65 Amendments of Bernd LUCKE related to 2018/0212(COD)
Amendment 45 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Member States should conduct their economic policies andin such a way as to ensure economically sustainable economic growth and the efficient use of scarce resources in a market economy committed to providing a sufficient level of social security. Without compromising these objectives, Member States should coordinate themir economic policies in such a way as to attain the objective of strengthening economic, social, and territorial cohesion.
Amendment 50 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The unprecedented financial crisis and economic downturn that hit the world and the euro area has shown that in the euro area available instruments such as the single monetary policy, automatic fiscal stabilisers and discretionary fiscal policy measures at national level are insufficient to absorb large asymmetric shockswas a huge symmetric shock which had a negative impact on all euro area countries and on almost all other countries in the world. Countries recovered from the ensuing economic downturn at very different speeds depending on the structural characteristics of their economies and the economic policies enacted in response to the common shock. The single currency clearly aggravated the recovery for euro area countries whose competitiveness on international markets was low.
Amendment 56 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 a (new)
Recital 4 a (new)
(4a) An asymmetric shock is a shock which harms some countries while other countries benefit from the shock or are not affected at all. As such, the financial crisis was clearly not an asymmetric shock. The Commission is encouraged to invest in capacity building by brushing up basic economic knowledge of its staff.
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) In order to facilitate macroeconomic adjustment and cushion large asymmetric shocks in the current institutional set-up, Member States whose currency is the euro and other Member States that participate in the exchange rate mechanism (ERM II) have to rely more heavily on remaining instruments of economic policy, such as structural reforms, increases in market flexibility, automatic fiscal stabilisers and other discretionary fiscal measures, making the adjustment more difficult overall. The sequence of the crisis in euro area also suggests strong reliance on the single monetary policy to provide for macro-economic stabilisation in severe macro-economic circumstances.
Amendment 63 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) TIn response to the financial crisis has resulted in a pro-cyclical pattern for fiscal policies, which has been detrimental to the quality of public finances and in particular for public investment. In turn, that shortcoming has contributed tomany Member States have enacted counter-cyclical fiscal policies, while other countries, in particular those under EFSF or ESM programmes, enacted contractionary fiscal policies in both the recession and the subsequent recovery. Different policies are one, but certainly not the only reason widespread differences in macroeconomic performance between Member States, imperilling cohesion.
Amendment 67 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Additional instruments are therefore necessary to avoid in the future that large asymmetric shocks result into deeper and broader situations of stress and weaken cohesionNo evidence exists that the Euro area has ever been hit by an asymmetric shock.
Amendment 72 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) In particular, in order to support Member States whose currency is the euro to respond better to rapidly changing economic circumstances and stabilise their economy by preserving public investment in the event of large asymmetric shocks,no convincing argument exists for establishing a European Investment Stabilisation Function (EISF) should be established.
Amendment 80 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
Amendment 84 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) EISF should be a Union instrument which complements national fiscal policies. It should be recalled that Member States should pursue sound fiscal policies and build up fiscal buffers in favourable economic times. If they do so, they comply with the Treaties and have no need for EU support measures.
Amendment 91 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) At Union level, the European Semester of economic policy coordination is the framework to identify national reform priorities and monitor their implementation. Member States develop their own national multiannual investment strategies in support of those reform priorities. Those strategies should be presented alongside the yearly National Reform Programmes as a way to outline and coordinate priority investment projects to be supported by national and/or Union funding. They should also serve to use Union funding in a coherent manner and to maximise the added value of the financial support to be received notably from the programmes supported by the Union under the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion fund, the European Social Fund, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development,, the EISF and InvestEU, where relevant.
Amendment 98 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
Amendment 101 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) EISFU support shouldmay be given in case one or several Member States whose currency is the euro or other Member States that participate in the exchange rate mechanism (ERM II) are confronted with a large asymmetric shock. Changes in unemployment rates are highly correlated with business cycle fluctuations in such Member States. Strong increases in national unemployment rates above their long-term averages are a clear indicator of a large shock in a specific Member State. Asymmetric shocks affect one or several Member States significaThe existence of such shocks can only be established by market data which are exogenous with respect to government policies. Adverse developments in unemployment may clearly have their root in ill-designed government policies. Moreover, adverse developments in unemployment in one countlry moare strongly than the average of Member Statesno proof for the asymmetry of a macroeconomic shock.
Amendment 107 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
Amendment 114 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) Strict eligibility criteria based on compliance with decisions and recommendations under the Union's fiscal and economic surveillance framework over a period of twoen years before the request for EISF support should be fulfilled by the Member State requesting EISF support in order not to diminish the incentive for that Member State to pursue prudent budgetary policies.
Amendment 131 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) EISF support should take the form of loans to the Member States concerned. That instrument would provide them with financing to continue executing public investment granted under market conditions and subject to a debt sustainability analysis by a highly-reputed and politically neutral academic institution.
