1050 Amendments of Sándor RÓNAI
Amendment 5 #
2023/2164(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes the Agency’s gender distribution with 9 men (69 %) and 4 women (31 %) in its senior and middle management (same distribution as in 2021), with 27 men (48 %) and 29 women (52 %) on its MB (an improved distribution compared to 2021) and with 203 men (39 %) and 316 women (61 %) for staff overall (same distribution as in 2021); recalls the importance to ensure staff gender balance and calls on the Agency to take this aspect into consideration with regard to future recruitments of staff and appointments within its senior and middle management; observes with appreciation the Agency’s commitment to include in its upcoming HR strategy actions that will prioritise the promotion of gender representation and diversity with the Agency, and promote leadership development programs tailored to aspiring managers; asks the Agency to report to the discharge authority about the implementation of this commitment;
Amendment 12 #
2023/2164(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls that in 2018 OLAF concluded another investigation which led to findings linked to e.g. mismanagement of human resources, the resignation of the Agency’s executive director at that time and the adoption by the Agency’s MB of a governance action plan aimed at restoring trust internally and externally, reinforcing the governance structure, and rebuilding internal capacity; observes that in spite of the reorganisations performed by the Agency in recent years, issues still appear to exist which may indicate to the existence of structural problemsas the anonymous letter from January 2023 pointes out; notes the conclusions of the ECA for 2022 financial year based on the corrective actions taken by the Agency; calls in this context on the Commission to identify solutions for the performance of an independent assessment of the Agency’s recent reorganisations in order to evaluateand expect that the ongoing audit by the IAS on Human Resources Management will provide relevant evaluation regarding the degree to which the Agency’s current organigram and distribution of responsibilities among the Agency’s middle and senior management positions are prone to risks of inefficiencies, mismanagement of human resources, and lack of transparency (including towards the Agency’s MB) among other;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2162(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that in 2022 the total number of staff overall increased by 4,5 % compared to 2021; further notes that, in regard to the geographical balance, at the end of the year 2022, the staff of the Authority (temporary agents, contractual agents and seconded national experts (SNEs)) included 24 different nationalities of the Union; recalls the importance of ensuring a balanced geographical representation among the Authority's management and overall staff;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2162(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. NWelcomes that the Authority is close to achieving gender balance at management and staff level; notes the gender distribution within the Authority’s senior and middle management staff, with 16 out of 30 being women (53 %); notes the gender distribution within the Authority’s Management Board (MB), with 4 out of 7 being men (57 %); further notes the gender distribution within the Authority’s overall staff, with 175 out of 322 being men (54 %);
Amendment 3 #
2023/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Acknowledges that the Agency has achieved a very high degree of digitalisation to increase its efficiency, eliminating paper-processes and bringing forward online solutions such as e- procurement, e-invoicing, electronic travel booking, including through the roll out in 2022 of the HR management system (SYSPER) of the Commission and the migration, in pilot phase, to the new budgetary, accounting and financial system, SUMMA; welcomes that the Agency’s SPD 2023-2025 foresees to further digitise its workflows;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Acknowledges that the Agency has achieved a very high degree of digitalisation to increase its efficiency, eliminating paper-processes and bringing forward online solutions such as e- procurement, e-invoicing, electronic travel booking, including through the roll out in 2022 of the HR management system (SYSPER) of the Commission and the migration, in pilot phase, to the new budgetary, accounting and financial system, SUMMA; welcomes that the Agency’s SPD 2023-2025 foresees to further digitise its workflows;
Amendment 4 #
2023/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Observes from the Agency's Opinion with regard to the follow-up measures taken in light of the discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Agency's for the financial year 2021 (hereinafter The ‘Agency's Opinion’) that the Agency has implemented several measures to reduce the cost of operations in Lille (i.e. missions and travel expenses for staff and external stakeholders have been significantly reduced) and has ended the current lease contract for Lille premises; notes that the intention of the Agency is to organise only the mandatory meetings in Lille in order to comply with the European Council decision on the double seat ‘Lille-Valenciennes’; noteswelcomes that the Agency has approved its HR strategy (2023-2027) in 2022 based on the Parliament’s observation, with a focus on improving its effectiveness and efficiency; notes in this regard the positive experience and development within the Agency with regard to the use of the teleworking regime during after the COVID 19 pandemic, leading the Agency to conclude that the new normal is that teleworking is accepted as being equal as working at the office for most of the staff, while physical presence remains key for some specific jobs;
Amendment 4 #
2023/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Observes from the Agency's Opinion with regard to the follow-up measures taken in light of the discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Agency's for the financial year 2021 (hereinafter The ‘Agency's Opinion’) that the Agency has implemented several measures to reduce the cost of operations in Lille (i.e. missions and travel expenses for staff and external stakeholders have been significantly reduced) and has ended the current lease contract for Lille premises; notes that the intention of the Agency is to organise only the mandatory meetings in Lille in order to comply with the European Council decision on the double seat ‘Lille-Valenciennes’; noteswelcomes that the Agency has approved its HR strategy (2023-2027) in 2022 based on the Parliament’s observation, with a focus on improving its effectiveness and efficiency; notes in this regard the positive experience and development within the Agency with regard to the use of the teleworking regime during after the COVID 19 pandemic, leading the Agency to conclude that the new normal is that teleworking is accepted as being equal as working at the office for most of the staff, while physical presence remains key for some specific jobs;
Amendment 5 #
2023/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes with concern the lack of gender balance within the Agency’s senior management, with 8 out of 10 (80 %) being men; notes the gender distribution within the Agency’s management board (MB), with 34 out of 64 (53 %) being men; further notes the gender distribution within the Agency’s overall staff, with 120 out of 188 (64 %) being men; recalls the importance to ensure gender balance and calls on the Agency to take this aspect into consideration with regard to future recruitments of staff and appointments within its senior management; notes the Agency’s continuous work towards closing the gender gap, with specific projects such as “Women in transport” to strengthen women’s employment and equal opportunities in the transport sector; notes in this context the Agency’s endeavours to increase the number of women in the transport sector through deliverables such as speed networking events and webinars focusing on diversity and inclusion in 2022;
Amendment 5 #
2023/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes with concern the lack of gender balance within the Agency’s senior management, with 8 out of 10 (80 %) being men; notes the gender distribution within the Agency’s management board (MB), with 34 out of 64 (53 %) being men; further notes the gender distribution within the Agency’s overall staff, with 120 out of 188 (64 %) being men; recalls the importance to ensure gender balance and calls on the Agency to take this aspect into consideration with regard to future recruitments of staff and appointments within its senior management; notes the Agency’s continuous work towards closing the gender gap, with specific projects such as “Women in transport” to strengthen women’s employment and equal opportunities in the transport sector; notes in this context the Agency’s endeavours to increase the number of women in the transport sector through deliverables such as speed networking events and webinars focusing on diversity and inclusion in 2022;
Amendment 6 #
2023/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Welcomes that the Agency strives to ensure a geographical balance of its staff members with encouraging candidates from all Member States to apply for its positions; notes that the temporary posts are published in all EU languages and the calls for application are not only published on the Agency’s website, but also disseminated at the level of Member States’ permanent representations;
Amendment 6 #
2023/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Welcomes that the Agency strives to ensure a geographical balance of its staff members with encouraging candidates from all Member States to apply for its positions; notes that the temporary posts are published in all EU languages and the calls for application are not only published on the Agency’s website, but also disseminated at the level of Member States’ permanent representations;
Amendment 7 #
2023/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32 a. Welcomes the continued efforts of the Agency in strengthening its communication, implemented through various channels to reach the largest public possible; notes the development and launch of the new ERA website in November 2022, which provides a clearer, streamlined, and modern tool to present the Agency’s contribution to the railway sector and EU citizens at large; acknowledges the Agency’s efforts of organising 9 webinars and preparing several publications and videos in 2022; welcomes that the Agency maintained a strong presence in the media and increased its social media following in 2022;
Amendment 7 #
2023/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32 a. Welcomes the continued efforts of the Agency in strengthening its communication, implemented through various channels to reach the largest public possible; notes the development and launch of the new ERA website in November 2022, which provides a clearer, streamlined, and modern tool to present the Agency’s contribution to the railway sector and EU citizens at large; acknowledges the Agency’s efforts of organising 9 webinars and preparing several publications and videos in 2022; welcomes that the Agency maintained a strong presence in the media and increased its social media following in 2022;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2157(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes that the Centre reported to have 2 women (22%) and 7 men (78%) in its senior management, while it has 20 women (37%) and 34 men (63%) in its management board (MB); notes that the staff overall is composed of 36 men (38 %) and 58 women (62%); recalls the importance to ensure staff gender balance and calls on the Centre to take this aspect into consideration with regard to future recruitments of staff, and appointments within its senior management; and nominations within itsks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Centre's MB;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2153(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Notes that in September 2022, the Authority set out its strategy for the period 2023 – 2026, in which it has identified strategic priorities to focus on, including strengthening the resilience and sustainability of the insurance and pensions sectors, and ensuring the strong and consistent protection of consumer interests across the European Union;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2153(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Notes that in September 2022, the Authority set out its strategy for the period 2023 – 2026, in which it has identified strategic priorities to focus on, including strengthening the resilience and sustainability of the insurance and pensions sectors, and ensuring the strong and consistent protection of consumer interests across the European Union;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2153(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Observes that as regards day-to-day business practices, the Authority has implemented a range of measures to enhance cost-efficiency, such as hybrid working, desk-sharing, modern video conferencing solutions that has prompted the reduction of business travel; notes that in order to preserve institutional knowledge, expertise and efficiency in executing core tasks, the Authority further enhanced its integrated Talent Management System that allows for strategically aligned HR processes, better sourcing of candidates and more leveraged learning and development; invites the Authority to provide the discharge authority with data and figures regarding the impact of that system;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2153(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Observes that as regards day-to-day business practices, the Authority has implemented a range of measures to enhance cost-efficiency, such as hybrid working, desk-sharing, modern video conferencing solutions that has prompted the reduction of business travel; notes that in order to preserve institutional knowledge, expertise and efficiency in executing core tasks, the Authority further enhanced its integrated Talent Management System that allows for strategically aligned HR processes, better sourcing of candidates and more leveraged learning and development; invites the Authority to provide the discharge authority with data and figures regarding the impact of that system;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2153(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes the Authority’s gender breakdown reported for 2022 with 15 men (65,20 %) and 8 women (34,80 %) in middle and senior management positions and in its Management Board, and 104 men (53,60 %) and 90 women (46,40 %) in its overall staff; recalls the importance to ensure gender balance and calls on the Authority to take this aspect into consideration with regard to future recruitments of staff and appointments within its senior and middle management;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2153(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes the Authority’s gender breakdown reported for 2022 with 15 men (65,20 %) and 8 women (34,80 %) in middle and senior management positions and in its Management Board, and 104 men (53,60 %) and 90 women (46,40 %) in its overall staff; recalls the importance to ensure gender balance and calls on the Authority to take this aspect into consideration with regard to future recruitments of staff and appointments within its senior and middle management;
Amendment 4 #
2023/2153(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the fact that in 2022 the Authority continued the implementation of the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Strategy (adopted in 2021) and its detailed Action Plan in line with the adopted EUAN Charter on Diversity through initiatives that cover cross- cutting measures such as, among others, collaborating with other institutions, attracting and selecting a more diverse workforce, preventing discrimination, harassment, conscious and unconscious bias, and monitoring diversity and inclusion related data; notes that in 2022, one alleged harassment was reported, but the case was closed without further actions since, upon preliminary assessment, no prima faciae evidence was found;
Amendment 4 #
2023/2153(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the fact that in 2022 the Authority continued the implementation of the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Strategy (adopted in 2021) and its detailed Action Plan in line with the adopted EUAN Charter on Diversity through initiatives that cover cross- cutting measures such as, among others, collaborating with other institutions, attracting and selecting a more diverse workforce, preventing discrimination, harassment, conscious and unconscious bias, and monitoring diversity and inclusion related data; notes that in 2022, one alleged harassment was reported, but the case was closed without further actions since, upon preliminary assessment, no prima faciae evidence was found;
Amendment 5 #
2023/2153(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes with satisfaction that the Authority remained deeply committed to improving staff well- being and work-life balance, with positive outcomes seen in staff engagement and satisfaction; notes that the key areas of focus included flexible work arrangements, teleworking, lifelong guidance and career development, wellness programs and supportive management;
Amendment 5 #
2023/2153(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes with satisfaction that the Authority remained deeply committed to improving staff well- being and work-life balance, with positive outcomes seen in staff engagement and satisfaction; notes that the key areas of focus included flexible work arrangements, teleworking, lifelong guidance and career development, wellness programs and supportive management;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. NotWelcomes that in 2022 the Institute supported the Union policymaking by monitoring gaps and trends in gender equality through the launch of the Gender Equality Index, and organized its first Gender Equality Forum where various panel discussions, workshops and experience sessions were featured by high- level political decision-makers and members of civil society; notes further that the Institute produced a policy brief regarding the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on young women and men providing recommendations to engage and empower the youth; notes in addition that the Institute published the ‘Artificial Intelligence, platform work and gender equality’ report showing that artificial intelligence and platform work have the potential to improve gender equality in the economy;
Amendment 6 #
2023/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Notes that the Institute completed the annual performance appraisal exercise for all 62 staff and ensured that staff members were offered appropriate training opportunities aimed at improving their skills and competencies; welcomes that in order to promote and facilitate professional development in the Institute, 19 different group training programmes were organised in 2022 with 414 participants, while 20 statutory staff members undertook 42 individual training courses; notes that the Institute continued to promote language training for its TAs, CAs, SNEs and trainees, reimbursing up to EUR 500 per staff member; encourages the Institute to keep focusing on career development by developing a long-term HR policy on offering specific training possibilities for career development;
Amendment 7 #
2023/2152(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. NotesWelcomes that the balanced gender distribution which was achieved in 2021 in senior and middle management (2 men (50 %) and 2 women (50 %)), and was maintained in 2022, and notes the recurrent unbalanced gender distribution on the management board (8 men (21,62 %) and 29 women (78,38 %)) and among staff overall (14 men (29,17 %) and 34 women (70,83 %)); reiterates its call on the Institute to ensure gender balance in the future; acknowledges, nevertheless, from the Institute’s written replies that, in order to improve gender balance among its staff, it has taken concrete pro-active steps and measures such as, among others, increasing the reach of vacancy notices to attract more diverse talent pool or the use of gender sensitive wording in vacancy announcements to attract the attention of both women and men; asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Institute’s management board;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2149(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Takes noteWelcomes that in 2022 the Agency continued to play a key role in informing actions to support the environment, responding to the objectives of the European Green Deal (EGD) and the Eighth Environment Action Programme (8th EAP), as well as to Europe's overall ambitions and global commitments; welcomes that the Agency continued to deliver on agreed actions and tasks, and took on new ones in support of the green transition and the implementation of the European Climate Law, while linking actions to the EU adaptation strategy; notes furthermore that it was the second year of the implementation of the Agency- European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet) Strategy 2021-2030, which aims to give EU policy makers and the public the best available knowledge to reach the targets on environment and sustainability;
Amendment 5 #
2023/2149(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes the lack of gender balance among the Agency’s senior management members, with 6 out of 9 (67 %) being men; notes with satisfaction the gender balance within the Agency’s management board, with 18 out of 36 (50 %) being men; notes the gender balance within the Agency’s overall staff, with 118 out of 221 (53 %) being women; asks the Agency to ensure gender balance at the senior management level in the future; notes that the Agency has not adopted the ‘Charter on diversity and inclusion’; encourages the Agency to adopt it and actively participate in initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace;
Amendment 5 #
2023/2148(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. WelcomesRecalls the importance to ensure staff gender balance and welcomes in this regard that the Agency has put in effect an action plan to implement the objectives of its Charter on Diversity and Inclusion adopted in 2022, aiming to achieve gender balance in the management team among other inclusion measures; asks the Agency to report to the discharge authority about the implementation of this action plan; acknowledges that achieving results in this area takes time; however notes that the gender balance within the Agency’s senior and middle management has slightly decreased with 76 % positions occupied by men (82 % in 2021) and 24 % by women (18 % in 2021); notes that gender balance in the staff overall is 261 men (45 %) and 317 women (55 %);
Amendment 7 #
2023/2148(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Notes with satisfaction that as of 31 December 2022, the Agency has employed staff from 26 Member States; notes that 32 % of its staff are nationals of the Member State where the Agency is located; recalls the importance of geographical balance and encourages the Agency to continue to take the necessary measures to have a balanced and fair geographical representation;
Amendment 9 #
2023/2148(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Notes that as of March 2022, the Agency’s staff started to return gradually to the Agency’s premises, ending with the implementation of new hybrid working rules in October 2022; notes in this context that the new rules promote flexibility and staff empowerment while maintaining social cohesion and collaboration through regular weekly presence at the office;
Amendment 12 #
2023/2148(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Welcomes that the Agency has continued to implement different measures to increase its public and online presence through new releases and numerous updates on its website, the launch of a joint Instagram channel with four agencies called ‘One Health One Environment’, and its presence in social media; notes in this context a growth of the general media coverage and an increase in the Agency’s social media metrics in 2022 compared to 2021;
Amendment 5 #
2023/2147(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes with concern the lack of gender balance within the Centre’s senior and middle management, with four out of six (66, 67 %) being men; notes the gender distribution among the Centre’s overall staff, with 198 out of 331 (60 %) being women and 133 out of 331 (40 %) being men; welcomes that the Centre is in progress of adopting the charter on diversity and inclusion and it will be in place by Q4 2023; recalls the importance to ensure gender balance and calls on the Centre to take this aspect into consideration with regard to future recruitments of staff and appointments within its senior and middle management; asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Centre’s management board;
Amendment 6 #
2023/2147(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Amendment 1 #
2023/2145(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Welcomes that the Agency has established a number of partnerships with other Union bodies to improve efficiency and coherence, including the European Environment Agency, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, the SESAR3 Joint Undertaking; welcomes the cooperation on learning solutions with several agencies on issues of common interest in the fields of human resources advisory services, digitalisation and tools, e- learning and surveys, including the European Medicines Agency, the European Securities Market Authority, the European Food Safety Authority and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2145(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Welcomes that the Agency has established a number of partnerships with other Union bodies to improve efficiency and coherence, including the European Environment Agency, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, the SESAR3 Joint Undertaking; welcomes the cooperation on learning solutions with several agencies on issues of common interest in the fields of human resources advisory services, digitalisation and tools, e- learning and surveys, including the European Medicines Agency, the European Securities Market Authority, the European Food Safety Authority and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2145(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Observes with concern the lack of gender balance within the Agency’s senior and middle management members, with 17 out of 22 (77 %) being men and within the Agency’s management board, with 59 out of 79 (75 %) being men; further notes the gender balance within the Agency’s overall staff, with 525 out of 757 (69 %) being men; takes note that the Agency is systematically monitoring the gender distribution among applicants and actively reaches out for female candidates, by publishing the positions in the right forums, explicitly encouraging applications from female candidates, and drafting positions with precise information as it may affect work-life balance; calls on the Agency to continue its efforts towards gender balance at management and overall staff level through concrete actions that attract applications from women for posts offered by the Agency; asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Agency’s management board;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2145(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Observes with concern the lack of gender balance within the Agency’s senior and middle management members, with 17 out of 22 (77 %) being men and within the Agency’s management board, with 59 out of 79 (75 %) being men; further notes the gender balance within the Agency’s overall staff, with 525 out of 757 (69 %) being men; takes note that the Agency is systematically monitoring the gender distribution among applicants and actively reaches out for female candidates, by publishing the positions in the right forums, explicitly encouraging applications from female candidates, and drafting positions with precise information as it may affect work-life balance; calls on the Agency to continue its efforts towards gender balance at management and overall staff level through concrete actions that attract applications from women for posts offered by the Agency; asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Agency’s management board;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2145(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Welcomes that the Agency maintained focus on gender balance, geographical balance and diversity; recalls the importance to develop a long term HR policy on work-life balance and the offer of specific training possibilities for career development, teleworking, right to disconnect, the enhancement of a geographical balance to have an appropriate representation from all Member States, and the recruitment and integration of people with disabilities as well as the promotion of their equal treatment and their opportunities;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2145(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Welcomes that the Agency maintained focus on gender balance, geographical balance and diversity; recalls the importance to develop a long term HR policy on work-life balance and the offer of specific training possibilities for career development, teleworking, right to disconnect, the enhancement of a geographical balance to have an appropriate representation from all Member States, and the recruitment and integration of people with disabilities as well as the promotion of their equal treatment and their opportunities;
Amendment 4 #
2023/2145(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Welcomes that the Agency has strategic partnerships on the sharing of resources and information with almost all of the national competent aviation authorities in its Member States;
Amendment 4 #
2023/2145(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Welcomes that the Agency has strategic partnerships on the sharing of resources and information with almost all of the national competent aviation authorities in its Member States;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2144(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Notes from the Agency’s Consolidated annual activity report for 2022 that 17 Member States were represented among the Agency’s staff in 2022; notes that 39% of its staff are nationals of the Member State where the Agency is located; recalls the importance of geographical balance and calls on the Agency to take the necessary measures to have a balanced and fair geographical representation;
Amendment 5 #
2023/2144(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Commends the Agency for its efforts to increase its public visibility and online presence; welcomes in this context the launch of the Agency’s new website in 2022 that incorporates key enhancements, such as a clearer presentation and structure, improved appearance, and web responsiveness; notes further that, in 2022, the Agency's social media activity was significant, with 1 590 content uploads, which represents 54 % more posts than in the previous year; notes in this regard the upward trend with the Agency’s web users with over 200 000 visits registered, and with its social media fan base with 38 500 followers across LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that, as regards gender balance reported for 2022, the Centre’s senior management is composed by 4 men (66,7 %) and 2 women (33,3 %); also notes the management board is composed of 78 men (53 %) and 68 women (47 %); recalls the mandate of the Centre and that the high number of members of the Board (156) does not facilitate decision making and simplified managementcomes from its specific composition based on the tripartite principle, thus including representatives of the national authorities and social partners; recognises that trough its members the Management Board of the Foundation ensures the necessary alignment between the Centre’s work and stakeholder needs and priorities; notes further that regarding the Centre’s staff overall the gender breakdown is 44 % men (47) and 56 % women (61); welcomesrecalls the importance of geographical balance and welcomes in this regard from the follow-up report the Centre’s commitment to geographically re- balance its staff population by making use of reserve lists of other agencies, including through joining forces with them and broadening dissemination of vacancy notices;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes that the Centre launched its regular Staff Engagement Survey (SES) in 2022, the results of which showed favourable responses from 65 % of Centre’s staff (75 % response rate), whereas 10 out of 12 dimensions of analysis recorded positive changes in comparison to the 2019 survey results, despite the highly disruptive period since the last survey that year, while some areas need further attention such as workload, transparency in decision-making and internal cooperation; welcomes that the results of the survey were presented to all staff in a general assembly and dedicated question-time meetings;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2143(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. NotWelcomes in the framework of the Centre’s equal opportunities and diversity policy and as regards support to persons with disabilities, the measures taken such as trainings (on diversity and inclusion issues) and guidance (how to detect and counteract unconscious bias) provided to HR staff and selection boards, as well as accommodation to applicants with disabilities; notes lastly from the Centre’s replies to Parliament written questions the Centre’s plans to adopt the ‘Charter on diversity and inclusion’ in 2023;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Welcomes that the Administration Department of the Centre has improved its performance by reviewing and revising working methods, while introducing new technology to streamline its operations, which has resulted in increased productivity, reduced costs, and overall improvement of the quality of the work;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes the Centre’s gender breakdown reported for 2022, with 8 women (42 %) and 11 men (58 %) in senior and middle management positions, with 38 men (59 %) and 26 women (41 %) at MB level and overall staff with 76 men (38 %) and 125 women (62 %); observes that there is an underrepresentation of men in the Centre’s overall staff; recalls the importance to ensure gender balance and asks the Centre to work towards gender balance at the staff level and at MB level, senior and middle management level and at MB level; asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Centre’s management board; notes the high number of MB members, which does not facilitate decision-making and simplified management;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2142(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Welcomes that the Centre has taken several measures to reduce gas and electricity consumption at the Centre’s premises for the period 1 November 2022 to 31 March 2023;
Amendment 4 #
2023/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. TNotes that the Agency has been operating since its establishment with lacking human resources capacity for certain posts; takes note that the Agency compensates some capacity constraints, where feasible, prioritizes the use of services offered by the European Commission (EC) and other EU agencies as a primary solution; observes that this approach includes leveraging services provided by the EC Office for the Administration and Payment of Individual Entitlements (PMO) and the Computer Emergency Response Team for the European Union (CERT-EU) for IT and security service; welcomes that the Agency has a very successful cooperation with European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in the area of IT, which includes hosting, IT development, disaster recovery, development of the new design of the Agency’s web site, and other IT services;
Amendment 10 #
2023/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Welcomes that the Agency continued its traineeship programme during 2022; notes that in total 7 trainees joined the Agency and 15 trainees participated in the Agency’s Traineeship Programme;
Amendment 14 #
2023/2141(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Welcomes that the local offices of the European Commission and the European Parliament in Riga and the Agency have joined their efforts to work together to establish a joint House of Europe, which will be the “home” of all EU Institutions and the Agency in Latvia;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2131(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that the current situation implies that Parliament can only check the reports of the Court and of the Ombudsman as well as the publicly available information on the Council’s website, something that makes it impossible for Parliament to carry out its duties properly and make an informed decision on granting discharge;
Amendment 4 #
2023/2131(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Council to resume negotiations with Parliament at the highest level as soon as possible, involving the Secretary-Generals and the Presidents of both institutions, in order to break the deadlock and find a solution while respecting the respective roles of Parliament and the Council in the discharge procedure and ensuring transparency and proper democratic control of budget implementation;
Amendment 8 #
2023/2131(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Points out the serious gender imbalance in the Court, where, at the end of 2022, there were only 9 female members compared to 17 male members; understandnotes the difficulties in achieving gender balance in the Court because of the current nomination procedure; reiterates its call on the Council to reconsider the nomination procedure with the aim of tackling this problem with concrete actions, such as making it compulsory for Member States to nominate at least two candidates of different genders for each vacancy;
Amendment 11 #
2023/2131(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Believes that the use of the unanimity voting procedure in the Council on certain policy areas is paralysing the Union’s decision-making process and therefore making it prone to blackmailing by Member States, especially those who fail to respect the rule of law; calls on the Council to apply the qualified majority voting procedures whenever possible and consider the review of the Treaties regulating the voting procedures; believes that the generalised shift to a qualified majority voting procedure in the Council is a crucial step towards more efficient policy-making;
Amendment 21 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
1. ‘prevention of corruption’ refers to the detection and elimination of the causes of and conditions for corruption, through development and implementation of a system of appropriate measures and necessary tools, as well as deterrence against corruption-related acts.
Amendment 23 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b a (new)
(ba) any other person assigned and exercising a public service function in relation with the implementation of the EU budget.
Amendment 24 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6 a (new)
6a. 'conflict of interests' exists where the impartial and objective exercise of the functions of any person as referred to in this article is compromised for reasons involving family, emotional life, political or national affinity, economic interest or any other direct or indirect personal interest.
Amendment 29 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph -1 (new)
Article 3 – paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Member States shall take measures to create a strong public service culture based on independence, integrity, transparency and accountability, including the provision of fair remuneration, adequate support and anti- corruption training and tools for public officials.
Amendment 31 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall take measures to ensure the highest degree of integrity, transparency and accountability in public administration and public decision-making with a view to prevent corruption, in particular through the development of national anti-corruption strategies in consultation with the relevant specialised bodies referred to in Article 4.
Amendment 36 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 3
Article 3 – paragraph 3
3. Member States shall take measures to ensure that key preventive tools such as an open access to information of public interest, effective rules for the disclosure and management of conflicts of interests in the public sector, effective rules for the disclosure and verification of assets of public officials and effective rules regulating the interaction between the private and the public sector, particularly revolving doors and interest representation, are in place.
Amendment 38 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Member States shall take the appropriate measures to set up clear internal and external reporting channels that can guarantee confidentiality for whistle-blowers in both public and private sectors to protect the EU financial interests.
Amendment 44 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Member States shall take all necessary measures to digitalise all aspects of corruption prevention covered by this article, as well as to create a more unified and interoperable information system at the EU level.
Amendment 46 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 6
Article 3 – paragraph 6
6. Where appropriate, Member States shall take measures to promote the participation of civil society, non- governmental organizations and community-based organizations in anti- corruption activities.
Amendment 56 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 24 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 24 – paragraph 1 a (new)
The entities referred to in the first paragraph will make all necessary efforts to carry out joint actions and to contribute to the design and implementation of EU sectoral policies and spending programmes, as well as in the external action and enlargement process, with a view to building a common anti- corruption culture based on an EU-wide approach.
Amendment 138 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) Member States should be provided with the tools and measures to combat the most serious corrupt behaviour, involving abuse of high level power or causing serious harm to societies. In order to ensure improved track record of tackling high level corruption cases across all Member States, it is imperative that national authorities dispose of specific measures with regards to the prevention, repression, investigation and prosecution of cases involving high level officials or gross misappropriation of public funds or resources.
