14 Amendments of Stéphane BIJOUX related to 2022/0164(COD)
Amendment 26 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Due to the direct links between a sustainable recovery, building the Union’s resilience and the Union’s energy security, and its role for a just and inclusive transition, the Recovery and Resilience Facility iand the European Structural and Investment Funds are well-suited instruments to contribute to the Union’s response to these newly emerging challenges.
Amendment 31 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The Versailles Declaration of 10-11 March 2022 of the Heads of States and Governments invited the Commission to propose by the end of May a REPowerEU plan to phase out the dependency on Russian fossil fuel imports, which was subsequently reiterated in the European Council Conclusions of 24-25 March 2022. This should be done well before 2030 in a way that is consistent with the EU’s Green Deal and the climate objectives for 2030 and 2050 enshrined in the European Climate Law. Regulation (EU) 2021/241 should therefore be amended to enhance its ability to support reforms and investments dedicated to diversifying energy supplies, in particular fossil fuels, thereby strengthening the strategic autonomy of the Union alongside an open economy. Support should also be given to reforms and investments increasing the energy efficiency of the Member States’ economies, further investments in renewable energies, interconnections between Member States and supporting the most vulnerable households and SMEs suffering the consequences of the increase of energy prices.
Amendment 36 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) To maximise complementarity, consistency and coherence of policies and actions taken by the Union and Member States to foster independence and security of the Union’s energy supply, these energy-related reforms and investments should be established through a dedicated ‘REPowerEU chapter’ of the recovery and resilience plans and specific investments of the European Structural and Investment Funds within 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 programming period.
Amendment 48 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Investments in infrastructure and technologies alone are not sufficient to ensure a reduction of dependency from fossil fuels. Resources should be dedicated to the reskilling and upskilling of people, to further equip the workforce with green skills. This is in line with the objective of the European Social Fund Plus, which aims at supporting Member States in achieving a skilled and resilient workforce ready for the future world of work. In light of this, resources transferrallocated from the European Social Fund Plus should help support measures for the reskilling and upskilling of the workforce. The Commission will assess whether the measures included in the REPowerEU chapters significantly contribute to supporting a requalification of the workforce towards green skills.
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The application of the ‘do no significant harm’ principle is essential to ensure that the investments and reforms undertaken as part of the recovery from the pandemic are implemented in a sustainable manner. It should continue to apply to the reforms and investments supported by the Facility and ESIF, with one targeted exemption to safeguard the EU’ immediate energy security concerns. Considering the objective of diversifying energy supplies away from Russian suppliers, the reforms and investments set out in those REPowerEU chapters and expenditure established within Programmes of shared management resources which aim to improve energy infrastructure and facilities to meet immediate security of supply needs for oil and gas should not be required to comply with the principle of ‘do no significant harm’ and should therefore be exempted from such assessment.
Amendment 69 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council1a and Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council6 should be amended to provide for the possibility to transferexceptional additional flexibility to enable the Member States to concentrate on the necessary response to the unprecedented crisis by enhancing the possibility to mobilise non-utilised support from the Funds of the 2014-2020 programming period and up to 712.5% of resources of shared management programmes governed by that Regulation to the Facility for the achievement of the REPowerEU objectives, in addition to the existing transfer possibility of up to 5%. Such a possibility is justified by the need to coverof the 2021-2027 programming period and by simplifying procedural requirements linked to programme implementation to address the need for a rapid response to the energy crisis by ensuring key energy investments to accomplish the REPowerEU-related objectives, providing Member States with additional flexibility to address those urgent needs. Furthermore, the Facility allows for a fast disbursement of f and support vulnerable families and SMEs that are suffering the consequences of the rise in energy prices. _________________ 1a Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Funds, making it particularly well suited for financing of urgent energy-related measures. Such transfers should be justified by a higher financial need linked to additional reforms and investments included in the REPowerEU chapter. _________________ the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 6 Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 159).
Amendment 71 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17 a (new)
Recital 17 a (new)
(17 a) In order to provide an immediate response to the impact of the crisis, expenditure for operations for fostering energy crisis response capacities and support for vulnerable households and SMEs should be eligible as of 1 February 2022.
Amendment 72 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17 b (new)
Recital 17 b (new)
(17 b) In order to provide additional flexibility to Member States for the reallocation of resources with a view to providing tailor-made responses to the energy crisis, The European Commision should asses the possibility to allow financial transfers under the Investment for growth and jobs goal between the ERDF, the ESF and the Cohesion Fund for both programmimng periods. Furthermore, transfer possibilities between categories of regions should also be exceptionally increased for Member States.
Amendment 73 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17 c (new)
Recital 17 c (new)
(17 c) In order to ensure the fast implementation of projects furthering the "RepowerEU-Objectives" and to provide support to vulnerable households and SMEs suffering the consequences of the rise in enegy prices, co-financing rate of up to 100% should be possible under both programming periods.
Amendment 77 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) Disbursements under REPowerEU shall be made following the rules of the Recovery and Resilience Facility until the end of 2026. Payments in relation to the resources transferred from shared management funds shall be subject to the availability of funds approved in the annual EU budget.
Amendment 83 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) A request for a dedicated funding for REPowerEU measures, including allocation from the Market Stability Reserve, transfers from the funds governed by Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 and allocated from European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, submitted in a plan, should be justified by a higher financial need linked to additional reforms and investments included in the REPowerEU chapter.
Amendment 148 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Regulation (EU) 2021/1060
Article 26a
Article 26a
deleted (The deletion applies to the whole text of Article 26a.)
Amendment 158 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5 a (new) Regulation (EU) 2021/1060
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5 a (new) Regulation (EU) 2021/1060
(5 a) In Article 112, the following paragraph is added: 6a.Where a separate priority is established within a programme to support operations expenditure for fostering energy crisis response capacities in accordance with the RepowerEU objectives and support for vulnerable households and SMEs, a co- financing rate of up to 100 % shall be applied to expenditure declared in payment applications until the end of the accounting year ending on 30 June 2024. The total amount programmed under such priorities in a Member State shall not exceed 12.5% of the initial national allocation from the ERDF and the ESF+ combined. The Commission shall review the co- financing rate by 30 June 2024.
Amendment 161 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 a (new)
Article 2 a (new)
Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013
Article 60 – paragraphs 2 a, 2 b, 2 c (new)
Article 60 – paragraphs 2 a, 2 b, 2 c (new)