Activities of Tibor SZANYI related to 2018/2102(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Annual report on competition policy (debate) HU
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the Annual Report on Competition Policy PDF (537 KB) DOC (92 KB)
Amendments (45)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1
Citation 1
– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), in particular Articles 7, 8, 9, 11,12, 39, 42 and 101 to 109 as well as Article 174 thereof,
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
– having regard to Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17.06.2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 b (new)
Citation 3 b (new)
– having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 of 20.1.2004 on the control of concentration between the undertakings,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
– having regard to the Commission's answers given to the E-000344/2016, E- 002666/2016 and E-002112/2016 written questions,
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A (new)
Recital A (new)
A. whereas competition policy needs to take particular account of the objectives of social cohesion and sustainable development;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B (new)
Recital B (new)
B. whereas competition policy has now been in place for over sixty years and a strong and effective EU competition policy has always been a cornerstone of the European project;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C (new)
Recital C (new)
C. whereas tax evasion and tax avoidance create unfair competition, especially affecting small and medium- sized enterprises;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D (new)
Recital D (new)
D. whereas money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion undermine the fair distribution of tax revenues in the Member States, and therefore distort competition in the internal market;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E (new)
Recital E (new)
E. whereas massive tax avoidance by high net worth individuals and enterprises not only penalises ordinary taxpayers, public finances and social spending, but also threatens good governance, macroeconomic stability, social cohesion and public trust in Union and Member States' institutions;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Article 39 TFEU gives the CAP the objective of ensuring a fair standard of living for the agricultural community and for those in Europe’s rural areas;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F (new)
Recital F (new)
F. whereas certain governments and jurisdictions, including in the EU, have specialised or engaged in creating preferential tax regimes which distort competition to the benefit of multinational companies and high net worth individuals, who do not in fact have economic substance within these jurisdictions but are merely represented by shell companies;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission’s activities and efforts to ensure the effective application of competition rules in the Union; reminds that unfair competition is still one of the main challenges identified by European SMEs;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Points out that, generally speaking, European competition policy is applied with the aim of systematically defending consumers, at the expensen approach which – owing to the inequality within the food supply chain that means that pressure is only brought to bear ofn agricultural producers – is not achieving the desired results; considers that these two interests should be placed on an equal footing;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 g (new)
Paragraph 1 g (new)
1g. Stresses the reinforcement of the Single Market through a fiscal union; calls for the treaties to be amended accordingly;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that, within the internal market, new entrants and firms, including SMEs, that do not use aggressive tax practices are not equal in the competition and therefore penalised as compared with MNCs, which are able to shift profits or implement other forms of aggressive tax planning through a variety of decisions and instruments, available to them only by virtue of their size and their ability to arrange business internationally; points out that this distortion of a level playing field in favour of multinationals contradicts the fundamental principle of the single market;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Emphasises again that corruption in public procurement has serious market-distorting effects on European competitiveness; reiterates that public procurement is one of the government activities most vulnerable to corruption; highlights that in certain Member States, EU-funded procurement carries higher corruption risks than nationally funded procurement; recalls that tailor-made invitations to tender are widely used to limit market competition; calls on the Commission to continue its effort to prevent the misuse of EU funds and stimulate accountability in public procurement; also welcomes the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Welcomes the enforcement of the national competition authorities as an essential tool and prerequisite in ensuring that such authorities (NCAs) become effective enforcers of EU law; underlines again that NCAs have to be sufficiently equipped in terms of financial and human resources as well as that the election or nomination of the leadership has to be fully transparent without any political influence, in order to guarantee their independence;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3d. Emphasises again the crucial role of competition policy in the further development of the Digital Single Market; underlines in particular issues of unfair competition conditions imposed by certain dominant on-line platforms on suppliers;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission to clarify the application of Articles 219 and 222 of Regulation (EC) No 1308/2013 with regard to taking steps in the event of market disturbances and severe market imbalances, because the legal uncertainty currently surrounding both articles means that no one is applying them for fear of failing to comply with rules laid down by the competition authorities in the Member States;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. URecalls that the data economy is an important part of the digital economy; underlines the urgent need for an effective framework tailored to the challenges of the data-driven economy; notes in particular that digital platforms, in controlling ever- increasing data flows, generate considerable network externalities and economies of scale, and ultimately, by dint of excessive concentration, rent extraction and abusive market power, bring about market failurespose a serious threat to the market principles we abide for;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that the inter-branch organisations model is the mosta successful form of organisation, because it in sectors in which farmers have previously been members of producers’ organisations subject to democratic scrutiny by the farmers themselves, as this model provides a structure for all the players in a sector; considers that this model should be promoted by the CAP;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission to facilitate the application of collective market management instruments in the event of a crisis, using tools that do not require public funds, such as product withdrawal carried out by means of agreements among food chain operators; points out that this measure could be applied by the inter-branch organisations themselves;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Welcomes the Commission’s diligence in addressing market failures from a competition standpoint, by fining the companies in breach of the European legal framework;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Reiterates that competition in the telecommunication sector is essential to driving innovation and investment in networks and encourages affordable prices and choice of services for consumers;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Believes that intra-EU calls still represent a great burden for the businesses and customers and encourages to remove