Amendment 140 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 1 b (new)
Recital 1 b (new)
(1b) Corruption is not a victimless crime and the rights of victims of corruption should be safeguarded on the same level as those of victims of other crimes, including regarding the right to information, support and protection. Victims of corruption should be represented in court proceedings, consulted about corruption investigation and adequately compensated. This will ensure that the consequences and the damage of corruption to societies are recognised and guarantees the rights of people suffering from corruption.
Amendment 145 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) To root out corruption, both preventive and repressive mechanisms are needed. Member States are encouraged to take a wide range of preventive, legislative and cooperative measures as part of the fight against corruption. Whereas corruption is first and foremost a crime and specific acts of corruption are defined in national and international law, failings in integrity, undisclosed conflicts of interests or serious breaches of ethical rules can become corrupt activities if left unaddressed. The prevention of corruption mitigates the need for criminal repression and has wider benefits in promoting public trust and managing the conduct of public officials. Effective anti-corruption approaches oftenin all Member States should build on measures to enhance transparency, ethics and integrity, as well as by regulating in areas, considered to be enablers of corruption, such as conflict of interest, lobbying and, revolving doors, public procurements and political parties financing. Public bodies should seek the highest standards of integrity, transparency and independence as an important part of tackling corruption more broadly.
Amendment 148 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) Member States should have in place bodies or units specialised in the repression and investigation and specialised in the prevention of corruption. Member States may decide to entrust a body with a combination of preventive and law enforcement functions. In order to ensure that these bodies operate effectively, they should meet a number of conditions, including having the independence, resources and powers that are necessary to ensure the proper administration of their tasks. The management of the specialised bodies should be appointed through an open and transparent procedure in full compliance with the principle of legislative oversight, including several branches of government, to ensure public trust in the national anti-corruption bodies and avoid potential conflicts of interest.
Amendment 150 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) To ensure coordinated EU oversight over the efforts of Member States to tackle corruption, Member States should facilitate the tasks of an EU Anti- Corruption Coordinator. The Coordinator should be responsible for improving coordination and coherence among EU institutions, EU agencies and Member States and should contribute to the effective application of this Directive. To ensure implementation of the country- specific recommendations in regards to combatting corruption set out in the Commission annual Rule of Law Report, the Coordinator should report on the actions that Member States take to address and fulfil them. On its own initiative, or upon the request of the Commission, the Anti-Corruption Coordinator may draw up opinions regarding national measures which may have a significant impact on the implementation of this Directive, including the national anti-corruption strategies of the Member States.
Amendment 216 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b
(b) any other person assigned and exercising a public service function or providing public service in Member States or third countries, for an international organisation or for an international court.
Amendment 230 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
8. ‘high level officials’ are heads of state, heads of central and regional government, members of central and regional government, as well as other political appointees who hold a high level public office such as deputy ministers, state secretaries, heads and members of a minister’s private office, and senior political officials, executives of state- owned corporations, leaders of political parties, as well as members of parliamentary chambers, members of highest Courts, such as Constitutional and Supreme Courts, and members of Supreme Audit Institutions.
Amendment 235 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8 a (new)
8a. ‘victim of corruption’ means a legal person, in accordance with national law, who is a victim as defined in Article 2(1), point (a), of Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council60a, that has suffered harm as a result of any of the offences within the scope of that Directive; _________________ 60a Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2001/220/JHA, OJ L 315, 14.11.2012, p. 57, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2012/29/oj
Amendment 239 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8 b (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8 b (new)
8b. ‘high level corruption’ means the commission of any offences referred to in Articles 7 to 14, where the offence involves a high level official or results in a gross misappropriation of public funds or resources.
Amendment 252 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 3
Article 3 – paragraph 3
3. Member States shall take measures to ensure that key preventive tools such asare in place, such the development of national anti-corruption strategies in consultation with the relevant specialised bodies referred to in Article (4) and civil society, an open access to information of public interest, effective rules for the disclosure and management of conflicts of interests in the public sector, effective rules for the disclosure and verification of assets of public officials and effective rules regulating the interaction between the private and the public sector are in placefor the disclosure and transparency of national political parties financing.
Amendment 258 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Amendment 260 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 3 b (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Member States shall take measures to regulate the movement of public officials from positions of public office to positions in the same field in the private or voluntary sector in either direction. Those measures shall include restrictions on post-term employment of public officials and post-term employment of interest representatives with a period of time, as determined in national law, following the end of their mandate during which public officials and interest representatives shall not undertake employment related to their former professional activities.
Amendment 262 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 3 c (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Member States shall take measures to ensure transparency and accountability of public procurements. Such measures shall include creating a public and easily accessible national procurement register, providing standardised data, including information on all procurement contracts concluded by the public authorities.
Amendment 269 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – point b
(b) members of law enforcement and the judiciary, including measures relating to their merit-based appointment and conduct, and by ensuring adequate remuneration and equitable pay scales.
Amendment 277 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 2 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 2 – point b
(b) develop anti-corruption action plans to address the main risks in the sectors identified.
Amendment 293 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that one or several bodies, or organisational units specialised in the repression of corruptionand investigation of corruption, including high-level corruption, is or are in place.
Amendment 298 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point a
(a) are functionally independent from the government and have a sufficient number of qualified staff, including on the operational level, and the financial, technical and technological resources, as well as the powers and tools necessary to ensure the proper administration of their tasks;
Amendment 300 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point a a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point a a (new)
Amendment 302 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point a b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point a b (new)
(ab) are managed by executive member or members with an adequate and sufficient term of office, ensuring functional political independence. The executive member or members shall be appointed through a transparent, open and non-discriminatory procedure in accordance with the principle of legislative oversight. The selection criteria shall be predictable and known no less than 1 year before the planned appointment.
Amendment 304 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point c
(c) provide public access to relevant information on the exercise of their activities, including annual reports on their activities, with due regard for the protection of personal data and the confidentiality of investigations;
Amendment 311 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 a (new)
Article 4 a (new)
Article4a Coordination of Union strategy on combating corruption 1. In order to contribute to a coordinated and consolidated Union strategy on combating corruption, Member States shall facilitate the tasks of a European Union Anti-Corruption Coordinator (‘the Coordinator’). In particular, Member States shall transmit to the Coordinator, when requested, information referred to in Article 26 of this Directive. 2. The Coordinator shall promote the effective and consistent application of this Directive and shall monitor the implementation of the provisions of Articles 3 and 4 of this Directive. 3. The Coordinator shall advise the Commission, on its own initiative or where requested by it, on the implementation of the country-specific recommendations related to combatting corruption, set out in the Commission annual Rule of Law Reports, or on national measures which might have a significant impact on their implementation.
Amendment 315 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that national authorities competent for the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution or adjudication of the criminal offences referred to in this Directive are continually provided with an adequate number of qualified staff and the financial, technical and technological resources necessary for the effective performance of their functions related to the implementation of this Directive.
Amendment 318 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to ensure adequate resources for and the provision of training at a regular interval for its national officials to be able to identify different forms of corruption and corruption risks that may occur in the exercise of their duties and to react in a timely and appropriate manner to any suspicious activity.
Amendment 375 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 13 a (new)
Article 13 a (new)
Article13a Liability for serious negligence The conduct referred to in Articles 7 to 13 shall constitute a criminal offence when committed with serious negligence.
Amendment 379 #
2023/0135(COD)
(a) the criminal offences referred to in Article 7 and 12 are punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least sixeight years;
Amendment 380 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) the criminal offences referred to in Article 8 to 11 are punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least fiseven years; and
Amendment 381 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) the criminal offence referred to in Article 13 is punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least foursix years.
Amendment 394 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 17 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 17 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) criminal or non-criminal fines, the maximum limit of which should not be less than 510 percent of the total worldwide turnover of the legal person, including related entities, in the business year preceding the decision imposing the fine;
Amendment 396 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 17 – paragraph 2 – point i a (new)
Article 17 – paragraph 2 – point i a (new)
(ia) the publication of all or part of the judicial decision that relates to the criminal offence committed and the sanctions or measures imposed, where there is a public interest, without prejudice to rules on privacy and the protection of personal data.
Amendment 399 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) the offender ice involves a high level official or constitutes high level corruption;
Amendment 405 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Amendment 406 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
(gb) the offender does not provide assistance to enforcement authorities when legally required;
Amendment 407 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point g c (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 1 – point g c (new)
(gc) in the case of legal persons, the offence was committed by a person having a leading positons within the legal person concerned.
Amendment 408 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 18 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 18 – paragraph 2 – point b
Amendment 412 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 19 – paragraph 1
Article 19 – paragraph 1
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that privileges or immunities from investigation and prosecution granted to national officials for the offences referred to in this Directive can be lifted, either at the national official's own initiative or through an objective, impartial, effective and transparent process pre-established by law, based on clear criteria, and that is concluded within a reasonable timeframe. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that privileges and immunities accorded to public officials shall not be applicable in instances of investigation and prosecution of cases involving high level corruption.
Amendment 418 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 20 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 20 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) the offence is committed in any Member State and is a case of high level corruption.
Amendment 448 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 23 a (new)
Article 23 a (new)
Article23a Victims compensation 1. Member States shall take measures to ensure that victims of the criminal offences referred to in this Directive shall be afforded the rights under Directive 2012/29/EU. 2. Member States shall take measures to ensure the identification and timely notification of victims of corruption. Member States shall accord victims of corruption the right to instigate legal proceedings with the aim of securing proportional and adequate compensation for the infringement of their rights.
Amendment 459 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 25 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 25 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. The Commission, through the EU network against corruption, and the European Union Anti- Corruption Coordinator, shall in particular:
Amendment 468 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
(aa) the number of cases involving high level officials reported;
Amendment 469 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) the number of cases investigated, including those involving cross-border cooperation;
Amendment 470 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
(ba) the number of cases involving high level officials investigated, including those involving cross-border cooperation;
Amendment 471 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) the averagemedian, average and maximum length of the criminal investigations of cases;
Amendment 472 #
2023/0135(COD)
(fa) the number of convictions for corruption crimes related to offences committed by a public official;
Amendment 477 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 26 – paragraph 3
Article 26 – paragraph 3
3. Member States shall, on an annual basis and by 1 June, publish, in a publicly available manner and in a machine- readable and disaggregated format, the statistical data referred to in paragraph 2 for the previous year and inform the Commission and the European Anti- Corruption Coordinator thereof.
Amendment 506 #
2023/0135(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 30 – paragraph 3
Article 30 – paragraph 3
3. By [48 months after the deadline for implementation of this Directive], the Commission, in consultation with the Anti-Corruption Coordinator, shall submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council, assessing the added value of this Directive with regard to combating corruption. The report shall also cover the impact of this Directive on fundamental rights and freedoms. On the basis of this evaluation, the Commission shall, if necessary, decide on appropriate follow-up actions.
Amendment 2 #
2021/2025(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Underlines that the Union's financial interests shall be protected in accordance with the general principles embedded in the Union Treaties, in particular the values in the Article 2 TEU, and with the principle of sound financial management enshrined in the Article 317 of the TFEU;
Amendment 8 #
2021/2025(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights that the rRule of lLaw is an essential precondition for compliance with the principle of sound financial management and for the protection of the Union’s financial interests, which can only be ensured if public authorities act in accordance with the law, if cases of fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest or other breaches of the law are pursued effectively by investigative and prosecution services, if national courts are independent, and if the decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union are respected, and if the public scrutiny is maintained by free, independent and pluralistic media;
Amendment 15 #
2021/2025(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines the importance of the Commission’s first Rule of Law Report as a basis on which to build the new cycle of the rule of law mechanismthe reflection of the European Rule of Law Mechanism, which is designed as a yearly cycle of dialogue and assessment in order to promote this principle and to prevent problems from emerging or deepening in the Member States; welcomes the inclusion among its pillars of the justice system, the anti-corruption framework, and other institutional checks and balances, as these are particularly relevant for monitoring the protection of the EU budget;
Amendment 23 #
2021/2025(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Asks the Commission to provide information in its future reports about the way Member States respect the rRule of lLaw and effectively protect the Union’s financial interests, for both EU budget revenue and expenditure, and to highlights well as to put emphasis on cases where breaches of the principles of the Rule of Law in a particular Member State could affect or seriously risks to the Union budget; in affecting the Union's financial interests in a sufficiently direct way; emphasistes that the reports should provide specific assessments and recommendations to the Member States in order to strengthen their preventive role;
Amendment 28 #
2021/2025(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls that the Commission shall take into account relevant information from pertinent sources and recognised institutions as relevant, with an emphasis on the European Court of Auditors, the EU Justice Scoreboard, the European Anti-Fraud Office, and the European Public Prosecutor's Office;
Amendment 31 #
2021/2025(INI)
4. Calls on the Commission to assess not only the existence but also the effectiveness of the national anti- corruption strategies, and to use that knowledge to update and enhance the Union’s anti-corruption framework; underlines that anti-corruption frameworks shall cover areas such as, inter alia, ethical rules, awareness-raising measures, rules on asset disclosures, incompatibilities and conflicts of interest, public procurement, internal control mechanisms, rules on lobbying, and revolving doors; highlights likewise that national strategies shall incorporate tools to prevent, detect risk, halt and sanction cases of corruption and fraud, as well as mechanisms to recover the profit from those cases;
Amendment 38 #
2021/2025(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that transparency, access to public information, the protection of whistleblowers and an overall culture of integrity in public life are key factors that indispensable corruption to beto identifiedy and to prevented; underlines the importance of harmonising definitions and methodologies to obtain comparative data across the EU corruption;
Amendment 40 #
2021/2025(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Warns that the lack of uniform, up to date and consolidated statistics across all Member States hinder the assessment and comparison of data about the investigation and prosecution of corruption offences; calls, therefore, on the Commission to support and to promote the Union-wide harmonisation of definitions of such offences, as well as a better use of the existing data sets and the methodology to develop new ones in order to obtain comparative data across the EU on the treatment of corruption cases;
Amendment 44 #
2021/2025(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Highlights the importance of supporting and strengthening cooperation between the EU institutions, the Member States and, in particular, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in the fight against corruption; calls on the Commission to propose the provision of adequate budget, resources and or any kind of support necessary for the aforementioned institutions and bodies;
Amendment 48 #
2021/2025(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Reiterates that Regulation (EU, Euratom)Believes that the situation as regards the respect of the principles of the Rule of Law in some Member States is extremely worrying and seriously risks affecting the sound financial management of the Union budget; reiterates that the general regime of conditionality as defined in the Regulation 2020/2092 has beenis in force since 1 January 2021 and is not subjected to the adoption of any guidelines or judicial interpretation.; calls on the Commission for an immediate action under the aforementioned Regulation, using the existing investigation tools, without any further delay; insists in the role and competences of the Parliament, in particular the right to be duly informed by the Commission, in the procedures of the Rule of Law instruments;
Amendment 53 #
2021/0277(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Emphasises, furthermore, that appropriate resources should be secured in the 2022 EU budget for the implementation of the Health Union proposals, as amended during the legislative process; calls, therefore, on the Commission to revise the Financial Statements for the extended mandates of the European Medicines Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to take into account the additional tasks set out in the revised proposals;
Amendment 93 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan30a highlights that social rights and the European social dimension need to be strengthened across all policies of the Union as enshrined in the Treaties, in particular Article 3 TEU and Article 9 TFEU. _________________ 30a Endorsed by the European Council on 24 and 25 June 2021.
Amendment 101 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Those amendments have differing economic and social impacts on the different sectors of the economy, on the citizens, and the Member States. In particular, the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and the Council31 should provide an additional economic incentive to invest into the reduction of fossil fuel consumption and thereby accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Combined with other measures, this should, in the medium to long term, reduce the costs for buildings and road transport, and provide new opportunities for job creation and investment. _________________ 31 Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Union (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32)The Commission will collect data on the social impact of the accompanying measures and how they affect different Member States, regions and vulnerable groups. The aspects of preventive approach, reduction of inequalities and social compensation are critical in order to avoid the worst effects on the most vulnerable households and self-employed persons while maintaining a high level of investment to ensure the success of the ecological transition.
Amendment 111 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
Amendment 125 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The increase in the price for fossil fuels maytransition towards climate neutrality will disproportionaltely affect vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterpriseself- employed persons and vulnerable transport users who already spend a larger part of their incomes on energy and transport, who, in certain regions, do not have access to alternative, affordable mobility and transport solutions and who may lack the financial capacity to invest into the reduction of fossil fuel consumptionfurther deepening the existing inequalities.
Amendment 139 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Therefore, a part of the revenues generated by the inclusion of building and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/ECPreventive measures and compensation should be usprovided to address the social impacts arising from that inclusion, for thee transition towards climate neutrality to achieve a transition to behat is just and inclusive, and leavinges no one behind.
Amendment 148 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) This is even more relevant in view of the existing levels of energy poverty. Energy poverty is a situation in which households are unable to access essential energy services suchthe inability of a household to support an adequate level of energy supply so as to guarantee basic levels of comfort and health, due to as cooling, as temperatures rise, and heatingmbination of low income, high-energy prices and low quality, poor performing housing stock. About 34 million Europeans reported an inability to keep their homes adequately warm in 2018, and 6.9% of the Union population have said that they cannot afford to heat their home sufficiently in a 2019 EU-wide survey32 . Overall, the Energy Poverty Observatory estimates that more than 50 million households in the European Union experience energy poverty. Energy poverty is therefore a major challenge for the Union. While social tariffs or direct income support can provide immediate relief to households facing energy poverty, only targeted structural measures, in particular energy renovations, can provide lasting solutions. _________________ 32 Data from 2018. Eurostat, SILC [ilc_mdes01]).
Amendment 173 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) A Social Climate (‘the Fund’) should therefore be established to provide funds to the Member States to support their policies to address the social impacts of the emisstransitions trading for buildings and road transporto climate neutrality on vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterpriseself- employed persons and vulnerable transport users. This should be achieved notably through temporary income support and measures and investments intended to reduce reliance on fossil fuels through increased energy efficiency of buildings, decarbonisation of heating and cooling of buildings, including the integration of energy from renewable sources, and granting improved access to zero- and low-emission mobility and transport to the benefit of vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterpriseself- employed persons and vulnerable transport users.
Amendment 201 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) For that purpose, each Member State should submit to the Commission a Social Climate Plan (‘the Plan’). Those Plans should pursue two objectives. Firstly, they should provide vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterpriseself-employed persons and vulnerable transport users the necessary resources, including in the form of financial support without an up-front or minimum contribution requirement, to finance and carry out investments in energy efficiency, decarbonisation of heating and cooling, in zero- and low-emission vehicles and mobility. Secondly, they should mitigate the impact of the increase in the cost of fossil fuels on the most vulnerable and thereby prevent energy and transport poverty during the transition period until such investments have been implemented. The Plans should have an investment component promoting the long- term solution of reduce fossil fuels reliance and could envisage other measures, including temporarycomplemented with direct income support to mitigate adverse income effects in the shorter term.
Amendment 216 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14 a (new)
Recital 14 a (new)
(14a) Particular attention needs to be paid to vulnerable tenants in the private rental and social housing markets. These tenants also include households in energy poverty or households, including lower middle income ones, that are significantly affected by the price impacts of increased heating costs or by higher rental prices following renovation, but are not in a position to renovate the building they occupy. As part of their Social Climate Plans, Member States should therefore develop energy efficient, green social housing projects and specific measures and investments to support vulnerable tenants on the private rental and social housing markets. Renovation projects that benefit from support from this fund should not result in an increase of the agreed rental price.
Amendment 226 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) Member States, in consultation with regional level authoritieswith a meaningful involvement of local and regional level authorities, social partners and civil society organisations working with vulnerable people, are best placed to design and to implement Plans that are adapted and targeted to their local, regional and national circumstances as their existing policies in the relevant areas and planned use of other relevant EU funds. In that manner, the broad diversity of situations, the specific knowledge of local and regional governments, research and innovation and industrial relations and social dialogue structures, as well as national traditions, can best be respected and contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall support to the vulnerable.
Amendment 239 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) Ensuring that the measures and investments are particularly targeted towards energy poor or vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterpriseself-employed persons and vulnerable transport users is key for a just transition towards climate neutrality. Support measures to promote reductions in greenhouse gas emissions should help Member States to address the social impacts arising from the emissions trading for the sectors of buildings and road transport.
Amendment 253 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) Pending the impact of those investments on reducing costs and emissions, well targeted direct income support for the most vulnerable would help the just transition. Such support should be understood to be a temporary measure accompanying the decarbonisation of the housing and transport sectors. It would not be permanent as it does not address the root causes of energy and transport poverty. Such support sreduce the existing social challenges associated with the energy transition, disproportionately affecting households suffering from energy poverty, vulnerable househould only concern direct ims spending larger pacrts of their inclusion of building and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC, not electricity or heating costs related to the inclusion of power and heat production in the scope of that Directive. Eligibility for such direct income support should be limited in timeome on energy and transport, low- income families living in the worst performing buildings and in most deprived areas.
Amendment 266 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17 a (new)
Recital 17 a (new)
(17a) Direct income support when combined with investment measures, including in the form of financial support without an up-front or minimum contribution requirement, targeting the same beneficiaries may lead to better results in reaching the objectives of the Fund.
Amendment 275 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) Taking into account the importance of tackling climate change in line with Paris Agreement commitments, and the commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the actions under this Regulation should contribute to the achievement of the target that 30% of all expenditure under the 2021- 2027 multiannual financial framework should be spent on mainstreaming climate objectives and should contribute to the ambition of providing 10% of annual spending to biodiversity objectives in 2026 and 2027, while considering the existing overlaps between climate and biodiversity goals. For this purpose, the methodology set out in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council33 should be used to tag the expenditures of the Fund. The Fund should support activities that fully respect thesocial, climate and environmental standards and priorities of the Union and comply with the principle of ‘do no significant harm’ within the meaning of Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council34 . Only such measures and investments should be included in the Plans. Direct income support measures should as a rule be considered as having an insignificant foreseeable impact on environmental objectives, and as such be considered compliant with the principle of ‘do no significant harm’. The Commission intends to issue technical guidance to the Member States well ahead of the preparation of the Plans. The guidance will explain how the measures and investments must comply with the principle of ‘do no significant harm’ within the meaning of Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/852. The Commission intends to present in 2021 a proposal for a Council Recommendation on how to address the social aspects of the green transition. _________________ 33 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). 34 Regulation (EU) 2020/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2020 on the establishment of a framework to facilitate sustainable investment, and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 (OJ L 198, 22.6.2020, p. 13).
Amendment 285 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) Women are particularly affected by carbon pricing as they represent 85% of single parent families. Single parent families have a particularly high risk of child poverty. Gender equality and equal opportunities for all, and the mainstreaming of those objectives, as well as questions of accessibility forrights of persons with disabilities should be taken into accountupheld and promoted throughout the preparation and implementation of Plans to ensure no one is left behind.
Amendment 298 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) Member States should submit their Plans together with the update of their integrated national energy and climate plans in accordance with Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council35 and the European Code of Conduct on Partnership in the framework of the European Structural and Investment Funds35a. The Plans should include the measures to be financed, their estimated costs and the national contribution. They should also include key milestones and targets to assess the effective implementation of the measures. _________________ 35 Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, amending Regulations (EC) No 663/2009 and (EC) No 715/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directives 94/22/EC, 98/70/EC, 2009/31/EC, 2009/73/EC, 2010/31/EU, 2012/27/EU and 2013/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 2009/119/EC and (EU) 2015/652 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, p. 1). 35a Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 240/2014
Amendment 304 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20 a (new)
Recital 20 a (new)
(20a) The Fund should only support such activities that respect applicable collective agreements, social and labour law, regarding inter alia wages, working conditions, health and safety of workers, collective bargaining rights and trade union participation.
Amendment 375 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29 a (new)
Recital 29 a (new)
Amendment 391 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 3
Article 1 – paragraph 3
The measures and investments supportenvisaged by the Fund shall support a socially fair transition to climate neutrality, especially benefit households, micro-enterpriseself-employed persons and transport users, which are vulnerable, and particularly affected by the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC, especially households in energy poverty and citizens without public transport alternative to individual cars (in remote and rural areas)distributional impact of the transition to climate neutrality, including by carbon pricing, especially households in energy poverty and without access to affordable and environmentally sustainable modes of transport.
Amendment 406 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 4
Article 1 – paragraph 4
The general objective of the Fund is to contribute to the transition towards climate neutrality by addressing the social impacts of the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC. The specific objective of the Fund is to support vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises and vulnerat transition, and to ensure the ability of vulnerable households, self-employed and transport users to participate in and adapt to the transition, to reduce energy poverty and enlarge the access to affordable and sustainable green transport and mobility means. The specific objective of the Fund is to support vulnerable households, vulnerable self- employed and vulnerable transport users, especially those in energy poverty, and/or those in the lowest income deciles, or with low capacity to invest in, or limited access to, alternative and energy efficient heating, cooling and sustainable and affordable transport usersmodes, through temporary direct income support and through measures and investments intended to increase energy efficiency of buildings, decarbonisation of heating and cooling of buildings, including the integration of energy from renewable sources, and granting improved access to zero- and low-emission mobility and transportaffordable and sustainable zero emission mobility and transport, as well as to mitigate the negative impacts of the transition to climate neutrality on vulnerable households and tackle their social exclusion.
Amendment 426 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 4 a (new)
The measures and investments supported by the Fund shall not provide any support which prolongs the use of fossil fuels.
Amendment 442 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
(2) ‘energy poverty’ means energy poverty as defined in point [(49)] of Article 2 of Directive (EU) [yyyy/nnn] of the of the European Parliament and of the Council50 ; _________________ 50 [Directive (EU) [yyyy/nnn] of the of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ C […], […], p. […]).] [Proposal for recast of Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency]the in ability of a household to support an adequate level of energy supply so as to guarantee basic levels of comfort and health, due to a combination of low income, high-energy prices and low quality, poor performing housing stock;
Amendment 454 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9
(9) ‘micro-enterprise’ means an enterprise that employs fewer than 10 persons and whose annual turnover or annual balance sheet does not exceed EUR 2 million, calculated in accordance with Articles 3 to 6 of Annex I to Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/201453 ; _________________ 53 Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declself-employed persons’ mean those who work in their own business, professional practice or farm for the purpose of earning certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty Text with EEA relevance (OJ L 187, 26.6.2014, p. 1).a profit, and who employ no other persons;
Amendment 459 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10
(10) ‘transport users’ means households or micro-enterpriseself-employed persons that use various transport and mobility options;
Amendment 470 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 11
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 11
(11) ‘vulnerable households’ means households in energy poverty, or with lack of access to affordable sustainable transport or households, including lower middle- income ones, that are significantly affected by the pricesocial impacts of the inclusion of buildings into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC and lack the means to renovate the building they occuptransition to climate neutrality;
Amendment 477 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12
(12) ‘vulnerable micro-enterprises’ means micro-enterpriself-employed persons’ means thoses that are significantly affected by the pricesocial impacts of the inclusion of buildings into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC and lack the means to renovate the building they occuptransition to climate neutrality;
Amendment 494 #
2021/0206(COD)
(13) ‘vulnerable transport users’ means transport users, including from lower middle-income households, that are significantly affected by the pricesocial impacts of the inclusion of road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/ECtransition to climate neutrality and lack the means to purchase zero- and low- emission vehicles or to switch to alternative sustainable modes of transport, including public transport, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Amendment 502 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 13 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 13 a (new)
(13a) ‘most deprived persons’ means natural persons, whether individuals, families, households or groups of persons, including children in vulnerable situations and homeless people, whose need for assistance has been established according to the objective criteria which are set by the national competent authorities in consultation with relevant stakeholders while avoiding conflicts of interest, and which may include elements that allow for the targeting of the most deprived persons in certain geographical areas.
Amendment 509 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. Each Member State shall submit to the Commission a Social Climate Plan (‘the Plan’) together with the update to the integrated national energy and climate plan referred to in Article 14(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 in accordance with the procedure and timeline laid down in that Article and following a meaningful consultation of local and regional level authorities, social partners and relevant civil society organisations. The Plan shall contain a coherent set of measures and investments to address the social impact of carbon pricingthe transition to climate neutrality on vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterpriseself- employed persons and vulnerable transport users in order to ensure affordable and energy efficient heating, and cooling and affordable and zero-emission mobility while accompanying and accelerating necessary measures to meet the climate targets of the Union.
Amendment 527 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. The Plan may include national measures providing temporary direct income support to vulnerable households and households that are vulnerable transport users to reduce the impact of the increase in the price of fossil fumeasures taken at Union and national levels, resulting from the inclusion of buildings and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/ECpectively, to enable the collective achievement of the climate-neutrality objective set out in article 1, paragraph 1 of Regulation(EU) 2021/1119 (European Climate Law).
Amendment 551 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point a
(a) finance measures and investments to increase energy efficiency of buildings, using a cost-effectiveness approach, such as life-cycle costing, to implement energy efficiency improvement measures, to carry out building renovation, and to decarbonise heating and cooling of buildings, including the integration of energy production from renewable energy sources;
Amendment 563 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) finance measures and investments to increase the uptake of zero- and low- emission mobility and transport.
Amendment 569 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
(ba) finance measures and investments to mitigate the negative impacts of the transition to climate neutrality on vulnerable households and tackle their social exclusion.
