Activities of Nicola CAPUTO related to 2017/2052(INI)
Shadow opinions (2)
OPINION on the next MFF: Preparing Parliament’s position on the MFF post-2020
OPINION on the next MFF: Preparing the Parliament’s position on the MFF post-2020
Amendments (51)
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission to structure the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) in a manner that clearly reflects the EU’s priorities for the coming years, particularly with respect to the resources needed to susfor the transition to the sustainability and to maintain the EU’s leading role in tackling climate change and its internal and external biodiversity commitments and goals;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Notes that support measures for the temporary cessation of fishing activities should be maintained in certain cases; notes, furthermore, that they should be targeted at those fleets that have to cease their activity owing to an external cause such as the closure of a fishery; calls, moreover, for support measures for the permanent cessation of fishing activities to be maintained under the same conditions that currently apply with, where necessary, an economic audit of the repercussions of the dismantling of vessels on the fleet’s equilibrium and on the real fishing capacity.
Amendment 13 #
1a. Recognizing the difficulties that the EU and several Member States have in mainstreaming sustainable development in non-environmental thematic objectives of the current MFF, calls on the Commission to sustainability- proof the next MFF, in order to increase the efficiency of the Union spending and to improve coherence and balance of economic, social and environmental dimensions as required by the Treaty.
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that agricultural production has high added value in producing good quality food and also in supplying non-food goods and services, since it also supplies the processing sector, which is important in keeping the EU’s agricultural sector competitive and thereby contributing to economic and social cohesion in regions and to the EU’s balanced regional development; points out that it is therefore necessary to maintain and, where appropriate, step up the support received by the agricultural sector and rural areas, to provide an incentive to develop agricultural production and to meet society’s food demands, with a view to combating volatility and stimulating employment in the sector, as well as for meeting non- agricultural EU objectives; stresses that the CAP contributes significantly to growth and employment in rural areas – more so than other EU policies – and that job creation and improvements to quality of life increase the appeal of rural life compared with urban areas; recalls that, in statistical terms, farmers provide seven additional jobs in related sectors and rural territories; points to the importance of maintaining the CAP’s focus on supporting small-scale and family farming businesses as the cornerstone of agricultural production in the EU and of life in the EU’s rural areas and achieving real progress in that policy goal;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Emphasises the need to provide the EMFF with a sufficient level of funds to enable it to invest in the sustainability, selectivity and competitiveness of the fishing fleet;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that, through its Pillars 1 and 2, the CAP helps to stabilise farmers' incomes, environmental programmes and economic activity in rural areas and prevents depopulation in those areas; notes, in this context, that a budget of at least the current volume is needed so that the two-pillar structure of the CAP can be maintained with a view to helping farmers in every sector, achieving the key goal of innovation, protecting and creating jobs and increasing farmers' incomes; stresses that, for rural development to be effective, it must continue to be part of the CAP, and be sufficiently well funded to guarantee that rural areas are sustainable in the long run;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that cohesion policy’s share of the total EU budget should be maintainincreased post-2020, as the Cohesion Fund makes a majorvital contribution to closing infrastructure gaps between regions and to reducing the internal connectivity gap between the more developed areas and the 'lagging regions';
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Points out that the CAP contributes to the stability of rural areas and the employment of over 44 million people in the entire food supply chain; stresses that, in a period during which the EU is facing numerous and significant challenges, only a strong and properly funded CAP can help strengthen Europe, making a significant contribution to addressing such challenges through the management of migration, increased employment and stronger economic growth;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Believes that the next MFF should be a first mover, helping catalyse sustainable finance across the Union. Notes that several of the recent first recommendations of the High Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance are applicable to the MFF, including the need to ‘sustainability test’ all future EU financial regulations and policies, and for financial instruments to achieve greater policy steering effects.
