17 Amendments of Andrew LEWER related to 2015/2280(INI)
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the overarching objective of European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) is to lessen the influence ofreduce the obstacles to investment and cooperative working across national borders in order to promote a harmonious economic, social and culturterritorial development of the Union as a whole21 ; __________________ 21 Objective of European Territorial Cooperation - http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/poli cy/cooperation/european-territorial/
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas following the principles of shared management, multilevel governance and partnership, ETC programmes have been developed through a collective process bringing together a wide range of European, national and regional bodies to tackle common challenges across borders and to facilitate the exchange of good practice;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that ETC has become one of the two goals of cohesion policy 2014-2020, with its own regulation; underlines, however, that the ETC budget of EUR 10.1 billion, representing a meres 2.8 % of the cohesion policy budget, does not match the great challenges that ETC has to meet;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Notes that while it is possible to identify inputs and outputs from ETC Programmes, it has been found in the past to be difficult to assess the impact and outcomes from such programmes: therefore calls for better evaluation of ETC Programmes to demonstrate their impacts and added value;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Points out that for 2014-2020 about 41 % of the ETC ERDF budget22 will be invested in measures to improve the environment, while 27 % will be invested in strengthening smart growth, including research and innovations, and 13 % will go to promote inclusive growth through activities linked to employment, education and training and 33 programmes will be aimed at improving general connectivity across borders; further notes that EUR 790 million will be allocated to enhancing institutional capacity through setting up or strengthening cooperation structures and improving the efficiency of public services; __________________ 22 Annex I (European Territorial Cooperation/Interreg) to the Commission communication ‘Investing in jobs and growth – maximising the contribution of ESI Funds’.
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Deplores the lack of reliable cross- border data and evidence on the effectiveness of cross-border integcooperation with regard to reporting on performance framework; calls, accordingly, on the Commission, Eurostat and the managing authorities to jointly coordinate and set out methodologies for the provision and use of reliable data;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Points out the role of ETC in island regions, outermost regions and sparsely populated regions, as an important tool for strengthening their regional integcooperation;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Points out the complementary nature of ETC and macro-regional strategies in enhancing regional integrationaddressing common challenges in larger functional areas, as well as the positive role that macro-regional strategies can play in helping to address common challenges faced by macro-regions;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Considers that better coordination, synergy and complementarity should be sought between cross-border and transnational strands with a view to improving cooperation and integration over wider strategic territories; calls for better coordination between managing authorities and macro- regional strategies’' actors;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Is aware that investments for strengthening smart growth, including research and innovation, represent 257 % of ERDF allocation to CBC programmes for 2014-202023 ; notes also that 35 % of the budget of the transnational programmes goes to support smart growth by strengthening research and innovation; __________________ 23 Annex I (European Territorial Cooperation/Interreg) to the Commission communication ‘Investing in jobs and growth – maximising the contribution of ESI Funds’.
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Acknowledges all simplifications made in the EGTC Regulation, and calls on Member States to facilitate the creation of EGTCs in their countries; points out, however, that this regulation is not sufficient to overcome all legal obstacles existing to cross-border cooperation; welcomes, therefore, the initiative of the Luxembourg Presidency, which proposed a specific legal tool for border regCommission's initiative to carry out, by the end of 2016, an analysis of the barriers to cross-border cooperations, giving Member States the opportunity to agree on specific legal provisionwhich will look at solutions and examples of good practices;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Encourages broader use of financial instruments (FIs) as flexible mechanisms to be used alongside grants; urges, therefore, the involvement of financial institutions, and in particular the EIB, so as to provide specific expertise and know-how; highlights that financial instruments, if implemented effectively, can significantly increase the impact of financing; stresses, in this regard, the need for clear, consistent and focused rules on FIs to help simplify the preparation and implementation process for fund managers and recipients;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Considers that ETC has proved its effectiveness, and regrets that it's potential has not yet been fully deployed owing to insufficient resourcesmonstrated; highlights its potential beyond regional policy, in areas such as the single market, the digital agenda, employment, mobility, energy, research, education, health and the environment, and therefore calls on the Commission and the Member States to consider preserveing ETC as an important instrument, allocating it a more distinct role within cohesion policy post-2020 and increasing its budget;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Considers that the basic cooperation philosophy and current structure of ETC should be maintained, as well as the emphasis on the cross-border componentreviewed, drawing on the experience of its 25 year history; stresses that there should be a fair distribution of funds under ETC programmes, on the basis not only of population size but also of a set of harmonised criteria, considering territorial specificities;