Amendment 588 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(ba) the coherence and mutual reinforcement of the accompanying measures to reduce the effects referred to in point (c)
Amendment 591 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) an estimate of the likely effects of that increase in pricese transition to climate neutrality on households, and in particular on incidence of energy poverty, on micro-enterpriseself-employed persons and on transport users, comprising in particular an estimate and the identification of vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterpriseself-employed persons and vulnerable transport users; these impacts are to be analysed with a sufficient level of regional disaggregation, taking into account elements such as access to public transport and basic services and identifying the groups and areas mostly affected, particularly territories which are remote and rural and those where the at risk of poverty rate is above the EU average;
Amendment 619 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
(ea) the sustainability of the measures and investments, and their long-term impact on vulnerable households, vulnerable self-employed persons and vulnerable transport users beyond 2032;
Amendment 620 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point e b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point e b (new)
Amendment 622 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
(ga) an explanation of how the Plan contributes to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights principles, in particular principle 20;
Amendment 625 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
(gb) an explanation of how the Plan ensures that social and labour rights are respected and promoted, and relevant social indicators are improved;
Amendment 640 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point j
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point j
(j) for the preparation and, where available, for the implementation, the implementation and the monitoring of the Plan, a summary of the consultation process, conducted in accordance with Article 10 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 and with the national legal frameworkEuropean Code of Conduct on Partnership, of local and regional authorities, social partners, civil society organisations, youth organisations and other relevant stakeholders, and how the input of the stakeholders is reflected in the Plan;
Amendment 653 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Payment of support shall be conditional upon achieving the milestones and targets for measures and investments set out in the Plans. Those milestones and targets shall be compatible with the Union’s climate, labour and social targets and cover in particular:
Amendment 673 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) reductions in the number of vulnerable households, especially households in energy poverty, of vulnerable micro-enterpriseself-employed persons and of vulnerable transport users, including in rural and remote areas.
Amendment 679 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e a (new)
(ea) creation of sustainable quality jobs by public and private entities receiving support as referred to in article 6(2) (c) and (f).
Amendment 684 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e b (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e b (new)
(eb) reduction of poverty.
Amendment 694 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Any activities financed by the Fund shall respect applicable collective agreements, social and labour law, regarding inter alia wages, working conditions, health and safety of workers, collective bargaining rights and trade union participation.
Amendment 706 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. Member States may include the costs of measures providing temporary direct income support to vulnerable households and vulnerable households that are transport users to absorb the increase in road transport and heating fuel prices. Such support shall decrease over time and be limited to the direct impact of the emission trading for buildings and road, affected by the climate neutral transportition. Eligibility for such direct income support shall cease within the time limits identified under Article 4(1) point (d).
Amendment 716 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Member States may include the costs of the following measures and investments in the estimated total costs of the Plans, provided they principally benefit vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterpriseself- employed persons or vulnerable transport users and intend to:
Amendment 721 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point -a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point -a (new)
(-a) ensure access to affordable energy efficient housing, including by providing sufficient energy efficient housing stock in the social housing sector, building new green social housing and supporting moving into more efficient housing stock;
Amendment 728 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) support building renovations, especially for those occupying worst- performing buildings and in the social housing sector, including in the form of financial support, without an up-front or minimum contribution requirement, or fiscal incentives such as deductibility of renovation costs from taxation or the rent, independently of the ownership of the buildings concerned;
Amendment 740 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) contribute to the decarbonisation, including the electrification, of heating and cooling of, and cooking in, buildings, by ensuring access to affordable and energy efficient systems, and the integration of energy from renewable sources that contribute to the achievements of energy savings;
Amendment 760 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) provide access to zero- and low- emission vehicles and bikes, including financial support or fiscal incentives for their purchase as well as for appropriate public and private infrastructure, including for recharging and refuelling, without an up-front or minimum contribution requirement, or fiscal incentives for their purchase; for support concerning low-emission vehicles, a timetable for gradually reducing the support shall be provided;
Amendment 778 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) support public and private entities in developing and providing affordable zero- and low-emission mobility and transport services and the uptake of attractive active mobility options for rural, insular, mountainous, remote and less accessible areas or for less developed regions or territories, including less developed peri- urban areas.
Amendment 791 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f a (new)
(fa) combat discrimination of certain vulnerable groups in accessing measures and support linked to the transition, including through capacity building;
Amendment 794 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f b (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f b (new)
(fb) facilitate access to sustainable consumption and promote cost-saving opportunities linked to the circular economy;
Amendment 795 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f c (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f c (new)
(fc) support cooperatives for the access and provision of clean energy and zero emission transport;
Amendment 796 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f d (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f d (new)
(fd) provide targeted and accessible information and awareness on risk reduction and cost-effective measures related to the transition to climate neutrality, as well as on the available support measures financed by the Fund.
Amendment 800 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7
Article 7
Amendment 815 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – title
Article 8 – title
Pass-on of benefits to households, micro- enterpriseself- employed persons and transport users
Amendment 818 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Member States may include into the estimated total costs financial support provided to public or private entities other than vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterpriseself-employed persons and vulnerable transport uses, if those entities carry out measures and investments ultimately benefitting vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterpriseself-employed persons and vulnerable transport users.
Amendment 823 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2
Article 8 – paragraph 2
Member States shall provide for the necessary statutory and contractual safeguards to ensure that the entire benefit is passed on to the households, micro- enterpriseself- employed persons and transport users.
Amendment 832 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. The financial envelope for the implementation of the Fund for the period 20253-2027 shall be at least EUR 23 700 000 000 in current prices.
Amendment 849 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
2. The financial envelope for the implementation of the Fund for the period 2028-2032 shall be at least EUR 48 500 000 000 in current prices, subject to the availability of the amounts under the annual ceilings of the applicable multiannual financial framework referred to in Article 312 TFEU.
Amendment 852 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. The Fund shall be endowed by: (a) 25 % from the total revenue from the allowances auctioned in accordance with Directive2003/87/EC [(COD)2021/0211] not allocated to the Modernisation or the Innovation Fund; (b) additional resources allocated in the Union budget, and by other resources in accordance with the applicable basic act.
Amendment 855 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. In the event that endowments to the Fund referred to in paragraph 2a of this Article are above the target amount of the financial envelope in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2, the surplus shall remain in the Fund.
Amendment 859 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 3
Article 9 – paragraph 3
3. The amounts referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 may also cover expenses pertaining to preparatory, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities which are required for the management of the Fund and the achievement of its objectives, in particular studies, meetings of experts, consultation of stakeholders, information and communication actions, including inclusive outreach actions, and corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, insofar as they are related to the objectives of this Regulation, expenses linked to IT networks focusing on information processing and exchange, corporate information technology tools, and all other technical and administrative assistance expenses incurred by the Commission for the management of the Fund. Expenses may also cover the costs of other supporting activities such as quality control and monitoring of projects on the ground and the costs of peer counselling and experts for the assessment and implementation of the eligible actions. These costs shall not exceed 4 % of the financial total allocation for the Plan.
Amendment 906 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall contribute at least to 540 percent of the total estimated costs of their Plans.
Amendment 914 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. By way of derogation from the paragraph 1, the contribution of Member States whose gross national income (GNI) per capita is below 90% of the EU average, shall be limited to a maximum of 20% of the total estimated costs of their Plans.
Amendment 917 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1 b (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, Member States shall contribute to 10% of the total estimated costs of the measures contributing to the eradication of energy poverty of and to ensuring access to sustainable transport for the most deprived persons.
Amendment 921 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2
Article 14 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall inter alia use revenues from the auctioning of their allowances in accordance with Chapter IVa of Directive 2003/87/EC for their national contribution to the total estimated costs of their Plans.
Amendment 926 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point a – point i
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point a – point i
(i) whether the Plan represents a response to the social impact on and challenges faced by vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterpriseself-employed persons and vulnerable transport users in the Member State concerned from establishing the emission trading system for buildings and road transport established pursuant to Chapter IVa of Directive 2003/87/ECthe transition to climate neutrality, especially households in energy poverty, duly taking into account the challenges identified in the assessments of the Commission of the update of the concerned Member State’s integrated national energy and climate plan and of its progress pursuant to Article 9(3), and Articles 13 and 29 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, as well as in the Commission recommendations to Member States issued pursuant to Article 34 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 in view of the long-term objective of climate neutrality in the Union by 2050. This shall take into account the specific challenges and the financial allocation of the Member State concerned;
Amendment 938 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point a – point ii
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point a – point ii
(ii) whether the Plan is expected to ensure that no measure ors and investments included in the Plan do not causes significant harm to environmental objectives within the meaning of Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/852, respect applicable social and labour law, and contribute to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights;
Amendment 955 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b – point i
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b – point i
(i) whether the Plan is expected to have a lasting impact on the challenges addressed by that Plan and in particular on vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterpriseself- employed persons and vulnerable transport users, especially households in energy poverty, in the Member State concerned;
Amendment 956 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b – point i a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b – point i a (new)
(ia) whether a meaningful involvement of local and regional authorities, social partners and relevant civil society organisations has been ensured during preparation, and whether such involvement is foreseen during the implementation and monitoring;
Amendment 963 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b – point iii a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b – point iii a (new)
(iiia) whether the Plan contributes to the creation of sustainable quality jobs.
Amendment 985 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1
Article 17 – paragraph 1
1. Where a Social Climate Plan, including relevant milestones and targets, is no longer achievable, either in whole or in part, by the Member State concerned because of objective circumstances, in particular because of the actual direct effects of the emission trading system for buildings and road transport established pursuant to Chapter IVa of Directive 2003/87/EC, the Member State concerned maythe Member State concerned may, following a meaningful consultation with regional and local authorities, social partners and relevant civil society organisations, submit to the Commission an amendment of its Plan to include the necessary and duly justified changes. Member States may request technical support for the preparation of such request.
Amendment 998 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 5
Article 17 – paragraph 5
5. By 15 March 2027 each Member State concerned shall assess the appropriateness of its Plans in view of the actual direct effects of the emission trading system for buildings and road transport established pursuant to Chapter IVa of Directive 2003/087/ECtransition to climate neutrality. Those assessments shall be submitted to the Commission as part of the biennial progress reporting pursuant to Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999.
Amendment 1002 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Article 18 – paragraph 1
1. After the Commission has adopted a decision as referred to in Article 16, it shall in due time conclude an agreement with the Member State concerned constituting an individual legal commitment within the meaning of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 covering the period 20253-2027. That agreement may be concluded at the earliest one year before the year of the start of the auctions under Chapter IVa of Directive 2003/87/EC.
Amendment 1025 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 7 a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Where it is established that breaches of the principles of the rule of law in a Member State affect or seriously risk affecting the sound financial management of the Fund or the protection of the financial interests of the Union, the Commission shall take the appropriate measures in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council which may include, among others, a suspension of payments to the affected national authorities. In such cases, the Commission shall take all necessary steps to ensure that the intended final beneficiaries of the Fund continue to have access to EU assistance, with the Commission ensuring disbursement via regional and local authorities, non-governmental organisations, or other entities with a proven capacity to ensure the sound financial management of the Fund.
Amendment 1041 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) ensure complementarity, synergy, coherence and consistency among different instruments at Union, national and, where appropriate, regional and local levels, both in the planning phase and during implementation;
Amendment 1045 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) ensure close cooperation between those responsible for implementation and control at Union, national and, where appropriate, regional and local levels to achieve the objectives of the Fund.
Amendment 1055 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Each Member State concerned shall, on a biennial basis and following a meaningful consultation with regional and local authorities, social partners and relevant civil society organisations, report to the Commission on the implementation of its Plan as part of its integrated national energy and climate progress report pursuant to Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 and in accordance with Article 28 thereof. The Member States concerned shall include in their progress report:
Amendment 1061 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) when applicable, detailed information on progress towards the national indicative objective to reduce the number of households in energy poverty, the access to affordable and zero- emission transport and mobility means, on progress regarding other relevant social indicators, and, where applicable, on the number of sustainable quality jobs created;
Amendment 1067 #
2021/0206(COD)
(f) in 2027, an assessment of the Plan referred to in Article 17(5) in view of the actual direct effects of the emission trading system for buildings and road transport established pursuant to Chapter IVa of Directive 2003/087/ECtransition to climate neutrality;
Amendment 1078 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 4
Article 23 – paragraph 4
4. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 25 to supplement this Regulation in order to set out the common indicators to be used for reporting on the progress and for the purpose of monitoring and evaluation of the Fund towards the achievement of the objectives set out in Article 1 are stated in Annex XX of this Regulation.
Amendment 1082 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 b (new)
Article 23 b (new)
Article 23 b Social Climate Dialogue 1. In order to enhance the dialogue between the Union institutions, in particular the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, and to ensure greater transparency and accountability, the competent committee of the European Parliament may invite the Commission twice a year to discuss the following matters: (a) the plans of the Member States; (b) the assessment of the plans of the Member States; (c) the status of fulfilment of the milestones and targets of the plans of the Member States; (d) payment, suspension and termination procedures, including any observation presented and remedial measures taken by the Member States to ensure a satisfactory fulfilment of the milestones and targets; (e) any other relevant information and documentation provided by the Commission to the competent committee of the European Parliament in relation to the implementation of the SCF. 2. The European Parliament may express its views in resolutions as regards the matters referred to in paragraph 1. 3. The Commission shall take into account any elements arising from the views expressed through the social climate dialogue, including the resolutions from the European Parliament if provided.
Amendment 1085 #
2021/0206(COD)
1. By 1 July 2028No later than two years after the entry into force of the present regulation, the Commission shall provide the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions with an evaluation report on the implementation and functioning of the Fund.
Amendment 1096 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 3
Article 24 – paragraph 3
3. The evaluation report shall, in particular, assess to which extent the objectives of the Fund laid down in Article 1 have been achieved, the efficiency of the use of the resources and the Union added value. It shall consider the continued relevance of all objectives and actions set out in Article 6 in light of the impact on greenhouse gas emissions from the emission trading system for buildings and road transport pursuant to Chapter IVa of Directive 2003/87/ECf the transition to climate neutrality and from the national measures taken to meet the binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/842 of the European Parliament and of the Council63 . It shall also consider the continued relevance of the financial envelope of the Fund in relation to possible developments concerning the auctioning of allowances under the emission trading system for buildings and road transport pursuant to Chapter IVa ofestablished by Directive 2003/87/EC and other relevant considerations. _________________ 63 Regulation (EU) 2018/842 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States from 2021 to 2030 contributing to climate action to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement and amending Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 (OJ L 156, 19.6.2018, p. 26-42).
Amendment 1100 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25
Article 25
Amendment 1105 #
2021/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 2
Article 26 – paragraph 2
Amendment 1109 #
Amendment 15 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regards to its resolution of 18 December 2019 on the EU Pollinators Initiative1a, __________________ 1a P9_TA(2019)0104
Amendment 75 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
- having regard to Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy; Directive 2006/118/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration and Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources,
Amendment 113 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)
Citation 23 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 11 February 2015 on country of origin labelling for meat in processed food1a, __________________ 1a OJ C 310, 25.8.2016, p. 15–18.
Amendment 114 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 b (new)
Citation 23 b (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 12 May 2016 on mandatory indication of the country of origin or place of provenance for certain food1a, __________________ 1a OJC 76, 28.2.2018, p. 49–53.
Amendment 118 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 a (new)
Citation 24 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 13 March 2019 on a Europe that protects: Clean air for all1a, __________________ 1a P8_TA(2019)0186
Amendment 128 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 a (new)
Citation 25 a (new)
- having regards to Special Eurobarometer 505:"Making our food fit for the future – Citizens’ expectations" from October 2020,
Amendment 148 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 a (new)
Citation 37 a (new)
- having regard to Council Presidency Conclusions of 15 December 2020 on front-of-pack nutrition labelling, nutrient profiles and origin labelling,
Amendment 151 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 a (new)
Citation 37 a (new)
- having regards to the European Committee of the Regions' opinion on the Farm to Fork Strategy "From Farm to Fork – the local and regional dimension"1a, __________________ 1a NAT-VII/005
Amendment 224 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Europe’s food system should deliver food and nutrition security in a way that contributes to social well- being and maintains and, restores ecosystem health and ensures animal health and welfare; whereas currently, the food system is responsible for a range of impacts on human and animal health and on the environment, the climate and biodiversity; whereas the way in which we produce and consume food needs to significantly transform in order to ensure coherence with the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity and EU policies, particularly in the areas of sustainability, the environment, climate, public health, animal welfare, food and economic sustainability for farmers;
Amendment 361 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
Amendment 396 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas it is estimated that in the EU in 2017 over 950,000 deaths (one out of five) and over 16 million lost healthy life years were attributable to unhealthy diets, mainly cardiovascular diseases and cancers1a; __________________ 1aEU Science Hub : https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/health- knowledge-gateway/societal- impacts/burden
Amendment 404 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the European food system has played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating its resilience with farmers, processors and retailers working together under difficult conditions, including lockdowns, to ensure that European consumers continue to have access to safe, affordable, and high quality products without impediment; whereas the COVID-19 crisis, nevertheless, has highlighted the limits and weaknesses of globalised and intricate food supply chains, and has shown that over- specialisation of agricultural production leaves countries more vulnerable to trade restrictions and sudden shifts in consumer demand;
Amendment 426 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas globally, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), agriculture represents roughly one quarter of total anthropogenic emissions (23% on average) while the estimated share of food systems more broadly is between 21%and 37%1a; whereas about half of the food system emissions are direct emissions, mostly methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O)from farming practices, from the animals themselves and from their manure and the other half being emissions linked to land use and land-use changes1b (such as clearing of forests), and CO2 emissions from pre- and post- production sectors (transport of food, food processing, food waste, etc.); __________________ 1aIPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL),Summary for Policy Makers, 8 August 2019. https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/ 1bBetween 1960 and 2011, 65% of global land-use change was driven by the production of animal products. Drivers for global agricultural land-use change: The nexus of diet, population, yield and bioenergy. Global Environmental Change, 35: 138–147.
Amendment 456 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas the EU agricultural sector produced 426 473 kilo tonnes of CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gases in 2015, about 10 % of the EU’s total GHG emissions (excluding Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) net removals) for that year; whereas there are considerable variations between Member States, with agriculture accounting from ~3% to 33% of national GHG emissions;
Amendment 467 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas emissions of ammonia (NH3) rose for the fourth year running, increasing by 0.4% across the EU, from 2016 to 20171a with the overall increase over the 2014-2017 period of about 2.5%; whereas these increases are because of the lack of emission reductions in the agricultural sector; whereas ammonia emissions can lead to increased acid depositions and excessive levels of nutrients in soil, rivers or lakes, which can have negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems and cause damage to forests, crops and other vegetation; whereas eutrophication can lead to severe reductions in water quality with subsequent impacts including decreased biodiversity, and toxicity effects; __________________ 1aAnnual EEA briefing ‘National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive reporting status 2019’ https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/air/air- pollution-sources-1/national-emission- ceilings/nec-directive-reporting-status- 2019
Amendment 472 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas agriculture is the third biggest source of primary PM10 emissions in the EU, as stressed by the European Environment Agency; whereas ammonia (NH3) emissions from agriculture contribute to episodes of high PM concentrations experienced across Europe each spring, as well as to both short- and long-term negative health impacts;
Amendment 476 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E e (new)
Recital E e (new)
Ee. whereas methane emissions from agriculture are an important precursor to ground-level ozone, which has adverse effects on human health; whereas 98 % of the EU’s urban population is exposed to ozone levels exceeding WHO guidelines;
Amendment 477 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E f (new)
Recital E f (new)
Ef. whereas agro-ecology is an integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of food and agricultural systems; whereas it seeks to optimise the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment while taking into consideration the social aspects that need to be addressed for a sustainable and fair food system;
Amendment 479 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E g (new)
Recital E g (new)
Eg. whereas agro-ecology can support food production and security and nutrition while restoring the ecosystem services and biodiversity that are essential for sustainable agriculture and plays an important role in building resilience and adapting to climate change; whereas the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)recognises it as a solution to tackle the multi-facetted social and environmental challenges facing the global food system;
Amendment 480 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E h (new)
Recital E h (new)
Amendment 515 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the ambitions and goals of the farm to fork strategy as an important steps in ensuring a sustainable, fair, healthy and resilient food system, which is central to achieving the goals set out in the European Green Deal and in the SDGs; emphasises the inextricable links between healthy people, healthy societies and a healthy planet, encourages the Commission to translate the strategy into concrete legislative and non-legislative action as soon as possible;
Amendment 593 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the announcement of an impact-assessed proposal for a legislative framework for sustainable food systems; invites the Commission to use this proposal to set out a holistic, integrated common food policy aimed at reducing the environmental and climate footprint of the EU food system in order to make Europe the first climate- neutral continent by 2050 and strengthen its resilience to ensure food security in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss, leading a global transition towards sustainability from farm to fork, based on the principle of a multifunctional agricultural sector while ensuring consistency between policies by taking into account the existing legislation in order to enable all actors in the European food system to develop long- term plans based on realistic and transparent objectives; suggests that the respective base lines and progress achieved in each Member State be taken into account, while promoting the exchange of know-how and best practices between Member States; stresses the need to include the entire food and beverage chains including production, processing, marketing, transport, distribution and retail and to cover the environmental, social(including health) and economic dimensions of sustainability;
Amendment 657 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Emphasises the need to ensure coherence of agricultural practices with the goals of the European Green Deal in terms of climate change, biodiversity, circular economy and zero pollution;
Amendment 664 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls on the Commission to use the farm to fork strategy to build a truly long-term vision for Europe’s sustainable and competitive food system, able to guarantee access to healthy and quality products through binding targets for agriculture on biodiversity, climate, air pollution, water pollution, pesticides use and land degradation, while addressing sustainability issues around consumption, health and trade and safeguarding a high level of animal health and welfare, and at the same time promoting reciprocity of EU production standards with all commercial partners;
Amendment 676 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Calls on the farm to fork strategy to deliver together with the Biodiversity Strategy on the EU’s climate and environmental objectives through protection and restoration of ecosystems currently used for food production with a particular focus on the restoration of grasslands and drained peatlands, two major carbon sinks, as well as through protection of remaining natural ecosystems from further agricultural expansion such as peatlands, wetlands and old-growth forests;
Amendment 680 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. Stresses that the Common Agricultural Policy and the farm to fork strategy must be determined together at European level, in order to complement each other and protect a fair balance between production, consumer health and environment, and must be attributed adequate resources to strengthen farmers’ position in the agri-food supply chain;
Amendment 682 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 e (new)
Paragraph 2 e (new)
2e. Reiterates that to ensure a proportionate contribution from the sector, agriculture should be target-driven in the EU’s ambition to move towards net- zero emissions by mid-century or before; stresses that inclusion of farmers in climate action is crucial in order to achieve global mitigation targets without compromising global food and nutrition security and the Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 683 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 f (new)
Paragraph 2 f (new)
2f. Calls for a sustainable and efficient CAP which actively encourages farmers to deliver more environmental and climate benefits, including through strengthened common standards and mandatory requirements, especially for eco-schemes, providing a wide range of tools for farmers adapted to specific natural conditions to more efficiently use essential resources and inputs in food production, to improve biodiversity and soils, increase carbon sequestration, preserve sensitive habitats, contribute to the circular economy, reduce waste in the production cycle and phase-out subsidies which damage the climate;
Amendment 719 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 782 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Points out that, in addition to revising the directive on the sustainable use of pesticides to reduce the use and risks of pesticides, the Commission should improve the environmental risk assessment for plant protection products in order to take into account the effects of pesticides on water quality and drinking water sources, including cumulative and combination effects; emphasises that pesticides that have a strong negative impact on groundwater and surface water quality, or to the production of drinking water, should be phased out as a priority, and that the substitution of harmful pesticides by low-risk substances should be promoted; stresses the need to improve policy coordination between agricultural, pesticide-, biocide- and fertiliser-related legislation and, inter alia, water legislation in order to ensure the protection of our water resources, and in particular of those used for drinking water production, from overexploitation and agricultural pollution;
Amendment 818 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Notes that several CAP measures can contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive, for example by promoting IPM and organic farming; reminds that CAP rules also require Member States to establish farm advisory systems and provide advice on IPM to all farmers; regrets however that, while the IPM principles are mandatory for farmers, they are not included as a condition for CAP payments and despite encouragement for more sustainable farming practices, there are few measures deterring farmers from using ‘standard’ PPPs rather than turning to non-chemical or alternative methods1e; calls on the Member States to convert the general IPM principles into practical and measurable criteria and verify these criteria at farm level; calls on the Commission to incorporate these measurable IPM criteria into ‘conditionality’ in the post-2020 CAP and ensure they are enforced; _________________ 1eSpecial Report of the Court of Auditors 05/2019 "Sustainable use of plant protection products: limited progress in measuring and reducing risks"
Amendment 842 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Notes with interest the Commission's estimation of the EU-wide risks and impacts related to PPP use, published in November 2019, based on calculations of the two recently adopted harmonised risk indicators (one indicator based on PPP sales statistics and the other based on the number of emergency authorisations); regrets however that neither of the indicators show the extent to which the SUP Directive has been successful in achieving the EU objective of sustainable use of PPPs and that several concerns have been raised regarding the scientific rationale for the weightings used;1f calls on the Commission, in order to adequately assess the progress made towards policy objectives, to improve the harmonised risk indicators, or develop new ones that take into account, for Harmonised Risk Indicator II, agricultural areas or volumes of active substance, for Harmonised Risk Indicator I, the way PPPs are used; _________________ 1fEuropean Court of Auditors' Special Report 05/2019 "Sustainable use of plant protection products: limited progress in measuring and reducing risks"
Amendment 953 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises the importance of recognising the significant impact of agriculture and especially animal production on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and land use; stresses the need to enhance natural carbon sinks and reduce agricultural emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, in particular in the feed and livestock sectors; calls for regulatory measures and binding targets to ensure progressive reductions in all GHG emissions in these sectors;
Amendment 957 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Underlines that future agriculture and food policies should facilitate the transition to sustainable farming by rewarding farmers for the environmental and climate public goods they deliver, better reflecting the challenges faced by farmers and society, the need for change, and to support farmers in making low carbon choices the norm; stresses that farms and farm businesses should be made more resource efficient, low carbon, ecologically sound, sustainable and resilient thus enabling farms to become more independent and able to align themselves with what European citizens want from their rural environment;
Amendment 982 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Stresses that intensive livestock production is highly unsustainable as it overloads the environment with nutrients, contributes to climate change through intensive GHG emissions, as well as air pollution and soil degradation and relies on destructive monocultures for feed production; calls for a coherent policy mix to enable a transition towards circular, extensive livestock production as part of mixed farming system, which respects the carrying capacity of the local environment and supports biodiversity;
Amendment 984 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Amendment 986 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4e. Underlines the fact that technical measures to limit ammonia emissions exist, but are so far only used by a few Member States; recalls that these include: nitrogen management, taking into account the full nitrogen cycle; livestock feeding strategies to reduce nitrogen excretion from cattle, pigs and poultry; low-emission application of manure and fertiliser to land; low-emission manure storage systems; low-emission manure processing and composting systems; low- emission animal housing systems; and low-emission approaches for mineral fertiliser application;
Amendment 988 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 f (new)
Paragraph 4 f (new)
4f. Regrets that methane emissions are not regulated under EU air pollution legislation and not specifically regulated under EU climate policy; highlights the various cost-effective ways of addressing methane emissions without affecting meat and milk consumption; considers that manure management offers emissions reduction potential, through the adoption of simple and cost-efficient measures from storage to spreading techniques; further considers that changing feeding strategies (e.g. adding leguminous elements such as alfalfa and flax) would significantly reduce enteric methane emissions;
Amendment 1150 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 1182 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Underlines that inconsistencies between different EU policies affecting our food system have hindered progress towards EU’s international commitments on the SDGs and a truly sustainable European food system; stresses that the farm to fork strategy and the European Green Deal must ensure full policy coherence between agriculture, environment, trade and climate policies; calls on the CAP National Strategic Plans to fully support the implementation of existing EU environmental law and to contribute to the objectives of the Green Deal in order to ensure coherence with EU’s climate and environmental targets;
Amendment 1199 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on the Commission and on Member States to promote the agro- ecological farming practices in EU agriculture based on the set of principles as defined by FAO1g, in particular through the CAP Strategic Plans, in order to transform the EU’s food and agricultural system, to mainstream sustainable agriculture and to achieve Zero Hunger and multiple other SDGs; _________________ 1gThe 10 Elements of Agroecology Guiding the Transition to Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems http://www.fao.org/3/I9037EN/i9037en.pd f
Amendment 1217 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for CAP National Strategic Plans to ensure adequate financial support and incentives to promote new ecological ‘green’ business models for agriculture and artisanal food production, notably through fostering short supply chains and quality food production; to achieve these objectives, stresses that it is essential that European regions should be able to continue to perform their role as managing authorities in order to support the transitions as locally as possible and to ensure that the future strategic plans meet local needs;
Amendment 1317 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that the European food system generally delivers a sufficient and varied supply of safe, and nutritious, affordable and sustainable food to people at all times and underlines that increasing the economic, environmental and social sustainability of food producers will ultimately increase their resilience; encourages the Commission to consider the food supply cha food to people at all times; points out, however, that an estimated 11% of the population (49 million people, EU-27) are unable to afford a quality meal every second day and that COVID-19 is likely to exacerbate fin and itcial difficulties wforkers as a strategic asset for the safety and well-being of all Europea many European households; stresses that food poverty requires appropriate policy response;
Amendment 1325 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Underlines that increasing the economic, environmental and social sustainability of food producers will ultimately increase their resilience; encourages the Commission to consider the food supply chain and its workers as a strategic asset for the safety and well- being of all Europeans;
Amendment 1390 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Expresses its deep concern about the increasingly frequent emergence of zoonotic diseases that are transferred from animals to humans (anthropozoonoses), such as Q fever, avian influenza and the new strain of influenza A (H1N1), which is exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change, the destruction of biodiversity, environmental degradation and our current food production and consumption systems;
Amendment 1403 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Welcomes the emphasis placed on the need to reduce antibiotics use in animal agriculture and stresses that EU initiatives in this area should adopt a One Health approach that recognises the interdependence between the health and well-being of humans, animals and the planet; calls to ensure equivalent standards for products of animal origin imported into the EU as those adopted under the Veterinary Medicines Regulation; notes the need, as part of the revision of the feed additives Regulation, to address substances currently not classified as antibiotics, such as coccidiostats, that may be used in animal agriculture in high quantities for preventative use and thereby compensate for poor animal husbandry practices;
Amendment 1476 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Urges the Commission to follow up on Directive (EU) 2019/633 on unfair trading practices22 and the EU code of conduct on responsible business and marketing practices by producing a monitoring framework for the food and retail sectors and providing for legal action if progress in integrating economic, environmental and social sustainability into corporate strategies is insufficient, and in so doing promoting and rewarding the efforts of sustainable agricultural producers while increasing the availability and affordability of healthy, sustainable food options and reducing the overall environmental footprint of the food system; insists on the need for the EU code of conduct for food and retail businesses to focus on commitments which are relevant to shaping healthy and sustainable food environments, and which are specific, measurable and time bound, and centred on key operations of the entities involved; stresses the importance of halting and addressing consolidation and concentration in the grocery retail sector in order to ensure fair prices for farmers; _________________ 22 OJ L 111, 25.4.2019, p. 59.