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. States clearly that, through numerous policy reforms, CAP spending has been reduced and has become more targeted, market-orientated and geared towards improving the competitiveness of EU agriculture, while at the same time addressing an ever-increasing range of challenges, including environmental issues and climate change, the introduction of ‘greening measures’ and ensuring the economic viability of rural areas; stresses, however, that an in-depth analysis should be performed in an effort to assess the economic sustainability of the agricultural sector by safeguarding incomes, and that price volatility should be combated by proposing new instruments;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Is of the view that the impact of the Cohesion Fund on the MFF should also include an improvement in the average quality of infrastructure throughout Europe, with the aim of achieving a uniform level of safety, sustainability and connectivity;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises that the transition to a sustainable economy is the only way to ensure a healthy living environment and the long-term wellbeing of Union citizens and the European economy; considers that the EU should be the global frontrunner in the transition to a circular, low-carbon economy and a sustainable production- consumption system;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises that the transition to a sustainable economy is the only way to ensure a healthy living environment and the long-term wellbeing of Union citizens and the European economy; considers that the EU should be the global frontrunner in the transition to a circular, low-carbon economy and a sustainable production- consumption system;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) should allow for adequate EU funding, including structural and investment funds, for projects which contribute, in particular, to the completion of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) core network and its corridors, provided that these projects contribute to the achievement of EU objectives in terms of emissions reduction, territorial cohesion, advancement of the 'lagging regions', territorial continuity and development of sustainable tourism; reiterates that financial instruments cannot replace grants for TEN- T projects, as only grants can maximise output on the ground; considers, furthermore, that better coordination of EU instruments related to transport, including blending of grants and innovative financial instruments, can facilitate project implementation and catalyse private financing;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses the importance of the social and economic dimension of fishing for local communities and some maritime and coastal regions; recognises the need to maintain enough financial previsions for enabling coastal, artisanal and small scale fleet sectors to obtain funding;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that the next MFF should help the Union achieve not only its 2030 climate and energy framework objectives, but also multilateral commitments related to sustainable development and environment such as the Sustainable Development Goals or the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) and there specifically the Aichi Target; underlines that the EU should not finance projects and investments that are contrary to the achievement of these goals;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Stresses that the current instability in the agricultural markets and high price volatility demonstrate the need to maintain farm subsidies, as they allow market failures to be more effectively managed and controlled; acknowledges in this context that a rise in food prices and sales of produce in recent years has not been passed on to farmers; insists that concrete support is needed to address the lack of access to credit for farmers and declining farming income; recalls also that European consumers are not ready to pay for their food at a price which would be undeniably higher if the agricultural sector was not receiving public support;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) should allow for adequate EU funding, including structural and investment funds, for projects which contribute, in particular, to the completion of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) core network and its corridors; reiterates that financial instruments cannot replace grants for TEN- T projects, as only grants can maximise output on the ground; considers, furthermore, that better coordination of EU instruments related to transport, including blending of grants, synergies between funds and innovative financial instruments, can facilitate project implementation and catalyse private financing;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses the importance of programmes safeguarding biodiversity and protecting the environment, such as the LIFE Programme, being continued in the next MFF;and strengthened as standalone fund in the next MFF; in fact considers necessary to increase the funding for the LIFE programme to 1% of the next EU budget, given that LIFE is the only financial instrument under the EU budget wholly dedicated to the environment, nature conservation and climate change; calls on the Commission for a new financial mechanism for biodiversity conservation in to be included in the next MFF and to ensure that future financial instruments for agriculture, rural and regional development contain dedicated envelopes for biodiversity and management of the Natura 2000 network, under co- management by national and regional environmental authorities.
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Highlights the need for supporting measures to facilitate social dialogue and to use the EMFF to help train skilled professionals for the maritime and fisheries sector; stresses the importance of modernising the maritime and fisheries sector and notes the role that innovation plays in this; calls, thus, for investment in technological development and innovation to be enhanced; calls for enterprises in other sectors that develop proposals for the fisheries sector to be given access to the funds and for greater financing possibilities to encourage improvements in the economic and environmental performance of the sector;
Amendment 59 #
5. Stresses the importance of programmes safeguarding biodiversity and protecting the environment, such as the LIFE Programme, being continued in the next MFF;and strengthened as standalone fund in the next MFF; calls for a new financial mechanism for biodiversity conservation in to be included in the next MFF; and calls on the Commission to ensure that future financial instruments for agriculture, rural and regional development contain dedicated envelopes for biodiversity and management of the Natura 2000 network, under co- management by national and regional environmental authorities.
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses the importance of programmes safeguarding biodiversity and protecting the environment, such as the LIFE Programme, being continued and strengthened in the next MFF; calls on the Commission and Member States to support a new financial mechanism for biodiversity conservation to be included in the next MFF;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Reiterates the importance of drawing on rigorous and independent scientific opinions when assessing the state of fishery resources, so that management decisions can be taken which make it possible to achieve maximum sustainable yields (MSY); is of the opinion that in the post-2020 EMFF sufficient funding should be foreseen for the purpose of scientific data collection;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Emphasises the potential offered by green infrastructure and nature based solutions to deliver services for the society in a cost efficient way; stresses the need to fairly consider these green alternatives for delivering services in the decisions under rural and regional funding, as well as calls for the creation of a dedicated instrument to establish the Trans- European Network of Green Infrastructure (TEN-G) to deliver biodiversity benefits.
