27 Amendments of Liliana RODRIGUES related to 2018/0228(COD)
Amendment 43 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) In its Communication "A stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the EU's outermost regions"26 , the Commission highlighted the outermost regions' specific transport needs and the necessity to provide Union funding to match these needs, including through the Programme. In the Memorandum on the Outermost Regions (ORs) of June 2017, the Commission stresses the importance of creating a transport network which takes into account the reality in the ORs and incorporates measures on overland, maritime and air transport - including incentives for the development of intermodal transport - that are duly adapted to suit them, in accordance with Article 340 of the TFEU. _________________ 26 COM(2017)623
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24
Recital 24
(24) Schools, universities, libraries, local, regional or national administrations, main providers of public services, hospitals and medical centres, transport hubs and digitally intensive enterprises are entities and places that can influence important socio-economic developments in the area where they are located. Such socio- economic drivers need to be at the cutting edge of Gigabit connectivity in order to provide access to the best services and applications for European citizens, business and local communities. The Programme should support access to Gigabit connectivity for these socio- economic drivers with a view to maximising their positive spill-over effects on the wider economy and society, including by generating wider demand for connectivity and services. Owing to the remoteness of the ORs from the European continent, Internet connectivity plays a fundamental role in their territorial cohesion and in promoting equal opportunities, creating jobs and improving living conditions for people living there.
Amendment 59 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) Unconnected territories in all areas of the Union, including in central ones, represent bottlenecks and unexploited potential to the digital single market. In most rural and remote areas and the Outermost Regions, high quality Internet connectivity can play an essential role in preventing digital divide, isolation and depopulation by reducing the costs of delivery of both goods and services and partially compensating for remoteness. High quality Internet connectivity is necessary for new economic opportunities such as precision farming or the development of a bio-economy in rural areas. The Programme should contribute to providing all European households, rural or urban, with very high capacity fixed or wireless connectivity, focusing on those deployments for which a degree of market failure is observed and which can be addressed using low intensity grants. In doing so, the Programme should aim at achieving a comprehensive coverage of households and territories, as gaps in an already covered area are uneconomic to address at a later stage.
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) The deployment of backbone electronic communications networks, including with submarine cables connecting European territories to third countries on other continents or connecting European islands, the Outermost Regions or overseas territories to the mainland, is needed in order to provide necessary redundancy for such vital infrastructure, and to increase the capacity and resilience of the Union's digital networks. However, such projects are often commercially non- viable without public support.
Amendment 68 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 35
Recital 35
(35) 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, following consultation with local and regional authorities, in support of these reform priorities. These 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 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Fund, the European Investment Stabilisation Function, InvestEU and the Connecting Europe Facility, where relevant. Financial support should also be used in a manner consistent with Union and national energy and climate plans where relevant.
Amendment 109 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 8
Article 4 – paragraph 8
8. As regards the amounts transferred from the Cohesion Fund, 30 % of these amounts shall be made available immediately to all Member States eligible for funding from the Cohesion Fund to finance transport infrastructure projects in accordance with this Regulation, with priority to cross-border and missing links as well as the Outermost Regions. Until 31 December 2023, the selection of projects eligible for financing shall respect the national allocations under the Cohesion Fund with regard to 70 % of the resources transferred. As of 1 January 2024, resources transferred to the Programme which have not been committed to a transport infrastructure project shall be made available to all Member States eligible for funding from the Cohesion Fund to finance transport infrastructure projects in accordance with this Regulation.
Amendment 122 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. Cross-border projects, and those in the Outermost Regions, in the field of renewable energy shall involve at least two Member States and shall be included in a cooperation agreement or any other kind of arrangement between Member States or arrangements between Member States and third countries as set out in Articles 6, 7, 9 or 11 of Directive 2009/28/EC. These projects shall be identified in accordance with the criteria and procedure laid down in Part IV of the Annex to this Regulation.
Amendment 124 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3
Article 7 – paragraph 3
3. Studies aiming at the development and identification of cross-border projects, and projects in the Outermost Regions, in the field of renewable energy shall be eligible for funding under this Regulation.
Amendment 126 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
4. Cross-border projects, and projects in the Outermost Regions, in the field of renewable energy shall be eligible for Union funding for works if they meet the following additional criteria:
Amendment 131 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – point e
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – point e
(e) with regard to coverage with very high capacity networks, priority shall be given to actions contributing to coverage of territories and population, in inverse proportion to the intensity of the grant support that would be required to allow the project to be implemented, relative to the applicable maximum co-financing rates laid down in Article 14. The extent to which the action contributes to ensuring comprehensive coverage of the territory and population within a certain project deployment area, while maximising potential positive spill-overs for territories and population in the vicinity of the project deployment area shall also be taken into account. Compliance with Article 349 of the TFEU should be achieved by making the EU’s Outermost Regions a privileged place for rolling out the 5G network by launching pilot projects.
Amendment 143 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 9 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) actions supporting cross-border projects, and projects in the Outermost Regions, in the field of renewable energy, including their conception, as defined in Part IV of the Annex to this Regulation, subject to the fulfilment of the conditions laid down in Article 7 of this Regulation.
Amendment 148 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 – point f
(f) actions implementing digital connectivity infrastructure requirements related to cross-border projects, and projects in the Outermost Regions, in the areas of transport or energy and/or supporting operational digital platforms directly associated to transport or energy infrastructures.