Amendment 1539 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Urges the review of the EU promotion programme for agricultural and food products, including the EU school scheme, with a view to bringing it into coherence with the objectives of the Green Deal and farm to fork strategy and enhancing its contribution to sustainable production and consumption, notably by focusing on educational messages about the importance of healthy nutrition, short local and regional supply chains and promoting greater consumption of fruit and vegetables with the aim of reducing obesity rates;
Amendment 1651 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for a comprehensive and complementary range of measures to reduce the burden that highly processed foods with high salt, sugar and fat content place on public health; regrets that the introduction of nutrient profiles is greatly delayed andcalls that nutrient profiles, which are long overdue, remain pertinent and necessary to meet the objectives of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on Nutrition and Health Claims; welcomes the announcement of a legislative proposal to establish nutrient profiles; points out that many food products, including some marketed towards children, continue to use health and nutrition claims despite them having high levels of nutrients of concern; stresses that a robust set of nutrient profiles must be developed to restrict or prohibit the use of false nutritional claims on foods high in fats, sugars and/or salt; calls for a mandatory EU-wide front-of-pack nutrition labelling system based on independent science;
Amendment 1688 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Highlights that 1 in 2 adults is overweight or obese in the EU, demonstrating the need for stronger action to help stem this public health crisis; recognises that front-of-pack nutritional labels have been identified by international public health bodies such as the World Health Organisation as a key tool to help consumers make more informed and healthier food choices; calls on the Commission to ensure that the EU mandatory front-of-pack nutritional label is developed based on robust, independent scientific evidence and demonstrated consumer understanding; stresses furthermore that to facilitate comparison across products, it should include an interpretive element and be based on uniform reference amounts such as per 100g/100ml;
Amendment 1734 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to revise the EU legislation on food contact materials (FCM); reiterates its call to revise the legislation on FCM in line with the regulation on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH), as well as classification, labelling and packaging regulations, and to insert, without further delay, specific provisions to substitute endocrine disrupting chemicals; stresses that equal safety requirements should be applied to virgin and recycled materials;
Amendment 1742 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Insists further on the need for comprehensive, harmonised regulation of all FCMs, which should be based on the precautionary principle, the principle of ‘no data, no market’, comprehensive safety assessments that address all the relevant safety and health endpoints and are based on the latest scientific data for all chemicals used in FCMs, effective enforcement and improved information to consumers;
Amendment 1745 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Notes that vast majority of chemicals in the EU is currently regulated on a case-by-case basis and for each specific use while ample evidence justifies that for the most harmful chemicals the generic approach to risk management becomes the default option, in particular as regards their use in consumer products; calls, therefore, on the Commission to extend the generic approach to risk management across legislation to ensure that substances used in agriculture, food production and processing do not contain chemicals that cause cancers, gene mutations, affect the reproductive or the endocrine system, or are persistent and bio-accumulative;
Amendment 1753 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the fact that the strategy rightly recognises the role and influence of the food environment in shaping consumption patterns and the need to make it easier for consumers to choose healthy and sustainable diets; reiterates the importance of promoting sustainable diets by raising consumer awareness of the impacts of consumption patterns and providing information on diets that are better for human health and have a lower environmental footprint, such as products from short local and regional supply chains; underlines the important role which consumer organisations can play in this regard; underlines that food prices must send the right signal to consumers; welcomstresses, therefore, the strategy’s objective that the healthy and sustainable choice should become the most affordable one; at the shift to a more sustainable food system cannot rely solely on individual choices by consumers and that a range of actions, including regulation, is needed to make food production more sustainable by default;
Amendment 1796 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Amendment 1801 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Underlines that the affordability of healthy and sustainable food choices is the main obstacle to the adoption by consumers of healthy and sustainable diets and that food prices must send the right signal to consumers; welcomes, therefore, the strategy’s objective that the healthy and sustainable choice should become the most affordable one; invites the Commission to launch a study to quantify in economic terms the environmental and societal (including health-related) costs associated with the production and consumption of the most consumed food products on the EU market, as a first step towards moving towards true cost accounting for food;1a _________________ 1aSpecial Eurobarometer 505. Making our food fit for the future – Citizens’ expectations. October 2020. ‘Healthy, sustainable food choices are affordable’ was the answer most frequently given by consumers when asked about what would help them to adopt a healthy and sustainable diet.
Amendment 1804 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Welcomes the future legislative proposals to improve consumer information on food origin; highlights that origin is the most important factor for Europeans when buying food; reminds the Commission of the Parliament’s resolutions of 11 February 2015 and 12 May 2016, where Parliament called for mandatory origin labelling of drinking milk, dairy products and meat used as an ingredient in processed foods; adds furthermore that mandatory labelling of origin should also be extended to seafood products, not least those that are preserved or processed;
Amendment 1808 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Amendment 1810 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 e (new)
Paragraph 18 e (new)
18e. Highlights that too many unsubstantiated and even misleading environmental claims are being used on food, creating confusion among consumers and making it difficult for them to identify the products that are more environmentally friendly; calls on the Commission to introduce a new regulatory framework establishing a clear, swift and efficient pre-approval procedure for all green claims and labels, taking into account the experience gained in the application of the system already in place for health and nutrition claims; stresses that such framework would protect consumers from untruthful green claims while ensuring that businesses who genuinely strive for more environmentally friendly operations are duly rewarded for their efforts;
Amendment 1813 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 f (new)
Paragraph 18 f (new)
18f. Stresses that Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires that where the origin of a food is given and is different from the one of its primary ingredient, the origin of the primary ingredient shall be given or at least indicated as being different to the origin of the food; points out that in practice that means that products whose primary ingredients are not locally or regionally sourced can be marketed as such if the origin of said non-local primary ingredients is indicated in small print; underlines that there is an imbalance between the visibility of marketing practices that use national, regional and local names and symbols for products whose primary ingredients are not nationally, regionally or locally sourced and EU labelling requirements; considers this to be detrimental to the consumers' right to be properly informed and potentially misleading; calls on the Commission to rectify that imbalance;
Amendment 1816 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 g (new)
Paragraph 18 g (new)
18g. Points out that Directive 2001/110 regulates that honey sold on European markets is either labelled as coming from a specific country, as ‘EU’ or as ‘non- EU’, or as both ‘EU and non-EU’ honey blends. In both non-EU cases, blended or not, the consumer is not aware whether the product is actually genuine EU standard quality honey, meaning without added sugar syrup, for example; calls on the Commission and Member States to support the EU beekeeping sector by reinforcing import inspections in order to prevent imports of adulterated honey; considers that the current rules are not fit for purpose as they provide ambiguous information to consumers and facilitate the import and sale of low quality or adulterated honey in the EU; calls on the Commission to propose legislative changes for honey labelling rules that will result in better consumer information and support the EU beekeeping sector;
Amendment 1839 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Reaffirms its beliefUnderlines that policy measures that are dependent solely on consumer choice lack efficacy and unduly shift the responsibility to purchase sustainable products to consumers; notes that third- party certification and labelling alone are not effective in ensuring sustainable production and consumption;
Amendment 1949 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Considers that the further development of sustainable plant protein production and alternative sources of protein in the EU is a way of effectively addressing many of the environmental and climate challenges that EU agriculture is facing, as well as preventing deforestation in countries outside the EU;
Amendment 1953 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Recalls its resolution of 15 January 2020 on the European Green Deal and its resolution of 22 October 2020 on an EU legal framework to halt and reverse EU-driven global deforestation and its repeated demand to the Commission to present, without delay, a proposal for an EU legal framework based on mandatory due diligence to ensure sustainable and deforestation-free supply chains for products placed on the Union market, with a particular focus on tackling the main drivers of imported deforestation and instead encouraging imports that do not create deforestation and ecosystem degradation abroad;
Amendment 2013 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
Amendment 2073 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Highlights with concern the downward trend across the EU in both the number of official food controls undertaken and the resources allocated to them; supports the Commission in its efforts to combat food fraud; considers that the punishment should fit the crime in cases of intentional food fraud and calls on Member States to adequately reflect that principle in national legislation, in line with the Official Controls Regulation 2017/625;
Amendment 2243 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Underlines that approximately 80% of global deforestation is caused by the expansion of land used for agriculture1a; stresses in this context that the Commission Communication on Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests of July 2019 recognises that Union demand for products such as palm oil, meat, soy, cocoa, maize, timber, rubber, including in the form of processed products or services, is a large driver of deforestation, forest degradation, ecosystem destruction and associated human rights violations across the globe and represents around 10 % of the global share of deforestation embodied in total final consumption1b; in addition notes that EU consumption of other commodities, such as cotton, coffee, sugar cane, rapeseed and mangrove- farmed shrimps also contributes to global deforestation; _________________ 1aFAO. 2016. State of the World’s Forests 2016. Forests and agriculture: land-use challenges and opportunities. Rome. http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5588e.pdf 1bEuropean Commission, 2013. The impact of EU consumption on deforestation: Comprehensive analysis of the impact of EU consumption on deforestation. Final report. Study funded by the European Commission and undertaken by VITO, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, HIVA-Onderzoeksinstituut voor Arbeid en Samenleving and International Union for the Conservation of Nature NL.
Amendment 2272 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Considers that trade and international cooperation are important tools for consolidating higher standards of sustainability, especially with regard to sectors that are linked to agriculture, forests and their derived value chains; stresses that Union trade and investment agreements should include binding and enforceable sustainable development chapters that fully respect international commitments, in particular the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Amendment 2284 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Recommends, in the context of the ‘do no harm’ principle as highlighted in the communication on the European Green Deal, that the Commission better and regularly assess the impact of existing trade and investment agreements on deforestation, forest and ecosystem degradation, land grabbing and human rights and ensure that more ambitious binding and enforceable provisions on forest and ecosystem protection, biodiversity, on ending land grabbing and sustainable forestry are included in the trade and sustainable development chapters of all free trade and investment agreements;
Amendment 2288 #
2020/2260(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 d (new)
Paragraph 26 d (new)
26d. Notes with concern that despite being banned in the EU, European companies continue to produce and sell pesticides to third countries with lower human health and environmental protection laws; calls on the Commission to halt the production and export of banned pesticides to third countries, some of which can be detected in food sold back to the EU market and to ensure that imported and exported chemicals and products containing thereof abide by the same standards as those governing chemicals and products produced and used in the Union in order to ensure a level playing field between EU and non- EU manufacturers;
Amendment 11 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Considers that the European strategy for data must take into account the General Data Protection Regulation while creating a veritable single market for data and ensuring consumer protection in the single market;
Amendment 21 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges the Commission to empower consumers to put them in control of their data and to ensure that the single market for data is grounded in European values and fairness in competition; calls on the Commission to adopt a cautious approach in order to ensure that consumers should always be able to decide who gets access to their personal data and under what circumstances; believes that citizens’ data could help in developing innovative green solutions and services that would benefit European consumers and companies; asks the Commission to consider how to support data altruism in full compliance with European legislation;
Amendment 23 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges the Commission to empower consumers to put them in control of their data and to ensure that the single market for data is grounded in European values and fairness in competition; believes that citizens’ data could help in developing innovative green solutions and services that would benefit European consumers and companies; asks the Commission to consider how to support data altruism in full compliance with European legislation; considers the exchange of data with third countries to be necessary, while ensuring data security and transparency;
Amendment 49 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls the importance of security and data protection as key elements for data sharing initiatives and the future EU data spaces; highlights that companies must comply with the GDPR in its entirety, including the principles of data minimisation, and data protection by design and by default; welcomes the Commission’s plan to adopt measures to enhance the portability right under Article 20 of the GDPR in its upcoming Data Act; encourages the Commission to facilitate the finalisation of the negotiations on the ePrivacy Regulation in order to ensure future-proof privacy in electronic communications;
Amendment 67 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on the Commission to pay particular attention to situations where data is co-generated and makes it difficult to identify to whom the data might refer to, which can pose difficulties as to who is entitled to apply data protection rights;
Amendment 71 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Encourages the Commission to establish proper mechanisms and the right conditions to make G2B data sharing widely and freely available, in a machine-readable format and through standardised Application Programming Interfaces (APIs); considers that this could include that businesses should only have access to the free data if they pay taxes in EU;
Amendment 78 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3d. Emphasises that market surveillance authorities should have access to all relevant data in order to strengthen their actions and ensure sufficient control of products safety;
Amendment 80 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Paragraph 3 e (new)
3e. Encourages the Commission to assess possible mechanisms and tools to allow and encourage the donation of data by companies, which can be of public interest while respecting existing European legislation;
Amendment 90 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Underlines the important need to develop a cyber-secure and dynamic cloud ecosystem in Europe in order to deliver a successful and competitive Digital Single Market; encourages the Commission to develop a coherent cloud rulebook that takes into consideration the work of the Working Group on Switching Cloud providers and data porting (SWIPO) and seeks to ensure that customers can choose their cloud services providers as well as retrieve, transfer and move data to other clouds in a free and secure manner;
Amendment 96 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Considers that data is an essential element and resource of the European economy, which must be harnessed and to which European companies, including SMEs should have access, in compliance with the rules in force regarding data protection;
Amendment 101 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Suggests developing a technical and legal framework for data sharing to keep data secure and to ensure control over who access data and for what purpose; highlights initiatives such as the Nordic Smart Government which intends to enable SMEs to voluntary share data automatically and in real-time through a decentralised digital ecosystem;
Amendment 104 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Underlines that when defining standards for sharing data across sectors, the Commission should pay particular attention to the standards applying within the sector in order to ensure a coherent cross-sector data-sharing standard and avoid disadvantaging a sector towards another;
Amendment 3 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Emphasises that the agencies have significant influence on policy- and decision-making, and programme preparation and implementation in areas of vital importance to Union citizens’ daily lives, such as health, safety, security, freedom and justice; reiterates the importance of agencies in addressing specific policy needs and to reinforce European cooperation; notes that the agencies can also act as frontrunners to solve crisis situations or long-term societal challenges;
Amendment 25 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Notes that in 2019, at the level of senior management, an even gender balance was reported by three agencies, a good balance was achieved by ten agencies, but that there was no gender balance in 16 agencies (four of them featured male-only representation and one of them only female representation); calls on the agencies to increase their efforts towards better gender balance among management staff;
Amendment 26 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Notes further that in terms of geneder balance in management boards in 2019, there was no agency with an even gender balance, a good balance existed in seven agencies, and there was no gender balance in 14 management boards; asks the Member States and the relevant organisations that participate in management boards to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to an Agency’s management board;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11 c. Notes further that, as regards overall staff, eight agencies have an even gender balance, 19 agencies have a good gender balance and three agencies have no gender balance; calls on the agencies to continue to strive for a good gender balance in the future;
Amendment 28 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 d (new)
Paragraph 11 d (new)
11 d. Notes with concern that in 2019 only 34 % of members of the highest decision-making bodies of all Union agencies were women and recalls that gender balance must be ensured within the Union agencies in accordance with the basic regulations establishing them; asks, therefore, that the Union agencies collect and present data on gender balance for all categories of management staff (from the lowest to the highest level) to gather the basic data on which the Union agencies are encouraged to address the gender imbalance in management and pursue gender mainstreaming in all fields;
Amendment 35 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Notes that the agencies reported a total number of six former Members of European Parliament (MEPs), former Commissioners or former high-level officials that performed paid duties for an agency and that it concerned four former MEPs, one former Commissioner and one former high-level official; notes that these persons received indemnities and reimbursements for costs made;
Amendment 50 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes with concern that it remains the case that not all agencies have published on their websites the CVs and the declarations of interest for members of the management boards, executive leadership and seconded experts; regrets the fact that some agencies still publish declarations of absence of conflicts of interests; highlights that it is not up to the board members or executives to declare themselves to have an absence of conflicts of interests; reiterates its calls for a unified model of declarations of interest to be implemented by all agencies; stresses the importance of establreinforcing the exishting an independent ethics body to assessrules, improving their implementation and encouraging the homogenisation to assess or deal with conflict of interest and revolving door situations throughout the institutions, agencies and other bodies of the Union; urges the Member States to ensure that all seconded experts publish their respective declarations of interest and CVs on the respective agency websites;
Amendment 53 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Notes with concern that not all agencies report the meetings that the agencies’ staff has with external stakeholders, in particular the management level’s meetings with organisations and self-employed individuals; calls on the agencies to report and to make available the meetings on the agencies’ website in order to enhance the transparency of their activities;
Amendment 63 #
2020/2194(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Emphasises the importance of sustainability reporting in all Union agencies; notes with concern that only one Union agency, the European Union Intellectual Property Office, publishes a sustainability report; reiterates its call on the agencies to integrate sustainability in their reporting systems;
Amendment 1 #
2020/2180(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes the appointment of a new executive director on 16 June 2019; welcomes the detailed follow-up report by the Office on the observations of Parliament for the financial year 2019, in particular the steps made in the area of procurement with the successful conclusion of the framework contract for temporary agency workers in Italy that was awarded in 2019 and its full compliance with Union procurement rules; notes the corrective measures introduced in order to improve the governance structure and to restore transparency and the reputation of the Office;
Amendment 9 #
2020/2180(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Notes that additional indicators were adopted by the Management Board on 7 June 2019, subsequently amended on 18 February 2020, which call for quarterly reporting to the Management Board in the following areas: implementation of the EASO Work Programme, budget and finance, human resources, staff engagement, internal controls, and procurement;
Amendment 15 #
2020/2180(DEC)
6 a. Notes with concern that in 2019 senior management comprised eight men and three women; notes with satisfaction that a good gender balance was achieved with regard to the management board (16 men and 16 women); asks the Office to ensure gender balance at the senior management and staff level in the future;
Amendment 18 #
2020/2180(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Notes that the Agency has adopted the policy on protecting the dignity of the person and preventing harassment in 2019;
Amendment 19 #
2020/2180(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6 c. Notes the Office’s reply that 81 % of posts were filled in 2019 (representing an increase of 7 % as compared with 2018) and that turnover has decreased from 10 % in 2018 to 7 % in 2019;
Amendment 21 #
2020/2180(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes the Office’s reply to the discharge authority on the declaration of interests, which stated that all staff sign a declaration of interests upon entry into service; notes that the declaration of interests ofand CVs of all members of the management board and the executive director hasve been published on the Office’s website; calls on the Office to publish the declarations of interests and CVs of the other senior management members on its website and to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken in this regard;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2180(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Welcomes the adoption of Guidelines on Whistleblowing on 20 September 2019;
Amendment 29 #
2020/2180(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes the adoption of a new organigram by the Office’s management board on 26 November 2019; acknowledges the reinforcement of the Office’s governance structures, including the responsibilities of the executive office; stresses the importance to further strengthen the procurement function, in the light of the Court’s ongoing findings regarding irregular procedures and associated payments; notes the Office’s reply to the Court’s finding and the measures taken by the Office to prevent a recurrence of these failures;
Amendment 4 #
2020/2178(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Notes with concern that on 31 December 2019 gender balance at staff level has decreased by 8 % compared to 2018 (2018: 52 % women and 48 % men; 2019: 44 % women and 56 % men) and in middle management positions by 17 % (2018: 50 % women and 50 % men; 2019: 33 % women and 67 % men); asks the BEREC Office to ensure gender balance at the staff and middle management levels in the future; notes that a good geographical balance was achieved, with the BEREC Office employing 32 staff members from 13 Member States; is concerned that gender balance was not achieved among the members of the management board, with only 7 women among 28 members; asks in that regard the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the BEREC Office’s management board;
Amendment 9 #
2020/2178(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes the BEREC Office’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency and prevention and management of conflicts of interest; acknowledges that CVs of most of the board members are published on its website; however, points out with concern that the BEREC Office still does not publish the CVs and the declarations of interest of all board members on its website; calls on the BEREC Office to publish the CVs and declarations of interest of all the members of the management board and to report to the European Parliament on the measures taken in that regard;
Amendment 10 #
2020/2178(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes with satisfaction that the BEREC Office has established new rules on preventing and managing conflicts of interest concerning the members of the management board (Decision No MB/2019/16), based on the new rules the board members must submit their CVs together with the declarations of interest, which are published on the BEREC Office’s website; however, notes that not all members of the board follow the new rules; calls on the BEREC Office to take appropriate measures to ensure that internal rules are followed at all levels in the organisation;
Amendment 1 #
2020/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the Agency succeeded in the adoption of significant decisions, opinions and recommendations in the Union electricity and gas markets resulting from the adoption of the Regulation (EU) no 1227/20112 on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency (REMIT); notes with concern that some tasks were deprioritised or not executed due to a lack of resources; _________________ 2Regulation (EU) no 1227/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency (OJ L 326 8.12.2011, p. 1)
Amendment 6 #
2020/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Reiterates its concern that the gender balance at the Agency’s senior management level (5 men and 1 woman) and on the Administrative Board (11 men and 7 women) was not fully respected; asks the Union institutions to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Agency’s Administrative Board;
Amendment 11 #
2020/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Welcomes the fact that the Agency received additional resources in the context of the “Clean Energy for All Europeans” package;
Amendment 12 #
2020/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Notes that the Agency has adopted a decision on the policy on protecting the dignity of the person and preventing harassment, that several trainings were organised for information and awareness raising of staff and that the training is compulsory for all newcomers; notes that one alleged harassment case was reported, but none was investigated nor taken to court;
Amendment 17 #
2020/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Notes the Agency’s reply to the Court’s finding and the measures taken by the Agency to prevent a recurrence of irregular procurement procedures;
Amendment 19 #
2020/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Notes with satisfaction that the CVs and the declarations of interest of the Administrative Board and senior management are published on the Agency’s website;
Amendment 21 #
2020/2177(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Welcomes the Agency’s efforts to provide a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly workplace;
Amendment 16 #
2020/2174(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes with satisfaction that the Authority reported that it employs staff of 28 nationalities, of whom the Authority reports that 4950 % are female and 510 % are male; notes with concern that 83 % of senior management is male and 17 % is female; asks the Authority to ensure gender balance at the senior management level in the future;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2174(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. WNotes with satisfaction that the declarations of interest and the CVs of the senior management and of all members of the management board are published on the Authority’s website; welcomes the extension of the scope of conflicts of interest to non-staff beyond the board of supervisors and management board, to include the anti- money laundering standing committee, the resolution committee and independent panels, including panels investigating breaches of Union law;
Amendment 35 #
2020/2174(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Welcomes the efforts made to increase the Authority’s cyber security and data protection, especially as regards the training campaign for the entire statutory staff;
Amendment 6 #
2020/2172(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7 c. Notes with concern that the staff turnover rate of the Agency was 11,7 % in 2019; notes the Agency’s reply that the turnover rate was the result of the high number of resignations and number of contracts ending in 2019 and that the Agency has closely monitored the situation; calls on the Agency to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken in this regard;
Amendment 9 #
2020/2172(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Amendment 10 #
2020/2172(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Notes that the Agency has adopted a policy on protecting the dignity of the person and preventing harassment; notes that two cases of alleged psychological harassment and related inappropriate behaviour were reported and subsequently investigated by means of a formal administrative inquiry in 2019 and a decisionon the outcome was to be taken in 2020; calls on the Agency to report to the discharge authority on the findings of the inquiry;
Amendment 18 #
2020/2172(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes the Agency’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency, prevention and management of conflicts of interest, and whistleblower protection and the fight against harassment; notes that two cases of alleged psychological harassment and related inappropriate behaviour were reported and subsequently investigated by means of a formal administrative inquiry in 2019 and a decision on the outcome was to be taken in 2020; notes that; notes that the CVs and declarations of interest of some of the members of the Agency’s management board have not been published on the Agency’s website; calls on the Agency to publish the CVs and declarations of interest of some ofall the members of the Agency’s management board have not been published on the Agency’s websiteand to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken in this regard;
Amendment 7 #
2020/2170(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Welcomes the Agency’s efforts to provide a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly workplace and to reduce and offset its CO2 emissions; notes with satisfaction that the Executive Director of the Agency has pledged the Agency to be carbon neutral by 2030;
Amendment 18 #
2020/2170(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Notes gender imbalance in 2019 with regard to the senior management positions (71 % male and 29 % female) and with regard to the management board (69 % male and 31 % female); asks the Agency to ensure gender balance at the senior management level in the future; asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Agency’s management board;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2170(DEC)
8. Notes that the Agency has an anti- harassment policy and related guidelines in place; acknowledges that it organised training sessions and made confidential counselling available, furthermore, notes that a pilot project with mediation in teams that have experienced conflicts was started in 2019; notes that the Agency had one informal harassment procedure in 2019;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2170(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the fact that the Agency publishes on its website the CVs of all members of the Management Board and its Committees, including those of its chairs who are the Agency’s members of staff, the Executive Director and all members of the Board of Appeal; welcomes that the Agency publishes the declarations of interest of all members of the Management Board, the senior management and the Committee Chairs on its website;
Amendment 29 #
2020/2170(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. NotWelcomes the further steps taken in order to enhance transparency and whistleblower protection, such as mandatory online training courses on whistleblowing for all staff, and a continued focus on awareness of ethics, procurement and contract management and information security; according to the Agency, all meetings of its senior management with stakeholders are registered and published on its website to ensure that there is full transparency;
Amendment 7 #
2020/2169(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Notes with concern the unbalanced representation of men (43 members) and women (13 members) on the administrative board; asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Agency’s administrative board;
Amendment 12 #
2020/2169(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Encourages the Agency to develop a long term human resources policy framework which addresses the work-life balance of its staff, lifelong guidance and career development, gender balance, teleworking, non-discrimination, geographical balance and the recruitment and integration of people with disabilities; notes that the Agency is preparing a wide- range Human Resources strategy to be completed by the end of 2020;
Amendment 14 #
2020/2169(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Acknowledges the Agency’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency, prevention and management of conflicts of interest, and whistle-blower protection; notes that some of the Agency’s administrative board members’ CVs and declarations of interest are not published on the Agency’s website; calls on the Agency to publish the CVs and the declarations of interest of all the members of the administrative board and to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken in this regard;
Amendment 17 #
2020/2169(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Notes the continuation of steps taken in order to enhance the transparency of the Agency’s activities by reporting the meetings that the Agency’s staff has with external stakeholders, in particular the director’s meetings with organisations and self-employed individuals, and their availability on the Agency’s website;
Amendment 13 #
2020/2168(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8 b. Welcomes the Agency’s efforts and new measures introduced to attract, recruit and retain highly competent staff;
Amendment 17 #
2020/2168(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Amendment 22 #
2020/2168(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that not all CVs of administrative board members have been published on the Agency's website; reiterates its calls on the Agency to publish the CVs of all the members of the administrative board and to report to the discharge authority on the actions taken in that regard; notes that the administrative board secretariat as well as the internal control coordinator reminds and urges administrative board members to submit missing documents and that declarations of interest of administrative board are stored on the Agency’s document management system;
Amendment 3 #
2020/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Notes with satisfaction that the Agency has successfully delivered its mandate, and in some cases exceeded the objectives set in its annual work programme for 2019;
Amendment 7 #
2020/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Notes that gender balance was almost achieved in 2019 with respect to senior management positions (2 men and 1 woman), but is concerned that at management board level there is an imbalance in the participation of men (20 members) and women (8 members); asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Agency’s management board;
Amendment 17 #
2020/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes the Agency’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency and prevention and management of conflicts of interest, and to ensure the protection of whistleblowers; expresses satisfaction that the Agency has set up and implemented a Code of Administrative Behaviour and guidelines on whistleblowing in 2019 and that declarations of interest and the CV’s of management board members and senior management are published on the website;
Amendment 24 #
2020/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Notes with concern that the Agency does not have a policy regarding cyber security and protection of digital records in its possession which in current times is very important; acknowledges that in 2020 the Agency initiated the process to implement the advanced records management system (ARES) as a document management system together with the partner agency EIT; calls on the Agency to report to the discharge authority regarding the progress of implementation;
Amendment 28 #
2020/2166(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Notes that the Agency managed in 2019 to connect with a wider demographic of people by reinforcing its presence in social media;
Amendment 6 #
2020/2165(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Notes with concern the uneven gender balance reported for 2019 for senior managers (89 % male and 11 % female) and the management board (70 % male and 30 % female); asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Agency’s management board;
Amendment 8 #
2020/2165(DEC)
5 b. Notes that the Agency has adopted the policy on protecting the dignity of the person and preventing harassment, confidential counsellors are promoted and staff are encouraged to address their issues to them; notes that one alleged harassment case was reported, but none was investigated nor taken to court;