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Points out that these new types of own resources (ORs) are essential to offset the loss in revenue of roughly 11billion EUR a year which is expected to result from Brexit; notes also that new ORs are needed to avoid potential spending cuts in the CAP presented in the Commission's “Reflection Paper on the Future of EU Finances”;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses the importance of maintaining at least the same level of financing for the European Fisheries Control Agency and of strengthening its role in the future in order to be able to attain the objectives set in the CFP.
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Stresses the need that the various funds should be more coherent and better work together to respond to national, regional and local challenges, such as to enable the just transition of coal dependent regions or to fight energy poverty.
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Emphasises the importance of the role of the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) as regards the governance of fishing fleets and the supervision of monitoring procedures; calls for the EFCA to be given the funds it needs to do its job;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. consider necessary to ensure that the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) is aligned with the EU’s environmental, biodiversity and climate goals and policies, rather than undermining them. To achieve this, the CAP must be reformed towards a fair, effective and efficient farming policy which has as its core objective to facilitate the transition towards sustainable food and farming systems in Europe.
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to keep direct payments intact as they help to avoid distortions of competition between Member States, and to maintain them without any national co-financing; urges the Commission to take due accountinue of the process of convergence of direct payments between Member Statedifferent costs of production and labour, together with the contribution made by agriculture to employment in the individual Member States in continuing the process of external convergence of direct payments;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that an upgraded and more effective Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), which covers all modes of transport, including road infrastructure, and focuses on interconnections, is necessary; stresses that an inter-institutional agreement on CEF should be approved as soon as possible in order to communicate positive market signals to infrastructural investments that will reach the highest financial needs in the period 2020-2027.
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that an upgraded and more effective Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), which covers all modes of transport, including road infrastructure, and focuses on interconnections and on the completion of the network in peripheral areas, is necessary;
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that an upgraded and more effective Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), which covers all modes of transport, including road infrastructure, and focuses on interconnections and missing links in Europe's infrastructure networks, is necessary;
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Emphasises that the next MFF needs to consider the social challenges for local and regional communities with a high share of workers in carbon- dependent sectors in their necessary transformation to a low-carbon society; requests that EU funds and programmes will be dedicated in a coherent way to facilitate a just transition in those communities by supporting the deployment, re-skilling and up-skilling of workers, education, job-seeking initiatives and start-ups, in close dialogue with the social partners.
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Strongly opposes any renationalisation of farming policies and is concerned about the trend towards the renationalisation of state responses to farming crises, in particular in the form of specific payments rather than proper EU action;
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that funding for completing the single European rail area should be safeguarded; stresses further that the deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) should be brought forward in order to further implement common technical standards and maximise the benefits in terms of interoperability; strongly believe that ERTMS system project would require an institutional lead from the European Commission aimed at incentivizing the participation of investors;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls, therefore, for continuous support for existing policies, and for them to be stepped up, in particular the long- standing EU policies enshrined in the Treaties, namely 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 109 #
5. Calls for continued support for thosee sectors most in need, including family farms and small and medium-sized farms, as well as the most disadvantaged, mountain and outermost regions; calls on the Commission to envisage increasing the envelope for programmes of options specific to isolation and insularity (POSEI), as called for by Parliament;
Amendment 111 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to ensure the necessary financial andpresent a proposal for a legal framework for the food supply chain in the EU and to guarantee that it is financed properly, in order to combat unfair trading practices in the single market;
Amendment 123 #
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 which entails equal commitments for all EU countries 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 defence;
Amendment 133 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Emphasises, as regards the period after 2020, that, in relation to the further development of the CAP, policy measures and the concrete objectives thereof must first be defined, before the necessary budgetary resources can be allocated; stresses the need to consider the establishment of a European agricultural insurance fund which can be mobilised during times of crisis, for example, to reduce production volumes in order to ensure stability of prices for farmers for raw materials produced within Europe.
