Activities of Alfred SANT related to 2021/2185(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Competition policy – annual report 2021 (debate)
Amendments (16)
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas EU competition policy has an important role – especially at times of uncertainty and transformation – in ensuring effective competition to encourage innovation, set fair economic conditions and provide greater choice for consumersto the benefit of all EU citizens, especially those in a weak consumer position;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the CommissEuropean Union needs an appropriate and effective set of instruments to enforce competition rules and properly ensure their implementation in a socially balanced manner;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas direct state intervention in the form of support to businesses and workers across the EU has been crucial to avoid the worst scenarios of an economic crisis during the last two years of pandemic;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas energy commodity prices have reached unprecedented high levels in Europe with gas prices during the autumn of 2021 becoming 400% more expensive than spring of the same year;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic need to be adequately taken into account and that the guiding principle should be the reasmain rationable phasing out ofbehind specific support measures;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls for the development of an effective system of well-adjusted and complementing regulatory and enforcement instruments to facilitate the digital and green transition in a socially acceptable manner taking into consideration the diversified needs of the different regions in Europe;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Takes note ofWelcomes the renewal of the temporary framework for State aid measures, which was established in response to the COVID-19 crisis and is designed to accelerate the recovery;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the planned evaluation of the rules on health and social services of general economic interest (SGEI) to ensure that those rules meet their objectives and are fit for purpose; in this context, is concerned about the systemic weakening of healthcare systems in many Member States also due to a reduction of public spending in the sector, and to this effect the fragile response by many Member States to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Emphasises the critical moment for the Union’s hospitality industry which has been from an economic and financial perspective the hardest hit throughout the ongoing COVID-19crisis; in this context applauds state assistance directed towards the sector and calls for an EU policy aimed at reinforcing these efforts until a full recovery is achieved;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses the importance of a structured global dialogue and cooperation on competition policy enforcement particularly with regard to State aid issues;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. WelcomNotes the Commission’s proposal for a new regulation on foreign subsidies in orderproposed with the aim to curtail potentially distortive effects on the single market, close the enforcement gap, and level the playing field for European companies by using EU competition law instruments and their key building blocks; questions if all diplomatic routes were exhausted before taking the steps to launch this proposal;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission to ensure a smooth and rapid implementation of the new regulatory measures, while ensuring synergies and avoiding overlap with or duplications of existing measures;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Repeats its calls that allowing State aid in the context of Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI) remains essential for the survival of several communities across Europe especially in the context of state support dedicated to isolated, remote or peripheral regions in the Union;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Is specifically worried about the increased energy prices and the ripple effect it will have on the European economy, its external competitiveness, as well as the socioeconomic impact the rise of prices of energy bills and final goods will have on European citizens; in this context, recommends State aid measures aimed at cushioning this impact;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Believes that mainstreaming green and digital strategies is vital to support the EU’s transition; calls on the Commission to incorporate this approach into the future conditions for State aid through its assessment of the De Minimis Regulation5 upon expiry; remarks that the De Minimis ceilings should be revisited and increased particularly given the very difficult economic realities being faced by Member States, whilst acknowledging the targets which are to be achieved in the areas of environment, energy and the digital transition; __________________ 5 OJ L 352, 24.12.2013, p. 1.
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Requests caution in the consolidation of the EU airline industry and the creation of EU industry leaders while taking into account the massive state aid allowed for certain EU airlines so as to ensure that on such a basis, the latter will not be enabled to eliminate or takeover smaller EU competitors; notes that peripheral regions and islands continue needing to have autonomy in regulating and supporting airlines that maintain their connectivity, even as these have been stricken hard by the pandemic; notes with concern how the connectivity of European insular regions gets to a practical halt during low seasons to the detriment of residents and businesses in these regions; questions how major EU airlines are often granted grand scale requests in quick time while smaller airlines are repeatedly investigated and at length regarding any minimal request for assistance; stresses that State aid money approvals should include safeguards against predatory actions on other EU firms by the firms which have received State aid;