21 Written explanations of Therese COMODINI CACHIA

The EU should not draw up a list of Conflict-Affected and High Risk Areas, but rather provide companies with the tools they need in a handbook.I generally support the proposal for Regulation of the Commission towards more effective level of the EU supply chain for these minerals.Like the rapporteur I welcome the accompanying measures foreseen in the accompanying communication to promote high levels of participation and hope that not only these measures can be implemented in parallel with the Regulation, but that Parliament will also be kept informed of their implementation.I believe the SMEs should be put in a position to participate in the EU system if they want to be part of the avant-garde, but let’s not force them. I support the view that also in this respect the Commission is right to choose for the voluntary approach. With the right incentives and assistance, as foreseen in the accompanying measures, SMEs can be convinced to participate out of their free will and in line with their business logic.

. ‒ I agree that the Member States should determine the way they collect data, but in order to be able to combine data on a regional level in a meaningful way, minimum requirements for data quality, coverage and compatibility should be agreed by Member States, taking into account the fact that, in some regions, sea areas are managed jointly with third countries which have sovereignty or jurisdiction over waters in those regions.Strengthening regional cooperation, in line with the regionalisation of the CFP, is one of the objectives and in that respect it is necessary to harmonise procedures for data collection, analysis and availability to end-users in the various marine regions. For the sake of simplification and rationalisation, and to avoid duplication of data collection, the information to be collected should be selected on the basis of its value, the demand for it and the impact analysing it could have.

I agree that CSDP should be an effective, structured common policy that generates an added value, and not a mere sum of the national policies of the Member States or their lowest common denominator. Two thirds of EU citizens surveyed would like to see more EU engagement through Member States’ commitment in matters of security and defence policy. Member States should seek how to adopt the decision on common defence in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements. To support this, the report advocates the establishment of a standing ‘defence matters’ working group of members of the Commission, to be chaired by the VP/HR.

. ‒ The report marks a positive step towards an integrated EU policy on Arctic matters, identifying specific areas of action, and towards developing a more coherent framework for focused EU action.Rising temperatures and melting sea ice affect the ecosystems worldwide by raising sea levels. This changes the composition of the sea mass and creates unpredictable weather patterns. Without effective action, the pace of climate change might accelerate even more in the future, affected by the melting of permafrost in the Arctic region. In this context, I agree with the rapporteur that channelling European structural and investment funds (ESIF) to measures for mainstreaming climate action in the Arctic, taking into account the local circumstances and special nature of the Arctic regions, is of the essence.Finally, I see scope in corporate social responsibility for the activities of companies doing business in the Arctic region.

. ‒ Montenegro has achieved steady progress in the accession negotiations: so far 26 chapters have been opened for negotiations and two chapters have been provisionally closed. I agree with the call to the Council to speed up negotiations with Montenegro and encourage the opening and closing of further chapters in the accession negotiations in 2017. However, it should be made amply clear that conclusions should always respect human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international obligations.Like the rapporteur, I am concerned about continued gender-based domestic and sexual violence, and the lack of prosecutions and proper sentencing of perpetrators in line with international standards. There is still insufficient support and protection for victims. Adequate protection services should be put in place, enhancing relevant inter-institutional coordination and making effective use of the new unified database on cases of domestic violence.

I am a firm believer that e-democracy tools can help foster more active citizenship by improving participation, transparency and accountability in decision-making. It brings with it more knowledge about the EU in order to give the citizens more voice in political life. Ways of how to create online platforms so that members of the public can systematically be consulted before the European legislator takes decisions should be speeded up because the people feel the urge to get involved more directly in public life irrespective of the form, be it e-parliament, e-initiatives, e-voting, e-petitions, e-consultations and so on.The development of complementary forms of engagement capable of contributing to mitigating the growth of public disaffection with traditional politics should be explored. As the report states, the scope of having this platform is enshrined in the principle of institutional openness, complying with the combination of real-time transparency and informed participation.It is the ideal way of engaging young people in political debate, an opportunity to make best use of ICT in democratic procedures to suit the connectivity purpose.

The EU will incorporate in its schedule for the customs territory of the EU modifications related to tariff rate quotas on raw sugar and poultry meat. I agree we should grant consent to the conclusion of the Agreement even if the agreement is not about new concessions but compensations. There is an element of sensitiveness of the products under consideration for the whole EU agricultural sector which has raised some concerns. The relevant sectors have complained about the lack of involvement and consultation from the Commission during such negotiations which could have an impact on their future competitiveness on the EU market. We need to see to this more in the future to ensure that all stakeholders are appropriately consulted.

I agree to proceed with the need to notify Parliament if there is a substantial departure from the text approved and the Council is to consult again if it intends to substantially amend the text approved by Parliament.

