Activities of Domènec RUIZ DEVESA related to 2020/1998(BUD)
Shadow opinions (2)
OPINION on the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021 - all sections
OPINION on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021
Amendments (12)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that there is no specific mention of the Conference on the Future of Europe in the relevant communication budget lines of the Commission’s proposals. Insists on the importance of an adequate funding for taking into account the Conference goals as set out in the European Parliament’s position.
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Regrets that the proposed commitment appropriations for the “Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme” at EUR 90 600 000 are much lower than initially requested by the Parliament; requests, in line with the first reading position of the Parliament adopted on 17 April 2019, that commitment appropriations are increased to EUR 265 000 000 and that a new budget line to “promote and protect named “Union values“ (EUR 120 000 000 in commitment appropriations) is created; calls, in line with the partial agreement reached with Council, to increase the commitment appropriations under the “Daphne” budget line to EUR 37 100 000 and to earmark EUR 27 300 000 of this amount for the fight against gender-based violence by creating a subline “Combating all forms of gender-based violence”; calls further for an increase of the commitment appropriations of the budget line “Promote citizens engagement and participation in the democratic life of the Union” to EUR 70 600 000, to rename the budget line “Promote equality and rights” to “Promote equality, rights and gender equality” and to earmark EUR 10 300 000 to “Promote gender equality and gender mainstreaming” by creating a new subline;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Calls on the Commission to develop budget lines in respect of the future Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the future Border Management and Visa Instrument based on the specific objectives of those funds in order to facilitate the work of the Budgetary Authority in scrutinising implementation of the Funds, helping to ensure a fair and transparent distribution of funding between the Funds different objectives and provide better readability and transparency regarding how the financial resources are allocated annually; calls to strengthen the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund by increasing the commitment and payment appropriations by 14%, and reinforcing the Common European Asylum System, legal migration, integration and solidarity objectives of the fund;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the proposed increase by 12% in commitment appropriations and by 5% in payment appropriations as compared to the 2020 budget for the ‘Executive and corporate communication services’; proposes a further increase to enable active engagement by the Commission in its communication on the Future of Europe and to step up the fight against foreign interferences and disinformation.
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Proposes an increase for the line ‘Commission and European Parliament Representations’ as such representations play an important role in informing citizens about the EU activities, fostering public debate on EU matters and countering disinformation and they will need additional resources to finance activities in the framework of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Is of the opinion that, instead of the current ad-hoc decision-making, a more long-term approach to search and rescue operations is necessary; proposes, therefore, a new budget line for an EU Search and Rescue Fund to encourage Member States to provide their assets for such operation;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the small increase by 3% of commitment and payment appropriations of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL); requests an additional funding increase from EUR 10 400 000 to EUR 17 100 0005 429 951 and additional 2318 posts in the Agency establishment plan; stresseconsiders that the requested additional funding willresources should allow the Aagency to keep up with the constantly growingstrengthen training in diversity and to keep up with the demands of Member States;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note of the proposal to increase the appropriations of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) by 11.5% while leaving the number of statutory staff unchanged; reminds that the Agency is requested to provide increased operational support to Member States and, upon request, has recently launched new initiatives such as the European Financial and Economic Crime Centre and the Innovation Lab which require additional funding; expects Agency’s tasks to be further extended in 2021 with the upcoming revision of the Agency mandate; considers, therefore, that EUR 184 900 0001 325 177 should be provided to the Agency in line with its request; requests to add further 6347 posts to the Agency establishment plan;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the importance of integrated border management to ensure the functioning of the Schengen area; highlights the important role of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in this regard and calls for a significantNotes the role of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in coordinating and developing an integrated border management; calls therefore for a budget increase for 2021 to EUR 838 000 000770 365 795 to allow the Agency to build and train its standing corps as well as to purchase own equipment, thereby allowing a successful deployment and operational support to the Member States at the external borders; stresses that this task requieres compliance with fundamental rights; regrets that the number of deaths at sea keeps increasing in light of the absence of SAR assets in the Mediterranean; suggests that any boost in resources should also be used for rescuing lives at sea and strengthen the Frontex fundamental rights monitors;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Regrets the reduction of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights’ budget by 0.4%; requests instead to increase Agency’s commitment and payment appropriations to EUR 24 600 000; calls for adding two AD6 and two contractual agent function group IV posts to the Agency establishment plan; highlights that without adequate financial and staff resources, the Agency may not be able to implement projects that respond to identified needs; considers necessary to support the agency in its response to the Covid-19 crisis in the areas of fair technologies to safeguard public health, domestic abuse, seniors, Roma, migration and asylum, particularly in view of a possible second wave during 2021;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the proposed increase of the European Asylum Support Office’s commitment and payment appropriations by 16.5% but regrets that the number of posts in its establishment plan have not been increased accordingly; requests therefore to reinforce the establishment plan of the Office by an additional 50 posts; recalls that Office plans to keep the same level of staff as requested for 2021 throughout the new programming period but stresses that additional staff will be needed if the new Regulation on the European Union Agency for Asylum is adopted; highlights that the additional staff will reinforce field operations, development and delivery of trainings, information and analysis, practical tools, governance activities and administrative functions.
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Deeply regrets that the Commission still has not responded to Parliament's call for a comprehensive review of the budget line for multimedia measures, particularly with regard to the framework contract with Euronews; decides to put its budgetary allocation in reserve until the Commission has answered the concerns raised by the Court of Auditors; notes however that the Court of Auditors does not point to any shortcomings on Euronews’s part in its contractual reporting duties under the current framework; regrets that such a reserve of 18 million euros endangers the financial viability of Euronews, and consequently its staff, while it is highly important that the EU supports independent and high-quality journalism on EU affairs;