33 Amendments of Damian BOESELAGER related to 2019/2214(BUD)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the latest Winter Forecast of the European Commission foresees an annual growth rate of 1,2% of euro area gross domestic product (GDP) for 2021 and whereas the recent COVID-19 outbreak is likely to worsen the economic outlook significantly;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes the ongoing negotiations on the new multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 and the uncertainty regarding the funding level of the new Heading 7 - European Public Administration and the fact that inter-institutional pensions covered in this heading are projected to significantly increase in the coming years ;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that significant savings as compared to the proposal of the Secretary- General are required to bring closer the rise of this proposal to the expected general inflation rate for 2021 and that all efforts to strivesignificant steps need to be implemented for the more efficient and transparent use of public money are strongly encouraged;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes that Europa Experience centres have already been inaugurated in Berlin, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Ljubljana, and Strasbourg and in 2020 in Tallinn and that, in 2021, it is planned to set up Europa Experience centres in the new ADENAUER building in Luxembourg, in Rome, Paris, Warsaw, Stockholm and Prague; calls for a continuous evaluation of the results achieved; calls for a detailed breakdown of expenditure for the establishment of the new "Europa Experiences" centres for 2021 before the Parliament’s reading of budget in Autumn 2020 as well as a detailed multi-annual budgetary planning, that factors in the running cost of each of the centers already opened; calls for stopping all new investment unless a clear and prudent budgetary plan underpins it (taking into account the closing margin of the Parliament under the administrative heading);
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Requests more information on the arrangements for and cost of the creation of a series of mobile versions of the Parlamentarium, which would tour Member States to provide citizens with information on Parliament and the Union; stresses that this type of initiative must be decentralised and be carried out from the “Europa Experience” centres to make savings and to be rational; takes note that the project includes a mobile application which contains the best of existing Parlamentarium content;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Is concerned by Parliament's intention to expand its activity and its diplomatic presence beyond the borders of the Union in Indonesia (Jakarta), Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) and the United States (New York) and questionsfails to see the value added of it; requests that a detailed and thorough analysis of the representation costs and costs inherent in such expansion, namely accommodation, secretariats, staff, residence, transport, be carried out; requests that an analysis be provided on the added value of the current representation of Parliament in Washington;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Welcomes the fact that Parliament invests considerable efforts in the services it offers to visitors, especially for young people that will remain a key target group and calls on the responsible services to inform about sustainable travel choices and evaluate the possibility to introduce a degressive reimbursement rate according to the sustainability of the travel choice especially for visitors in a 700 km radius of the institutions;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Welcomes the fact that Parliament invests considerable efforts in the services it offers to visitors, especially for young people thatwho will remain a key target group;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Recommends that the annual budget planning take into account regular renovation of all buildings and that an amount corresponding to 3 % of the total surface area of all buildings be allocated for that purpose, as already reflected in the "Building strategy beyond 2019" adopted by the Bureau on April 16, 201813 ; considers such allocation to be part of a regular and anticipatory building policy and should also focus on deep-retrofitting and should ensure that Parliament strives for a maximum improvement in energy efficiency and hence savings in the energy consumption and cost of the Parliament’s facilities; _________________ 13In line with the minimum energy performance requirements as laid out in Article 5 of the energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU.
