Activities of Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS related to 2015/0009(COD)
Plenary speeches (2)
European Fund for Strategic Investments (debate) EL
European Fund for Strategic Investments (A8-0139/2015 - José Manuel Fernandes, Udo Bullmann) EL
Amendments (26)
Amendment 50 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The economic and financial crisis has led to a lowering of the level of investments within the Union. Investment has fallen by approximately 15% since its peak in 2007. The Union suffers in particular from a lack of investment as a consequence of austerity policies, including lower wages and public spending, which have depressed aggregate demand and increased market uncertainty regarding the economic future; and the fiscal constraints placed on Member States by SGP rules and the unwillingness of the ECB to intervene decisively in public bond markets. This lack of investment slows economic recovery and negatively affects job creation, and long-term growth prospects and competitiveness.
Amendment 56 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Comprehensive action is required to reverse the vicious circle created by a lack of investment. Structural reforms and fiscal responsibility are necessary preconditions for stimulating investment. Along with a renewed impetus towards investment financing, these preconditions can contribute to establishing a virtuous circle, whereNew investment projects help support employment and demand and lead to a sustained increase in growth potential, while ensuring social and regional cohesion.
Amendment 60 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Throughout the economic and financial crisis, the Union has made efforts to promote growth, in particular through initiatives set out in the Europe 2020 strategy that put in place an approach for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The European Investment Bank ('EIB') has also strengthened its role in instigating and promoting investment within the Union, partly by way of an increase in capital in January 2013. Further abeen responsible for structural reforms and budgetary cuts which have moved the economy away from the Europe 2020 targets. Action is required to ensure that the investment needs of the Union are addressed and that the liquidity available on the market is used efficiently and channelled towards the funding of viable investment projects, which reinforce social and regional cohesion through the creation of quality jobs and the broadening and improvement of the productive base of Member States, especially those most affected by the crisis.
Amendment 64 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
Amendment 67 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
Amendment 80 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The purpose of the EFSI should be to help resolve the difficulties in financing and implementing productive investments in the Union and to ensure increased access to financing. It is intended that increased access to financing should be of particular benefit to small and medium enterprises. It is alsoMSMEs and cooperatives. It may be appropriate to extend the benefit of such increased access to financing to mid- cap companies, which are companies having up to 3000 employees, when projects contribute to quality job creation, industrial development and social and environmental sustainability. Overcoming Europe's current investment difficulties should contribute to strengthening the Union's economic, social and territorial cohesion.
Amendment 81 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The purpose of the EFSI should be to help resolve the difficulties in financing and implementing productive investments in the Union and to ensure increased access to financing, reinforcing social and regional cohesion through the creation of quality jobs and the broadening and improvement of the productive base of Member States, especially those most affected by the crisis. It is intended that increased access to financing should be of particular benefit to small and medium enterprises. It is also appropriate to extend the benefit of such increased access to financing to mid- cap companies, which are companies having up to 3000 employees. Overcoming Europe's current investment difficulties should contribute to strengthening the Union's economic, social and territorial cohesion.
Amendment 93 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The EFSI should support public and other strategic investments with high economic and social value added contributing to achieving Union policy objectives.
Amendment 127 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The EFSI should target projects delivering high societal and economic value. In particular, the EFSI should target projects that promote job creation, long- term growth and competitiveness. The EFSI should support a wide range of financial products, including equity, debt or guarantees, to best accommodate the needs of the individual project. This wide range of products should allow the EFSI to adapt to market needs whilst encouraging private investment in the projects. The EFSI should not be a substitute for private market finance but should instead catalyse private finance by addressing market failures so as to ensure the most effective and strategic use of public money. The requirement for consistency with State aid principles should contribute to such effective and strategic usEFSI should not be a substitute for private market finance.
Amendment 140 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The EFSI should target projects with a higher risk-return profile than existing EIB and Union instruments to ensure additionality over existing operations. The EFSI should finance projects across the Union, including in the countries most affected by the financial crisis. The EFSI should only be used where financing is not available from other sources on reasonable termand investments can be shown to make a positive contribution towards social and regional cohesion, by improving public investment and services, the creation of quality jobs and the improvement and broadening of the productive base of Member States, particularly those most affected by the crisis.
Amendment 154 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) Decisions on the use of the EFSI support for infrastructure and large mid- cap projects should be made by an Investment Committee, with appropriate involvement of social partners. The Investment Committee should be composed of independent experts who are knowledgeable and experienced in the areas of investment projects and the fields of employment policy, industrial policy, energy and research and innovation. The Investment Committee should be accountable to a Steering Board of the EFSI, who should supervise the fulfilment of the EFSI's objectives with appropriate involvement of social partners. To effectively benefit from the experience of the EIF, the EFSI should support funding to the EIF to allow the EIF to undertake individual projects in the areas of small and medium enterprises and small mid-cap companies.