Amendment 134 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) In addition to loans, no interest rate subsidies should be granted to the Member States concerned to cover the interest costs incurred on such loans, as a specific type of financial assistance under Article 220 of the Financial Regulation. Such an interest rate subsidy would provide additional support in parallel to the loan for Member States undergoing an asymmetric shock and facing tight financing conditions on the financial markets.
Amendment 137 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) With a view to swifefficiently provide EISF support, the competence for granting the loans when the eligibility and activation criteria are fulfilled and deciding on granting interest rate subsidies should under no means be entrusted to the Commission. Rather, the Council should be entrusted, provided the Council approves of such loans in a unanimous decision.
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) Member States should invest the support received under EISF in eligible public investment and also maintain the level of public investment in general compared to the average level of public investment over the five last years in order to ensure that the objective pursued by this Regulation is achieved. In that respect, there is the expectation that Member States should give priority to maintaining eligible investment in programmes supported by the Union under the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion fund, the European Social Fund, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.which has a clearly identified European added value. They should critically review the level of public investment compared to the level of public investment which is deemed sustainable.
Amendment 150 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) The maximum level of eligible public investment that could be supported by EISF loan for a Member State should be automatically set on the basis of a formula which captures the ratio of public eligible investment to gross domestic product (GDP) in the Union over a period of five years before the Member State concerned requests a loan and its GDP over the same period. The maximumPublic investment should always be in line with the productivity effects it generates. Mechanical and automatically set level s of eligible public investment should also be scaled by means of scaling factor (α) towards the fixed ceiling in the Union budget. That factor is determined such that with hindsight of the recent crisis, all the EISF support could have been provided to the Member States concerned, had the mechanism been in placeentail a waste of resources and remind attentive observers of the huge misallocation of funds in centrally planned economies.
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24
Recital 24
Amendment 159 #
Amendment 161 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
Amendment 165 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
Amendment 173 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28
Recital 28
Amendment 176 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) TUnder no means should the Commission should be in charge for managing the assets of the Stabilisation Support Fund in a safe and prudent manner.
Amendment 177 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 30
Recital 30
(30) In order to increase the impact of public investment and potential EISF support the quality of Member States' public investment systems and practices should be ensured and where appropriate strengthened. An assessment by the Commission should be carried out regularly and take the form of a report and if warranted contain recommendations to improve the quality of public investment systems and practices in Member States. A Member State couldFor its public investment, a Member State may request technical assistance from Commission. The latter could undertake technical missions.
Amendment 182 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 31
Recital 31
Amendment 185 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 32
Recital 32
Amendment 188 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 33
Recital 33
Amendment 195 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 35
Recital 35
Amendment 196 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 36
Recital 36
Amendment 202 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 2
2. The EISF shall provide financial assistance in the form of loans and interest rate subsidies for public investment to a Member State which is experiencing a large asymmetric shock, provided the public investment projects have a clearly identified European added value.
Amendment 210 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 3
Article 1 – paragraph 3
3. EISF support shall be available for all Member States whose currency is the euro and for other Member States that participate in the exchange rate mechanism referred to in Article 140(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Amendment 217 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
(3) 'eligible public investment' means: (a) the public investment in support of policy objectives as defined in Regulation (EU) No [XX] of [XX] [insert reference to new Common Provisions Regulation]16 and (b) any expenditure in areas of education and training as deshown to have a clearly identifined in Annex A to Regulation (EU) No 549/2013 and not covered in point (a);European added value. _________________ 16 [Insert correct reference to new version of Common Provisions Regulation]
Amendment 226 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
(4) 'EISF support' means Union financial assistance within the meaning of Article [220] of the Financial Regulation in the form of loans and interest rate subsidies under the EISF in support of eligible public investment;
Amendment 231 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6 a (new)
(6a) 'asymmetric shock' means a macroeconomic event, beyond the control of a certain Group of Member States (‘Member States concerned’), having large negative impact on the Member States concerned while having no significant negative impact on other Member States.
Amendment 232 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6 b (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6 b (new)
(6b) 'large negative impact of a shock' means a difference of more than three percentage points between two IMF forecasts for the real GDP of the calendar year which follows the year in which the shock took place, the difference being calculated between the last IMF forecast preceding the shock and the first IMF forecast after the shock.
Amendment 233 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6 c (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6 c (new)
(6c) 'no significant negative impact of a shock' means a difference of less than half a percentage point between two IMF forecasts for the real GDP of the calendar year which follows the year in which the shock took place, the difference being calculated between the last IMF forecast preceding the shock and the first IMF forecast after the shock.
