Activities of Mauri PEKKARINEN related to 2020/1998(BUD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021
Amendments (20)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that in its resolution of 19 June 2020 on general guidelines for the preparation of the 2021 budget, Parliament stressed that the primary focus of the 2021 budget should be to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and support the recovery, built on the European Green Deal and digital transformation; notes that a lack of a significant top-up in the MFF negotiations could lead the budgetary authority to further prioritization amongst the 15 EU flagship programmes;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recognises the need for the EU budget to continue to support recovery, convergence, fair and inclusive sustainable growth and competitiveness of the European economy and other EU priorities such as social, economic and territorial cohesion and regional development, climate action, digitalisation, research and innovation, security and the management of migration, while acknowledging that the COVID-19 pandemic has provided a new and unexpected challenge that the EU and its Member States need to respond determinedly and provide solutions at the EU level;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reminds that cohesion is a shared competence between the EU and Member States and that as a mainas an effective public investment policy it will play a major role in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic; emphasises that cohesion policy is based on a solidarity and its goal is to reduce economic, social and territorial disparities between Member States and within the EU and regionstheir regions; notes, however, that the regional differences in all Member States have not narrowed in the desired way; emphasizses in that context that programmes managed under European Structural and Investments (ESI) Funds support and contribute significantly to sustainable solutions for fair, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, investments and competitiveness, as well as high quality, safe and secure working and living conditions of the citizens, including equal opportunities, social justice and non-discrimination;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Decides to increase to the levels set up in the MFF interim report of November 2018 the fifteen flagship programmes identified in its resolution of 23 July 2020 (Horizon Europe, InvestEU, Erasmus+, the Child Guarantee, the Just Transition Fund, Digital Europe, the Connecting Europe Facility, LIFE+, EU4health, the Integrated Border Management Fund, Creative Europe, the Right and Values programme, the European Defence Fund, the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) and humanitarian aid, as well as relevant EU agencies and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office); decides further to base its reading on the MFF ceilings proposed by the Commission in the DB; considers that any increase for the flagship programmes should be accompanied by the corresponding rise of the ceiling of the given MFF heading; decides to reinforce funding for Parliament’s priorities inter allia in the fields of security, migration, fundamental rights and external action; through reinforcement of both the funding and establishment plans of the EU agencies working in this field, such as European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), European Asylum Support Office (EASO), European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL) and European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex);
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the budget for the year 2021 startsis the first year of the new programming period 2021-2027 and that it should reflect the principles and priorities of an updated and reorientrevised Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and contribute effectively to the mitigation of the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, while carefully considering available resources as well as budgetary rules and principles that will ensure realistic, immediate and satisfactory implementation;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Points to the importance of ensuring that sufficient financial resources and adequate human resources capacities are allocated to EUnion agencies enabling them to fulfil their mandate, execute their tasks and respond optimally to the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak; underlines the fact that proper coordination and synergies between agencies are needed to increase the effectiveness of their work, especially where there is convergence towards specific policy objectives, in order to allow for a fair and efficient use of public money; the European taxpayers money; insists that the Commission must ensure optimal allocation of personnel among its Directorates General reflecting urgent needs and long-term priorities related to the COVID19 response and the European Green Deal in particular;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Underlines that for timely and effective absorption of 2021 budget allocation, the necessary regulation and follow up documents must be adopted as soon as possible;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Sets the overall level of appropriations for the 2021 budget (all Sections) at EUR 181 684 729 002 in commitment appropriations, representing an increase of EUR 14 938 547 026 compared to the DB; decides in addition to make available an amount of EUR 1 631 420 001 in commitment appropriations further to de-commitments under Article 15(3) of the Financial Regulation; however recalls that this level should be adjusted after the publication of the draft amending letter and as the negotiations and conciliation advances;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. In order to finance this budget, reminds that, as expressed in its legislative resolution of 16 September 2020, the new categories of own resources should be introduced as of 2021 and that any amounts generated by new own resources beyond the level necessary to cover the repayment obligations of the NGEU in a given year should remain in the EUnion budget as general revenue notably to top-up the 15 EU flagship programmes as of 2021 accompanied by the corresponding rise of the MFF ceilings;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the enhanced flexibility in cohesion policy – increased co- financing, anti-crisis use of EU funds - introduced in March and April 2020 and believes that it - should be maintained also in MFF 2021-2027 in relation to COVID- 19 recovery measures;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the measures already approved by the European ParliamentTakes note of the recovery measures approved and welcomes the measures already approved such as the extension of the EU Solidarity Fund to cover public health emergencies that will make available almost EUR 800 million in 2020 and the Corona Response Investment Initiative (CRII and CRII+) that aim at providing €8 billion of liquidity to accelerate up to EUR 37 billion of European public investment in order to support citizens, regions and countries hit hard by the Coronavirus pandemic;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for the 2021 Union budget to ensure that the sufficiently funded InvestEU Programme delivers on both its long term objective by providing more investment capacity aimed at supporting sustainable infrastructure, research, SMEs, and social investments and its new short term mission to support the economic recovery via strategic investments;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses the crucial role of the Connecting Europe Facility in fostering the development of a high-performance trans- European network, supporting energy projects in the shift towards a climate- neutral economy with security of supply, and but stressing the need for a digital transition, including the up-skilling and re- skilling of UnioEuropean workers; proposes therefore major increases, in particular for the transport and energy strands;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Considers that it is also necessary to strengthen further important priorities in the heading; calls, inter alia, for a substantial increase in the amount dedicated to SME objectives; recalls the important role that EUnion agencies play in helping to achieve EUnion policy objectives; calls therefore for sufficient funding and staffing for all agencies in line with their tasks and responsibilities;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Emphasises the importance of Erasmus+ as a symbolic and one of the most successful EUnion programmes with added value and as a strategic investment in the UnioEU citizen's future; recalls that insufficient funding for the Erasmus+ programme would endanger its capacity to reach its new objectives and to uphold the challenges of becoming even more inclusive and ecological; decides therefore to substantially increase Erasmus+ in line with its position to triple its budget;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Decides to apply targeted reinforcements to EPPO; believuropean Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO); believes and underlines that its nature requires a stronger guarantee of independence, and its budget should therefore should be presented under Heading 7, as an independent organism rather than assimilated to an agency;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. In line with the overall priority to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, focuses substantial increases worth EUR 237 million in commitment appropriations on budget lines pertaining to LIFE+ programme; notes that this increase is intended to contribute to the main objectives such as preservation of nature and biodiversity, the circular economy and quality of life, climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as the clean energy transition; expects the Commission to warrant the necessary absorption capacity for an effective use of these additional means;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Recalls that the important role played by decentralised agencies operating in the field of security and border protection and proposes targeted increases to allow them to properly perform their tasks on the outer borders of the EU;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Points to the persistent challenges in the EUnion’s Eastern and Southern neighbourhood, as well as the importance of endowing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Near East with adequate financial resourcessupport to fulfill its mandate; recalls the importance of developing stable relations and strong cooperation between the EU and Africa and deems appropriate to dedicate sufficient financial resources to the development of this continent, which would contribute inter alia to mitigating the root causes of forced migration;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Following the recent worrying developments in Belarus, calls for the creation of a new Special Representative for Belarussupport of EU through the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP), to support the process for a peaceful transition of power in accordance with the will of the Belarusian people;