Amendment 138 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses the importance of shifting towards a sustainable tourism sector, which requires better coordination between tourism and infrastructure projects; considers that a specific heading for tourism should be created in order to move towards a genuine European tourism policy; believes that such initiatives promoting innovative sustainable travel experiences for youth should be welcome; considers also that they should not replace other cultural initiatives and suggests that proper means for adequate financing should be further promoted;
Amendment 139 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses the importance of shifting towards a sustainable tourism sector, which requires better coordination between tourism and infrastructure projects; considers that a specific heading for tourism should be created in order to move towards a genuine European tourism policy in line with the P8 TA (2015) 0391 resolution of the European Parliament on new challenges and concepts for the promotion of tourism in Europe;
Amendment 143 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses the importance of shifting towards a sustainable tourism sector, which requires better coordination between tourism and infrastructure projects; considers that a specific heading for tourism should be created in order to move towards a genuine European tourism policy;
Amendment 153 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Stresses that EU investment in new technologies for sustainable transport, with regard to methods of propulsion in particular (i.e. electricity, hydrogen, biofuels, etc.) must be based on the principle of technological neutrality, leaving the market and citizens the freedom to choose from among the different transport solutions;
Amendment 455 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78
Paragraph 78
78. Expects the global amount of direct payments to be kept intact under the next MFF, as they generate clear EU added value and strengthen the single market by avoiding distortions of competition between Member States; opposes any renationalisation and any national co- financing in that respect; stresses the need to increase funding in line with responses to the various cyclical crises in sensitive sectors, to create new instruments that can mitigate price volatility and to increase funding for Programmes of Options Specifically Relating to Remoteness and Insularity (POSEI); concludes, therefore, that the CAP budget in the next MFF should be at least maintained at its current level for the EU-27increased;
Amendment 456 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 a (new)
Paragraph 78 a (new)
78a. considers that the next MFF should provide sufficient funding to halt biodiversity loss, through the strengthening of the LIFE programme and the establishment of a funding line for the Trans European Natura 2000 Network(TEN-N); calls on the Commission to ensure that future financial instruments for agriculture, rural and regional development contain dedicated envelopes for biodiversity and management of the Natura 2000 network, under co-management by national and regional environmental authorities;
Amendment 481 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81
Paragraph 81
81. Stresses that cohesion policy post- 2020 should remain the main investment policy of the European Union in order to tackle complex socio-economic challenges covering all EU regions while concentrating the majority of the resources on the most vulnerable ones; believes that, beyond the goal of reducing the disparities between levels of development and enhancing convergence as enshrined in the Treaty, it should focus on the achievement of the broad EU political objectives and proposes, therefore, that under the next MFF, the three cohesion policy funds – the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund – should concentrate mainly on providing support for innovation, digitalisation, reindustrialisa transition, SMEs, transport, climate change adaptation, employment and social inclusionand mitigation, environment, energy, infrastructuring, employment, education, including vocational education and training, social inclusion and capacity building, social inclusion and gender equality; recalls, in this context, the need for further integrated synergies in order to foster comprehensive, trans-sectorial strategies; calls, moreover, for a reinforced territorial cooperation component and an urban dimension for the policy and dedicated provisions for area with geographic specificities, such as rural, mountainous and remote areas;
Amendment 491 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81
Paragraph 81
81. Stresses that cohesion policy post- 2020 should remain the main investment policy of the European Union covering all EU regions while concentrating the majority of the resources on the most vulnerable ones; believes that, beyond the goal of reducing the disparities between levels of development and enhancing convergence as enshrined in the Treaty, it should focus on the achievement of the broad EU political objectives and proposes, therefore, that under the next MFF, the three cohesion policy funds – the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund – should concentrate mainly on providing support for innovation, digitalisation, reindustrialisation, SMEs, transport, climate change adaptation, infrastructure programmes, employment and social inclusion; calls, moreover, for a reinforced territorial cooperation component and an urban dimension for the policy;
Amendment 511 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82
Paragraph 82
82. Considers maintainincreasing the financing of cohesion policy post-2020 for the EU-27 at least at the level of the 2014- 2020 budget to be of the utmost importance; stresses that GDP should remain one of the parameters for the allocation of cohesion policy funds, but believes that it should be complemented by an additional set of social, environmental and demographic indicators to better take into account new types of inequalities between EU regions; supports, in addition, the continuation under the new programming period of the elements that rendered cohesion policy more modern and performance-oriented under the current MFF;
Amendment 588 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87
Paragraph 87
87. Recognises the European added value of collaboration in addressing common public health threats; notes that no single Member State can tackle cross- border health challenges alone, and calls for the next MFF to reflect the EU’s responsibility to support Member States in reducing health inequalities; considers that, on the basis of the positive outcome of the ongoing actions in this field, the next MFF should include a robust next generation Health programme that addresses these issues on a cross-border basis, notably by making innovative solutions for healthcare delivery, such as the European Reference Networks; recalls that good health is a prerequisite for achieving other goals set by the EU and that policies in such fields as agriculture, environment, employment, social issues or inclusion also have an impact on the health of Europeans; calls, therefore, for the strengthening of health impact assessments and for cross- sectoral cooperation in the next MFF in this field;