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Takes note that after completion of the works on the east wing of the new Konrad Adenauer building in Luxembourg in 2020 and the gradual move of staff into the new building, the works on the west wing should get underway in 2021; asks for further details regarding the expenditure for the project management of the construction of the west wing and the security surveillance of the construction site; reiterates its wish for the Secretary- General to obtain details of the gradual staff move; calls furthermore for a review of the spaces needed by the Parliament in light of the expected increase in teleworking;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes the reduction of EUR 11,5 million relating to rent, maintenance and energy costs in 2021 compared to 2020 resulting from the move into the new Adenauer building and the abandonment of Towers A and B in Luxembourg; requests an overview of all other currently rented buildings that will remain occupied in 2021 as well as a detailed projection of the growing energy costs;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Takes note of the ongoing practice of the year-end ‘mopping-up transfer’ to contribute to current building projects; highlights that this ‘mopping-up transfer’ takes place systematically on the same chapters, titles and, often, exactly on the same budgetary lines; considers that such a legal practice risks being perceived as a programmed over- evaluationbudgeting of these, in order to generate funds for the financing of Parliament’s building policy; calls for a reflectionmore transparency and detailed planning on the financing of key investments in the building policy;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Asks the Bureau to make known its decision on the future of the Spaak building in Brussels as well as all the supporting documents available within the services; notes that the renovation and redesign process should aim at meeting clearly defined new needs as described in the updated building strategy beyond 2019; takes note of the unavailability during renovation works of the Spaak building for a period of approximately five years; reiterates its request that the Committee on Budgets be provided with an estimate and a detailed breakdown of the costs once the Bureau has made the decision; reminds that the 2021 budget includes items for the preparation of the works in the Spaak building;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Calls upon the Secretary-General to consider an appropriate period to recover recyclable materials such as copper, cladding and others for re-use and repurposing through a specialised company;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Welcomes the idea that the Parliament is committed to create a built environment accessible to all users in line with EU standards; stresses that works to improve the accessibility for people with reduced mobility already started in Strasbourg and that the projects will continue in 2021 in both Brussels and Strasbourg, but also in six EPLOs; asks to continue the renovation of its adaptations in all other buildings of the Parliament, as well as to ensure reasonable accommodation for all persons with disabilities;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. CSupports the investment made by the Parliament to maintain a modern and efficient workplace; considers that the building security and the cyber-security are essential for the safety of life infunctioning of Parliament; welcomes the fact that with the entrance of WEISS building the Parliament will have almost finished the work to secure all of its buildings, reiterates that IT security shall remain a top priority as well as powerful and secure cloud services, fully respecting data protection;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29 a. Calls for the further development of stable and secure teleworking facilities for all devices;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. UnderlinRecognizes that since 2016, the Parliament is the first Union institution to become carbon neutral, because after making all possible effortsome efforts have been made to reduce itsthe CO2 emissions, it offsets 100 % of its irreducible emissions resulting from the activities of the European Parliament;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30 a. Emphasizes that approximately 67% to Parliament`s carbon footprint originates from transport of persons; calls for the collection and making available to the Committee on Budgets of detailed data regarding travel of Members, parliamentary assistants and staff, including on the mode of transport, price of transport and CO2 emissions that result from such travel ahead of the 2022 budgetary process; asks for a detailed reporting and accounting of the Parliament’s CO2 offsetting as a matter of urgency; expects the Bureau to work out a travel reimbursement system which includes the cost of the CO2 offsetting to the price of the travel and incentivise the use of eco-friendly transportation;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)
Paragraph 30 b (new)
30 b. Points at the direct, regular, quick and, for the Members free to use train connection between the Brussels Parliament and Brussels airport and calls for an immediate suspension of the drivers service for these journeys;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. WReminds that carbon footprint scope of the Parliament encompasses the following 7 main categories: energy consumption; leak of refrigerant gases, freight, transport of persons, supply of equipment and services, direct waste, and fixed assets; welcomes the Bureau decision that new and more ambitious environmental targets were set for the current legislative term, that should be achieved by 2024 in key areas such as carbon footprint reduction, reduction of carbon emissions from transport of persons, reduction of gas, heating oil and district heating consumption, reduction of electricity consumption, reduction of paper consumption, reduction of non recycled waste, reduction of water consumption and reduction of food waste; calls for a detailed roadmap on achieving these targets to be presented to the Committee on Budgets; calls for an annual review of results and the option to