11 Amendments of João PIMENTA LOPES related to 2017/2285(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the transport sector and the infrastructure for that sector are central and essential to the development of any country;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas cohesion policies need to be stepped up to reverse the growing differences between Member States, including by increasing the budget of the European Union;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas cohesion policies have been thwarted as a result of the consolidation of the polices to implement the single market strategy, in their varying sectoral approaches, particularly in the transport sector; whereas the consolidation of the single market contributed to the worsening of public services and to increased privatisation and sectoral concentration, particularly with regard to transport and infrastructure; whereas TEN-T integrates that strategy and pursues those objectives;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Cohesion Fund (CF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) should provide support for the development of the TEN-T network and ofpolicies of each Member State, particularly with regard to regional and local transport infrastructure not located on the TEN-T, in particular in less developed Member States and regions where considerable effort is still needed to close missing links, remove bottlenecks and modernise rolling stock; whereas those funds should contribute to the development of infrastructure in line with the strategic guidelines of each Member State, and whereas the definition of supranational needs should be set by the Member States working together and should fully conform to the needs and policies set by each Member State; whereas those funds may not be conditional on the Member States’ policy choices for the sector;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas, in the context of national policies, the transport sector should be a key investment area, contributing to growth and development by boosting the economic potential of every EU region, thus furthering economic and social cohesion;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas around EUR 70 billion in EU co-funding from the ESIF have been programmed for the period 2014-2020 through the CF and the ERDF, with EUR 34 billion allocated to TEN-T infrastructure and EUR 36 billion to transport projects connecting or complementing TEN-T projects, including investments in clean transport, alternative fuels, sustainable urban mobility, smart transport, and cycling and walking projects; whereas that investment is key to the economic development and well-being of the Member States’ populations;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes the still limited progress made in the completion of the strategic TEN-T networks through projects planned under the ERDF and the CF, with a very low rate of project selection; invites the Commission to investigate how presentBelieves that the consolidation of a supranational strategy must be based on and conform to the strategic needs and guidelines of each Member State, following an approach that revolves around sectoral public policies and the provision of public services; believes that cohesion funds should be stepped up, with a view, in particular, to carrying out projects planned under the ERDF and the CF; invites the Commission to present proposals which make it possible to overcome limitations in implementation could be overcome;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Deplores the countless constraints imposed by the European Union on the Member States, particularly through the privatisation of infrastructure and transport operators, which lead to the deterioration of services and an increase in costs for the public and to the inability to exploit the development potential which the sector could provide;
Amendment 23 #
1b. Strongly criticises the investment in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), which have been terrible financially for Member States, as they bore the costs while private companies reaped the profits, at the expense of the public purse and causing serious damage for their populations and workers: services have been weakened and reduced and their costs have gone up; companies have been privatised; infrastructure-maintenance services have been weakened; employment in the sector has been deregulated and employment conditions and ties have become more precarious;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that many Member States are still lagging behind as regards meeting basic EU common transport policy targets, especially when comparing central and eastern Member States with western ones; points out that their specific needspoints out that the specific needs of each Member State are not always aligned with the EU’s investment priorities and calls, therefore, for the necessary flexibility in financing transport projects under the ERDF and the CF;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Supports a wider application of the blending approach; calls, however, for an increase in the exchange of best practice, technical assistance and preparatory toolkits for Member States to disseminate information on financial instruments; also recalls that financial instruments are not always appropriate to finance railway, inland waterways or cross-border projects and that smaller countries face diffic; believes that public investment plays a key role in the delivery of public policies which serve the needs of the populaties in implementing PPPson and in economic development; stresses, therefore, the need to reinforce the grant part of thes from EU funds as grants remain an essential tool in attracting private financing and closing gaps between Member States.