Amendment 240 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) a decision of the Council establishing that no effective action has been taken to correct its excessive deficit under Article 126(8) or Article 126(11) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in the twoen years prior to requesting support from the EISF;
Amendment 247 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) a decision of the Council in accordance with Article 6(2) or Article 10 of Council Regulation (EU) No 1466/9719 establishing that no effective action has been taken to address the observed significant deviation in the twoen years prior to requesting support from the EISF; _________________ 19 Council Regulation (EC) No 1466/97 of 7 July 1997 on the strengthening of the surveillance of budgetary positions and the surveillance and coordination of economic policies OJ L 209, 2.8.1997, p. 1
Amendment 253 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) two successive recommendations of the Council in the same imbalance procedure in accordance with Article 8(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1176/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council20 on grounds that the Member State concerned has submitted an insufficient corrective action plan in the twoen years prior to requesting support from the EISF; _________________ 20 Regulation (EU) No 1176/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 November 2011 on the prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances OJ L 306, 23.11.2011, p. 25
Amendment 259 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) two successive decisions of the Council in the same imbalance procedure in accordance with Article 10(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1176/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council having established non-compliance by the Member State concerned on grounds that it has not taken the recommended corrective action in the twoen years prior to requesting support from the EISF;
Amendment 272 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Amendment 278 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. A Member State shall be considered to experience a large asymmetric shock if the Commission and the Council concur that a clearly identified macroeconomic event (‘the shock’) was beyond the control of the Member State and the following activation criteria are simultaneously fulfilled:
Amendment 282 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) the quarterly national unemployment rate exceedFor the Member State concerned, the average unemployment rate in the Member State concerned over a period of 60 quarters pre is a difference of more than three percentage points between two IMF forecasts for the real GDP of the calendar year which follows the year in which the shock took place, the differenced being the quarter during which the request is made;calculated between the last IMF forecast preceding the shock and the first IMF forecast after the shock.
Amendment 289 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) the quarterly national unemployment rate increased above one percentage point in comparison to the unemployment rate observed in same quarter of the previous yearFor at least three Member States, there is a difference of less than half a percentage point between two IMF forecasts for the real GDP of the calendar year which follows the year in which the shock took place, the difference being calculated between the last IMF forecast preceding the shock and the first IMF forecast after the shock.
Amendment 297 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Amendment 299 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 3
Article 4 – paragraph 3
Amendment 310 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Amendment 321 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The year following the disbursement of the EISF loan, the Commission shall examine whether the Member State concerned has respected the criteria referred to in paragraph 1. In particular, the Commission shall also verify the extent to which the Member State concerned has maintained eligible public investment in programmes supported by the Union under the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion fund, the European Social Fund, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
Amendment 326 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point b
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point b
Amendment 342 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall decide the terms of the EISF support. The decision shall contain the amount, the average maturity, the pricing formula, and the availability period of EISF loan and the amount of the interest rate subsidy, and the other detailed rules needed for the implementation of the support. When deciding on the terms of the EISF support, the Commission shall take into account the amount deemed to be sustainable within the meaning of Article [210(3)] of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No XX (the ‘Financial Regulation’) under the own resources ceiling for payment appropriations.
Amendment 359 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Without prejudice to paragraph 3, tThe amount of an EISF loan (S) shall be determined in accordance with the following formula:not exceed thirty percent of the total costs of the eligible investment project. Overhead costs shall not count towards the total costs of the investment project.
Amendment 362 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Amendment 366 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
deleted
Amendment 371 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Amendment 377 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 4
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 4
Amendment 396 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9
Article 9
Amount of EISF interest rate subsidies 1. An interest rate subsidy (IRS) shall contribute to the interest costs of the EISF loan incurred by the Member State. The amount of an EISF interest rate subsidy shall be determined in accordance with the following formula: For the purpose of this provision, ‘interest rate cost’ means the amount of interest based on the pricing formula determined in the decision of the Commission referred to in Article 6(2) taking into account any refinancing in accordance with Article 12(4); 2. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 21, to amend this Regulation by determining the percentage referred to in paragraph 1 if this appears necessary in view of the implementation of the agreement or the eventual deferral of payments under Article 18(2).rticle 9 deleted
Amendment 405 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. In case the ESM or its legal successor provides financial assistance to Member States in support of eligible public investment under modalities and conditions consistent with this Regulation, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 21 in order to:no further assistance shall be granted.
Amendment 407 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point a
Amendment 408 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point b
Amendment 410 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point c
Amendment 423 #
Proposal for a regulation
Part 5 – title 2
Part 5 – title 2
Amendment 427 #
Proposal for a regulation
Part 6
Part 6
Amendment 445 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 2
Article 20 – paragraph 2
2. By [DATE two years after the entry into force of this Regulation] at the latest, and every five years after, the Commissionan independent scientific institute selected by the Member State which has the lowest ratio of Investment Stabilisation Function loans over nominal GDP, shall examine the quality of the public investment management systems and practices in Member States. The Commissionindependent scientific institute shall prepare a report containing a qualitative assessment and a score based on a set of indicators and, if necessary, recommendations to improve the quality of the public investment management systems and practices. The report shall be made public.