increase the ambition of these standards by mid-term in 2022;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Welcomes the new parking policy developed in the car parks of the Parliament aimed at promoting the use of electric vehicles, namely bicycles, cargo- bikes, scooters and cars, through the installation of electric charging stations; calls for that policy to be extended to all other Parliament car parks; supports all future measures to encourage Members and staff to reduce the use of passenger cars and to prioritise the use of public transport and bicycles, including also financial incentives;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Considers that Members should not be reimbursed for business class airline tickets when traveling within the Union or, for travel outside of the Union, for flights shorter than five hours; urges Parliament to encourage the use of transport that respects the environment and proposes that the reimbursement for flights of less than one hour would only be granted if no other more sustainable and realistic alternatives exist;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls for the protection of the environment and the saving of resources; recalls its request to make greater use of videoconferencing and other technologies, in particular by rationalising the missions of staff between the different workplaces; welcomes the notice of the Questors of 18 February 2020 to encourage members and political group secretariats to apply the trunk-sharing policy with the aim of decreasing the number of lorries needed for Strasbourg missions thereby helping to reduce Parliament’s carbon footprint; calls for a strategy to stop trunks in line with the EMAS target for a paperless EP as soon as possible; is of the opinion that in this regard, the trunk service should need to be requested from 2021;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Reiterates its concern about the additional expenditure on interpretation of the oral explanations of votes and one- minute speeches during plenary sessions; stresses that the cost of translating and interpreting the oral explanation of votes is estimated at EUR 21,431 per voting day or EUR 900,102 per year; recalls that alternatives, such as a written explanation of votes as well as various public communication facilities, are available to Members wishing to explain their voting positions or raise issues pertinent to the concerns of their electorate; in that context, considers that in order to achieve significant savings, the oral explanation of votes and the one-minute speeches could be abolished;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Reiterates its appeal for the urge to introduce additional transparency and control regarding the General Expenditure Allowance for Members in line with the repeated calls from the Plenary; urges the Bureau to immediately resume discussions about the GEA and to come up with an agreement as soon as possible; believes that such agreement should include common rules for greater transparency and financial accountability, requiring: - Members to keep all receipts pertaining to the GEA; - the admission of an independent auditor in charge of the annual check of the accounts and the publication of an auditor's opinion; - Members to return the unspent amount of the GEA at the end of their mandate;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37 a. Calls in addition on the Bureau to make the following, additional changes concerning the GEA on top of those already adopted by the plenary: – a 5 % sample checks of the GEA spending by the European Parliament's internal auditing; the final results and the findings should be part of the annual internal audit report published by the European Parliament; – the need for Members to publish, on an annual basis, an overview of their expenditures by category(communication costs, office rental, office supplies, etc.); – the admission of an independent auditor in charge of the annual check of the accounts and the publication of an auditor’s opinion;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Reminds its call to the Bureau to work on a technical solution to allow Members to exercise their right to vote while benefiting from their maternity, paternity or sickness leave; is of the opinion that electronic voting is not a suitable option in this context;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38 a. Calls upon the Bureau to prepare detailed contingency plans for the continued fulfilment of the Parliament’s legislative function in case the orderly functioning cannot be upheld, such as in the case of force majeure events (e.g. epidemics, natural disaster, security threats);
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Recalls the recommendations of Parliament’s resolutions of 26 October 2017, 11 September 2018 and 15 January 2019 on combating sexual harassment and abuse in the Union as well as measures to prevent and combat mobbing and sexual harassment; demands that the Secretary- General provide all information on the work and that has been done in that regard and the programme for the near future; asks the Secretary-General to provide an assessment of the new harassment procedures before the 2022 budgetary procedurepresenting the 2022 estimates to the Bureau; is of the opinion that staff as well as Members should be encouraged to participate in trainings to minimise the occurrence of such events inside the Parliament;
Amendment 127 #
43 a. Emphasises that the Parliament should be a safe place to work in, both physically and psychologically; is concerned with the effect on workers of the new contracts for cleaning in the Parliament; urges the Secretary-General to verify that the highest standards of labour law are being upheld by external contractors, in particular as regards psychological pressure and working conditions;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 b (new)
Paragraph 43 b (new)
43 b. Calls upon the Secretary-General and the Bureau to review the fact that spending on ‘other staff in the Secretariat and political groups’ follows a long-term growth trend (8 % per year increases since 2017), which is significantly higher than the growth in spending on parliamentary assistance (0,7 % per year over the same time period) and inflation;