Amendment 212 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) In its Communication "A stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the EU's outermost regions"26 , the Commission highlighted the outermost regions' specific transport, energy and digital needs and the necessity to provide Union funding to match these needs, including through the Programme. by applying co-financing rates to a maximum of 85% for financial assistance and open specific calls for outermost regions; __________________ 26 COM (2017)623
Amendment 252 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) The Communication on "Connectivity for a Competitive Digital Single Market - Towards a European Gigabit Society"30 (the Gigabit Society Strategy) sets out strategic objectives for 2025, in view of optimising investment in digital connectivity infrastructure. Directive (EU) 2018/XXX [European Electronic Communications Code] aims inter alia at creating a regulatory environment which incentivises private investments in digital connectivity networks. It is nevertheless clear that network deployments will remain commercially non-viable in many areas throughout the Union, due to various factors such as remoteness and territorial or geographical specificities, low population density, various socio-economic factors, particularly in outermost regions as stated in article 349.º of the TFEU. The Programme should therefore be adjusted to contribute to the achievement of these strategic objectives set out in the Gigabit Society Strategy, complementing the support provided for the deployment of very high capacity networks by other programmes, in particular the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Fund and the InvestEU fund. __________________ 30 COM(2016) 587 COM(2016) 587
Amendment 268 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) Unconnected territories in all areas of the Union, including in central ones, represent bottlenecks and unexploited potential to the digital single market. In most rural and remote areas, particularly in outermost regions as stated in article 349.º of the TFEU, high quality Internet connectivity can play an essential role in preventing digital divide, isolation and depopulation by reducing the costs of delivery of both goods and services and partially compensating for remoteness. High quality Internet connectivity is necessary for new economic opportunities such as precision farming or the development of a bio-economy in rural areas. The Programme should contribute to providing all European households, rural or urban, with very high capacity fixed or wireless connectivity, focusing on those deployments for which a degree of market failure is observed and which can be addressed using low intensity grants. In doing so, the Programme should aim at achieving a comprehensive coverage of households and territories, as gaps in an already covered area are uneconomic to address at a later stage.
Amendment 271 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) The deployment of backbone electronic communications networks, including with submarine cables connecting European territories, including outermost regions, to third countries on other continents or connecting outermost regions, European islands or overseas territories to the mainland, is needed in order to provide necessary redundancy for such vital infrastructure, and to increase the capacity and resilience of the Union's digital networks. However, such projects are often commercially non-viable without public support.
Amendment 465 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point a – point ii a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point a – point ii a (new)
(iia) strength social, economic and territorial cohesion;
Amendment 645 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – point d
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – point d
(d) projects aiming at the deployment of cross-border backbone networks linking the Union to third countries and reinforcing links within the Union territory, particularly projects in outermost regions, including with submarine cables, shall be prioritised according to the extent to which they significantly contribute to increasing the resilience and capacity of electronic communications networks in Union territory;
Amendment 647 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – point e
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – point e
(e) with regard to coverage with very high capacity networks, priority shall be given to actions contributing to coverage of territories and population, particularly in outermost regions, in inverse proportion to the intensity of the grant support that would be required to allow the project to be implemented, relative to the applicable maximum co-financing rates laid down in Article 14. The extent to which the action contributes to ensuring comprehensive coverage of the territory and population within a certain project deployment area, while maximising potential positive spill- overs for territories and population in the vicinity of the project deployment area shall also be taken into account.
Amendment 793 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 9 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) actions supporting cross-border projects and projects in outermost regions in the field of renewable energy, including their conception, as defined in Part IV of the Annex to this Regulation, subject to the fulfilment of the conditions laid down in Article 7 of this Regulation.
Amendment 888 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
(ia) social, economic and territorial cohesion impact;
Amendment 913 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 1
1. For studies, the amount of Union financial assistance shall not exceed 50 % of the total eligible cost. For studies financed with the amounts transferred from the Cohesion Fund, the maximum co- financing rates shall be those applicable to the Cohesion Fund as specified in paragraph 2 (b). For studies in outermost regions the co-financing rates shall be to a maximum of 85%.
Amendment 920 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) for works relating to the specific objectives referred to in Article 3 (2) (a), the amount of Union financial assistance shall not exceed 30 % of the total eligible cost. The co-financing rates may be increased to a maximum of 50 % for actions relating to cross-border links under the conditions specified in point (c) of this paragraph, for actions supporting the motorways of the sea and maritime links, including actions supporting ports of the comprehensive network, for actions supporting telematic applications systems, for actions supporting new technologies and innovation, for actions supporting improvements of infrastructure safety in line with relevant Union legislation and for actions located in outermost regions;
Amendment 959 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point c a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point c a (new)
(ca) As regards actions implementing sections of the comprehensive network located in outermost regions as provided in article 9 (2)(a) (iii), the co-financing rates shall be to a maximum of 85%.
Amendment 964 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
(ba) For works in outermost regions the co-financing rates shall be to a maximum of 85%.
Amendment 965 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 4
Article 14 – paragraph 4
4. For works in the digital sector, the following maximum co-financing rates shall apply: for works relating to the specific objectives referred to in Article 3 (2) (c), the amount of Union financial assistance shall not exceed 30% of the total eligible cost. For works in outermost regions the co-financing rates shall be to a maximum of 85%. The co-financing rates may be increased up to 50% for actions with a strong cross-border dimension, such as uninterrupted coverage with 5G systems along major transport paths or deployment of backbone networks between Member States and between the Union and third countries, and up to 75% for actions implementing the Gigabit connectivity of socio-economic drivers. Actions in the field of providing local wireless connectivity in local communities shall be funded by Union financial assistance covering up to 100 % of the eligible costs, without prejudice to the principle of co- financing.
Amendment 970 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Opening specific calls for projects in outermost regions, covering the three thematics of the programme to the specific objectives referred to in Article 3 (2) (a) (iii).