________________ 4a Eurostat 2021: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/ view/edat_lfse_16/default/table?lang=en
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Emphasises that almost all the ORs are composed of volcanic islands or archipelagos; calls on the Commission to set up, based on EUROVOLC, a major EU programme in this regard focusing on the potential of volcanic regions, as well as a European research centre that could be based in an outermost region;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas young people from the outermost regions frequently need to travel and move to other regions to obtain specific training and education; whereas many who have moved away are not coming back later on;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Citation 2 b (new) — having regard to its resolution of 14 September 2021 entitled ‘Towards a stronger partnership with the EU outermost regions’,
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4 b. Underlines the importance of taking into account these regions’ specificities in the revision of State aid regulations and guidelines across sectors;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Recital C a (new) Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Emphasises that the cultural sector in the ORs has been hit harder than regions on mainland Europe; calls for additional specific instruments adapted to the characteristics of the cultural sector in the ORs to support and promote artists and tangible and intangible heritage, as well as to protect regional languages; lauds the Commission for the first call for projects published in December 2022 – a call that takes into account what these territories are really like;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas ESF+ allocations have not been fully used in the ORs for the 2014-2020 period, while this programming period is coming to an end;
Amendment 32 #
5 a. Welcomes the Commission’s objective to strengthen ORs’ regional cooperation with neighbouring countries and territories, as a way to reinforce their economic resilience and their food self- sufficiency;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Recital C c (new) Cc. whereas only 28 500 people from the ORs have benefited from mobility under the Erasmus+ programme for the period 2014-2020;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Calls on the Commission to launch, by way of the Horizon 2020 programme and ERDF funds, a major programme for all the ORs and all European islands designed to develop green hydrogen;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Recital C d (new) Cd. whereas workers in the informal economy, numerous in the ORs, find themselves outside the social safety nets;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Recital C e (new) Ce. whereas the lack of public transport facilities in the ORs has an impact on access to services, education and employment opportunities;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Recital C f (new) Cf. whereas access to essential services such as drinking water, decent housing, electricity, education, health care, public transport and the internet is not a reality for all inhabitants of the ORs;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Recital D D. whereas women in the ORs too often face unstable and short-term employment; whereas female unemployment is higher than male unemployment in all ORs except Réunion;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Recital D D. whereas the gender gap in employment is much higher in the ORs than the EU average; whereas women in the ORs too often face unstable and short- term employment;
Amendment 38 #
D. whereas
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the worrying levels of early school leaving, which are higher than national and EU averages, undermine the ORs’ future and put pressure on these regions’ social responses;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Citation 2 c (new) — having regard to the Council conclusions of 30 May 2022 on the Commission communication on 'Putting people first, securing sustainable and inclusive growth, unlocking the potential of the EU's outermost regions',
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the youth unemployment rate in the ORs is much higher than the EU average of 16%, and whereas the levels of NEETs and early school leavers is particularly high;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Recital D b (new) Db. whereas challenges exist in the fisheries sector, such as the difficulties that local fishermen face with accessing credit or insurance for their vessels;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 (new) -1. Criticises the reduced budget dedicated to the ORs for the 2021-2027 period, which will have a negative impact on the necessary deployment of public funds to counter the structural inequality endured by these regions; calls on the Commission to reinforce the Structural and Investment Funds and other sources of EU funding aimed at the ORs, as well as to create new instruments – such as a POSEI Transport and a POSEI Fisheries – and encourage public policies that promote employment and inclusive social responses, focusing on the development of these regions and the reduction of inequalities;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 (new) -1. Welcomes the Commission's adoption of the new communication on the outermost regions5a, in particular the aspects relating to social issues; considers that this communication represents an opportunity to make the ORs laboratories for public policy, particularly for employment-related issues; _________________ 5a COM(2022)0198: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sourc es/policy/themes/outermost-regions/rup- 2022/comm-rup-2022_en.pdf
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 a (new) -1a. Insists on the need to introduce monitoring tools to report regularly on the implementation of the Commission's communication; stresses that indicators related to social policies should be an integral part of this monitoring;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 b (new) -1b. Stresses that taking account of the specific characteristics of the ORs, as recognised in Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, must enable the Union's action to be legally adjusted in order to provide these territories with real opportunities in terms of education, employment, social progress and living conditions;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 c (new) -1c. Welcomes the fact that the Commission pays particular attention to the principle of "putting people first"; stresses the importance of implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights in the ORs in order to ensure greater solidarity between generations, promote social protection and inclusion and create new employment opportunities;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 d (new) -1d. Believes that the European Union's action on employment and social affairs meets people's needs and thus strengthens the sense of belonging to the Union;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 e (new) -1e. Considers that the new impetus given by the communication should allow for the improvement