Amendment 9 #
2020/2165(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that the Agency has published the declarations of interests of the management board and senior management, and the CVs of its management board members and of its executive director on their website; calls the Agency to publish the CVs of its senior management and to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken in that regard;
Amendment 10 #
2020/2165(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Amendment 1 #
2020/2164(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. NotWelcomes that the Agency has signed a service level agreement with the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, in order to obtain more efficiency through services sharing, knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices, especially in the following fields: IT tools, human resources management, procurement and business continuity;
Amendment 3 #
2020/2164(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Notes with concern the lack of gender balance within the senior management and the management board; asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Agency’s management board;
Amendment 4 #
2020/2164(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Notes the Agency’s reply to the Court’s findings and the measures taken by the Agency to prevent a recurrence of these failures;
Amendment 5 #
2020/2164(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes the Agency’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency, prevention and management of conflicts of interest and notes that the CVs of the members of the management board and their declaration of conflicts are being published on its website; notes that the Agency does not publish the senior management’s declaration of conflicts of interest oorand CVs on its website, with the exception of those of the executive director; calls the Agency to publish the declarations of conflicts of interest and the CVs of its senior management and to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken in that regard;
Amendment 7 #
2020/2164(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes regarding the audit of the Commission’s internal audit service (IAS) on ‘Stakeholders’ involvement in the production of deliverables in ENISA’ that one important recommendation is still pending as relevant procedures needed to be revised and approved internally;
Amendment 5 #
2020/2161(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Notes with concern that an uneven gender balance is reported for 2019 with regard to the senior managers (18 men and 7 women) and the management board members (61 men and 20 women); asks the Agency to ensure gender balance at the management and staff levels in the future; asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Agency’s management board;
Amendment 13 #
2020/2161(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Acknowledges the Agency’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to ensure transparency; prevention and management of conflicts of interest, and whistleblower protection; notes that in 2019 the Agency identified several cases of potential conflicts of interest but in most cases the conflicts of interest risk were addressed through the application of specific mitigating measures, with the remaining cases not requiring any mitigating measure to be taken; acknowledges that CVs and declarations of interest of most board members are published on its website, however, points out that the Agency failed to publish the CVs and declarations of interest of all board members on its website; calls on the Agency to publish the CVs and the declarations of interests of all the members of the management board and to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken in this regard;
Amendment 14 #
2020/2161(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that 72 % of the Agency’s income consists of fees; takes note of the Agency’s view that the fact that applicants pay fees does not necessarily imply a conflict of interest; calls on the Agency to develop preventive measures and regularly assess the staff involved in opinion-making to ensure there is independence;
Amendment 17 #
2020/2161(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Acknowledges the Agency’s measures taken to mitigate all risks associated to the United Kingdom’s decision to withdraw from the European Union; notes that the Agency cooperated closely with the European Commission during the negotiations with the United Kingdom and that the risk of disruption of aviation activities disappeared with the conclusion of the withdrawal agreement, which entered into force on 31 JanFebruary 201920; notes that the Agency has evaluated the effect of the UK's withdrawal from the Union on human resources, concluding that only a relatively small number of staff members might be affected (less than 10);
Amendment 19 #
2020/2161(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Notes with satisfaction that the Agency has taken many actions in 2019 in order to increase their cyber security and protection of the digital records in its possession;
Amendment 1 #
2020/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Notes that the Agency closely cooperates with other Union agencies such as with the European Fisheries Control Agency, the European Border and Cost Guard Agency and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction;
Amendment 6 #
2020/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Notes with concern no gender balance within the administrative board of the Agency for 2019 (43 men and 14 women) and close gender balance within the senior management (8 men and 5 women); asks the Agency to ensure gender balance at the staff and senior management levels in the future; asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Agency’s administrative board;
Amendment 8 #
2020/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
Amendment 9 #
2020/2160(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Notes with concern the finding of the Court that weaknesses were identified in recruitment procedures concerning the application of the principle of equal treatment and/or transparency and lack of audit trail in the Agency;
Amendment 3 #
2020/2156(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Welcomes that the Centre agreed in the framework of its two-year Transformation Plan on a cooperation programme with the European Union Intellectual Property Office consisting of 5 IT projects which are not only of strategic importance for both organisations, but will also be of benefit to other EU Agencies;
Amendment 5 #
2020/2156(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Highlights that the Centre has extended its client portfolio by signing cooperation agreements with the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, the European Labour Authority and the Directorate-general for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs;
Amendment 8 #
2020/2156(DEC)
6 a. Notes with satisfaction that a good gender balance was achieved in 2019 with respect to the management positions (60 % male and 40 % female) and within the management board (53 % male and 47 % female); notes with concern that there is an underrepresentation of men in the Centre’s overall staff (36 % male and 67 %female); asks the Centre to ensure gender balance at the staff level in the future;
Amendment 9 #
2020/2156(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Notes that the Centre has adopted the policy on protecting the dignity of the person and preventing harassment; notes with appreciation that in 2019, the Centre adopted new Guidelines for Managerial Development, which included a training on harassment prevention in the career path of all the senior and middle managers, Heads of section and potential managers;
Amendment 11 #
2020/2156(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with concern that the Centre opted to publish only declarations of interests and not the CVs of its management board due to its size (approximately 130 members and alternate members); draws attention to the fact that other agencies publish the CVs of the members of the management board even if the size is bigger than that of the Centre; calls, therefore, on the Centre to publish the CVs of all the members of the management board and to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken in this regard; notes that the director’s CV and declaration of interests have been published on the Centre’s website;
Amendment 14 #
2020/2156(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Welcomes the Centre’s efforts to provide a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly workplace and to preferably reduce and offset its CO2 emissions in the areas of premises and travel;
Amendment 1 #
2020/2155(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that the budget monitoring efforts during the financial year 2019 resulted in a budget implementation rate of 97,84 %, representing a decrease of 1,74 % compared to 2018; regretstakes note that the payment appropriations execution rate was at 76,33 %, representing an increase of 8,52 % compared to the previous year;
Amendment 3 #
2020/2155(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Notes that the Agency has regular coordination and cooperation with the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions and the European Training Foundation; encourages the Agency to continue this collaboration which allows for creating synergies, sharing knowledge, expertise and best practises across the agencies, as well as avoiding overlaps by providing a common space where agencies can consult each other on the fulfilment of their mandate;
Amendment 6 #
2020/2155(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Takes note that the cross-cutting evaluation of the Union agencies under the remit of DG EMPL suggested a number of recommendations for each of the agencies, but none of them would have required changes to the legislative proposal of the Commission, neither suggested merging or co-locating agencies;
Amendment 8 #
2020/2155(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Notes that further efforts are needed to achieve a gender balance among senior managers (3 men and 1 woman) and on the management board (48 men and 40 women); asks the Agency to ensure gender balance at the senior management level in the future; asks the Commission and the Member States to take into account the importance of ensuring gender balance when nominating their members to the Agency’s management board;
Amendment 10 #
2020/2155(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Acknowledges the Agency’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to ensure transparency and the prevention and management of conflicts of interest; notes with concern that the CVs of the management board members are not published on the Agency’s website; notes further that not all management board members’ declarations of interest, indicating the acceptance date, are published on the Agency’s website; calls on the Agency to publish the CVs and the declarations of interest of all the members of the management board and to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken in this regard;
Amendment 4 #
2020/2150(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Takes note that the cross-cutting evaluation of the Union agencies under the remit of the Directorate-General for Employment suggested a number of recommendations for each of the agencies, but none of them would have required changes to the legislative proposal of the Commission, neither suggested merging or co-locating agencies;
Amendment 5 #
2020/2150(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that the Centre has continued theregular coordination and cooperation with the European Training Foundation, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work; encourages the Centre to continue this collaboration which allows for creating synergies, sharing knowledge, expertise and best practices across the agencies, as well as avoiding overlaps by providing a common space where agencies can consult each other on the fulfilment of their mandate; welcomes the new Service Agreement with European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, in particular in the field of digitalisation, procurement, data protection and HR, and encourages the Centre to continue to pursue synergies;
Amendment 10 #
2020/2150(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Notes the gender representation within the Centre’s senior management members (4 men and 2 women); notes with satisfaction that a good gender balance was achieved within the management board (53 % male and 47 % female); welcomes the staff’s geographical representation within the Centre;
Amendment 11 #
2020/2150(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 17 #
2020/2150(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes the Centre’s existing measures and ongoing efforts to secure transparency, prevention and management of conflicts of interest and whistle-blower protection; points out however, that the publication of 22 declarations of conflicts of interest and CVs from 163 Members and alternates are still pending;
Amendment 18 #
2020/2150(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes the absence of some declarations of interest and CVs of the management board and reiterates that all members and alternates who attend management board meetings, or exercise the right to vote, must submit a declaration of interest; calls on the Centre to publish the declarations of interest and the CVs of all the members of the management board and to report to the discharge authority on the measures taken in this regard;
Amendment 19 #
2020/2150(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that the Centre’s executive director, as authorising officer, has delegated the powers of budget implementation to the deputy director and heads of departments; notes that the deputy director’s delegation has no capped amount for transactions, while the delegation to the head of department for resources and support is capped at EUR 1 500 000 per transaction concerning Title 1 (Staff expenditure), with other delegations limited to the appropriations available under the specific budget lines and up to the ceiling of EUR 1 000 000 per transaction; recommends towelcomes that the Centre sets financial caps for delegations in such a way that the need for flexibility is balanced with the need for oversight and hierarchical control over transactions;
Amendment 14 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. the Union budget is a significant instrument for achieving common policy objectives, and on average represents 2,1 % of the Member States’ general government expenditure and total public spending in the Union1.0% of EU gross national income;
Amendment 20 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights, with regard to the implementation of the Union budget, the importance of complying with the principle of sound financial management as enshrined in Article 317 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU);,), as well as the importance of achieving programmes priorities and objectives which contribute to strengthening the European integration and creating an ever closer Union .
Amendment 41 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Encourage the Commission to continue attaching the highest importance to the sound financial management of the EU budget, in particular through putting in place multiannual control strategies designed to prevent, detect and correct errors, as well as to continue carefully monitoring the implementation of the EU budget and to take immediate steps to correct the errors and to recover the funds incorrectly spent by Member States, intermediaries or final beneficiaries;
Amendment 42 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Considers, in line with the Commission's endeavour, that it is of utmost importance to strike the right balance between low level of errors, fast payments, reasonable costs of controls and added value of the EU Budget;
Amendment 43 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Stresses the crucial role of the EU policies and instruments for their realisation in the areas of cohesion, agriculture and rural development, research and innovations, home affairs and external relations for reducing disparities between Member States and regions, for promoting economic growth and employment, for combating poverty and social exclusion, for upholding and promoting EU values, security and justice for its citizens within the Union and in the wider world;
Amendment 44 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1 d. Welcomes that the Commission, as manager of the EU budget, appropriately tailors its common methodology to the specificities of the risk, control and management environments of the different spending areas, in order to effectively fulfil its reporting obligations and protect the EU Budget;
Amendment 54 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Welcomes the major increase of the EPPO’s budget and staff with regard to the initial proposal; reminds the Commission the key role of the EPPO in protecting the EU recovery plan in the years to come; calls on the Commission and the budgetary authorities to secure sufficient resources for the EPPO as requested by the European Chief Prosecutor;
Amendment 89 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Acknowledges that the financial management of the EU budget has improved over time and that the error levels have decreased to ranges getting closer to the 2% materiality threshold in the recent years, except in some specific policy areas;
Amendment 90 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Deeply regrets, however,Is concerned that for the first time in four years the Court had tos issued an adverse opinion on the legality and regularity of the expenditure underlying the accounts;
Amendment 92 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Amendment 93 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – introductory part
Paragraph 8 – introductory part
8. Notes that the reasons for the adverse opinion are: on EU expenditure is the conclusion of the Court that the level of errors mainly in reimbursement-based payments is pervasive, and that due to the way the EU budget is composed and evolves over time, high risk expenditures in 2019 represents more than half of the audited spending (53,1%),in which the material error continues to be present at an estimated rate of 4,9% (compared to 4,5 % in 2018 and 3,7 % in 2017);
Amendment 94 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point a
Paragraph 8 – point a
Amendment 95 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point b
Paragraph 8 – point b
Amendment 101 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Deeply regretsTakes note of the Court’s observation that the Commission’s particular role, as reflected in its methodology, and weaknesses in ex- post checks, which are a critical part of the control system, affects the Commission’s estimates of errors; notes that Commission’s risk at payment for 2019, set at 2,1% as reported in its Annual Management and Performance Report (AMPR), is within the range of the ECA’s estimated level of error for the three most significant spending areas - competitiveness, cohesion and natural resources;
Amendment 106 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that the Court provided in 2019 specific error rates for four MFF headings: ‘Competitiveness’ (4.0%), ‘Cohesion’, (4,4%),‘Natural resources’(1,9 %) and ‘Administration’; points out that, in 2019, the Court found the highest estimated level of error in spending under ‘Economic, social and territorial cohesion‘ (4,4 % (an estimated level of error below the materiality threshold);
Amendment 112 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Draws attention that the general estimate of the level of error in the EU budget, as presented in the Court’s Statement of Assurance, is neither a measure of fraud nor of inefficiency or waste, but it is an estimate of the money that should not have been paid out because it was not used in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations; notes that in 2019 the Court reported to OLAF 9 instances of suspected fraud found during its audits (also 9 in 2018),from which OLAF has opened 5 investigations and decided not to open an investigation in 4 cases;.
Amendment 116 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. RegretNotes the adoption of three amending budgets in 2019, adding EUR 0,4 billion to commitment appropriations and EUR 0,3 billion to payment appropriationswhich refer to the following;
Amendment 117 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – point i (new)
Paragraph 15 – point i (new)
(i) Amending Budget (AB) No1/2019 entered the surplus of EUR 1 802 988 329, resulting from the implementation of the budget year 2018, as revenue in the 2019 budget; this amount has reduced the annual GNI contributions for Member States;
Amendment 118 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – point ii (new)
Paragraph 15 – point ii (new)
(ii) Amending Budget (AB) No 2/2019 provided an additional EUR 100 million of commitment appropriations to Horizon2020 and Erasmus+ as decided by the European Parliament and the Council in their agreement on the budget 2019
Amendment 119 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – point iii (new)
Paragraph 15 – point iii (new)
(iii) Amending Budget (AB) No 3/2019 entered the necessary commitment and payment appropriations for the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) amounting to EUR 293 551 794 which aimed to provide assistance to Romania, Italy and Austria following natural disasters that took place in these Member States in the course of 2018:
Amendment 123 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Acknowledges that given the multi-annual nature of its expenditure and of its control strategies, the Commission may apply corrections until the closure of the funding programme; notes furthermore that while errors may be detected in a given year, they are corrected in the current or in subsequent years after the payment was made – up until the moment of closure; calls therefore on the Commission and Member States to continue exercising their corrective capacity, and the Commission to use the supervisory tools at its disposal, in line with its obligations under the different sectorial legal bases, in order to bring the real risk at closure ultimately well below 2% and closer to 0%;
Amendment 124 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15 b. Notes that in 2019 the corrective measures confirmed by the Commission amounted to EUR 1.5 billion (25% higher than in 2018), relating mainly to errors affecting payments made in previous years.
Amendment 125 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. RegretsNotes with concern the fact that outstanding commitments have continued to grow, reaching EUR 298,0 billion at the end of 2019 (compared to EUR 281,2 billion in 2018); notes that the Court has identified the reasons for the continuing rise, such as the overall increase in the size of the EU budget over time; notes that the level of payment appropriations in the annual budgets has been noticeably lower than the MFF ceiling in recent years, which might lead to higher payment needs in the future; notes the commitment of the Commission to conduct a thorough analysis of the payment appropriations needed until the end of the year during the global transfer exercise in order to make a proposal to the budgetary authority if reinforcements are needed;
Amendment 132 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Recalls that the absorption rate expresses the extent to which EU funds allocated to Member States have been spent on eligible projects, which is one of the preconditions and indications of effective future absorption; stresses, in this regards, that since the end of 2018 the project selection rate remains ahead of the same reference period in 2007-2013; emphasises, furthermore, that by end June 2020, nearly all (99,2%) the EUR 350 billion in total cost were allocated to nearly 515 000 projects;
Amendment 134 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes furthermore that by the start of 2019, after the current MFF had been in place for five years, only approximately 17 % of the total ESI funding committed through Financial Instruments under Shared Management (FISMs) had reached its final recipient; notes, however, that by mid-September 2020 the 42% of amounts allocated to financial instruments were effectively paid and, therefore, available for investments into final recipients; welcomes, furthermore, that 59% of the available capital for FISMs had reached final recipients or was used for eligible costs;
Amendment 137 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that, as in previous years, substantial amounts of unused annual ESIF pre-financing, due mainly to delays in implementation, was returned to the Union budget (EUR 7,7 billion in 2019), due mainly to delayas assigned revenue; points out that EUR 5,0 billion of that amount was used to make payments ion implementationclaims from Member States over and above the approved budget for the year under the relevant ESIF budget lines, which has prevented them from being cancelled;
Amendment 139 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Acknowledges that shared management is instrumental for the implementation of the ESIF which in turn relays upon an efficient administrative collaboration between the Commission and the Member States; underlines the Court’s observation that the risk of error is high for expenditure subject to complex rules; welcomes the substantial improvements in this regard over the last ten years due inter alias to the Commission’s efforts and the recommendations of both the Court and the Parliament; encourages the Commission to move towards simplification and performance orientation;
Amendment 141 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
Amendment 163 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28 a. Welcomes the Court's observation that the Commission has started making systemic performance assessments and analysis leading to conclusions on the achieving of the programmes’ objectives; notes with satisfaction that the Court considers this as a significant positive step towards clearer, more transparent and comprehensive annual reporting on programme performance;
Amendment 172 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Underlines that according to the Financial Regulation, sound financial management implies effectiveness, efficiency and economy, and that the Commission and the Member States should ensure a focus on all three elements;
Amendment 184 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Observes that, for 2019, the Commission’'s estimate for the overall risk at closure was at 0,7 % (compared to 0,8 % in 2018) of the relevant expenditure; notes that due to the higher risk at payment in relation to cohesion spending, the overall risk at payment estimated by the Commission was higher than in previous years, at 2,1 % for 2019 (compared to 1,7 % in 2018), but as the estimated future corrections were also higher (1,4 %, compared to 0,9 % in 2018), the Commission arrived at a stable risk at closure, and with an estimate of risk at closure of less than 2 %, the Commission considered that its multiannual control systems ensured effective protection of the Union budget; points out furthermore that in the Commission’s own estimate, the expenditure with risk at payment above the materiality threshold was very high at EUR 67 billion;
Amendment 185 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38 a. Notes that the Commission subdivides its portfolio for 2019 into lower-risk and higher-risk strata, using criteria recognised also by the Court and related to the nature of the funding, notably the difference between rather complex reimbursement-based schemes (higher risk expenditure with risk at payment above 2%) and fairly straightforward entitlement-based payments (lower risk expenditure with risk at payment below 2%); points out furthermore that the Commission estimates that the higher risk expenditure stands at EUR 67 billion(46%), thus affecting smaller part of the budget than the lower risk expenditure, which stands at EUR 80 billion (54%);
Amendment 193 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39 a. Notes the Court’s conclusion that the Commission's performance reporting is becoming more balanced and that both the AMPR and the programme statements complement their reporting on programme achievements including information on lagging behind areas and persisting challenges for programmes;
Amendment 383 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 110
Paragraph 110
110. Highlights that in this policy area all indicators are output ones: they mainly provide data about the programme’s implementation in terms of infrastructure built but there are no common indicators to measure results (Court’s report on Union co-funded roads4 indicates that the Commission does not report information such as time savings or higher average speed, even though this information is sometimes available); _________________ 4ECA, special report no 9/2020, The EU- core road network: shorter travel times but network not yet fully functional. as regards impacts of projects achieved (increase of traffic, economic impact for different actors, impact on congestions, emissions...); notes project promoters should collect and publish information and data on results and impacts of the investment; asks the Commission to collaborate with project promoters and work on common indicators to measure results of the projects;
Amendment 385 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 111
Paragraph 111
111. Underlines that in the recent Court audit on TFI5 stated that it is unlikely that the Union core transport network will reach itsthe Commission acknowledged that there is a high risk for some of the TFIs not to operate at full capacity byin 2030, furthermore, in the landscape review the ECA indicated that since the scale of Union funding is limited compared to the overall needs, it is necessary to focus on priorities with the highest Union added value; _________________ 5 ECA, special report no 10/2020 EU transport flagship infrastructures: no timely completion of the transport network.
Amendment 386 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 112
Paragraph 112
112. Is of the opinion that, as stated in the Court’s audit on TFIs, the traffic forecasts were usually overoptimistic, not well coordinated, not based onneeds improvement and a better coordination; points out the traffic forecasts should take into account sound economic assessments, and sometimes very simplistic, and in particulars well as cost- benefit analyses had not been properly used as a tool for policy-makingand be periodically revised to take into account possible delays;
Amendment 389 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 113
Paragraph 113
Amendment 400 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 18 a (new)
Subheading 18 a (new)
Performance: European Social Fund (ESF) and Youth Employment Initiative (YEI)
Amendment 401 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 a (new)
Paragraph 116 a (new)
116 a. Notes that the Court has not selected ESF and FEAD to be covered by its first annual report on performance of the EU budget at the end of 2019;
Amendment 402 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 b (new)
Paragraph 116 b (new)
116 b. Welcomes the findings within the Commission Evaluation(February 2021) on of the 2014-2018 ESF support to employment and labour mobility, social inclusion and education and training; notes with satisfaction that for the period 2014-2018, approximately 23 million persons participated in ESF actions and that 52% of participants were women; notes furthermore that of those participating, nearly 3.2 million persons have already found employment and 3.9 million successfully gained a qualification;
Amendment 403 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 c (new)
Paragraph 116 c (new)
116 c. Notes that by 2018 EUR 10,4 billion have been spent - from both the ESF and the YEI, that 3.8 million people under age of 30 participated in youth- employment support projects and that 1.4 million people entered employment immediately after participation;
Amendment 404 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 d (new)
Paragraph 116 d (new)
116 d. Notes furthermore that by the end of 2018, EUR 33.8 billion from the ESF have been invested for social inclusion and nearly 6.2 million persons had participated in social-inclusion actions, and that out of them nearly 700,000 individuals have found employment, with nearly 400,000 achieving a qualification;
Amendment 519 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 128 a (new)
Paragraph 128 a (new)
128 a. Notes that in 2019 the Commission clarified the legal framework applicable for direct monitoring by imaging technologies128a; welcomes the Court’s observations128b that imagining technologies represent extraordinary advantages such as the reduction of field visits and consequently their administrative costs, an interactive monitoring approach that prevents non- compliance and the generation of useful data for smart farming; highlights in particular that imaging technologies would allow monitoring the whole population of aid recipients, which could be a game changer in terms of budgetary control; calls on the Commission to review the environmental and climate performance indicators in order to make them compatibles with checks by monitoring; urge the Commission to remove the obstacles to a wider use of the imaging technologies and to provide incentives and support to national paying agencies to use checks by monitoring; _________________ 128a Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1804 of 28 October 2019 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 809/2014 as regards amendments of aid applications or payment claims, checks in the integrated administration and control system and the control system in relation to cross compliance. 128bEuropean Court of Auditor’s Special Report 04/2020 Using new imaging technologies to monitor the Common Agricultural Policy: steady progress overall, but slower for climate and environment monitoring.
Amendment 704 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171
Paragraph 171
Amendment 713 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 a (new)
Paragraph 171 a (new)
171 a. Notes that payments for ‘Administration’ amounted to EUR 10,4 billion in 2019 (6,5% of the MFF), of which the budget of the Commission represents 57,9% or EUR 6,1 billion;
Amendment 715 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 172
Paragraph 172
172. Notes that administrative expenditure comprises expenditure on human resources, accounting for about 60 % of the total, and on buildings, equipment, energy, communications and information technology, which is considered as a spending ofby the Court as a low-risk spending;
Amendment 720 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 173
Paragraph 173
173. Notes the results of transaction testing: of the only 45 transactions examined representing, designed to represent the full range of spending under this MFF heading by selecting transactions from each institution and body, 3 (6,7 %) contained quantifiable errors, led to an estimated level of error below the materiality threshold;
Amendment 722 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 174
Paragraph 174
Amendment 726 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 175
Paragraph 175
Amendment 732 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 176
Paragraph 176
176. Notes that concerning the Commission, severalthe Court found fewer errors relating to staff costs and the PMO’s management of family allowances were foundthan in previous years; welcomes that the PMO has already corrected the errors found this year; acknowledges the Commission’s clarification that the errors only concerns the national allowances while the ones paid directly by the Commission are correct;
Amendment 733 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 176 a (new)
Paragraph 176 a (new)
176 a. Notes that the Court also examines the regularity of the information in the annual activity reports of the Commission, including those of its directorates-general and offices primarily responsible for administrative expenditure; welcomes that the annual activity reports reviewed did not identify material levels of error;
Amendment 748 #
Amendment 755 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 177
Paragraph 177
Amendment 758 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 178
Paragraph 178
Amendment 761 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 179
Paragraph 179
179. Notes with satisfaction that the Court mentions that the quality of the Aaccounts has improved compared to previous years but is deeply; notes with concerned that also for the financial year 2019, the Court concludes they arethe Court is unable to confirm that the Schools’ financial management in 2019 was compliant with the Financial Regulation of the European Schools and the Staff Regulations due to weaknesses revealed in the internal control systems of the Central Office and of the two Schools selected; urges the European Schools to swiftly follow up on the recommendations of the Court concerning the specific weakness founded in accounting, procurement and recruitment;
Amendment 762 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 180
Paragraph 180
Amendment 763 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 181
Paragraph 181
Amendment 764 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 182
Paragraph 182
Amendment 765 #
Amendment 766 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 183
Paragraph 183
Amendment 767 #
Amendment 768 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 183 a (new)
Paragraph 183 a (new)
183 a. Takes note that the Commission is investing in data mining of its IT medical system to overcome the absence of data on burnout cases; strongly encourages the Commission to prevent, identify and manage burnout cases in the larger context of staffing, workload and staff well-being in its Human Resources (HR) strategy; recalls, in this regard, the negative impact of the 2014 reform package on a number of crucial aspects of HR within the Union institutions and thus on their attractiveness as employer; reiterates the serious consequences that any budgetary cut in administration or staff reduction may have in the future of the European civil service and the implementation of the Union's policies;
Amendment 769 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 183 b (new)
Paragraph 183 b (new)
183 b. Is concerned that any temporary measure has been designed by the Commission to mitigate the growing problem of the purchase power disparity suffered by the European civil servants posted to Luxembourg; points out, as a relevant example, that 16 out of 200 suitable candidates selected by the EPPO have declined the job offer on account of the salary not being high enough to live in Luxembourg; emphasises that expects concrete proposals in the report on the salary method due by 31 March 2022;
Amendment 770 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 183 c (new)
Paragraph 183 c (new)
183 c. Supports the Commission’s intention to update the approach set out in its Communication of 2019 “The Workplace of the Future in the European Commission” in the light of the COVID- 19 crisis; expects the Commission to take into account on an equal footing the efficient use of office spaces and the health and well-being of the staff; reiterates that staff representatives shall always be involved in substantial changes of the work arrangements and spaces;
Amendment 771 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 183 d (new)
Paragraph 183 d (new)
183 d. Welcomes that the Commission adopted an action plan for equality and diversity in 2018 and its implementation in 2019; welcomes that specific actions were added in response to the staff survey; calls on the Commission to follow the same path with more specific measures with regard to the people awarded with internships in the Commission;
Amendment 772 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 183 e (new)
Paragraph 183 e (new)
183 e. Agrees with the Commission’s statement that “different cultural, social and professional expectations of men and women continue to exist with regard to the balance between paid work and unpaid (care) work”; notes with appreciation the Commission’s efforts to raise awareness on the measures that exist to enable a work-life balance such as courses for parents and the publication of positive examples in the Commission’s intracomm;
Amendment 773 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 183 f (new)
Paragraph 183 f (new)
183 f. Notes with appreciation that the Commission (2014-2019) met the target of 40 % of women in management functions by the end of its mandate in 2019; reminds the Commission (2019-2024) that in 2019 its President committed to reach gender equality at all levels of management by the end of the current mandate and reiterated this commitment in her mission letter to Commissioner for Budget and Administration;
Amendment 774 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 183 g (new)
Paragraph 183 g (new)
183 g. Takes note of the new guidelines for the implementation of aid for persons with a disability drafted in 2019 to financially assist staff and their dependant for non-medical costs linked to their independence, social integration and physical, mental, social and vocational ability; notes that the guidelines came into force in May 2020;
Amendment 775 #
2020/2140(DEC)
183 h. Notes that in 2019 the number of cases for social-financial support increased by 28% compared to 2018; notes with appreciation that the disability funds used increased by 50% in comparison with 2018 (from approximatively EUR 2 to 3 million);
Amendment 776 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 183 i (new)
Paragraph 183 i (new)
183 i. Takes due note of the Court’s observations and recommendations regarding the European Personnel Selection Office183a; welcomes that the selection process is broadly effective for large-scale competitions but expresses its concern that the selection process is not adapted to small-scale, targeted competitions, which are those most suited to the current recruitment needs of the EU institutions; calls on the Commission to timely report on the implementation of those recommendations by the EPSO; _________________ 183aEuropean Court of Auditors’ Special Report 13/2020 “The European Personnel Selection Office: Time to adapt the selection process to changing recruitment needs”.
