BETA

42 Amendments of Max ANDERSSON related to 2014/2248(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas th~~is problem, coupled with a lack of a common vision on the part of our~~e EU needs to reflect on the fact that a Member States has ~~regards the future of our continent, has given rise to unprecedented levels of ‘euroscepticism’ that risk a return to nationalism and the disintegration of the Union~~voted to leave the EU, and the fact that the euro crisis is still ongoing after more than seven years and there is a growing discontent among the citizens; this is partially due to the over-centralisation of the EU and the tendency of the political system to take the side of big business instead of citizens and the environment;

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. wThe~~reas, instead of fostering the Union, the system whereby Member State~~ scepticism against the EU which exists among the citizens has many causes. One is that the EU has mtake ~~progr~~n up too many issuess at different speeds in accordance with their different capacities and circumstances, further reinforced in the Lisbon Treaty, which introduced new formal methods of enhanced cooperation, has increased the complexity of the Unnd has not been able to focus on the issues which must be coordinated at European level, for example, migration and climate challenges. It is also true that certain problems are aggravated by current decision-making arrangements. For example, the economic crisis has been aggravated by EMU, and there is every reason to give nations a~~nd accentuated its ‘variable geom~~ free choice as to whether to join the monetary~~’; whereas more and more Member States are declining to agree on the goals and prefer ‘à la carte’ solutions, some of them even unilaterally;~~ union. The EU has to an excessive extent become an instrument of a short-sighted right- wing policy which has contributed to growing gulfs between people and regions in Europe and the world.

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas this new system of governance ~~implies a genuine government~~should be equipped to formulate and implement the common monetary, fiscal and macro- economic policies that the euro area desperately needs ~~and must be endowed with a treasury and budget commensurate with the scale of the tasks at hand~~; whereas this requires, in addition to measures within the existing primary law, a reform of the Lisbon Treaty;

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Recital N

N. whereas over the past decade the security situation in Europe has deteriorated markedly, especially in our neighbourhood: no longer can a single Member State guarantee its internal and external security alone; The Union’s policies shall not prejudice the specific character of the security and defence policy of certain Member Countries;

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Recital O

O. whereas the decline of Europe’s defence capabilities has limited its ability to project stability beyond our immediate borders; whereas this goes hand in hand with the reluctance of our US allies to intervene if Europe is not ready to take its fair share of responsibility; whereas this leads inevitably to the need for more intense cooperation among the Member States and an integration of some of their defence capacities into a European defence community, both in line with a new European security strategy;deleted

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Recital S

S. whereas the UK’s decision creates an opportunity to reduce and drastically simplify the ‘variable geometry’ and complexity of the Union; whereas the UK’s decision creates an opportunity to reduce and drastically simplify the ‘variable geometry’ and complexity of the Union; whereas it offers at least the opportunity to clarify what membership of the Union really means and what could be a clear structure in the future for the EU’s relationship with non-members in our periphery (the United Kingdom, Norway, Turkey, Ukraine, etc.); whereas the founding fathers of the Union had already envisaged a type of ‘associate status’;deleted

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Section 1

1. Considers that ~~the~~it is time ~~of crisis management by means of ad hoc and increm~~for the EU to change track. The focus on centralising decision~~s has passed, as it only leads to measures that are too little,~~-making to Brussels has functioned poorly. It is now time too ~~late; is convinced that it is now time to address the shortcomings of the governance of the Eur~~carefully consider which decisions should be taken at which level and be opean ~~Union by undertaking a comprehensive, in-depth reform of the Lisbon Treaty~~to decentralization and to decisions which strengthen the influence of citizens;

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Section 5

5. Stresses that a comprehensive democratic reflection on the reform of the Treaties ~~can and must only be achiev~~needs to be implemented in accordance with the principle of international law. This can be implemented through a Convention, which guarantees inclusiveness through its composition of representatives of national parliaments, governments of all the Member States, the Commission and the European Parliament, and also provides the proper platform for such reflection and engagement with European citizens;

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Considers that welfare and sustainability must be made principal goals of the economic policy. The EU needs a new strategy for sustainability and social development which can contribute to developed welfare policies in the countries and prevent a ‘race to the bottom’ in terms of social and environmental conditions;

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Proposes that the formulations in the Treaty on the free market being superior in other respects (for example, equality, environment or social protection) should be changed in the Treaty so that it becomes politically neutral;

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Considers that the rules on environmental and consumer protection should be minimum rules, so that countries are entitled to conduct more progressive policies, but not with lower aims; that the EU shall strengthen this opportunity which exists in TFEU 95:4 to a functioning environment and consumer guarantee;