I agree to proceed with the Council draft calling upon the latter to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament and consult Parliament again if it intends to substantially amend the text approved by Parliament

I see scope in harmonising at EU level the allocation of frequencies, to provide businesses and citizens with universal high-speed wireless connectivity. The EU can negotiate internationally with a single voice, also in view of the rapid evolution of the sector and the social, economic, cultural and technological aspects affecting the use of the band or any part of it. By 2020, according to some statistics, mobile Internet traffic will increase by eight times compared to today, therefore, the capacity of the networks needs to be strengthened. The spectrum in the 700 MHz frequency band provides additional capacity and universal coverage, in particular for rural and remote areas, which are challenging in terms of the cost of investment in infrastructure. This is a must in an era where Internet of Things, Cloud, and mobile communication services, the digitisation of industrial sectors (Industry 4.0) and improvement of the efficiency of government departments (e-government) are rapidly increasing. Innovative services for citizens and businesses should be supported through national roadmaps in order to fulfil their obligations relating to the repurposing of the 700 MHz frequency band for wireless broadband.

I believe that several petitions raised concerns about the different obstacles encountered by EU citizens in exercising their freedom of movement. I support the removal of any discriminatory practices and unnecessary barriers from their rules for EU citizens and their family members, including non-EU family members, so that they benefit from the entry and residence rights in their territories. Concurrently, there are social rights which would facilitate labour mobility in the EU. As emphasised in the motion, social security rights should be enjoyed without discrimination against permanent, seasonal or cross-border workers and by those who pursue their activities for the purpose of providing services.

2018 will be the fifth year of the multiannual framework, bearing an important role played by the EU budget in delivering concrete answers to the challenges the EU is facing.I agree with the rapporteur in saying that Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) must aim at objectives which bring real added value to the Member States and should not be used to finance projects marked by controversy. The Commission should ensure a focused level of funding in 2018 to tackle the root causes of the current migratory and refugee crisis and the corresponding humanitarian challenges. Concurrently, the EU needs to step up its role through investment in the countries of origin of the migratory flows. This requires the Commission to design a roadmap to tackle the migratory crisis in an effective way.I agree with the rapporteur that a certain level of flexibility is required to ensure that the core priorities of the EU budget are retained, establishing synergies with other financial instruments where necessary to lead to better results.

We need to attribute greater EU-level acknowledgement to the equid sector and its benefits for the rural economy, which makes a significant contribution to the EU’s general and strategic objectives. There is scope for getting this sector incorporated, to a greater extent, into the various CAP. Given that approximately 900 000 jobs are generated solely by the equestrian sports industry, with other statistics pointing to five to seven equidae creating one full-time job, and that those jobs, which are not relocatable, are in what are now economically vulnerable rural areas, the scope of this report is worth approving.We have the opportunity to make our breeding sector more competitive and better organised and to improve available information on purebred breeding and on purebred breeding animals, in particular equidae.The Commission and the Member States should fully and properly commit to inspections and to conduct regular audits of the slaughterhouses on their territory that are licensed to take equidae. In this way we ensure that they are able to meet the specific welfare needs of equidae, particularly in terms of facilities and qualification of staff.

I support greater involvement of shareholders in companies’ corporate governance as one of the levers that can help improve the financial and non-financial performance of those companies. Nevertheless, since shareholder rights are not the only long-term factor which needs to be taken into consideration in corporate governance, they should be accompanied by additional measures to ensure a greater involvement of all stakeholders, in particular employees, local authorities and civil society. This provision should cover large companies and large groups which do not have shares admitted to trading on a regulated market, given that they also do business which has a major impact. As advocated by the report, this would establish a high degree of transparency with regard to costs of services provided by intermediaries.In order to prevent price discrimination of cross-border and not just domestic share holdings, any differences in the costs levied between domestic and cross—border exercise of rights should be duly justified and should reflect the variation in actual costs incurred for delivering the services provided by intermediaries.Mandatory reporting in this area can therefore be seen as an important element of the corporate responsibility of companies to shareholders and society.

Sport plays a prominent role in the life of millions of EU citizens. Amateur and professional sport is not merely a matter of athletic abilities, sporting achievements and competitions, but also brings a significant social, educational, economic, cultural and unifying contribution to the EU’s economy and society. Considering that sport-related employment has been estimated at the equivalent to 3.51 % of total EU employment, and the share of sport-related gross value added at EUR 294 billion (2.98 % of total EU gross value added), we need to ensure that good governance would be in place, effective and transparent and provide structures with the participation of stakeholders.One important point is that minor athletes must be protected from abusive practices such as third-party ownership. Fighting corruption in sport requires transnational efforts and cooperation among all stakeholders, including public authorities, law enforcement agencies, the sports industry, athletes and supporters. We should seek the possibility of creating a code of conduct in the areas of good governance and integrity in sport. This should include sports management projects and also the Erasmus+ programme.