of equal opportunities in the ORs, particularly for the most vulnerable groups;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 f (new) -1f. Calls on the Commission to ensure that EU policies implemented in the ORs focus on combating unemployment, improving lifelong learning, developing digital skills and combating illiteracy and e-illiteracy;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Points out that the Court of Justice has emphasised that ‘the conditions of application of the Treaties’, within the meaning of Article 349 TFEU, must be interpreted as covering both the conditions relating to the application of primary EU law and those relating to the application of acts of secondary legislation adopted on the basis of that primary law; therefore calls on the Commission to ensure that, in its legislative initiatives, it takes into account the objectives referred to in Article 349 as a matter of course;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Citation 2 d (new) — having regard to the opinion of the European Committee of the Regions of 2 February 2021 on the European Commission report on the implementation of the renewed strategic partnership with the EU’s outermost regions,
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 g (new) -1g. Stresses that EU policies must be complemented by adequate funding based on a tailor-made, territory-by-territory approach in order to ensure real equality of opportunity;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 h (new) -1h. Stresses that job creation remains essential to guarantee security, social cohesion, territorial viability and attractiveness of the ORs; notes that the structural constraints of the ORs, such as geographical remoteness and isolation, make them dependent on a limited number of sectors of activity; calls on the Commission and the Member States to help the ORs to develop plans for the diversification of activities in order to improve labour supply in these territories;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 i (new) -1i. Is of the opinion that entrepreneurship can create employment opportunities in the ORs; calls on the Commission and the Member States to launch information campaigns on the possibilities and support measures to assist the establishment of activities in the ORs;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 j (new) -1j. Notes that the mismatch between skills and job opportunities is a barrier to retraining in the ORs;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 k (new) -1k. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to address the root causes of early school leaving and to encourage the exchange of good practice in order to provide concrete solutions to this problem;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 l (new) Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 m (new) -1m. Stresses the importance of programmes for the validation of acquired experience in the context of lifelong learning;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 n (new) -1n. Points out that the improvement of working conditions in certain sectors can make jobs more attractive and combat shortages occupations in the ORs; welcomes, in this respect, the European care strategy, which could usefully guide the public policies to be implemented in the ORs in order to care for the ageing population;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 o (new) -1o. Stresses that the informal economy is widespread in the ORs, which makes it difficult to analyse employment figures accurately and to implement social policies effectively; calls on the Commission and the Member States to combat undeclared work by means of incentive systems and simplified declaration tools;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 p (new) -1p. Welcomes the Commission's decision to make 2023 the European Year of Skills; calls on the Commission to develop specific actions in favour of the ORs in the context of the European Year of Skills; calls on the Commission to take advantage of this opportunity to identify the skills needs in the ORs in the short, medium and long term; considers that the results of this analysis should form the basis of an action plan for improving training and skills in the key sectors identified and the shortage occupations;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Underlines the very specific social challenges that ORs face with higher unemployment rates and lower GDP per capita than the EU average; welcomes the Commission’s emphasis on addressing poverty, fostering equality and inclusion and access to adequate housing, water, internet and affordable transport and energy and healthcare as well as, on implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights; calls for additional support to be provided on top of the current financial programming;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Citation 3 a (new) — having regard to final declaration of the 26th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions of the European Union, which took place in Ponta Delgada from 17 to 20 November 2021,
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 q (new) -1q. Emphasises the importance of young people for the revitalisation of traditional sectors in the ORs; calls for incentives to attract young people to the primary sector and for its development; calls on the Member States to introduce measures to ensure the renewal of generations in the agricultural and fisheries sectors; stresses that aid for installation in these sectors is relevant to achieving this objective;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 r (new) -1r. Calls on the Commission to provide strong support for the ORs in order to promote a new sustainable economic model and development of a social economy, with structuring initiatives to develop the circular economy and to promote jobs and new "green" occupations; in this respect, calls on the Commission and the Member States to introduce a retraining plan for unskilled youth in the green sectors;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 s (new) -1s. Stresses the need for investment in digital skills, infrastructure, connectivity, and digital equipment, to ensure an inclusive digital transition in the ORs; believes that digitisation is one of the ways in which the ORs can overcome their geographical barrier by increasing access to education, training or digital public services and become attractive destinations for international teleworkers;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 t (new) -1t. Notes that the seas and oceans surrounding the ORs represent an opportunity to develop sectors that provide blue jobs and contribute to the attractiveness of the territories;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 u (new) -1u. Stresses that effective implementation of the European Child Guarantee is crucial to combating child poverty in the ORs and breaking the vicious circle of intergenerational poverty; calls on the Member States to include specific measures for the ORs in their national implementation plans for the European Child Guarantee and their revision; calls on the Commission to ensure the full potential of this instrument by ensuring the dissemination of information in liaison with local stakeholders;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Stresses that the social situation of young people is a central concern for the ORs; calls, in this regard, for the reinforced Youth Guarantee to be fully deployed in the ORs; believes that an evaluation of the guarantee’s implementation is necessary in these territories, including an assessment of the existing barriers for young people, especially as regards access to education and employment;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Stresses that the social situation of young people is a central concern for the ORs; calls, in this regard, for the reinforced Youth Guarantee to be fully and properly deployed in the ORs; believes that an evaluation of the guarantee’s implementation is necessary in these territories, including an assessment of the existing barriers for young people;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Stresses that the social situation of young people is a central concern
