Activities of Nils TORVALDS related to 2019/2213(BUD)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on general guidelines for the preparation of the 2021 budget, Section III – Commission
Amendments (54)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Regrets that the Member States have so far not managed to reach an agreement on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 and the reform of the own resources system, which puts at risk the timely start of the new programmes and thus the Union’s ability to achieve its political priorities; notes that the MFF is the basis for the annual budget and that, in the absence of an MFF regulation, guidelines on the 2021 budget can only reflect Parliament’s general position on the MFF;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 14 March 2018 on the reform of the European Union’s system of own resources7a, _________________ 7a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2018)0076.
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 16 January 2020 on the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity11a, _________________ 11a Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0015
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Points to the need to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated in the 2021 budget to allow the Union to rapidly take the concrete actions needed to address the climate and environment emergency; insists that the next budget should help the Union to meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement, should be fully aligned with the objective of limiting global warming to under 1.5 °C, and should contribute to reversing the decline in biodiversity; and support measures of adaptation to climate change.
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 b (new)
Citation 10 b (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 28 November 2019 on the 2019 UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain (COP25)12a, _________________ 12a Texts adopted, P9_TA(2019)0079.
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 c (new)
Citation 10 c (new)
- having regard to the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC to be held in November 2020 and the fact that all Parties to the UNFCCC need to increase their nationally determined contributions in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement,
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 d (new)
Citation 10 d (new)
- having regard to the Commission communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 19 February 2020 entitled ‘Shaping Europe's digital future’ (COM(2020) 67),
Amendment 14 #
C. whereas the current MFF ends at the end of 2020, and whereas 2021 should be the first year of implementation of the next one; whereas negotiations on the 2021 Union budget might run in parallel with the negotiations on the next multiannual financial framework(MFF) and the reform of the EU own resources system;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights that the 2021 Union budget is the first one under the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2021-2027; stresses that every effort should be made, right from the beginning of the new MFF, to ensure that the overall climate mainstreaming target is reached over the whole period; stresses the need to have a working climate proofing mechanism to ensure that the budget as a whole is in line with the Paris agreement;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Parliament has been ready to negotiate the MFF since November 2018, but the Council has so far failed to engage in any meaningful talks with Parliament beyond minimal contact on the margins of the General Affairs Council until recently; whereas the European Council President has now started talks with the European Parliament Negotiating Team on the MFF; whereas the timeframe for reaching an agreement in the European Council has been repeatedly extended;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that the new Heading 1 (‘Single Market, Innovation and Digital’) will be instrumental for boosting innovation-led, sustainable economic growth and contributing to the transition towards a climate-neutral society in line with the Paris Agreement; highlights furthermore the importance of the new Heading 5 (‘Security and Defence’), which includes the new European Defence Fund and essential funds for nuclear safety and decommissioning;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union is not expected to have a direct impact on the 2021 budget, as the United Kingdom will be considered as a third country after the transition period; whereas the participation in the EU programmes will be decided in the future partnership that will be negotiated between the EU and the UK;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
G b. whereas, accordingly to the article 132 of the Withdrawal Agreement, if the transition period is extended, the UK will be considered as a third country because of the next MFF-period and the updated own resources-system, therefore the UK contribution to the budget will be negotiated by the Joint Committee;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Highlights that the LIFE programme is the only EU-programme solely dedicated to climate and environment, and the budget for it should therefore be sufficient;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls Parliament’s position on the overall financial envelope for Horizon Europe of EUR 120 billion (in 2018 prices); calls on the Commission in this regard to present the 2021 draft budget accordingly to ensure that research and innovation activities will continuebe ambitiously funded without disruption, including in areas that are essential for the EU’s strategic autonomy and benefit its citizens and society, such as digital transformation, healthcare and space; recalls in this context the importance of fundamental research;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that the 2021 Union budget should pave the way to the full and efficient implementation of the European Green Deal; the Union should show global climate leadership also through its budgeting;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 55 % by 2030 represents an enormous challenge, notably with regard to building insulationtransforming towards a circular economy, resource and material efficiency, green finance and investments and ensuring building energy efficiency, developing publicsustainable transport and, achieving both an agricultural transition, a transition to renewable energy and a socially just transition; insists that in order to succeed in this unprecedented enterprise in only ten years, urgent action is needed, backed by a strong EU budget as of 2021; recalls that the next MFF shall be established for a period of at least five years in accordance with the Article 312(1) of the TFEU and will probably run from 2021 to 2027; considers the ecological transition, as well as digital development, must start now instead of 2028;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Calls for adequate staffing levels and budget for the Commission services which must ensure the successful implementation of the European Green Deal, particularly to facilitate the reduction of pesticide risks and use, the zero pollution ambition, the circular economy based on non-toxic material cycles and to support key ecosystem services and biodiversity protection; reiterates in this regard that the funding for the EU agencies should be sufficient and predicable, enabling them to accomplish their growing tasks and deliver the best possible results; expects the Commission and the Council to refrain from cutting ECHA’s and EFSA’s resources;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that all areas of the budget, including its revenue side, need to contribute to the overall goals of the European Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals; recalls in this context the importance of the introduction of a Just Transition Fund to address societal, socio-economic and environmental impacts on workers and communities adversely affected by the transition from coal and carbon dependence, and calls for solid financing of the fund in order to maximise the leverage effect, but not at the expense of other EU programmes;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Highlights that adequate resources should be allocated in the 2021 budget for the drawing-up and implementation of the future European plan to fight cancer; and of the roadmap for action on microbial resistance.