such burdens of the Single Market;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Believes that tax policy and competition policy should be seen as two sides of the same coin in the internal market;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Welcome the fact that the Task force on state aid in the form of a tax advantage becomes permanent body; calls for the team to be sufficiently equipped in human resources and investigation tools; calls for a clear state of play in the investigations on state aid concerning tax advantages, including the number of cases being investigated;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Regrets that under EU state aid rules, unpaid taxes recovered from beneficiaries of illegal tax aid are returned the country that granted the aid, rather than to the countries that have suffered an erosion of their tax bases as a result of distortive tax schemes; calls on the Commission, to this end, to develop appropriate methodologies for quantifying the revenue loss for the Member States affected and adequate recovery procedures for ensuring that unpaid taxes are distributed to the Member States in which the economic activity actually took place;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7d. Notes that the President of the Commission has committed to put forward proposals to enhance greater tax cooperation between Member States through an obligation to answer group requests in tax matters, so that one Member State can provide all information necessary to others to prosecute cross- border tax evaders, and also to make tax reform proposals under Article 116 TFEU, involving co-decision between the Council and the European Parliament, in order to eliminate distortion of the conditions of competition in the internal market;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 e (new)
Paragraph 7 e (new)
7e. Takes the view raises serious concerns with regards fair competition in Europe, especially if the UK will not be bound to respect State aid rules and, upon leaving the EU, agrees to grant tax rulings to companies; stresses that negotiations should include the respect of fair competition and a guarantee that the UK should not be able to grant state aid in the form of sweetheart deals; calls on the Member States and the EU institutions to ensure, in the post-Brexit scenario, full compliance with European competition laws to further strengthen the Single Market;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 f (new)
Paragraph 7 f (new)
7f. Welcomes the guidance provided in the Commission notice on the notion of state aid covering tax rulings specifically;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 g (new)
Paragraph 7 g (new)
7g. Recalls that a common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) is vital to eliminate distortions of competition, race to the bottom and reduce the appeal of concluding opaque tax agreements between certain multinationals and Member States;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 h (new)
Paragraph 7 h (new)
7h. Acknowledges that the Commission concluded that Luxembourg granted undue tax benefits to Engie of around €120 million, and that the recovery procedure is still ongoing; regrets that the Luxembourg Government has decided to appeal the decision of the European Commission;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 i (new)
Paragraph 7 i (new)
7i. Takes notes of the decision of the Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, on the investigation concerning state aid to McDonalds, which stated that the non-taxation of certain McDonald's profits in Luxembourg do not constitute an illegal state aid; takes the view that current EU-regulation is unfit to effectively combat double non-taxation and to stop the race to the bottom on corporate tax levels;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls for common EU minimum effective corporate tax rate to stop aggressive tax competition and the current race to the bottom which deprives Member States of crucial public resources and disproportionally benefits large multinationals in detriment of SMEs; Welcome in that regard, the FR and DE declaration to support global discussion on minimum effective tax rate in the forthcoming G7 meeting;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Stresses that Europe needs a strong harmonised framework on reporting and corporate taxation for multinational companies, with public country-by-country reporting a common corporate consolidated tax base; recalls that, in addition to cost reductions for both firms and the tax administrations of Member States, the adoption of these measures would solve the issue of transfer pricing and ensure fairer competition within the single market;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Calls on the Commission to continue evaluating harmful tax measures in the Member States in the European Semester, and fully assess the distortions of competition and spill-over effects on other jurisdictions;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 d (new)
Paragraph 9 d (new)
9d. Calls on the Commission to use the procedure laid down in Article 116 TFEU on taxation matters, so as to circumvent the unanimity requirement in cases where the Commission finds that a difference between the provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States is distorting the conditions of competition in the internal market;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 e (new)
Paragraph 9 e (new)
9e. Calls on the Commission to continue and even expand its efforts as regards to investigations on the abuse of dominant market positions towards consumers in the EU; Requests that, simultaneously, the Commission monitors existing government monopolies and the lawfulness of concession tenders in order to prevent any excessive distortion of competition;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Welcomes initiatives such as the Smart Villages framework which stimulates settlements to become more agile, make better use of their resources and take part more actively in the competition of the Single Market as well as improve their attractiveness and the quality of life of rural residents;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls for Article 101(3) TFEU to be interpreted, including in the Commission’s horizontal guidelines, in a way that does not only focus on narrow, price-centric consumer welfare but that considers the need for social and environmental efficiency, by encouraging horizontal coordination in order to improve the environmental and social sustainability of the supply chain; points out that the efficiencies generated by such agreement in a relevant market must be sufficient to outweigh the anti-competitive effects that they produce in either the same or an unrelated geographical market; also underlines that this new focus should not prevent producing lower- priced goods especially regarding sectors where consumers are more price- sensitive;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Welcomes the European Commission’s investigation into pricing practices for life-saving medicines, particularly on the case involving Aspen;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Stresses the importance of granting the same rights to all air carriers when flying to or from the EU; sadly acknowledges that this is not always the case for EU airlines operating outside the EU which are subject to unfair practices affecting competition; calls on the Commission to tackle anti-competitive practices undermining also the consumer protection legislation; also stresses again to ensure the fair competition between EU air carriers and third country air carriers;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Calls on the Commission to propose changes in the Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 to ensure the same protection for air travellers on flights from third country, regardless the fact that the carrier is EU or non-EU carrier;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Stresses that the European Parliament should also be given co- decision powers in competition policy and regrets that this area of Union policy has not been strengthened in its democratic dimension in recent treaty amendments; Calls for the treaties to be amended accordingly;