16 Amendments of Alfred SANT related to 2017/2052(INI)
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recommends the design and implementation of an honest and down- to-earth communications programme to inform citizens in all member states of the significance, meaning and choices involved in drawing up the MFF programme, to be carried out while the discussions on the MFF are proceeding as well as later, and this in ways that concretely respond to citizens' everyday interests and concerns;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes that the withdrawal of the UK from the EU's budgetary system will imply changes that go beyond the shortfall that will result in net revenues, involving capillary economic and financial impacts, probably negative, on the way by which the EU budget will operate; calls therefore for a study of such possible impacts and how their potential negative consequences can be pre-empted and minimised;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls, therefore, for continuous support for existing policies, in particular the long-standing EU policies enshrined in the Treaties, namely the cohesion policy and the common agricultural and fisheries policies, and the cohesion policy; rejects any attempt to renationalise these policies, as this would neither reduce the financial burden on taxpayers and consumers, nor achieve better results, but would instead hamper growth and the functioning of the single market while widening the disparities between territories and economic sectors; intends to secure the same level of funding for the EU-27 for these policies in the next programming period while further improving their added value and simplifying the procedures associated with them;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Union to assume its role in two emerging policy areas with internal and external dimensions, which have appeared in the course of the current MFF: on the one hand, by developing a comprehensive asylum, migration and integration policy and addressing the root causes of migration and displacement in third countries and on the other hand, by providing security to European citizens and promoting stability abroad, notably by pooling research efforts and capabilities in the area of defenceinternal security within the Schengen area which as of now remain too splintered;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39a. Agrees that the concept of juste retour regarding Member States' contributions to the EU budget is not justifiable, but that it is likely to become more prevalent following the UK's withdrawal from the EU; therefore recommends that the Court of Auditors prepares a report on the scenarios for national income and outgo, gross and net, under the MFF from the EU budget that would follow under different options that could be envisaged;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Agrecknowledges that the search for European added value should be one of the main principles guiding the EU institutions when deciding about the type of spending in the next MFF; poinis a fundamental question to be addressed, and agrees that the Union budget should serve, inter alia, as a tool for achieving the Treaty objectives and providing for European public goods; points out, however, the multi-faceted character of the concept of European added value and its multiple interpretations, and warns against any attempt to use its definition to call into question the relevance of EU policies and programmes on purely quantitative or short-term economic considerations; believes that there is a clear added value when an action at European level: – goes further than national, regional or local efforts cout, however, the existence of multiple interpretations of the concept and calls for a clear definition of the criteria thereof that should take territorial specificities into account; ld (spillover effect); – incentivises actions at national, regional or local level to fulfil EU Treaty objectives which would not otherwise be realised; – supports actions that can only be financed by pooling resources at EU level because of their very high financing requirements; or – contributes to the establishment and support of peace and stability in the EU’s neighbourhood and beyond; encourages the Commission to further develop the concept of European added value, while taking into account territorial specificities such as geographical insularity and remoteness;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Calls for a genuine simplification of the EU budgetary system in the next MFF with the aim to ease absorption by possible recipients; underlines, in particular, the need to reduce overlaps between instruments that serve similar types of actions, for example in the areas of innovation, SMEs or transport, and the necessity of eliminating the competition which exists between different forms and sources of funding, in order to ensure maximum complementarity and to provide for a coherent financial framework;
Amendment 341 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
Paragraph 68
68. Believes that the next MFF should see a greater concentration of budgetary resources in areas that demonstrate a clear European added value and as much as possible stimulate an even economic growth, competitiveness and employment across all the regions of the EU; stresses, in this context, the importance of research and innovation in creating a sustainable, world-leading, knowledge-based economy, and regrets that, due to the lack of adequate financing, only a small proportion of high- quality projects in this field has received EU funding under the current MFF;
Amendment 375 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72
Paragraph 72
72. Reiterates its strong commitment to EFSI that aims at mobilising EUR 500 billion in new investment in the real economy under the current MFF; believes that EFSI has already delivered a powerful and targeted boost to economic sectors that are conducive to sustainable growth and jobs and that more can be done so that its benefits are felt in all the regions of the EU; welcomes, therefore, the Commission’s intention to put forward a legislative proposal for the continuation and improvement of this investment scheme under the new MFF; stresses that any legislative proposal should be based on the conclusions of a Commission review and independent evaluation;
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73
Paragraph 73
73. Insists on the importance of the MFF for sectors relying on long-term investment, such as the transport sector; highlights that the transport infrastructures are the backbone of the single market and the basis for sustainable growth and job creation; notes that accomplishing a single European transport area connected to neighbouring countries requires major transport infrastructure especially in peripheral and less developed regions and must be treated as a key priority in terms of thefor EU’s competitiveness and for economic, social and territorial cohesion, including for peripheral and insular areas; considers, therefore, that the next MFF should provide for sufficient funding for projects that contribute in particular to the completion of the TEN-T core network and its corridors, which should be further extended; recognizes the importance of the Cohesion Fund in this regard and insists on its continuation in the new MFF; stresses that an updated and more effective CEF programme should cover all modes of transport and focus on interconnections and the completion of the network in peripheral areas while using common standards;
Amendment 428 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77
Paragraph 77
77. Affirms that the common agricultural policy is fundamental for food security and autonomy, the preservation of rural populations and environmental resources, sustainable development and the provision of high-quality and affordable food products for Europeans; points out that food requirements have increased, as has the need to develop environmentally friendly farming practices and the need to tackle climate change; underlines that the CAP is one of the most integrated policies and is mainly financed at EU level and, therefore, replaces national spending; adds that a higher priority to small-scale farmers should be established;
Amendment 587 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86 a (new)
Paragraph 86 a (new)
86a. Believes that the immigration issue will have a budgetary impact on EU finances that go beyond line items that may specifically refer to immigration, such as for cohesion, industrial, neighbourhood and social policies; considers that a framework is needed within which to assess the emerging horizontal and vertical effects of immigration issues on the EU financial framework, in order to enable decision makers and citizens to evaluate the budgetary impact of immigration in a holistic manner;
Amendment 609 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88
Paragraph 88
88. Stresses that the world is confronted with multiple challenges including conflicts, cyber-attacks, terrorism, disinformation, natural disasters, climate change, human rights issues and violations, and protracted crises; believes that the Union has a particular political and financial responsibility which is founded on rules-based foreign policy, cooperation with partner countries, poverty eradication and crisis response;
Amendment 657 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 93
Paragraph 93
93. Believes that the next MFF must support the establishment of a European Defence Union should be financed outside an MFF structure; awaits, following the Commission’s announcements in this area, the relevant legislative proposals, including a dedicated EU defence research programme and an industrial development programme complemented by Member States’ investment in collaborative equipment; recalls that increased defence cooperation, the pooling of research and equipment and the elimination of duplications could lead to considerable efficiency gains, often estimated at around EUR 26 billion per year;
Amendment 661 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 94
Paragraph 94
94. In the context of the increased attention given to security and defence in the Union, requests a reassessment of all external security expenditure; looks forward in particular to a reform of the Athena mechanism and of the African Peace Facility after the budgetisation of the EDF; welcomnotes the recent commitments by Member States under permanent structured cooperation and asks the High Representative and the Commission to provide clarification as regards its future financing; calls for a successor programme for the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace focusing on crisis response and capacity building for security and development, while finding a legally sound solution for military capacity building;