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Stresses that while the concern for a new financial crisis is existing, the strengthening recovery after earlier financial, economic and social crisis have created possibilities for the EU Member States and its citizens; leads the EU to take a special focus on the different regions and their capability to take advantages from the possible increased growth from the new tools, so as to avoid that they would lead to even larger social and regional inequalities;
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Points to the importance of ensuring that sufficient financial resources are allocated in the 2021 budget to ensure adequate funding for the Union agencies, enabling them to fulfil their mandate and execute their tasks.; calls on the Union agencies to implement the principle of “one substance, one assessment” in order to increase consistency between their work and make a more cost-efficient use of public money;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines the need for an ambitious draft budget, in particular forwhich needs to become operational as soon as possible in order to help make the EU more competitive; recognises in particular the important role of new programmes such as the Digital Europe Programme, which needaims to become operational oost investments in vital future areas soonuch as possible in order to help make the EU more competsupercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and advanced digital skills, thereby maximising the benefits of digitalisation and strengthening the EU’s technological capacitives;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines the importance of SMEs as an essential part of the EU economy, as they provide a high number of jobs in the EU, account for a majority of new jobs created and play a vital role in research and innovation and in the uptake of R&I results; urges the Commission therefore to ensure a smooth transition from COSME to the new Single Market Programme and from the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) and other financial instruments to InvestEU; stresses the need to facilitate access to finance for SMEs and recalls in this context the role of the European Innovation Council (EIC) in supporting top class innovators, entrepreneurs and small companies;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Subheading 3
A budget commensurate with the diverse challenges
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes, however, that in order to attain the 40 % GHG emissions reduction target by 2030, the Commission has estimated that it will be necessary to bridge a funding gap of at least EUR 500 billion every year, including social adaptation measures; considers that this funding gap is strongly underestimated even for the 40 % target, not to mention the 55 % target, and is yet to be addressed at EU or national level; stresses the urgent need for another quantum leap in political and financial efforts in order to achieve these objectives; expects the Commission’s proposals for climate actions and revisions of the climate and energy legislation in 2020 and 2021 to be submitted as planned; believes there is many different tools to help reducing the EU’s GHG emissions and overall carbon footprint; such tools are a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the EU climate law; believes that introducing genuine new own resources is key, such as revenues stemming from the future CBAM, EU ETS and plastics contribution, is essential to bridging thise financing gap; considers that a just transition requires just funding;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Proposes further targeted reinforcements to the budget lines in line with the Parliament’s priorities, in areas such as SME:s, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, internal security and justice cooperation, migration and respect of the rule of law and fundamental rights;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Urges the Commission to assess and prepare for all possible scenarios to ensure the sound financial management of the Union budget, defining clear commitments and outlining mechanisms and protecting the EU budget; Calls on the Commission to ensure that the future participation of UK in EU’s programmes shall respect fair balance as regards the contributions and benefits;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Reiterates that social cohesion in Europe must contribute to sustainable solutions to long-term structural demographic change; emphasises the need for financial resources for research to provide ageing populations in Europe with adequate support in terms of access to mobility, healthcare and public services;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Aims to set binding biodiversity and climate mainstreaming targets and to fix the latter to at least 30 % for 2021; reiterates its call on the Commission to lay down clear eligibility criteria of a stringent and comprehensive methodology for defining and tracking relevant climate and biodiversity expenditure; calls on the Commission to establish a climate proofing mechanism, to ensure that the budget as a whole is coherent with the Paris agreement and general EU policy objectives; invites the Commission to take aboard European Parliament’s views on the matter;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Recalls that more than 8% of the EU budget spending has contributed to biodiversity protection over the period 2014-2020;believes the European Union can increase the average biodiversity spending during the next MFF thanks to the upcoming new initiatives in this field; recalls the accelerating species extinction and strongly believes that the EU should prevent financial support for harmful measures further aggravating the state of European and global biodiversity; reiterates its request to the Commission and the Council to set a clear spending target for biodiversity mainstreaming of at least 10 % in the MFF, in addition to the target for spending on climate main- streaming13a; calls, therefore, on the Commission to present a draft 2021 budget that will lead the EU towards this objective; _________________ 13aEuropean Parliament resolution of 16 January 2020 on the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0015.