Amendment 778 #
Amendment 780 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 184
Paragraph 184
184. Takes into accountAcknowledges the Court’s observation that the adoption in 2014 of the revised Staff Regulations was accompanied by a commitment by the institutions and bodies gradually to reduce the number of posts (officials and temporary staff) in their establishment plans by 5 % before 2018 compared with the situation in 2012;
Amendment 781 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 184 a (new)
Paragraph 184 a (new)
184 a. Takes note that the 2014 reform of the Staff Regulations brought savings of 4,2 billions on the 2014–2020 MFF, which represents 0,4% of the overall MFF; recalls that the 2014 reform generated unquestionable negative effects on the staff, which was confirmed by the Court184a in 2019, and regrets that it is nearly impossible to know their financial cost in order to have a realistic image of the savings; notes the several policies and actions designed by the Commission to help mitigate the negative effects and expects that the lessons learned will be reflected on the Commission’s new HR Strategy to be adopted in 2021; _________________ 184aEuropean Court of Auditors’ Special report no 15/2019: Implementation of the 2014 staff reform package at the Commission - Big savings but not without consequences for staff.
Amendment 783 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 185
Paragraph 185
185. Points out that the institutions and bodiesNotes that over the period from 2012 to 2018 the institutions and bodies, excluding the European Ombudsman and the EDPS, had reduced their establishment plans by 1 409 posts (3 %) and at the same time gradually increased the employment of contract staff. Over the period,; notes, in this regard, that the proportion of contract staff in total workforce forecasts rose from 17 % to 22 %;
Amendment 785 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 186
Paragraph 186
Amendment 791 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 186 a (new)
Paragraph 186 a (new)
186 a. Points out that the increase of contract staff reflects the impact on staffing levels of new tasks stemming from rapidly evolving priorities, such as the implementation of new programmes delegated by the Commission to the executive agencies which was neutral in budgetary terms and in terms of Commission staff transferred; notes the Court’s observation that the increase in contract staff was also a response to special or urgent situations, such as the migration crisis;
Amendment 792 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 187
Paragraph 187
Amendment 801 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 188
Paragraph 188
Amendment 807 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 190
Paragraph 190
190. Finds it highly problematicTakes note that at the end of 2018, the institutions, bodies and executive agencies employed 11 962 contract staff, (representing an increase of 37 % since 2012); points outnotes that most were employed by the European Commission, and mainly in FG IV, the best paid function group, similarly,; notes that a majority of contract staff at the executive agencies were in FG III and FG IV (763 and 715 respectively);
Amendment 818 #
Amendment 819 #
2020/2140(DEC)
191 a. Acknowledges that 2019 was a year of transition for the Commission, as it had to secure the transition from the Juncker Commission and the preparation for the arrival of the von der Leyen Commission, as well as launching its new priorities;
Amendment 824 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 191 b (new)
Paragraph 191 b (new)
191 b. Welcomes the inter-institutional cyber cooperation for which the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee receive the assistance of the Computer Emergency Response Team for the EU institutions, bodies and agencies; notes that many of the digitalisation projects concern the digitalisation of human resources and financial processes, where the Committees uses the SYSPER and ABAC systems provided by the Commission; asks the Commission to examine the possibility of negotiating better conditions to enhance and make the process of application sharing financially attractive;
Amendment 831 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 192
Paragraph 192
Amendment 835 #
Amendment 836 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 192 a (new)
Paragraph 192 a (new)
192 a. Echoes the Court’s conclusion that “any unethical behaviour by staff and Members of EU institutions and bodies is unacceptable and, even if it is only alleged, attracts high levels of public interest and reduces trust in the EU. Unethical behaviour is also linked to the risk of corruption and fraud”192a; _________________ 192aEuropean Court of Auditors’ Special Report 13/2019 “The ethical frameworks of the audited EU institutions: scope for improvement”.
Amendment 837 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 192 b (new)
Paragraph 192 b (new)
192 b. Welcomes that, to a large extent, the audited institutions have put in place for staff and Members adequate ethical frameworks with room for improvement; strongly supports the Court’s recommendations such as harmonising the ethical frameworks and improving staff awareness;
Amendment 838 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 192 c (new)
Paragraph 192 c (new)
192 c. Takes note of the second review of the Commission’s internal guidelines in relation to the provisions on Whistleblowing in the Staff Regulations; takes note with satisfaction the 6 recommendations contained in the 2019 review and calls on the Commission to report on the implementation to the budgetary authority; welcomes the update of the whistleblowing page on MyIntracomm in May 2019 and the addition of a direct link to OLAF’s whistleblowing procedure;
Amendment 839 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 192 d (new)
Paragraph 192 d (new)
192 d. Stresses the importance of reinforcing the Transparency Register and improving the quality of its data, in particular on the occasion of the Interinstitutional Agreement reached in December 2020; takes note of the quality checks performed by the Commission and the action of the Register Secretariat upon alerts received; calls on the Commission to improve the IT solution in order to perform stricter quality checks;
Amendment 840 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 192 e (new)
Paragraph 192 e (new)
192 e. Takes notes of the European Ombudsman’s conclusions and technical suggestions for improvement in her Decision of 28 February 2019 on how the Commission manages ‘revolving doors’ situations of its staff members; calls on the Commission to follow-up on both the Ombudsman’s decision and the Court’s relevant recommendations in its special report on the ethical frameworks of the EU institutions;
Amendment 2 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
– having regard to the Advocate General’s Opinion of 12 December 2021 in Case C-156/219a and Case C-157/219b, _________________ 9a Hungary v Parliament and Council 9b Poland v Parliament and Council
Amendment 3 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14
Citation 14
– having regard to its resolutions of 8 October 2020 on the rule of law and fundamental rights in Bulgaria13 and of 29 April 2021 on the Assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the rule of law in Malta14 , of 8 July 2021 on the Breaches of EU law and of the rights of LGBTIQ citizens in Hungary as a result of the adopted legal changes in the Hungarian Parliament14a and of 21 October 2021 on the Rule of law crisis in Poland and the primacy of EU law14b, _________________ 13 OJ C 395, 29.9.2021, p. 63. 14 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2021)0148. 14a Texts adopted, P9_TA(2021)0362. 14b Texts adopted, P9_TA(2021)0439.
Amendment 5 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 19
Citation 19
– having regard to itsthe study of 20 May 2021 requested by its Committee on Budgetary Control entitled ‘The Largest 50 Beneficiaries in each EU Member State of CAP and Cohesion Funds’,
Amendment 7 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the budgetary authorities adopted the MFF 2021-2027 package, which together with the NextGenerationEU recovery instrument amounts to EUR 1.8 trillion in total of funding over the coming years to support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the EU’s long- term priorities across different policy areas;
Amendment 11 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the protection of the EU’s financial interests is a key element of the EU policy agenda to strengthen and increase the confidence of thetransparency, democratic accountability and the ability to respond to citizens’ needs, increase the trust of the general public and ensure that taxpayers’ money is usedspent properly; whereas the implementation of the MFF 2021-2027 budgetary package must be in line with the general principles enshrined in the Treaties, in particular the values set out in Article 2 TEU, in the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation and in the Financial Regulation;
Amendment 13 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas there is a clear relationship between the respect for the rule of law and the efficient implementation of the Union budget in accordance with the principles of sound financial management;
Amendment 14 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas on a regular basis, different media outlets all over Europe provide their readers with scandals coveringcases of fraud, conflict of interest, corruption and other illegal activities which are damaging to the EUʼs financial interests and involvinge high-level political representatives in EU Member States undermine the trust of European citizens in the EU and its institutions;
Amendment 23 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Adds that in the current EU political context, the term ‘oligarchy’ is being used as a way of pointing out the influence of the wealthy and powerful in politics and government, an influence that is typically used to benefit the few at the expense of the many; highlights that members of national governments and other holders of political positions are part of the oligarchy in some Member States, and have actively sought to use EU funds to benefit themselves financially;
Amendment 26 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes, with particular concern, that the occurrence of such oligarchic groups, which sometimes do not refrain from using criminal practices, has reached an unprecedented magnitude in the past several years;
Amendment 34 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers that effective management and control systems, promoting competition, enhancing transparency and assuring functional implementation of public procurement rules and free access to markets isare fundamental to preventing oligarchs from seizing control of the economy and the financial market, which would result in them self-reinforcingfurther reinforce oligarchic tendencies;
Amendment 40 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the publication of the Commissionʼs guideline on the conflicts of interest which brings about a necessary degree of explanation for its users as to its correct interpretationaims to raise awareness and to promote a uniform interpretation and application of the rules on avoiding conflicts of interest rules among Member States, in particular by giving examples of terms not specified in Article 61 of the Financial Regulation, such as the adoption of appropriate measures to prevent conflict of interest from arising and to address situations ‘which may objectively be perceived as a conflict of interest’; deplores, however, that conflict-of-interest cases affecting high-profile politicians continue to persist in some Member States; calls on the Commission to evaluate whether all the relevant provisions of the Financial Regulation are sufficiently effective in preventing and addressing conflicts of interest;
Amendment 56 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. ENotes that EU cohesion policy contributes to strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion in the European Union and aims to correct imbalances between Member States and regions; emphasises that as far as cohesion policy is concerned, the most frequently detected types of fraudulent irregularities for projects financed under the programming period 2014-2020 for European structural and investment funds concern incorrect, missing and false or falsified supporting documents, infringement of contract provisions, eligibility and infringement of public procurement rules, and breaches in relation to ethics and integrity including conflict of interest and corruption;
Amendment 58 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Underlines that the misuse of EU funds often starts with the wilful violation of the principle of partnership and consultation with relevant stakeholders, including social partners and non- governmental organisations, regarding the content of programming documents for EU support programmes; continues with the issuing of calls for projects disproportionately favouring certain groups of potential beneficiaries, including oligarchic players and culminates in non-transparent project selection practices, diverting large amounts of taxpayers’ money towards wasteful projects, substantially reducing the impact of EU support, and major public scandals negatively affecting the EU’s image, weakening much-needed solidarity among Member States;
Amendment 62 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. PNotes that one of the main objectives of EU agricultural policy is to ensure a fair income to farmers; underlines that, given the problems of conflict of interests in the distribution of agricultural funds, it is undesirable that members of the European Council, agricultural ministers, functionaries, or their family members should be taking decisions on income support; points out that the study on the implementation of the CAP funds revealed that the disbursement of EU agriculture funds is a highly problematic issue in at least five Member States19a and that there is a clear inequality between fund allocations for big and small farmers, with systemic advantages for the big farms, whose managers sometimes have close ties to the ruling political parties in their countries; or are themselves members of these in their countries; urges the Commission and Member States to immediately step up measures against land-grabbing, irregular tenders or other allocation procedures and misuse of EU-money, especially when national governments and authorities are involved; _________________ 19aBulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania.
Amendment 87 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. ARecognises the work of OLAF and calls for increased efforts and vigilance in relation to the cases of conflict of interest and against oligarch structures, especially in certain Member States where these cases are prevalent; appreciates OLAFʼs long-term intensive investigative activity covering many politically controversial and complex cases; regrets that the indictment rate following recommendations by OLAF to Member States decreased from 53 % in the 2007-2014 period to 37 % in the 2016- 2020 period; further notes that the extent to which financial amounts recommended for recovery are actually recovered has not been assessed in recent years, and that the most recent assessment covering the years 2009 to 2016 indicates a recovery rate of 21 %; calls on OLAF and the Commission to investigate the underlying reasons and calls on the Member States to cooperate closely with EU institutions and bodies to ensure that funds misused by organised crime and oligarchs are recovered;
Amendment 91 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Emphasises the importanckey role and added value of the newly established EPPO in the protection of the EU’s financial interests; deeply regrets that there are still five Member States not participating in EPPO; encourages these Member States to join EPPO; appreciates the EPPOʼs endeavours to become operational under very challenging circumstances; calls on the Commission to assist the EPPO in solving the problem of diverging implementation of the PIF Directive by different Member States; underlines that the outcome of the cooperation between the EPPO and the Member States is also crucial in order to assess the proper functioning of the management and control systems for the purpose of audit arrangements;
Amendment 93 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Commends the invaluable work carried out by OLAF, the EPPO and Europol in combating fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, and stresses that these institutions are chronically understaffed and lacking financial resources due to the unwillingness of the Council as one of the budgetary authorities to authorise sufficient human and financial resources during the annual budgetary procedure; calls therefore on the Council to review its position andwelcomes the increase of EPPO’s budget by EUR 3.8 million in the annual budgetary procedure for the year 2022; calls on the Council to allow for increased financing of financial and human resources for these agencies and offices in the future, enabling them to carry outfulfil their important mission in an appropriate and effective way;
Amendment 112 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Deplores that since 1 January 2021, the Commission has been unable to take any appropriate action to apply the Conditionality Regulation, which entered into force on that day; strongly regrets that after months of debatingthe Commission's inaction, Parliament has been forced to take legal action against the Commission under Article 265 TFEU for failure to apply the Conditionality Regulation;
Amendment 118 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls on the Commission to insist on a strict and rigorous implementation of the applicable rules, to use all available sources and to employ efficient management and control systems to address risks of fraud and conflict of interest, and to better monitor the situation of agriculture paying agencies and their formal and informal independence; is of the view that substantive auditing and controls both on the national and European level are key conditions for the protection of the EU funds; deplores the insufficient progress in the fight against oligarch structures in the new CAP, such as the limited information and transparency on final and ultimate beneficiaries and keeping up the voluntary nature of capping which hinders the fairer distribution of agricultural funds; finds it worrying that the new CAP proposal does not strengthen the role of controlling systems at European level;
Amendment 123 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Points out that under the RRF Regulation, which forms part of the MFF 2021-2027 package, the Member States have to ensure the effective prevention, detection and correction of conflicts of interest, corruption and fraud, and avoidance of double funding; stresses that they are also required to explain the relevant arrangements in their recovery and resilience plans and include a summary of the consultation process at national level as well as a presentation of the controls and audit system put in place to ensure that the financial interests of the EU are protected; calls on the Council not to adopt any financial support to Member States where all legal, social and policy conditionalities for support are not fulfilled, with special regard to the existence of effective systems for the detection, prevention and correction of irregularities and fraud, as well as the functioning of the rule of law;
Amendment 133 #
2020/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Regrets that data for identifying businesses and their beneficial owners is not easily or sometimes even at all accessible, since neither the CAP nor cohesion policy reporting systems contain information on the final and ultimate beneficiaries;
Amendment 19 #
2020/2077(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that placing sustainable products on the internal market should be the norm and calls for a horizontal Sustainable Product Framework Directive setting mandatory minimum requirements for durability, interoperability, reparability, upgradability, reusability and recyclability and addressing the presence of hazardous chemicals, for all products alongside further product- specific requirements;
Amendment 47 #
2020/2077(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to empower consumers to further engage in sustainable consumption practices; calls for clear and easily understandable mandatory labelling on product durability and reparability, and the development of a repair score, in addition to minimum information requirements; asks for both the legal guarantee rights and the reversed burden of proof rules to be extended based on the lifespan of products, the introduction of direct producer liability, and for legislative measures to ban practices resulting in premature obsolescence by adding to the list in the Annex I to the Directive 2005/29/EC;
Amendment 53 #
2020/2077(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission to encourage and raise awareness of new sustainable business models based on changing behaviours to renting and sharing goods and services, while guaranteeing a high level of consumer and worker protection;
Amendment 55 #
2020/2077(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Insists on the establishment of a universal charging system in order to reduce production volumes and electronic waste;
Amendment 59 #
2020/2077(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Supports the establishment of an EU-wide ‘right to repair’; calls, in this context, for measures to provide unrestricted and free access to repair and maintenance information and to spare parts to all market participants, calls for ensuring that the price of spare parts is reasonable in relation to the price of the whole product and that spare parts are priced the same way for independent and authorised repairers as well as for the consumers; to define a mandatory minimum period of time for the availability of spare parts and/or updates, a maximum time-limit for their delivery, and for repair to be given priorityencouraged under the legal guarantee regime; calls for establishing an obligation to provide consumers with a replacement good, if the repair takes longer than 30 days or if it concerns an essential good;
Amendment 69 #
2020/2077(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls for introducing usage meters on categories of goods to improve consumer information and facilitate reuse;
Amendment 89 #
2020/2077(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls for reinforcing the possibility of recourse for consumers and environmental organisations in the event of a breach of information obligations under Directive 2005/29/EC in order to better implement market surveillance mechanisms;
Amendment 92 #
2020/2077(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Proposes the development of clear guidelines and standards for green claims and commitments that translate into ecolabels; looks forward to the planned legislative proposal on substantiating green claims; considers that by providing the consumers with transparency and guidance through accurate and accountable information and ecolabeling, consumers will have increased trust in products and markets, which will ultimately lead to sustainable consumption;
Amendment 103 #
2020/2077(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for a revision of EU public procurement legislationStresses the potential of green and social public procurement in the transition to a sustainable economy; welcomes in this respect the commitments of the Commission to propose further legislation and guidance introducing mandatory minimum targets, through defining a certain percentage for procurement based on environmental, social and ethical criteria, and introducing a hierarchy of award criteria, together with sector-specific targets. , as well as supporting reusable, refurbished and remanufactured products;
Amendment 108 #
2020/2077(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Member States to swiftly adopt the principles for a definitive VAT regime, including the proposal for a modernised VAT rate regime, that would allow to lower VAT rates on recycled, reused or refurbished goods and on repair services to make it convenient and financially attractive to consumers, calls on the Member States to consider such measures once the new regime is adopted;
Amendment 113 #
2020/2077(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls for the Commission and national authorities to assist and support financially local and regional authorities, companies, SMEs, micro-enterprises as well as self-employed, and associations in conducting consumer awareness campaigns on extending the lifespans of products, in particular by providing reliable and clear information, advice and services of maintenance, repair, re-use, etc.;
Amendment 116 #
2020/2077(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Calls for a ban on the destruction of unsold goods in working order so that they can be reused instead, and for specific targets to be set for reuse; emphasises that priority in accessing waste yards should be given to new sustainable business models;
Amendment 6 #
2020/2076(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recognises that the Industrial Strategy, prepared prior to the outbreak and published at an early stage of the pandemic in Europe, will require substantial revision, to reflect the change in fundamentals and the new missions of the Von Der Leyen Commission: to return economies across the EU to growth and to strengthen all economies, both north and south and east and west, to the benefit of citizens and businessesCommission: namely that digital and environmental transitions should be at the very core of all Unions strategies until 2050; in this context calls on the Commission to define a comprehensive industrial strategy which also guarantees the Union’s strategic autonomy;
Amendment 21 #
2020/2076(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that, based upon the comprehensive evidence base, the Commission’s new Industrial Strategy should prioritise the economic recovery and citizens' welfare and opportunities,sustainable and fair recovery, the digital and green transitions, the citizens' welfare and consumer rights as well as the needs of businesses, including SMEs, micro enterprises and start-ups so as to underline the common commitment to rebuildingstrengthening the resilience of the Single Market and delivering benefits for all Member States and their citizens;
Amendment 41 #
2020/2076(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that EU industrial competitiveness relies on a fully functioning Single Market in Services; underlines that the Commission must consider how to address barriers to cross- border services – including barriers to cross-border employment – as part of any revised set of priorities;
Amendment 46 #
2020/2076(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines the importance of sustainability, which is central to plans tothat Europe becomes a global role model of sustainability, and that this has to be in the main focus when developing European industry; recalls in this regard the European Council conclusions of 12 December 2019, highlighting the need to establish a framework for actions that benefits all Member States; stresses that the revised Industrial Strategy needs to generate social-ecological progress and, beside promoting the reduction of unnecessary consumption, requires a fully circular economy in order to achieve climate-neutrality by 2050, to strengthen our economic competitiveness as well as to preserve our natural environment; underlines that a European circular economy model can only be useful if we have a common market to reuse prime and secondary raw materials;
Amendment 58 #
2020/2076(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recognises that most parts of the public and private sector will encounter significant financial constraints in the coming years, impacting their ability to support a programme of investment, particularly with regard to the Green Deal objectivesbut also believes that the EU and the Member States must comply with the European Green Deal for making the EU’s economy sustainable; expresses concern about an unequal pace of development, particularly in less developed parts of the EU, where achieving transformation still demands far more significant actions; strongly calls on the Commission in its revised Industrial Strategy to adopt a model with flexibility and support, in order that no one is left behind;
Amendment 60 #
2020/2076(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls on the Commission to propose adequate responses on further sectoral changes also in order to strengthen the Single Market; stresses the necessity to address potential societal reactions as well as to develop concepts and ideas that can be an answer to the challenges, such as workplaces that are to disappear or be replaced by robotics, or the taxation aspects of workplaces replaced by robotics;
Amendment 62 #
2020/2076(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Considers the importance of the digitalisation of the EU’s industries; calls on the Commission to implement a single European digital and data market and to invest significantly in resilient, secure high speed networks available also in rural areas, in artificial intelligence, data economy, smart and 3D production;
Amendment 63 #
2020/2076(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6 c. Believes that the EU should invest GDP proportionally to R&D at least as much as its global competitors, as currently most R&D investment is concentrated in the manufacturing sector, and due to the lack of necessary risk capital, R&D also suffers a serious lack of innovative capacity in SMEs;
Amendment 64 #
2020/2076(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6 d. Acknowledges the contribution of standardisation to the European Single Market and its contribution to increase economic, societal and environmental welfare, including the health and safety of consumers and workers; stresses the need to develop, assess and use harmonised standards to enhance the competitiveness of European industry, to reduce costs, improve safety as well as increase productive and innovative efficiency;
Amendment 65 #
2020/2076(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights the significant role public procurement plays in shaping the trajectory of European industryReiterates the necessity to complete the EU single market for services and the strategic use of public procurement to create a market for innovative and sustainable products, contributing to the creation of the right ecosystem for innovative and successful European companies to grow in a receptive market;
Amendment 88 #
2020/2076(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Emphasises that the Industrial Strategy should support free and fair trade and the EU’s commitment to working with our global partners; calls on the Commission to clarify how it intends to maintain these commitments while promoting the emergence of global leaders originating in Europe; calls on the Commission to further clarify where it considers autonomy necessary and in the economic interests of the EU;
Amendment 99 #
2020/2076(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls that the automotive sector isseveral sectors - including, among others, the automotive, aviation, mechanical engineering, logistics, food, pharmaceuticals and medical devices sectors - are touched by many of the transformations expected in the future economy and has been deeply affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; considers that the revised Industrial Strategy should foresee particular actions for thisese sectors, including inevitable demands for further greening and sustainability with appropriate financial supportincentives.
Amendment 5 #
2020/2022(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission’s intentioncommitment to introduce a harmonised approach addressing obligations imposed on intermediarion digital services, in order to avoid fragmentation of the internal market; stresses that any measure related to fundamental rights should be cthe Digital Services Act should ensure that the internal market freedoms are fully balanced and take into account the possible impact on the functioning of the internal marketrealised in complete compliance with fundamental rights and principles set out in the Charter of Fundamental rights of the EU, and calls on the Commission to avoid the ‘export’ of national regulations and instead to propose the most efficient and effective sustainable solutions for the internal market as a whole;
Amendment 18 #
2020/2022(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. States that limited liability provisions as set out in the e-Commerce Directive1 must be maintained and strengthenpreserved in the Digital Services Act, particularly in order to protect freedom of expressionundamental rights and the freedom to provide services; underlines the importance of these protections to the growth of European SMEs, protection of consumers and users' safety; _________________ 1 Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market (‘Directive on electronic commerce’), OJ L 178, 17.7.2000, p. 1.
Amendment 22 #
2020/2022(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. States that Digital Services Act should maintain the ban on general monitoring obligation under the Article 15 of the current e-Commerce Directive;
Amendment 26 #
2020/2022(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises that SMEs and large players have differing capabilities with regard to the moderation of content; warns that overburdening businesses withe Commission that these disproportionate new obligations could further hinder the growth of SMEs and require recourse to automatic filtering tools, which may often lead to the removal of legal content;
Amendment 43 #
2020/2022(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls the fact that misinformative and harmful content is not always illegal; calls, therefore, for the establishment of a well-defined notice-and-takedown processharmonised, transparent and legally enforceable notice-and-action mechanism; supports an intensive dialogue between authorities and relevant stakeholders with the aim of deepening the soft law approach based on good practices such as the EU-wide Code of Practice on Disinformation, in order to further tackle misinformation;
Amendment 48 #
2020/2022(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Notes the proliferation of fake news and disinformation with false or misleading content, and consumers scams by means of unsafe or counterfeit products; calls on the Commission to keep working and exploring new ways to combat fake news while preserving fundamental rights;
Amendment 50 #
2020/2022(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Highlights that tracking applications must respect privacy rights in addition to the provisions of the GDPR;
Amendment 51 #
2020/2022(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for the introduction of counter-notice tools to allow content owners to defend their rights adequately and in a timely manner when notified of any takedown; underlines its view that delegating the responsibility to set boundaries on freedom of speech to private companies is unacceptable and creates risks for both citizens and businesses, neither of which are qualified to take such decisions.that if the redress and counter-notice procedure have stablished that the notified activity or information is not illegal, the online intermediary should restore the removed content without undue delay or allow for the re-upload by the user, without prejudice to the platform's terms of service; outlines that fundamental rights should be protected more effectively by introducing more transparency reports and out-of-court dispute settlement mechanism to help resolve complaints of affected users;
Amendment 60 #
2020/2022(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes that the new Digital Services Act should also address the challenges algorithms present in terms of ensuring non-discrimination, transparency and explainability, as well as liability; points out the need to monitor algorithms and to asses associated risks, to use high quality and unbiased datasets, as well as to help individuals acquire access to diverse content, opinions, high quality products and services;
Amendment 24 #
2020/2019(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes efforts to bring transparency to advertising online and considers that furtherConsiders that additional guidance is needed as regards professional diligence and obligations for platforms when it comes to advertising online; outlines that new measures establishing a new framework for Platform-to-Consumers relations on transparency provisions regarding advertising, digital nudging and preferential treatment are needed; outlines that paid advertisements or paid placement in a ranking of search results should be identified in a clearity and guidance is needed as regards professional diligence and obligations for platform, concise and intelligent manner; suggests that platforms should disclose the origin of paid advertisements, especially those of political nature; points out that targeted advertising must be regulated more strictly in favour of less intrusive forms of advertising and that the Digital Services Act should set clear boundaries as regards the terms for accumulation of data for that purpose, in order to better protect the consumers; believes that where advertisers and intermediaries are established in a third country, they should designate a legal representative, established in the Union, who can be held accountable for the content of advertisements, in order to allow for consumer redress in the case of false or misleading advertisements;
Amendment 35 #
2020/2019(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. ABelieves that platforms should clearly mark all sponsored advertisements as such in a way made visible to all consumers; asks the Commission to clarify what sanctions or other restrictions those advertisement intermediaries and platforms should be subject to if they knowingly accept false or misleading advertisements; believes that online platforms should actively monitor the advertisements shown on their sites, in ordertake measures to ensure they do not profit from false or misleading advertisements shown on their websites, including from influencer marketing content which is not being disclosed as sponsored; underlines that transparency requirements should include the obligation to disclose who is paying for the advertising, including both direct and indirect payments or any other contribution received by service providers, and protect consumers from unsolicited communications online; underlines that advertisements for commercial products and services, and advertisements of a political or other nature are different in form and function and therefore should be subject to different guidelines and rules;
Amendment 44 #
2020/2019(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses the need to strengthen the coherence between the existing obligations set out in the e-Commerce Directive and the Directive 2005/29/EC on Unfair Commercial Practices related to the transparency of commercial communications and digital advertising;
Amendment 46 #
2020/2019(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Underlines the importance of algorithmic transparency for consumer protection, namely by ensuring explainability and auditability of automated decision-making in the context of both advertisement and content moderation;
Amendment 48 #
2020/2019(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Amendment 53 #
2020/2019(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. While recalling earlier efforts, asks the Commission to further review the practice of End User Licensing Agreements (EULAs) and to seek ways to allow greater and easier engagement for consumers, including in the choice of clauses in order to allow for a better informed consent; notes that EULAs are often accepted by users without reading them; moreover notes that when a EULA does allow for users to opt-out of clauses, platforms may require users to do so at each use; notes that the majority of EULAs can be unilaterally changed by the platforms without any notice to consumers, with pernicious effects in terms of consumer protection, and calls for a better consumer protection through effective measures;
Amendment 65 #
2020/2019(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines that EULAs should always make the sharing of all data with third parties optional unless vital to the functioning of the services; asks the Commission to ensure that consumers can still use a connected device for all its primary functions even if a consumer withdraws their consent to share non- operational data with the device manufacturer or third parties; reiterates the need for transparency in EULAs regarding the possibility and scope of data sharing with third parties;
Amendment 77 #
2020/2019(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that any future legislative proposals should seek to remove current and prevent potentially new unjustified barriers in the supply of digital services and innovation by online platforms; underlines, at the same time, that new Union obligations on platforms must be proportional and clear in nature in order to avoid unnecessary regulatory burdens or unnecessary restrictions; underlines the need to prevent gold- plating practices of Union legislation by Member State while enhancing consumer protection, achieving sustainable and smart growth and address technological, connectivity challenges and ensuring that the digital single market is fair and safe for everyone; underlines, at the same time, that new Union obligations on platforms must be proportional and clear in nature in order to avoid unnecessary regulatory burdens or unnecessary restrictions, ensuring a level playing field for companies, including SMEs a high level of protection for consumers, and protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of our citizens; stresses the importance and benefits of an harmonized regulatory framework of digital services across the Union in the context of the Digital Single Market and the need to establish a central regulatory authority that is responsible for the oversight and compliance with the Digital Services Act and which has supplementary powers to tackle cross- border issues, as well as wield investigation and enforcement powers.