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5d. Considers that the Parliament and the national parliaments must receive stronger democratic control over how the EU acts in trade policy while the power of large enterprises and lobbyists must be restricted;

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5e. Considers that global justice and development in the poorest countries must become explicit goals of the EU’s trade policies;

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 f (new)

5f. Believes that the goals of the EU’s agricultural and fisheries policies must be rewritten so that the environment, sustainable development as well as fair global trade are prioritised;

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1

~~Ending ‘Europe à la carte’~~Flexible cooperation

2016/11/16
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that the fracturing process of ‘variable geometry’ has found its way into the European decision-making process every time the European Council decides to apply intergovernmental methods and to bypass the ‘Union method’ as defined in the Treaties; this not only leads to less effective policy- making but also contributes to a growing lack of transparency, democratic accountability and control;Proposes a fundamental review of the Treaty so that decisions and accountability take place as close to the citizens as possible in harmony with the principle of subsidiarity.

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Believes that the Treaty amendment shall strengthen the yellow card so that it can function in practice; the limit for how many parliaments need to protest needs to be lowered; believes that the influence of national parliaments in the EU’s legislation process must increase; the national parliaments should receive more influence over how the member countries act in the Council and have the same rights as the European Parliament to add proposals; believes that it should be easier to review bad decisions by extended use of ‘sunset paragraphs’ which entail that EU legislation must be reaffirmed or renegotiated after a number of years;

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Considers it essential ~~in these circumstances to reaffirm the mission~~to reaffirm that the peoples of Europe have a right to steer their own future and that the wording of an ‘ever- closer union among the peoples of Europe’ (Article 1 TEU) in order to mitigate any tendency towards disintegration and to clarify once more the moral, political and historical purpose, as well as the constitutional nature, of the European Union’ (Article 1 TEU) does not intend to limit the freedom of choice and political rights of the citizens;

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Proposes that the next revision of the Treaties should ~~rationalise~~strengthen the current ~~disorderly~~ ‘variable geometry’~~, i.e. ‘l’Europe à la carte’, by ending the disruptive practice of opt-outs, opt-ins and except~~ with the aim of improving the Unions;

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. ~~Not~~Believes that this new type of ‘associate status’ could also be one of the possible outcomes to respect the will of the majority of the citizens of the United Kingdom to leave the EU; stresses that this wish must be respected, given that the withdrawal of the United Kingdom, as one of the larger Member States, and as the largest non-euro-area member, affects the strength and the institutional balance of the Union – a new situation that adds to the need for revision of the Treae European Parliament should respect the will of the majority of the citizens of Great Britain to leave the EU and that they should be given a fair agreement which benefits both parties;

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Is acutely aware of the need to review the efficacy of the many recent crisis-management measures taken by the EU, and to codify in primary law certain decision-making procedures – such as ‘reverse qualified majority voting’ – as well as the need to entrench the legal bases of the new regulatory framework for the financial sector; agrees with the Five Presidents’ Report that the ‘open method of coordination’ as the basis for Europe’s economic strategy does not function and needs to be elevated into binding legal acts;deleted

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Proposes therefore merging the deficit and debt procedures, the macroeconomic imbalance procedure and the country-specific recommendations into a single ‘convergence code’ of a legally binding nature, setting minimum and maximum standards, where only compliance with this code would allow access to EU funds for investment projects or participation in new instruments that combine economic reform with fiscal incentives such as a fiscal capacity for the euro area or a common debt instrument; the coordination of economic policies as provided for in Article 5 TFEU would therefore become a ‘shared competence’ between the Union and the Member States;deleted

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Believes that, in order to reduce the still excessively high debt burden of Member States, such a common debt instrument needs to be established, inspired by the proposal by the German Council of Economic Experts of 9 November 2011, whereby euro-area members would undertake joint and several liability for a sinking fund, with strong individual commitments on structural reforms to reduce the debt-to- GDP ratio to the required maximum of 60 %; insists that euro-area members would only be able to participate when they are in compliance with the convergence code, as this will prevent moral hazard;deleted

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Calls for the integration of the Fiscal Compact into the EU legal framework as well as the incorporation of the ESM and the Single Resolution Fund into EU law, with corresponding democratic oversight by Parliament;deleted

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Is of the opinion that, in order to increase financial stability, mitigate cross- border asymmetric shocks and reduce the effects of recession, the euro area needs a fiscal capacity based on genuine own resources and a proper treasury facility equipped with a capacity to borrow; this treasury must be based in the Commission and be subject to democratic scrutiny and accountability through Parliament and the Council;deleted