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3 a (new)
Subheading 3 a (new)
A safer and sovereign Europe in a challenging world
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11 c. Underlines that it is of paramount importance to invest in adequate funding and staffing levels for all agencies operating in the fields of migration, security, border control and fundamental rights, in particular Europol, Eurojust, Frontex and the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA);
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 d (new)
Paragraph 11 d (new)
11 d. Stresses that the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) must be equipped with the necessary means in order to be able to thoroughly investigate and prosecute cross-border criminal activities;reminds of the important task of the EPPO to tackle the fraud with EU funds, which is important for both the citizens and the credibility of the EU; insists that its budgetary appropriations are placed under the administration heading of the MFF 2021-2027 together with the other EU bodies and institutions;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 e (new)
Paragraph 11 e (new)
11 e. Calls on the Commission to ensure that no EU funding is granted to any parties subject to the EU restrictive measures (including contractors or subcontractors, participants to workshops and/or trainings, and recipients of financial support to third parties);
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 f (new)
Paragraph 11 f (new)
11 f. Calls on the Commission to allocate the necessary budget in order to ensure a bigger capacity of the EU civil protection mechanism, so that the EU will be better prepared and respond to all types of natural disasters, pandemics and emergencies, such as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear emergencies; reiterates the importance of the EU civil protection mechanism to better protect the citizens from disasters;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 g (new)
Paragraph 11 g (new)
11 g. Strongly supports initiatives in the field of defence with the aim of encouraging better cooperation between Member States; underlines furthermore the need to improve the competitiveness and innovation in the European defence industry that can contribute to stimulate growth and job creation;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 h (new)
Paragraph 11 h (new)
11 h. Stresses that cybersecurity is critical to the Union’s prosperity and security, as well as to the privacy of our citizens and that economic espionage undermines the functioning of the digital single market and the competitiveness of European enterprises; requests adequate funding for the agencies responsible for securing network and information systems, building cyber resilience and combatting cybercrime, in particular ENISA and Europol;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3 b (new)
Subheading 3 b (new)
Strengthening research and innovation through Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe
Amendment 219 #
11 i. Calls on a sufficient level of resources for Erasmus + to meet future demands, also taking in-to account its external dimension; highlights the need for adequate resources for vocational education and training and for making the Programme´s funding accessible for people from all backgrounds; stresses that Erasmus+ is a key flagship programme of the Union that is widely known among its citizens and has delivered tangible results with a clear European added value; calls for special emphasis to be placed to mobility actions in adult education, particularly for the senior population in the Erasmus+ programme; calls especially for the promotion of building bridges between generations through Erasmus+;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3 c (new)
Subheading 3 c (new)
A stronger more competitive and digitalized single market
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 j (new)
Paragraph 11 j (new)
11 j. Points out that Horizon Europe provides a very strong European added value and stresses the importance of the programme for significant areas of European research such as digitalisation, technological innovation, AI and cybersecurity; recalls at the same time the important role of fundamental research in the development of the Union; stresses the importance of significantly increased allocations for Horizon Europe compared to Horizon 2020 for the budget 2021;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 i (new)
Paragraph 11 i (new)
11 i. Underlines that stepping up funding for research, innovation and development is a widely shared EU objective, given that the Europe 2020 target of 3% GDP is far from being achieved;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 k (new)
Paragraph 11 k (new)
11 k. Points out that that research, competitiveness and SMEs are key to enable economic growth and job creation; SMEs are an essential part of the Union economy and play a crucial role in delivering excellent quality investment and job creation in all Member States; sees the need to create an SME-friendly business environment with a favourable environment for innovation, as well as to support SME clusters and networks; calls, in this context, for sufficient resources to the COSME, the Single Market Programme and the InvestEU’s SMEs window, in order to further boost the programmes’ potential in promoting entrepreneurship, including women’s entrepreneurship, improving the competitiveness and access to markets of Union enterprises, and calls for emphasis to be placed on the digital transformation of SMEs;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 l (new)
Paragraph 11 l (new)
11 l. Stresses the potential for economic growth stemming from the technological transformation and calls for an appropriate role of the EU budget in supporting the digitalisation of the European industry and the promotion of digital skills and digital entrepreneurship; highlights the important role the Digital Europe programme can play in this context;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3 d (new)
Subheading 3 d (new)
The challenge in the field of media and communication
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 m (new)
Paragraph 11 m (new)
11 m. Encourages the Commission to strengthen support for investigative journalism, including cross-border investigative journalism, and media freedom through dedicated funds, which contributes, among other areas, to revealing and combatting crime, as well as raising awareness among Union citizens;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 n (new)
Paragraph 11 n (new)
11 n. Considers it crucial to ensure adequate financial resources to EU strategic communication aimed at tackling disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks, as well as to the promotion of an objective image of the Union outside its borders;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4 a (new)
Subheading 4 a (new)
A modern EU budget’s revenue side as a tool for undertaking our common challenges
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Considers that the EU budget’s revenue side shall be seen as a tool for the achievement of EU policies; believes that new green and single market-related own resources would be complementary to the European Green Deal’s strategy for climate and environment protection and fair taxation objectives respectively;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Deplores the recurring political dramas caused by the overwhelming share of national GNI contributions in the own resources system; considers, therefore, that their share should decrease to fulfil their balancing role only;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13 c. Recalls that the European Parliament will not give its consent to the MFF without an agreement on the reform of the EU own resources system, including the introduction of a basket of new own resources; underlines, therefore, that the 2021 budget will have to be financed through new additional own resources in order to avoid damaging political consequences;