Amendment 21 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas e-commerce influences the everyday lives of people, businesses and consumers in the Union, and when operated in a fair and regulated level playing field, maybalanced legal framework, contributes positively to unlocking the potential of the Digital Single Market, enhance consumer trust and provide newcomers, and in particular micro, small and medium enterprises, with new market opportunities for sustainable growth and jobs;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council2 (“the E-Commerce Directive”) has been one of the most successful pieces of Union legislation and has shaped the Digital Single Market as we know it today; whereas the E-Commerce Directive was adopted 20 years ago and no longer adequately reflectsrequires updating, taking into account the rapid transformation and expansion of e- commerce in all its forms, with its multitude of different emerging services, providers and challenges; __________________ 2 Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market ('Directive on electronic commerce') (OJ L 178, 17.7.2000, p. 1).
Amendment 34 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, despite the clarifications made by the European Court of Justice, the need to go beyond the existing regulatory framework is clearly demonstratjustified by the fragmented approach of Member States to tackling illegal content online, by the complexity of various EU rules applying to e-commerce, by the lack of enforcement and cooperation between Member State, and by the inability of the existing legal framework tochallenges of promoteing effective market entry and consumer welfare;
Amendment 77 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises the importance of the legal framework set out by the E- Commerce Directive in the development of online services in the Union and in particular its internal market clause, through which home country control and the obligation on Member States to ensure the free movement of information society services have been established; highlights that the legal certainty brought by the E- Commerce Directive has provided SMEs with the opportunity to expand their business and to sell more easily across borders;
Amendment 93 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that the main principles of the E-Commerce Directive, such as the internal market clause, freedom of establishment and the prohibition on imposing a general monitoring obligation should be maintained; underlines that the principle of “what is illegal offline is also illegal online”, as well as the principles of consumer protection and user safety, should also becomeremain guiding principles of the future regulatory framework;
Amendment 101 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that a future-proof, comprehensivelear and consistent EU-level framework and fair competition are crucial in order to promote the growth of European small- scale platforms, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups, premovent market fragmentation and provide European businesses with a level playing field that enables them to better profit fromeasily sell across borders, reach a critical mass and economies of scale in the digital services market and become more competitive on the world stage;
Amendment 107 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Highlights that a fully integrated Single Market for e-commerce will greatly benefit consumers by removing regulatory fragmentation which is one of the root causes of geoblocking;
Amendment 108 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls on the Commission to make use of the most efficient regulatory tools, in particular harmonisation and mutual recognition, as highlighted in the interinstitutional agreement on better law- making;
Amendment 109 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Invites the Commission to thoroughly examine the clarity and consistency of the existing legal framework applying to online sales in order to identify possible gaps and contradictions; highlights that the goal of the DSA should be to stimulate sustainable growth and online sales across the Single Market, while guaranteeing a high level of consumer protection;
Amendment 113 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes the view that a level playing field in the internal market between the platform economy and the "traditional" offline economy, based on the same rights and obligations for all interested parties - consumers and businesses - is needed; considers that social protection and the full access to and respect of fundamental and social rights ofor all workers, especially of platform or collaborative economy workers should be properly addressed in a specific instrument, accompanying should be ensured, especially of non-standard workers, including platform or collaborative economy workers; considers necessary that these conditions and the obligations of digital labour platforms as employers be properly addressed and guaranteed in a specific binding legal instrument, to be presented at the same time of the future regulatory framework; of the Digital Services Act;
Amendment 205 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that this problem is aggravated by the fact that often the identity of these companies cannot be established; underlines the need to better inform and educate consumers about online sales in general, and by the potential risks of buying products not approved for the European market in particular;
Amendment 243 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to introduce enforceable obligations on internformation society services providers aimed at increasing transparency and, information and accountability; considers that these obligations should be enforced by appropriate, effective and dissuasive penalties;
Amendment 359 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls on the Commission to address the increasing differences and fragmentations of national rules in the Member States and to propose concrete legislative measures including a harmonised notice- and-action mechanism, that can empower users to notify online intermediaries of the existence of potentially illegal online content or behaviour; is of the opinion that such measures would guarantee a high level of users' and consumers' protection while promoting consumer trust in the online economy;
Amendment 404 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. SCalls on the Commission to address issues related to online marketplaces in the Digital Services Act and asks for a thorough analysis of the interaction between the Digital Services Act and the Union product safety and chemicals legislation; stresses that it is unacceptable that Union consumers are exposed to illegal and unsafe products, containing dangerous chemicals, as well as other safety hazards;
Amendment 505 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part I – paragraph 1
Annex I – part I – paragraph 1
The Digital Services Act should contribute to the strengthening of the internal market by ensuring the free movement of digital services and the freedom to conduct a business, while at the same time guaranteeing a high level of consumer protection, including the improvement of users’ safety online;
Amendment 620 #
2020/2018(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part IV – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – indent 2 a (new)
Annex I – part IV – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – indent 2 a (new)
- The provisions of Article 5 of the E-Commerce Directive should be further modernised by requiring traders to provide consumers with direct and efficient means of communication such as electronic contact forms, chatbots, instant messaging or telephone callback, provided that the information relating to those means of communication is accessible to consumers in a clear and comprehensible manner.
Amendment 9 #
2020/2016(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas the use of AI can develop a high potential, but at the same time can also entail considerable risks;
Amendment 11 #
2020/2016(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
A c. whereas in the field of the internal market, through reforming public procurement procedures the Union can make a fundamental difference in aligning government actions and behaviour with secondary policy objectives such as data protection and non-discrimination;
Amendment 13 #
2020/2016(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
A d. whereas a principle-based technical development and application of AI is necessary to ensure compliance with human and fundamental rights;
Amendment 14 #
2020/2016(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
A e. whereas on 4 December 2018 the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice of the Council of Europe published the Ethical Charter for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Judicial Systems, which sets out ethical principles for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in judicial systems;
Amendment 28 #
2020/2016(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Calls on the Commission and Member States to incorporate key ethical AI principles of data protection, human control and non-discrimination into requirements as part of public procurement procedures for digital applications and AI used by police and judicial authorities;
Amendment 32 #
2020/2016(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that AI should help to ease the administrative burden on public authorities, without ever; underlines that AI systems must under no circumstances replacinge human decisions, and that AI systems shouldalways must rely on human oversight;
Amendment 43 #
2020/2016(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Stresses that the use of AI must be based on the principle of non- discrimination in order to prevent discrimination against individuals or groups in data entry and analysis; underlines that crucial to this are the quality of algorithms, original data and ex-ante review of decision-making processes;
Amendment 45 #
2020/2016(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3 c. Emphasizes the importance of open-source development of AI in order to avoid obstacles such as high license fees, to ensure transparency and traceability as well as verification, to enable innovation, to strengthen cooperation in the application and development of AI and a culture of exchanging ideas and experiences from using algorithms and their creation;
Amendment 55 #
2020/2016(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Insists that effective and easily accessible complaint and redress procedures, including judicial redress be made available to citizens;
Amendment 66 #
2020/2016(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Further recalls the high risk of smart policing applications, which depend on data sets collected by humans containing discriminatory and prejudiced data and calls on procurement procedures for such applications to take into account and have safeguards for possible biases;
Amendment 3 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays an increasing role in our everyday lives and has the potential to contribute to the deployment and development of innovations in many sectors and offer benefits for consumers through innovative products and services and, for businesses, in particular micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through optimised performance;
Amendment 6 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas for the framework to be appropriate, it must cover all AI-based products and their components, including algorithms, software, and data used or produced by them;
Amendment 7 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas a common framework for the development, deployment and use of artificial intelligence, robotics and related technologies within the Union should both protect consumers from their potential risks and promote the trustworthiness of such technologies;
Amendment 13 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the use, deployment and development of AI applications in products might also present challenges to the existing legal framework on products and reduce their effectivenes protection of consumers, thus potentially undermining consumer trust and welfare due to their specific characteristics;
Amendment 16 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas robust liability mechanisms remedying damage contribute to better protection of consumers, creation of trust in new technologies integrated in products and acceptance for innovation while ensuring legal certainty for business, in particular micro, small and medium enterprises;
Amendment 20 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas the Product Liability Directive is the existing regulatory framework on the responsibility for the final product;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission’s aim, which is to make the Union legal framework fit the new technological uses, deployments and developments, ensuring a high level of protection for consumers from harm caused by new technologies based on artificial intelligence, robotics and related technologies while maintaining the balance with the needs of technological innovation;
Amendment 33 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Points out that the revision of the Product Liability Directive should be aligned with and built on the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR);
Amendment 39 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises that any revision of the existing liability framework should aim to further harmonise liability rules in order to avoid fragmentation of the single market; stresses, however, the importance of ensuring that Unioensure a level playing field and to avoid inequalities in consumer protection as each Member state has its own rleguislation remains limited toand it could clrearly identified problems for which feasible solutions exist and leaves room for further technological developmentste unnecessary fragmentation of the single market;
Amendment 43 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to assess whether definitions and concepts inupdate the product liability framework need to be updated due toin order to consider the specific characteristics of AI applications such as complexity, autonomy and opac, opacity and unpredictability;
Amendment 44 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Urges the Commission to scrutinise whether it is necessary to include software in the definition of ‘products’ under the Product Liability Directive in line with the spirit of the current Consumer acquis, namely the definition of “good with digital elements’” under the Product LiabilityArticle 2(3) of Directive (EU) 2019/770 (the Digital Content Directive) and “goods” under Article 2(5)(b) of Directive (EU) 2019/771 (the Sale of goods Directive) and to update concepts such as ‘producer’, ‘damage’ and ‘defect’, and if so, to what extent; asks the Commission to also examine whetherurges the Commission to revise the product liability framework needs to be revised in order to protect injured parties efficiently as regards products that are purchased as a bundle with related services particularly as the Product Liability Directive only covers personal injury, and damage to consumer property, while non-material damage, damage to data or other digital assets remain currently uncovered;
Amendment 54 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Commission to clarify that the scope of the new legislation or the update of the Product Liability Directive should apply to all tangible and non- tangible goods, including digital services;
Amendment 78 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on the Commission to remove notion such “time at which a product is put on the market” which is no longer relevant given the dynamic features of digital goods; points out that currently the producer continues to have control over the product for a long time after having put it onto the market; urges to review the timelines for bringing a claim under the Product Liability Directive;
Amendment 84 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Notes that the new legislation about product liability should also address the challenges algorithms present in terms of ensuring non-discrimination, transparency and explainability, as well as liability; points out the need to monitor algorithms and to asses associated risks, to use high quality and unbiased datasets, as well as to help individuals acquire access to high quality products;
Amendment 88 #
2020/2014(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls on the Commission to propose concreate measures (such a registry of products liability cases) to enhance transparency and to monitor defective product circulating in the EU; it is essential to ensure high consumer protection and a high degree of information about the products that could be purchased.
Amendment 5 #
2020/2013(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls that the obligation to respect and protect the dignity of the human person is a general principle of international law, the source and the main pillar of all fundamental rights enshrined in the Charter, common to the constitutional traditions of EU Member States; stresses therefore that the principle of human dignity should always be the ultimate pattern of control when interpreting and applying the law on artificial intelligence and the essential element establishing the human-centric approach to artificial intelligence, directing its use towards the good of individuals, groups of users, consumers and society as a whole;
Amendment 11 #
2020/2013(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that in the COVID-19 health crisis, several Member States have launched the development of mobile apps to protect public health by alerting citizens to past contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus; calls for a common EU approach to AI-enabled mobile apps, the development of which must remain under state control; believes that the use of any tracing applications should remain voluntary and the data collected should be anonymous and should not be used neither for commercial nor for law enforcement purposes; stresses that such applications must be available only during the pandemic, and not run nor be usable during normal times;
Amendment 19 #
2020/2013(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that the principles of proportionality needs to be respected and that questions of causality and liability non- discrimination and proportionality and the requirement for justification need to be respected and that questions of causality, liability and responsibility, as well as transparency, accountability and explainability, need to be clarified to determine the extent to which the State as an actor in public international law, but also in exercising its own authority, can actually transfer that authority to systems based on AI, which have a certain autonomy;
Amendment 23 #
2020/2013(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Urges, therefore, the Member States to assess the risks related to AI- driven technologies before automating activitiprofessional services connected with the exercise of State authority, such as the proper administration of justice, for example, the risks related to protection of consumers, of recipients of services and of workers, ensuring safe, healthy and secure working conditions, the proper administration of justice, ensuring high standards of education and protection of the environment; calls on the Member States to consider the need to provide for safeguards, foreseen in Directive (EU) 2018/958, such as supervision by a qualified professional and rules on professional ethics;
Amendment 30 #
2020/2013(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses that robots as mechanical objects should fall under the definition of machinery set by the directive on machinery (2006/42/EC) and should be designed and assembled in compliance with the standards and safety measures provided therein, as well as with the provisions on placing the machinery on the market and putting it into service;
Amendment 39 #
2020/2013(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that Member States and the Commission should promote AI technologies that work for people; calls on the Member States, in close cooperation with the Commission, to develop AI applications aimed at automating and facilitating e-government services, for example in the area of tax administration; underlines that explainable, unbiased and transparent algorithms are important to ensure that businesses and consumers benefit from better, non- discriminatory and reliable public services at a lower cost.
Amendment 44 #
2020/2013(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recalls that the Parliament foresaw in its resolution of 16 February 2017 on Civil Law Rules on Robotics the possibility that artificial intelligence may become an independent subject of civil law, which would have significant implications for the functioning of the single market; urges therefore the Commission to monitor and analyse developments of this matter in both international law and the domestic laws of the Member States.
Amendment 5 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the importance of an EU regulatory framework being applicable where consumers within the Union are users of or subject to an algorithmic system, irrespective of the place of establishment of the entities that develop, sell or employ the system; furthermore, believes that the rules set out should apply across the value chain, namely development, deployment and use of the relevant technologies and their components and for all developers, and should guarantee the highest level of consumer protection; proposes that these rules take into account the lessons drawn from the adaptation to Regulation (EU) 2016/6791a (GDPR), considered a global benchmark; considers the designation of a liable entity in the Union (such as authorised representative) important for its enforcement; __________________ 1aRegulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1).
Amendment 9 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the framework should apply to algorithmic systems, including the fields of artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), machine learning, deep learning, automated decision making processes and robotics; further notes that referral systems should be developed to help explain those systems to consumers whenever they present complexity or constitute decisions that impact their lives significantly;
Amendment 30 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Believes that the ethical principles should be the basis for a harmonised European system of risk classification and related legal obligations;
Amendment 46 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that consumers should be adequately informed in a timely, impartial, easily-readable, standardised and accessible manner about the existence, process, rationale, reasoning and possible outcome of algorithmic systems, about how to reach a human with decision- making powers, and about how the system’s decisions can be checked, meaningfully contested and corrected; recalls that humans must always be able to overrule automated decisions that are final and permanent;
Amendment 47 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that consumers should be adequately informed in a timely, impartial, easily-readable, standardised and accessible manner about the existence, the aims or purpose, process, rationale, reasoning and possible outcome and consequences for consumers of algorithmic systems, about how to reach a human with decision- making powers, and about how the system’s decisions can be checked, meaningfully contested and corrected;
Amendment 69 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Underlines that the increased use of artificial intelligence requires a strong focus on digital security, as the large amount of data creates new risks of cyberattacks; calls on the Commission to develop clear guidelines for businesses and public agencies to take the necessary precautions when using artificial intelligence;
Amendment 71 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls for a uniform implementation of the system of risk classification and related legal obligations to ensure a level-playing field among the Member States and to prevent a fragmentation of the internal market;
Amendment 75 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Considers that AI, IoT, and other emerging technologies have enormous potential to deliver opportunities for consumers to have access to several amenities in many aspects of their lives alongside with better products and services, as well as to benefit from better market surveillance, as long as all applicable principles, conditions (including transparency and auditability), and regulations continue to apply;
Amendment 76 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls for the establishment of an Union-wide registration system for artificial intelligence, robotics and related technologies to support the uniform and transparent implementation of the risk classification in the Union;
Amendment 99 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the Union to establishment of a European market surveillance structure for algorithmic systems issuing guidance, opinions and expertise to Member States’ authorities;n the framework of a European Agency for Artificial Intelligence, which the Parliament proposed in its resolution of 16 February 20171a, issuing guidance, opinions and expertise to Member States’ authorities, monitoring the implementation of relevant EU legislation, addressing potential consumer protection issues, identifying standards for best practice, and, where appropriate, making recommendations for regulatory measures; __________________ 1aEuropean Parliament resolution of 16 February 2017 with recommendations to the Commission on Civil Law Rules on Robotics (2015/2103(INL)) (OJ C 252, 18.7.2018, p. 239).
Amendment 102 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the Union to establish a European market surveillance structure for algorithmic systems issuing guidance, opinions and expertise to Member States’ authorities; emphasizes that Member States must develop risk-management strategies for AI in the context of their national market surveillance strategies.
Amendment 108 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that it is essential for the software documentation, the algorithms and data sets used or produced by artificial intelligence, robotics, and related technologies to be fully accessible to market surveillance authorities, while respecting Union law; further notes that such elements should be preserved by those who are involved in the different stages of the development of algorithmic systems and in proportion of their liability, namely through distributed ledger technologies, such as block-chain; invites the Commission to assess if additional prerogatives should be given to market surveillance authorities in this respect;
Amendment 125 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls for the establishment of a European market surveillance board for algorithmic systems in the framework of a European Agency for Artificial Intelligence, to ensure a level playing field and to avoid fragmentation of the internal market, to decide with a qualified majority and by secret vote in case of different decisions on algorithmic systems used in more than one Member State, as well as at the request of the majority of the national authorities;
Amendment 128 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Believes that a European certification of ethical compliance should be designed in such a way as to inform consumers about the risk level of a product or a service with an algorithmic component as well as its trustworthiness in the light of the ethical principles and all other requirements based on relevant Union legislation;
Amendment 129 #
2020/2012(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Stresses the need for national market surveillance authorities to be reinforced in terms of capacity, skills, and competences in AI, IoT and other related technologies, as well as knowledge about its specific risks;
Amendment 1 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Professional Qualifications Directive (PQD) explicitly seeks to harness intra-EU mobility to match labour market needs and skillseeks to enable professionals to work or establish themselves across the Union byand to makinge it easier for workers of certain professions to find employment in different Member States;
Amendment 7 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the free movement of workers and services are essential for a well-functioning single market;
Amendment 10 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the Services Directive, the Professional Qualifications Directive and the Proportionality Test Directive laid down the provisions that ensure the proper functioning of the internal market, while guaranteeing a high level of workers and consumer protection;
Amendment 12 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas a single market with high social and environmental standards, quality services and fair competition serves the interests of all stakeholders;
Amendment 14 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas the economic recovery from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has to be in accordance with the guidelines set out by the European Green Deal and not at the expense of social or workers’ rights;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets that insufficient national implementation of existing legislation continues to seriously hamper the freHighlights that workers have the possibility to move freely across the Union; however, regrets that insufficient national implementation and enforcement of current legislation still exist with negative effect on the mobility of workers within the EU to the detriment of workers and the European economy as a whole;
Amendment 36 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Regrets that the European Commission is not using the full potential of initiatives such as the European Professional Card as foreseen in the PQD; calls therefore upon the European Commission to extend the European Professional Card to more professions as it offers an advantageous option for professionals who wish to work either temporarily or permanently in another Member State;
Amendment 37 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Recalls that regulated professions represent up to 22 % of the labour force in the EU and cover many crucial sectors, such as health and social services, business services, construction, network services, transport, tourism, real estate, public services and education.1a __________________ 1a A8-0401/2017.
Amendment 38 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that while it is a competence of Member States to regulate a certain profession, theyregulation of professions is often indispensable to safeguard public interest objectives, such as public security, public health, consumer protection, or protection of the environment, and deregulation must not be an aim for the future of the regulation of professions at the EU level; recalls though, for regulation to be fair for the professionals and to enable mobility within the EU, Member States must respect the limits of the principles of non- discrimination and proportionality, and be transparent about the regulation they put in, as explicitly stipulated in the Proportionality Test Directive; encourages the Member States to exchange the information with other Member States on matters covered by the Directive;
Amendment 47 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Underlines that while certain aspects remain the competence of Member States, it is the Union’s responsibility to tackle social dumping and practices that could have negative consequences on workers' social security;
Amendment 50 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Condemns the practices of some corporations exploiting the fact that certain Member States have lower average salaries, as wages are a key component of working conditions;
Amendment 53 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that the Services Directive builds on the country of destination principle and aims to ensure the provision of high-quality services and therefore Member States shall not be prevented from imposing necessary requirements with regard to the provision of a service activity and the PQD builds on the principle of mutual recognition to facilitate free movement of serviceprofessionals; calls on the Member States to extend mutual recognition to more levels of education and to improve or introduce the necessary procedures as soon as possible;
Amendment 61 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission to strengthen cooperation with Member States and increase enforcement efforts, not just regarding the legislation on free movement, but also regarding working conditions and the protection of workers’ health and safety, in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights;
Amendment 64 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Encourages the Commission to fully enforce existing rules; calls for alternative resolution mechanisms to be assessed and for infringement procedures to be applied swiftly and rigorouslyin accordance with Art. 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) whenever breaches of relevant legislation are identified or disproportionateunjustified burdens introduced;
Amendment 70 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Welcomes the announcement of the Commission in its´ 2021 Work Programme1a to withdraw the e-card proposals1b; regrets that the proposal on Services Notification Procedure1c could not be adopted due to the lack of an agreement in Council; __________________ 1a COM(2020) 690 final. 1bCOM(2016)823 final 2016/0402 (COD) and COM(2016)824 final 2016/0403 (COD). 1c COM(2016)821 final 2016/0398 (COD).
Amendment 74 #
2020/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to improve tools such asstrengthen the Points of Single Contact and the Single Digital Gateway as foreseen in the Services Directive and on the Member States to use suchthose tools to provide workers, consumers and businesses with accurate and easily accessible information regarding their rights and obligations related to free movement within the single market.