Member States should take all necessary measures for the well-being of the child throughout the entire legal proceedings, providing the child with the protection and care needed for his or her harmonious development. Greater cooperation between the responsible authorities for follow-up assessments are necessary, and in this respect I join the rapporteur in calling on the EU to maintain a consistent approach to children’s rights across all of its major internal and external policies.I also agree that a European Certificate of Adoption should be created to speed up any administrative query over automatic recognition. Because children who have been put up for adoption should not be the property of a state, but individuals with internationally recognised fundamental rights.

I agree that the Commission should refer the matter to Parliament again if it intends to amend its proposal substantially. The EU is the biggest market, accounting for roughly a third of global exports, with a global consumption in 2015 amounting to 5.8 million tonnes, and demand has been rising in recent years. This means that European imports which originate mainly from Central and Latin American countries need to be further nurtured. Hence the agreement between the EU and Colombia and Peru, along with Ecuador, and the agreement establishing an association between the EU and Central America should put in place protective mechanisms to prevent mass imports from one or more of those countries which destabilise the European market from harming EU producers.Impact assessments should therefore be drawn up and used systematically prior to the negotiation of international trade agreements. Changes need to be made to ensure that the applicable procedure is faster and simplified in order to improve the information flow among the Commission, the Member States and the European Parliament, in particular by including an early warning when 80% of the trigger volumes are exceeded and by establishing a price observatory.

. ‒ Fishing activities should be environmentally, economically and socially sustainable and be managed consistently with the objectives of achieving economic, social and employment benefits, and contributing to the availability of food supplies.Procedures should be simplified and, as far as possible, made faster and more flexible, particularly when it comes to renewing the licences of those vessels whose status has not changed from one year to another.Also, the Union has several ‘dormant agreements’ with third countries. Union vessels are not allowed to fish in waters under the dormant agreements. Like the rapporteur, I believe that the Commission should make an effort to ‘wake up’ those agreements or else should terminate them.Finally, when the possibility of withdrawing, suspending or modifying a fishing authorisation is raised, on account of evidence of serious threats to the exploitation of fishing resources, I agree that the Commission should play a mediating role.

I agree that the Commission should refer the matter to Parliament again if it intends to amend its proposal substantially. It is positive to note that Georgian authorities proposed new legislative initiatives and further continued undertaking reforms. I therefore welcome the interest demonstrated by the Georgian government to enhance the cooperation with European Police Office (Europol), for example, as a positive sign towards a significant contribution to the effective countering of organised crime.I believe that the conclusion of a visa waiver is significant for Georgian citizens who will benefit greatly from it. The visa liberalisation will contribute to the deepening of people-to-people contacts and facilitate travelling to the EU, stepping up economic and cultural relations and intensifying political dialogue on various issues, including human rights and fundamental freedoms.

I deplore the failure of the Congolese Government to hold the presidential election within the constitutional deadline. I join the rapporteur in his reiteration of calls for the successful and timely holding of elections, in full accordance with the Congolese Constitution and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. It is the Congolese Government’s responsibility to guarantee an environment conducive to transparent, credible and inclusive elections as soon as possible.I am also concerned by the political crisis in Gabon and the unfolding violence between protesters and security forces following the proclamation of the preliminary results of the 2016 presidential election. Because of this, like the rapporteur I join his call urging the Gabonese authorities to take all necessary measures to guarantee in all circumstances respect for democracy, the rule of law, good governance and human rights principles, including freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

. ‒ Unfortunately, Erasmus+ funding can at times be unattainable for smaller organisations. I believe that bureaucracy and reporting requirements should be simplified so that smaller, inexperienced and non-professional applicants are not placed at a considerable disadvantage. Around half of the national agencies consider the new programme to be more complicated to implement.I would like to see more recognition of volunteer time as co-financing in the form of contributions in kind. Moreover, I deplore the fact that some students must take out bank loans in order to take part in Erasmus+ programmes because, to me, indebtedness has a negative impact on personal development.Finally, the rapporteur is aware of the fact, that after less than three years of programme implementation, a fully-fledged quantitative and qualitative assessment of Erasmus+ cannot be delivered. Having said that, I welcome the IT action plan presented by the Commission which aims at helping to overcome the day-to-day difficulties through further improvement of the relevant IT tools. I join the rapporteur in urging the Commission to focus on their improvement instead of developing new tools.