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Calls, therefore, for the executive authority to be concentrated in the Commission in the role of an EU Finance Minister, by endowing the Commission with the capacity to formulate and give effect to a common EU economic policy combining macro-economic, fiscal and monetary instruments, backed up by a euro-area budget; the Finance Minister should be responsible for the operation of the ESM and other mutualised funds, and be the single external representative of the euro area in international organisations, especially in the financial sector;deleted

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Considers it necessary to endow the Finance Minister with proportionate powers to intervene in the setting of national economic and fiscal policies in cases where the convergence code is not respected, and the power to use the fiscal capacity or the common bond instrument for those Member States that are compliant with the convergence code;deleted

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

~~25. Considers it necessary to endow the European Central Bank with the status of lender of last resort enjoying the full powers of a federal reserve bank;~~deleted

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Calls for the suppression of Article 126(10) TFEU in order that the European Court of Justice gain full jurisdiction over the operation of the EMU, as is appropriate in a democratic system of economic governance based on the rule of law and the principle of equality among Member States;deleted

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27a. Underlines the importance of an EU functioning of both Eurozone and non-Eurozone countries;

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27b. Recognizes the fact that some Member States have derogations from the EMU and that others have chosen to remain outside the Eurozone for the foreseeable future and that this situation should be regularized;

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 c (new)

27c. Calls for strengthening the safeguards for non-Eurozone countries so as to ensure that the deepening of the EMU does not lead to creation of divisions within the EU; considers that the EU must ensure that it is functioning for all the Member States;

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 d (new)

27d. Underlines that non-Eurozone countries must be able to observe the meetings of the Eurogroup and be able to participate in discussions that concern the whole of the union;

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 e (new)

27e. Considers that there is a need for balance between Eurozone and non- Eurozone countries; notes that if there is an institutional strengthening of the Eurozone such as the creation of a joint position combining the roles of president of the Eurogroup and vice president of the Commission, the non-Eurozone countries also need to be strengthened by the creation of a post in the Commission with the mission to ensure that the rights of the non-Eurozone countries are properly considered;

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Considers it necessary, in view of the intensity of the terrorist threat, to upgrade the EU’s capacities in the fight against terrorism and international organised crime; stresses that, beyond strengthening coordination between the competent authorities and agencies in the Member States, Europol and Eurojust must receive genuine investigation and prosecution competences and capabilities;deleted

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Stresses that for the Union to strengthen the defence of the EU territory, as a pillar within NATO, which remains the cornerstone of the European security architecture, and to enable the Union to act autonomously in operations abroad, mainly with a view to stabilising its neighbourhood, thConsiders that the militarisation of the EU must be terminated; notes that the plans for a joint army, defence alliance and equipment must be Tre~~aties should provide for the possibility of establishing a European defence union~~moved from the Treaty;

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)

34a. Considers that the EU needs to improve its transparency and introduce freedom to communicate information and a genuine principle of public access to official records;

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Rule 36

36(a) notes that, parallel to the procedures of national laws, the use of a motion of censure should be made possible in accordance with the process provided for in Article 234 TFEU as well as against individual Commissioners, providing however in this case that there is a majority threshold equal to three fifths of the votes cast in the Parliament;

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Welcomes the successful new procedure whereby European political parties promote their top candidates for the President of the European executive, but believes that they should be able to stand during the next elections as official candidates in all Member States; proposes, therefore, following its legislative proposal on the reform of the electoral law of the European Union, empowering the electorate by giving them two votes, one for the national or regional lists and a second one for the European party lists; these European lists will be headed by the parties’ nominees to become President of the European executive or government and will be composed of candidates drawn from at least one third of the Member States;deleted

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44

44. Proposes that, when Parliament and the Council vote on legislation specific to the euro area, only MEPs elected in the euro area and respectively representatives of its Member States, can take part in the vote;deleted

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45

45. Believes that, in strengthening the governance of the euro area, due respect should be paid to the interests of Member States that are not ~~yet~~ part of the euro (the ‘pre-ins’);

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50

50. Proposes in this regard that the decision-making procedures for both own resources and the MFF should be shifted from unanimity to qualified majority voting, thereby inducing real co-decision between the Council and Parliament on all budgetary matters; repeats its call, furthermore, to make the MFF coterminous with the mandates of Parliament and the European executive, and insists that the finances of all Union agencies should become an integral part of the EU budget;

2016/11/09
Committee: AFCO