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Calls on the Member States as well as the regional and local authorities concerned to put in place or strengthen measures to fight unemployment, poverty and social exclusion in the ORs, including through the strengthening of public employment services, the promotion of lifelong learning and other measures focused on professional development;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Reaffirms that, in the ORs, the potential of youth is a major asset that is often insufficiently harnessed, and that it should be a priority for building concrete solutions by mobilising massive amounts of European funds for education, training and support, housing and decent, quality employment for young people;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Emphasises that all Member States should be engaged and participate in implementing EU programmes and projects for ORs and set common objectives; calls, in this regard, to connect ORs to Member States and create more synergies between them, reducing dependency on some Member States, strengthen cooperation and increase participation of ORs in EU programmes;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Citation 3 a (new) — having regard to the Regional and cohesion Policy of the EU,
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Highlights that education and training as well as the integration into the labour market is an important instrument to combat poverty and inequalities; urges the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to support measures aimed at disadvantaged and low-skilled groups in the ORs, with emphasis on education and training that allow for the development of social, scientific and professional skills, in particular basic digital skills; calls on the Member States as well as the regional and local authorities concerned to ensure the diversification of the education and training offers, according to the needs of the regions and to ensure equal opportunities;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Stresses the importance of enhancing public services in the ORs, through strengthened regional cooperation, economic diversification, investments in R&D and digitalisation, reinforced vocational education and training, upskilling and reskilling opportunities and active labour market policies, to tackle long-term unemployment and youth unemployment in particular (45,82% compared to 16,8% in the EU-27);4a _________________ 4a The Commission’s report: “Outermost regions at a glance – assets, challenges and opportunities” from May 2022 illustrates a comparison between the youth employment rates in the ORs in relation to the average EU-27 level. https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sourc es/policy/themes/outermost-regions/rup- 2022/comm-rup-2022-glance_en.pdf
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to support youth employment in the ORs by working with local stakeholders, including within the private sector, universities and local authorities, to establish a digital one-stop shop in order to help young people who are seeking their first job or looking to establish or take over businesses; stresses the need to ensure these areas are attractive, to offer employment opportunities in the different sectors of the economy of the ORs to avoid young people leaving and the depopulation of these areas;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to support youth employment in the ORs by working with local stakeholders, including within the private sector, universities and local authorities, to establish a digital one-stop shop in order to help young people who are seeking their first job or looking to establish or take over businesses; calls on the Commission to periodically assess the implementation of these measures and their impact on reducing unemployment among young people;
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support youth employment in the ORs by working with local stakeholders, including within the private sector, universities and local authorities, to establish a digital one-stop
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to support youth employment in the ORs, including by working with local stakeholders, including within the private sector, universities and local authorities, to establish a digital one-stop shop in order to help young people who are seeking their first job or looking to establish or take over businesses;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. stresses that agriculture remains a key sector in the ORs’ economies and is a cornerstone of employment in these regions; stresses that it is therefore fundamental that the programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI), in particular, can continue to support the financing and development of local economies, thereby making it possible to keep jobs in these areas;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Recalls, in view of the youth unemployment rates in the ORs, the need to create specific measures for this population; welcomes in this respect the creation of an additional OR allocation of EUR 370 million under the ESF+ 2021- 2027 and calls on the regions concerned to make use of this new source of funding to support employability, mobility and training in the ORs;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Stresses the need to attract young people into fishery, forestry, and agriculture sectors, which are a major economic driver in these regions. Calls on the Commission to launch a pilot project that will aim to increase the attractiveness of those sectors as they contribute to food security in these regions;
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Stresses the need to safeguard the tourism industry in the outermost regions as a priority for the European Commission, the European Social Fund Plus and the Member States’ national policies;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1 b. Highlights the need to invest in education and training in the ORs and to encourage greater participation of youth in dedicated EU programmes; recalls that challenges such as lack of access to education, to healthcare, to housing, as well as unemployment are key priorities that should be addressed and stresses that more targeted EU initiatives should be launched for these priority areas in the ORs;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Citation 3 b (new) — having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 14 September 2021 towards a stronger partnership with the EU outermost regions (2020/2120(INI));