Amendment 162 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) In order to enable the EFSI to support investments, the Union should grant a guarantee of an amount equal to EUR 16 000 000 000. When provided on a portfolio basis, the guarantee coverage should be capped depending upon the type of instrument, such as debt, equity or guarantees, as a percentage of the volume of the portfolio of outstanding commitments. It is expected that when the guarantee is combined with EUR 5 000 000 000 to be provided by the EIB, that the EFSI support should generate EUR 60 800 000 000 additional investment by the EIB and EIF. This EUR 60 800 000 000 supported by the EFSI is expected to generate a total of EUR 315 000 000 000 in investment in the Union within the period 2015 to 2017. Guarantees that are attached to projects which are completed without a call on a guarantee are available for supporting new operations.
Amendment 172 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) In order to allow for further increase in its resources, participation in the EFSI should be open to third parties, including Member States, national promotional banks or public agencies owned or controlled by Member States, private sector entities and entities outside the Union subject to the consent of existing contributors. Third parties mayshould contribute directly to the EFSI and take part in the EFSI governance structure.
Amendment 181 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) Provided that all relevant eligibility criteria are fulfilled, Member States may use European Structural Investment Funds to contribute to the financing of eligible projects that are supported by the EU guarantee. The flexibility of this approach should maximise the potential to attract investors to se projects should be considered on a project-by-project basis, withe areas of investment targeted by the EFSIdequate involvement of social partners and public authorities.
Amendment 194 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) Alongside the financing operations that will be conducted through the EFSI, a European Investment Advisory Hub ('EIAH') should be created. The EIAH should provide strengthened support for project development and preparation across the Union, by building on the expertise of the Commission, the EIB, national promotional banks, social partners and the managing authorities of the European Structural and Investment Funds. This should establish a single point of entry for questions related to technical assistance for investments within the Union.
Amendment 205 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
Amendment 219 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 31
Recital 31
(31) Within the Union, there are a significant number of potentially viable projects that are not being financed due to a lack of certainty and transparency with respect to such projects. Often, this is because private investors are not aware of the projects or have insufficient information to make an assessment of the investment risks. The Commission and the EIB, with support from the Member States, should promote the creation of a transparent pipeline of current and future investment projects in the Union suitable for investment. This 'project pipeline' should ensure that information is made publicly available regarding investment projects on a regular and structured basis to ensure that investors have reliable information on which to base their investment decisions. </>The Commission and the EIB, with support from the Member States and the European Parliament, should promote the creation of a transparent pipeline of current and future investment projects in the Union suitable for investment. Or. en
Amendment 242 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The purpose of the EFSI shall be to support public and strategic investments in the Union and to ensure increased access to financing for companies having up to 3000 employees, with a particular focus on small and medium enterprisMSMEs and cooperatives, through the supply of risk bearing capacity to the EIB ('EFSI Agreement').
Amendment 251 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 2
2. The EFSI Agreement shall be open to accession by Member States. Subject to the consent of existing contributors, the EFSI Agreement shall also be open to accession by other third parties, including national promotional banks or public agencies owned or controlled by Member States, and private sector entities.
Amendment 290 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
To meet that objective, the EIAH shall use the expertise of the EIB, the Commission, national promotional banks, social partners and the managing authorities of the European Structural and Investment Funds.
Amendment 316 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1
The EFSI Agreement shall provide that the EFSI shall have an Investment Committee, which shall be responsible for examining potential operations in line with the EFSI investment policies and approving the support of the EU guarantee for operations in line with Article 5, irrespective of their geographic location, with appropriate involvement of social partners in the decision-making process.
Amendment 328 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 2
The Investment Committee shall be composed of six independent experts and the Managing Director. Independent experts shall have a high level of relevant marketExperts shall be selected on the basis of relevant knowledge and experience in management in project finance and the fields of employment policy, industrial policy, energy and research and innovation; They shall be appointed by the Steering Board for a renewable fixed term of three years.
Amendment 390 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
(c) expansion of renewable energy and energy and resource efficiency and savings;
Amendment 427 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 438 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. At least one third of total guarantees will be used to support MSMEs and cooperatives.
Amendment 470 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission and the EIB, with support from the Member States and the European Parliament, shall promote the creation of a transparent pipeline of current and potential future investment projects in the Union. The pipeline is without prejudice to the final projects selected for support according to Article 3(5).