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Is concerned about the ageing of farmers in the ORs and therefore the sustainability of the agricultural sector in these regions, as their production contributes to their food self-sufficiency and offers produce that cannot be grown on the European continent; supports measures designed to ensure better generational renewal for the ORs’ farms;
Amendment 81 #
2b. Recalls the need for the ORs to empower young people, in particular through formal and non-formal education, training and volunteering, and to improve employability through skills development, lifelong learning and vocational training, including further training and retraining;
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Recalls the aging of the fishing fleets in the Outermost regions and urges the Commission to allow as soon as possible the renewal of these fleets in order to ensure the safety of fishermen in the workplace;
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Stresses the need to safeguard the outermost regions’ primary, secondary and tertiary sectors, as a way of convincing young people to remain living there;
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 c (new) 2c. Stresses that measures to combat poverty and social exclusion in the ORs must be targeted as a matter of priority at vulnerable groups in society such as children, young people, particularly NEETs, and the long-term unemployed; notes that particular attention should be paid to low-skilled women and in particular to single-parent families, where the majority of the lone parent is a woman;
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 c (new) 2c. Stresses the need to safeguard the outermost regions’ agricultural products, defending and promoting their high quality, as well as facilitating their sale;
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 d (new) 2d. Stresses that the European priorities for improving women's rights are especially relevant to the ORs, and in particular the improvement of the work- life balance, transparency and the reduction of pay inequalities, the elimination of violence against women, including in the workplace, and the active participation of women in social and economic life;
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the need to ensure the empowerment of women in the ORs by promoting sustainable integration into the labour market, access to stable, high- quality jobs and affordable childcare, as well as combating discrimination, in particular discrimination in employment; considers that promoting women's participation in the labour market can boost employment rates;
Amendment 88 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the need to ensure the empowerment of women in the ORs by promoting
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the need to ensure the empowerment of women in the ORs by promoting access to stable, high-quality jobs; supports, in this regard, the need for measures for the ORs that improve gender equity and ensure the social, economic and political empowerment of women in these regions;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Reiterates its call to declare 2024 the European Year of Islands;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Citation 3 b (new) — having regard to the study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the outermost regions published by the Commission on 31 October 2021,
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the need to ensure the empowerment of women in the ORs by promoting access to stable, high-quality jobs, including equal pay and fair remuneration;
Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Supports measures that ensure the health and well-being of women in the ORs and prevent and combat violence and sexual harassment; calls on the Commission to support and encourage projects in these regions to change this state of affairs and that put the emphasis on education, which has a fundamental role in promoting women’s empowerment and combating stereotypes;
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Urges the Commission and the Member States to do their utmost to ensure access to essential services in the ORs; stresses that access to these services is a key factor in combating poverty and social exclusion; stresses that effective public policies must offer solutions to the most vulnerable with a view to strengthen social cohesion;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 Amendment 94 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Commission to focus on prevention, social reintegration and the return to employment in the implementation of the EU drugs strategy; warns of new addictions found in the ORs, particularly the rise in synthetic drug use, which poses serious risks to young people’s mental health and causes crime to soar in these regions and which merits special attention from the EU;
Amendment 95 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Commission to focus on prevention, social reintegration and the return to employment in the implementation of the EU drugs strategy; calls on the Commission to study the possibilities of European funding for therapeutic centres in the ORs aimed at the care and reinsertion of drug addicts;
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Stresses that employment incentives, such as state aid, subsidies and exemptions from social security contributions, are particularly useful for improving integration and retention in the labour market in the ORs; believes that such employment incentives should take into account long-term needs and sustainability;
Amendment 97 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Stresses that the economic and labour market support measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the easing of the state aid regime and the REACT-EU, CRII and CRII+ packages, have prevented further job losses; believes that there is a need for a thorough evaluation of the national policies and support programmes that have been deployed in the ORs to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment in order to identify effective instruments for continued and future use;
Amendment 98 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to facilitate the establishment of special economic zones in order to promote economic and social recovery, job creation and skills development in the ORs, and to support the Member States in the evaluation, renewal and adaptation of existing special economic zones; stresses the need to boost local markets – such as an inter-island market in the Macaronesia region – the production of local products, the sustainability of economic activities (including tourism) and the capacity to attract economic innovation (in renewable energies, for example), including through public universities;
source: 739.822
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