Amendment 17 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. Whereas biologically diverse forests being natural carbon sinks are indispensable in the fight against climate change in line with the Paris Agreement’s goals to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1, 5°C above pre-industrial levels, and that the best available science indicates that limiting the increase to 1.5 degrees would substantially reduce harm to people and natural ecosystems in relation to the 2 degrees scenario, as well as for climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation;
Amendment 29 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. Whereas the UN IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5˚C evidences clear benefits to people and natural ecosystems of limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C;
Amendment 35 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. Whereas emissions from land-use change, mostly due to deforestation, account for approximately 12% of global GHG emissions and are the second biggest cause of climate change after burning coal, oil and gas;
Amendment 38 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. Whereas forests provide subsistence and income for 25% of the world’s population;
Amendment 40 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. Whereas forests have cultural, social and spiritual value for many people and peoples;
Amendment 41 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
Ae. Whereas global tree cover loss has been rising steadily over the past 18 years and in 2019 alone 3.8 million hectares of primary rainforests were destroyed;
Amendment 42 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A f (new)
Recital A f (new)
Af. Whereas approximately 80% of global deforestation is caused by the expansion of land used for agriculture;
Amendment 43 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A g (new)
Recital A g (new)
Ag. Whereas the livelihoods and food security of many of the world’s rural poor depend on vibrant forests and trees and evidence shows that around 40% of the extreme rural poor – around 250 million people – live in forest and savannah areas;
Amendment 44 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A h (new)
Recital A h (new)
Ah. Whereas more than three land and environmental defenders were murdered each week in 2018;
Amendment 45 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A i (new)
Recital A i (new)
Ai. Whereas more than 300 people were killed in resource and land-use conflicts in the Amazon region in the last decade;
Amendment 58 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. Whereas 87% of Europeans agree that new laws are needed to ensure the products sold in the Member States do not contribute to global deforestation according to a YouGov poll;
Amendment 78 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that approximately 80% of global deforestation is caused by the expansion of land used for agriculture; stresses in this context that the Commission Communication on Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests of July 2019 recognises that Union demand for products such as palm oil, meat, soy, cocoa, maize, timber, rubber, including in the form of processed products or services, is a large driver of deforestation, forest degradation, ecosystem destruction and human rights violations across the globe;
Amendment 85 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes with the highest concern that in the period from 2014 to 2018, the rate of tree cover loss has increased by 43% to an average loss of 26,1 million hectares per year, as compared to 18,3 million hectares per year in the period from 2002 to 2013; is particularly worried about the loss of primary forests as the three most recent years with available data (2016, 2017 and 2018) have registered the highest loss rates this century with deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon alone having increased 88% in June 2019 compared to June 2018;
Amendment 96 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Highlights that destruction and degradation of natural forests is not only happening in tropical areas, but all over the world, including inside the Union and in its direct neighbourhood;
Amendment 98 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Believes that any EU legal framework to halt and reverse EU-driven global deforestation (referred to as the EU legal framework hereafter) must also cover the halt and reversal of destruction and degradation of high-carbon stock and biodiversity-rich ecosystems, as otherwise pressure could be shifted to these areas;
Amendment 99 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Notes, that so far, with the exception for timber and certain wood products, there are no rules in place that prohibit placing on the European market products that contributed to the destruction of forests ; notes that, therefore, consumers of many forest and ecosystem-risk commodities in the Union have no guarantee that these products did not contribute to deforestation and that consequently consumers unblameably, unwillingly and unknowingly drive deforestation;
Amendment 100 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1e. Is convinced that mandatory sustainability rules enacted in a large market, like within the European Union, have the potential of steering global production practices towards more sustainable ones;
Amendment 111 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes business’ growing awareness of the problem of global deforestation and ecosystem destruction, the need for corporate action and corresponding commitments; emphasises, however, that companies’ voluntary anti- deforestation commitments often only cover parts of their supply chains and were, as of yet, not sufficient to halt global deforestation;
Amendment 124 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that third-party certification schemes have played an important role in bringing together business and civil society to develop a common understanding of the problem of deforestation; observes, however, that voluntary third-party certification schemes alone, to date, are not effective in halting and reversing global deforestation and need to be complemented by mandatory measures; notes that voluntary third-party certification can be an auxiliary tool to assess and mitigate deforestation risks when designed and implemented well with regard to the sustainability criteria it is based on, the robustness of the certification and accreditation process, independent monitoring, possibilities to monitor the supply chain, and sound requirements to protect primary forests and promote sustainable forest managementother natural forests;
Amendment 132 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Criticises that third-party certification and labels alone unduly shift the responsibility to decide whether to purchase deforestation-free products to the consumers; which will be insufficient in its effectiveness to mainstream more sustainable production; therefore emphasises that third- party certification can only be complementary to, but cannot replace, thorough operators’ due diligence processes of companies and impair the operators’ liability;
Amendment 143 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Is concerned that the multitude of existing certification schemes and labels leads to consumers’ confusion and impairs their chances to make an informed choice;
Amendment 145 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Notes that the criteria for what constitutes a “deforestation-free” commodity or products underpinning certification schemes have not always been comprehensive enough, as they sometimes only cover some of a product's relevant ingredients, only parts of a product’s life-cycle, or use an insufficient definition of “deforestation-free”, which can lead to label-shopping by companies and water down ambition of certification in general;
Amendment 168 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the intention of the Commission to tackle global deforestation and forest degradation but asks for a more ambitious policy approach; calls on the Commission to present a proposal for an EU legal framework based on mandatory due diligence, reporting, disclosure and third- party participation requirements, as well as liability and penalties in case of breaches of obligations for all companies placing for the first time on the Union market commodities with the highestentailing forest and ecosystem risks and products derived from these commodities, and access to justice and remedy for victims of breaches of these obligations; traceability obligations should be placed on traders on the Union market, to ensure sustainable and deforestation-free value chains, as laid down in the Annex to this resolution; emphasises that the same legal framework should apply to Union-basedall financial institutions authorised to operate in the Union and that are providing money to companies that harvest, extract, produce or process forest and ecosystem-risk commodities and derived products;
Amendment 179 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Emphasises that granting effective access to justice and remedies for victims of corporate human rights and environmental harms must be part of such a legal framework;
Amendment 191 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Points out that forest and ecosystem-risk commodities covered by this EU legal framework should be determined on the basis of objective and science-based considerations that such commodities pose high risks forare associated with the destruction and degradation of forests and high-carbon stock and biodiversity-rich ecosystems, as well as for the rights of indigenous people and human rights in general;
Amendment 207 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses that weak land tenure and land rights are an important driver of deforestation and degradation of forests and ecosystems;
Amendment 217 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that local communities, indigenous peoples, land and environmental defenders often are on the frontline of the fights to preserve ecosystems; is concerned that the degradation and destruction of forests and other valuable ecosystems frequently goes along with human rights violations or follows from it; urges, therefore, to include the protection of human rights, in particular land tenure, land and labour rights, with a special view to the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, within the future EU legal framework;
Amendment 231 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Believes that these obligations should apply to all companies placing forest and ecosystem-risk commodities (FERC) on the Union market, irrespective of their size or place of registration; while recognising that requirements following the operator’s risk assessment must be proportionate to the level of risks associated with the given commodities; believes that in a fragmented end-market, the inclusion of smaller and larger companies is key to ensure both large-scale impact and consumer trust; emphasises that the regulatory framework must not give rise to undue burdens on small and medium-sized producers, including smallholders, or prevent their access to markets and international trade; recognises, due to a lack of capacity; recommends therefore, that due diligence, rethey be supportinged and disclosure requirements must be proportionate to the level of risks associated with the given commoditiebe provided with the necessary tools to be able to produce in compliance with environmental and human rights requirements;
Amendment 241 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Stresses that digitalisation and new technology tools hold the potential to provide unprecedented solutions for companies to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for human rights and environmental impacts;
Amendment 242 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Recalls the findings of the study on due diligence requirements through the supply chain, commissioned by the European Commission’s Directorate- General for Justice and Consumers, that finds that a majority of business respondents agree that mandatory due diligence would have a positive impact on human rights and the environment;
Amendment 243 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12c. Notes that initial findings of the same study indicate that extra costs occurring to companies to set up and run due diligence systems are only small;
Amendment 244 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 d (new)
Paragraph 12 d (new)
12d. Believes that EU-wide mandatory due diligence requirements would provide benefits to business through levelling the playing field by holding competitors to the same standards and would provide legal certainty as opposed to a mosaic of different measures at national level;
Amendment 247 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is convinced that the EU Timber Regulation, especially its due diligence requirements, represents a good model to build upon for a future EU legal framework to halt and reverse EU-driven global deforestation, but that a lack of implementation and enforcement of the EU Timber Regulation, and the non-coverage of certain timber products, means that it does not live up to its spirit and intent; is of the opinion, therefore, that lessons can be learnt from the EU Timber Regulation for improved implementation and enforcement rules for a future EU legal framework to halt and reverse EU-driven global deforestation;
Amendment 263 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines that the impact of the Union’s consumption of forest and ecosystem-risk commodities, and in particular the consumption of meat and dairy products, needs to be adequately addressed in any follow-up, regulatory or non-regulatory, actions and measures to the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and Farm to Fork Strategy, as well as in the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy;
Amendment 293 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 1 – paragraph 2 – point b
Annex I – point 1 – paragraph 2 – point b
b. the supply practices and financing of all economic operators active on the Union internal market,
Amendment 297 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 1 – paragraph 2 – point c
Annex I – point 1 – paragraph 2 – point c
c. production practices of economic operators harvesting, extracting, supplying, and processing forest and ecosystem-risk commodities (FERCs) or producing FERC- derived products in the Union internal market, as well as the practices of their financiers;
Amendment 313 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 2 – paragraph 1
Annex I – point 2 – paragraph 1
The proposal should apply to all economic operators, irrespective of their legal form, size or complexity of their value chains, i.e. any natural or legal person (excluding non-commercial consumers) that places commodities that are covered by the proposal and their derived products on the Union internal market for the first time, or that provides financing to operators undertaking these activities. This should apply to both Union and non- Union-based operators. Operators that are not based in the Union should mandate an authorised representative to perform the tasks (in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 of the European Parliament and of the Council1 ). _________________ 1Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on market surveillance and compliance of products and amending Directive 2004/42/EC and Regulations (EC) No 765/2008 and (EU) No 305/2011 (OJ L 169, 25.6.2019, p. 1).
Amendment 344 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 2 – paragraph 4
Annex I – point 2 – paragraph 4
The proposal should cover all commodities that are most frequently associated with deforestation, natural forest degradation, and natural ecosystem conversion and degradation. These commodities should be listed in an annex to the proposal and comprise at least palm oil, soy, meat, leather, cocoa, coffee, rubber, and maize and all intermediate or final products that are derived from these commodities, and products that contain these commodities. In the event that the derived products contain input from more than one commodity covered by the proposal, due diligence should be performed with respect to each of these commodities. Commodities covered by Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council2 (‘the EU Timber Regulation’) should be integrated into the scope of the proposal within three years from the date of entry into force of the proposal. To this end, the Commission should first conduct an assessment of the feasibility and the modalities of integrating these commodities, taking into account the upcoming fitness check of the EU Timber Regulation, and ensure that the objectives of the FLEGT Action Plan are not jeopardised and considering the legal and political implications on current Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) and legally-binding trade agreements between the European Union and a timber-producing country outside the EU. The partner timber-producing countries of the EU should be closely associated with the integration of the Timber commodities covered by the Timber Regulation into the new proposal. _________________ 2Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2010 laying down the obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the market Text with EEA relevance (OJ L 295, 12.11.2010, p. 23).
Amendment 356 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 2 – paragraph 5
Annex I – point 2 – paragraph 5
The Commission should adopt delegated acts to amend the list of commodities and their derived products that are covered by the proposal if evidence emerges concerning the detrimental impact of their harvesting, extraction or production on natural forests, natural ecosystems or human rights. The Commission should have a vigilant, proactive role in identifying emerging risks, and actively consult a diversity of stakeholders with relevant experience to maintain a list of commodities that reflects the state of knowledge about human rights and environment risks in relevant sectors.
Amendment 365 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 2 – paragraph 6
Annex I – point 2 – paragraph 6
The proposal should equally apply to Union-basedall financial institutions providing moneyauthorised to operate in the Union and who are providing finance, investment, insurance or other services to economic operators that harvest, extract, produce, process or sell forest and ecosystem-risk commodities and their derived products to ensure that these financial institutions themselves and their supply chain companies are respecting the responsibilities on the environment and human rights as set out in the proposal.
Amendment 445 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 3 – point 3.4 – paragraph 1
Annex I – point 3 – point 3.4 – paragraph 1
FERCs placed on the Union market, in raw form or as products derived from or containing such commodities, should not be harvested, extracted or produced from land obtained or used in violation of human rights embedded into national laws, nor those rights expressed, as a minimum, in international agreements, such as thenure rights, rights of indigenous people,s and local communities, including tenure rights and the procedural right to give or withhold their free prior and informed consent as set out for example by the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the right to water and UN and regional treaty bodies, the right to water, the right to defend human rights, labour rights as enshrined in ILO fundamental conventions and other internationally recognised human rights related to land use, access or ownership, and the human right to a healthy environment, as defined in the Framework Principles on Human Rights and the Environment and the standards and good practices identified by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment.
Amendment 452 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 3 – point 3.4 – paragraph 2
Annex I – point 3 – point 3.4 – paragraph 2
At all stages, harvesting, extracting or producing covered commodities should respect local communities’ and indigenous peoples’ community and land tenure rights in all forms, whether they are public, private, communal, collective, indigenous, women’s or customary rights. Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ formal and customary rights to lands, territories and resources should be identified and respected, as should their ability to defend their rights without reprisals. Those rights include the rights to own, occupy, use and administer these lands, territories and resources.
Amendment 455 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 3 – point 3.4 – paragraph 3
Annex I – point 3 – point 3.4 – paragraph 3
Commodities covered by the proposal should not be obtained from land whose acquisition and use affects community and land tenure rights. In particular, commodities placed on the Union market should not be harvested, extracted or produced from areas under local communities’ andthe lands of indigenous peoples’ l and and tenure rights in all forms and that have lost that status, unless this occurred in the presence of free, prior and informed consent of the local communities and indigenous peoples concernedlocal communities, both those lands formally titled and those under customary ownership, without their free, prior and informed consent.
Amendment 472 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1
Economic operators should have a complete overview of all actors at all levels of their value chains, be it suppliers, franchisees, licensees, joint ventuall determine whether the commodities and products in their entire value chains comply with the sustainability and human rights criteria of the proposal, by accessing and evaluating information on the precise land area(s) from where these goods originate. In addition to the environmental criteria, access to information must allow the operator to conclude that those using the land to produce FERCs are entitled to do so and have obtained Frese, investors, clients, contractors, customers, consultants, financial, and legal and other advisers.Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) from those holding rights on those land areas and that they are not violating, or have violated, any human rights referred to in this proposal. In particular, operators are required to have, and make available, information on:
Amendment 476 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1 – point i (new)
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1 – point i (new)
(i) The precise area or areas of harvest or extraction or production of the commodities. Concerning cattle, beef and leather, economic operators must be able to obtain information about the various areas of pasture where cattle has been fed or, where cattle is raised using feed, about the origin of feed used;
Amendment 477 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1 – point ii (new)
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1 – point ii (new)
(ii) The present ecological status of the area of harvest, extraction or production;
Amendment 478 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1 – point iii (new)
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1 – point iii (new)
(iii) The ecological status of the area at the indicated cut-off date of this proposal.
Amendment 479 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1 – point iv (new)
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1 – point iv (new)
(iv) Legal status of land (ownership/title including both formal and customary rights of indigenous peoples and local communities to lands, territories and resources) and evidence of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
Amendment 480 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1 – point v (new)
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1 – point v (new)
(v) The elements of the supply chain of the commodity in question, with the aim of having information about the likelihood of contamination risks 1) with products of unknown origin or 2) originating from deforested areas, or 3) from areas in which natural forest, forest and ecosystem conversion and degradation occurred.
Amendment 481 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1 – point vi (new)
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point a – paragraph 1 – point vi (new)
(vi) Where, by whom and under which conditions the commodities are harvested, transformed or processed with a view to determine compliance with the human rights obligations of this proposal.
Amendment 487 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point b – paragraph 1
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point b – paragraph 1
Where an economic operator sets up new operations or engages new business partners, it should identify the actors involved in the new supply chain and investments, and assess their policies and practices, as well as their harvesting, production, extraction and processing sites. For existing operations, ongoing adverse impacts and harms as well as potential risks should be identified and assessed. Risks analysis should be done with regard to the risks occurring from the economic operator’s activities to, or impact on, the environment, individuals or communitiegenous peoples, local communities and individuals affected, rather than material risk to corporate shareholders.
Amendment 494 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point c – paragraph 1
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point c – paragraph 1
Amendment 501 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point d – paragraph 1
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point d – paragraph 1
Amendment 528 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point g – paragraph 1
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.1 – paragraph 3 – point g – paragraph 1
The Union may negotiate Voluntary FERC Partnership Agreements with FERC- producing countries (partner countries), which create a legally binding obligation for the parties to implement a licensing scheme and to regulate trade in FERCs in accordance with the national law of the FERC-producing country and the environmental and human rights criteria laid out in the proposal. FERCs which originate in partner countries with Voluntary FERC Partnership Agreements should be considered to be of negligible risk for the purpose of the proposal.
Amendment 541 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.3 – paragraph 3
Annex I – point 4 – point 4.3 – paragraph 3
The Commission should adopt delegated acts to set out the format, the frequency and the elements of the reports. In particular, economic operators should, inter alia, report on the system they use and how they apply it to the commodities in question, identified risks and impacts; the actions taken to cease and remedy existing abuses and to prevent and mitigate risks of abuse, as well as their outcomes; the measures and results of monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of such actions, warnings received through the early-warning mechanism and how the economic operator took them into account in their due diligence processes, and a list of all subsidiaries, subcontractors and suppliers, products and their quantity and origin. A failure to publish complete and timely reports should be penalised.
Amendment 561 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 5 – point 5.1 – paragraph 1 – point a – introductory part
Annex I – point 5 – point 5.1 – paragraph 1 – point a – introductory part
a. Providing for proportionate, effective and dissuasive penalties and sanctions for non-compliance with any of the above-mentioned obligations and where non-compliance with any of the above-mentioned obligations causes, contributes to, is linked to, or aggravates, abuses or the risk of environmental damage or human rights abuses or the risks thereof. These cshould include:
Amendment 569 #
2020/2006(INL)
b. Designating competent national investigating and enforcement authorities (‘competent authorities’). The competent authorities should monitor that economic operators effectively fulfil the obligations laid down in the proposal. For that purpose, the competent authorities should carry out official checks, in accordance with a plan as appropriate, which may include checks on the premises of economic operators and field audits, and should be able to adopt provisional orders and, in addition and without prejudice to the application of sanctions, they should have the power to require economic operators to take remedial actions where necessary. The competent authorities should endeavcarry ourt to carry outimely and thorough checks when in possession of relevant information, including substantiated concerns from third parties. They should treat information related to their activity in accordance with Directive 2003/4 on public access to environmental information.
Amendment 578 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 5 – point 5.1 – paragraph 2 – indent 4
Annex I – point 5 – point 5.1 – paragraph 2 – indent 4
- guidance on third-party concerns to establish Union-wide criteria to assess whether a concern is substantial and reliable enough to be acceptprocessed, and develop clear timelines forprocedural standards for the timely, impartial, effective and transparent responses by the national competent authorities towards third-party concerns;
Amendment 593 #
2020/2006(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – point 5 – point 5.2 – point c – paragraph 1
Annex I – point 5 – point 5.2 – point c – paragraph 1
Amendment 109 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) In light of the lessons learnt during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and in order to facilitate adequate Union-wide prevention, preparedness and response to all cross- border threats to health, the legal framework for epidemiological surveillance, monitoring, early warning of, and combating serious cross-border threats to health, as set out in Decision No 1082/2013/EU, needs to be broadened with regard to additional reporting requirements and analysis on health systems indicators, and cooperation by Member States with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Moreover, in order to ensure effective Union response to novel cross- border threats to health, the legal framework to combat serious cross-border threats to health should enable to immediately adopt case definitions for the surveillance of novel threats and should provide for the establishment of a network of EU reference laboratories and a network to support monitoring of disease outbreaks that are relevant to substances of human origin. The capacity for contact tracing should be strengthened via the creation of an automated system, using modern technologies.
Amendment 113 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) An important role in the coordination of prevention, preparedness and response planning for serious cross- border threats to health is being played by the Health Security Committee (HSC), as formally established by Decision No 1082/2013/EU. This Committee should be given additional responsibilities with regard to the adoption of guidance and opinions to better support Member States in the prevention and control of serious cross-border threats to health and support better coordination between Member States to address these threats.
Amendment 117 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) This Regulation should apply without prejudice to other binding measures concerning specific activities or quality and safety standards for certain goods, which provide for special obligations and tools for monitoring, early warning and combatting specific threats of a cross-border nature, such as the International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) amongst others. Those measures include, in particular, relevant Union legislation in the area of common safety concerns in public health matters, covering goods such as pharmaceutical products, medical devices and foodstuffs, substances of human origin (blood, tissues and cells, organs), and exposure to ionising radiation.
Amendment 124 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The protection of human health is a matter which has a cross-cutting dimension and is relevant to numerous Union policies and activities and should ensure a “One Health” and “Health in all policies” approach. In order to achieve a high level of human health protection, and to avoid any overlap of activities, duplication or conflicting actions, the Commission, in liaison with the Member States, should ensure coordination and exchange of information between the mechanisms and structures established under this Regulation, and other mechanisms and structures established at Union level and under the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (the Euratom Treaty), the activities of which are relevant to the preparedness and response planning, monitoring, early warning of, and combating serious cross-border threats to health. In particular, the Commission should ensure that relevant information from the various rapid alert and information systems at Union level and under the Euratom Treaty is gathered and communicated to the Member States through the Early Warning and Response System (‘EWRS’) set up by Decision No 2119/98/EC.
Amendment 130 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Preventing, preparedness and response planning are essential elements for effective monitoring, early warning of and combatting serious cross-border threats to health. As such, a Union health crisis and pandemic preparedness plan needs to be established by the Commission and approved by the HSC. This should be coupled with updates to Member States’ preparedness and response plans so as to ensure they are compatible within the regional level structures. This exercise should be consistent with the One-Health approach in recognition of the interlinks between human health, animal health and the environment. To support Member States in this endeavour, targeted training and knowledge exchange activities for healthcare staff and public health staff should be provided knowledge and necessary skills should be provided by the Commission and Union Agencies. To ensure the putting into operation and the running of these plans, the Commission should conduct stress tests, exercises and in-action and after-action reviews with Member States. These plans should be coordinated, be functional and updated, and have sufficient resources for their operationalisation. Specific considerations should be given to border regions, where joint cross-border exercises should be promoted and familiarity with the public health system structures encouraged. Following stress tests and reviews of the plans, corrective actions should be implemented and the Commission should be kept informed of all updates.
Amendment 143 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) To this end, Member States should provide the Commission with an update on the latest situation with regard to their prevention, preparedness and response planning and implementation at national level. Information provided by the Member States should include the elements that Member States are obliged to report to the World Health Organization (WHO) in the context of the International Health Regulations (IHR)15 . In turn, the Commission should report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the state of play and progress with prevention, preparedness, response planning and implementation at Union level, including on corrective actions, every 2 years to ensure that national preparedness and response plans are adequate. In order to support the assessment of these plans, EU audits in Member States should be conducted, in coordination with the ECDC and Union agencies. Such planning should include in particular adequate preparedness of critical sectors of society, such as energy, transport, communication or civil protection, which rely, in a crisis situation, on well-prepared gender-sensitive public health systems that are also in turn dependent on the functioning of those sectors and on maintenance of essential services at an adequate level. In the event of a serious cross-border threat to health originating from a zoonotic infection, it is important to ensure the interoperability between health and veterinary sectors for preparedness and response planning. _________________ 15World Health Organization. International Health Regulation (IHR, 2005) https://www.who.int/ihr/publications/9789 241596664/en/
Amendment 147 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8 a) Health literacy plays a fundamental role in preventing and mitigating the impact of cross-borders threats and contributing to a better understanding by the population of the countermeasures and risk assessment of different threats. Respiratory etiquette, correct hand washing, avoiding unnecessary close contact with anyone with flu-like symptoms, and avoiding unprotected contact with wild animals should be part of health education campaigns to improve the population's behaviour, based on the latest available evidence.
Amendment 182 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In case of cross-border health threats due to a communicable disease, the blood and transplant services in the Member States can provide a means for rapid testing of the donor population and assessing exposure to and immunity from the disease in the general population. These services in return are dependent on rapid risk assessments by the ECDC to safeguard patients, in need of a therapy from a substance of human origin or under a process of medically assisted reproduction, from a transmission of such communicable disease. Such risk assessment serves then as basis to allow for the appropriate adaptation of measures setting standards for quality and safety of such substances of human origin. The ECDC should therefore set up and operate a network of national blood and transplant services and their authorities to serve this dual purpose.
Amendment 186 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) A system enabling the notification at Union level of alerts related to serious cross-border threats to health has been put in place by Decision No 2119/98/EC in order to ensure that competent public health authorities in Member States and the Commission are duly informed in a timely manner. All serious cross-border threats to health covered by this Regulation are covered by the EWRS. The operation of the EWRS should remain within the remit of the ECDC. The notification of an alert should be required only where the scale and severity of the threat concerned are or could become so significant that they affect or could affect more than one Member State and require or could require a coordinated response at the Union level. To avoid duplication and ensure coordination across Union alert systems, the Commission and ECDC should ensure that alert notifications under the EWRS and other rapid alert systems at Union level are automatically linked to each other to the extent possible so that the competent authorities of the Member States can avoid as much as possible notifying the same alert through different systems at Union level and can benefit from receiving all- hazard alerts from a single coordinated source.
Amendment 203 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) The recognition of public health emergency situations and the legal effects of this recognition provided by Decision No 1082/2013/EU should be broadened. To this end, this Regulation should allow for the Commission to formally recognise a public health emergency at Union level. In order to recognise such an emergency situation, the Commission should establish an independent advisory committee that will provide expertise on whether a threat constitutes a public health emergency at Union level, and advise on public health response measures and on the termination of this emergency recognition. The advisory committee should consist of independent experts, selected by the Commission, after consulting the Health Security Committee, from the fields of expertise and experience most relevant to the specific threat that is occurring, representatives of the ECDC, of the EMA, and of other Union bodies or agencies as observers. Recognition of a public health emergency at Union level will provide the basis for introducing operational public health measures for medicinal products and medical devices, flexible mechanisms to develop, procure, manage and deploy medical countermeasures as well as the activation of support from the ECDC to mobilise and deploy outbreak assistance teams, known as ‘EU Health Task Force’.
Amendment 206 #
2020/0322(COD)
(20) The occurrence of an event that corresponds to serious cross-border threats to health and is likely to have Union-wide consequences should require the Member States concerned to take particular control or contact-tracing measures in a coordinated manner in order to identify people already contaminated and those persons exposed to risk. Such cooperation could require the exchange of personal data through the system, including sensitive information related to health and information about confirmed or suspected human cases of the disease or infection, between those Member States directly involved in the contact-tracing measures. The exchange of personal data concerning health by the Member States has to comply with Article 9(2)(i) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council18 . _________________ 18Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1).
Amendment 207 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) Cooperation with third countries and international organisations in the field of public health should be fostered. It is particularly important to ensure the exchange of information with the WHO on the measures taken pursuant to this Regulation. This reinforced cooperation is also required to contribute to EU’s commitment to strengthening support to health systems and reinforcing partners’ preparedness and response capacity. The Union could benefit from concluding international cooperation agreements with third countries or international organisations, including the WHO, to foster the exchange of relevant information from monitoring and alerting systems on serious cross-border threats to health. Within the limits of the Union’s competences, such agreements could include, where appropriate, the participation of such third countries or international organisations in the relevant epidemiological surveillance monitoring network, such as the European Surveillance System (TESSy), and the EWRS, exchange of good practice in the areas of preparedness and response capacity and planning, public health risk- assessment and collaboration on response coordination, including the research response.
Amendment 212 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) The processing of personal data for the purpose of implementing this Regulation should comply with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council19 . In particular, the operation of the EWRS should provide for specific safeguards for the safe and lawful exchange of personal data for the purpose of contact tracing measures implemented by Member States at national level. In this regard, the EWRS includes a messaging function in which personal data, including contact and health data, can be communicated to relevant authorities involved in contact tracing measures. _________________ 19Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39).
Amendment 215 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to adopt implementing acts in relation to: templates to be used when providing the information on preparedness and response planning; organisation of the training activities for health care and public health staff; the establishment and update of a list of communicable diseases and related special health issues subject to the network of epidemiological surveillance and the procedures for the operation of such a network; the adoption of case definitions for those communicable diseases and special health issues covered by the epidemiological surveillance network and, where necessary, for other serious cross- border threats to health subject to ad hoc monitoring; the procedures for the operation of the EWRS; the establishment and update of a list of relevant health data to be automatically collected by digital platform; the functioning of the surveillance platform; the designation of EU reference laboratories to provide support to national reference laboratories; the procedures for the information exchange on and the coordination of the responses of the Member States; the recognition of situations of public health emergency at Union level and the termination of such a recognition and procedures necessary to ensure that the operation of the EWRS and the processing of data are in accordance with the data protection legislation.
Amendment 226 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. The implementation of this Regulation shall be carried out in full respect for the dignity and fundamental rights and freedoms of persons and shall ensure the “One health” and “Health in all Policies” approaches.
Amendment 229 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i
(i) communicable diseases, including communicable diseases of zoonotic origin;
Amendment 237 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. This Regulation shall promote the implementation of the International Health Regulation, reduce administrative burden and duplication of resources, and strengthen the gaps unveiled from the COVID-19 pandemic in prevention, preparedness and response to public health threats.
Amendment 244 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 3
(3) ‘contact tracing’ means measures implemented in order to trace persons who have been exposed to a source of a serious cross-border threat to health, and who are in danger of developingbeing infected, being infectious or have developed a disease, through manual or other technological means;
Amendment 258 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) coordination in liaison with the Commission of the prevention, preparedness and response planning of the Member States in accordance with Article 10;
Amendment 278 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 7 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. The European Parliament shall designate representatives to participate in the Health Security Committee (HSC) as observers.
Amendment 282 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Chapter II – title
Chapter II – title
II PREVENTION, PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE PLANNING
Amendment 283 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – title
Article 5 – title
Union prevention, preparedness and response plan
Amendment 286 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission, in cooperation with Member States and the relevant Union agencies, shall establish a Union health crisis and pandemic plan (‘the Union prevention, preparedness and response plan’) to promote effective and coordinated response to cross-border health threats at Union level.
Amendment 296 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 3 – point e
Article 5 – paragraph 3 – point e
(e) the risk and crisis communication, for health professionals and for citizens;
Amendment 299 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 3 – point g a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 3 – point g a (new)
(g a) the continuity of healthcare services, particularly for chronic conditions;
Amendment 302 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 3 – point g b (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 3 – point g b (new)
(g b) the criteria to activate and deactivate the plan.
Amendment 310 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 4
Article 5 – paragraph 4
4. The Union prevention, preparedness and response plan shall include interregional preparedness elements to establish coherent, multi- sectoral, cross-border public health measures, in particular considering capacities for testing, contact tracing, laboratories, and specialised treatment or intensive care across neighbouring regions. The plans shall include preparedness and response means to address the situation of those citizens with higher risks.
Amendment 313 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 5
Article 5 – paragraph 5
5. In order to ensure the operation of the Union prevention, preparedness and response plan, the Commission shall conduct stress tests, exercises and in-action and after-action reviews with Member States, and update the plan as necessary. The prevention, preparedness and response plan will take into account health systems data and relevant data to be collected at national or regional level.
Amendment 314 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Amendment 315 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 5 b (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. The reviews and the following corrective actions shall be published to increase the transparency of the process of prevention, preparedness and response plans.
Amendment 317 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – title
Article 6 – title
National prevention, preparedness and response plans
Amendment 326 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. When preparing national prevention, preparedness and response plans each Member State shall coordinate with the Commission in order to reach consistency with the Union prevention, preparedness and response plan, also inform without delay the Commission and the HSC of any substantial revision of the national plan.
Amendment 327 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. National prevention, preparedness and response plans shall include arrangements for governance, capacities and resources referred to in Article 5(3).
Amendment 329 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – title
Article 7 – title
Reporting on prevention, preparedness and response planning
Amendment 332 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Member States shall by the end of November 2021 and every 2 years thereafter provide the Commission with an updated report on their prevention, preparedness and response planning and implementation at national and regional levels.
Amendment 335 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
That report shall be succinct and give an overview of the actions implemented in the Member States, and shall cover the following:
Amendment 337 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) identification of, and update, where necessary, on the status of the implementation of the capacity standards for prevent, preparedness and response planning as determined at national level for the health sector, as provided to the WHO in accordance with the IHR;
Amendment 340 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b – introductory part
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b – introductory part
(b) an update, if needed, on the elements of emergency prevention, preparedness and response, in particular:
Amendment 345 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b – point i
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b – point i
(i) governance: including national policies and legislation that integrate emergency prevention and preparedness; plans for emergency prevention, preparedness, response and recovery; coordination mechanisms;
Amendment 355 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b – point ii
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b – point ii
(ii) capacities: including assessments of risks and capacities to determine priorities for emergency preparedness; surveillance and early warning, information management; equitable access to diagnostic services during emergencies; equitable, quality, basic and safe gender- sensitive health and emergency services; risk communications; research development and evaluations to inform and accelerate emergency preparedness and response;
Amendment 367 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) update, if needed, on the gaps found in the implementation and the corrective actions that will be taken by the Member States to improve their preparedness and response capacity.
Amendment 370 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The report shall include, whenever relevant, interregional and intersectorial preparedness and response elements in line with the Union and national plans, covering in particular the existing capacities, resources and coordination mechanisms across neighbouring regions.
Amendment 374 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
The latest available version of the prevention, preparedness and response plan shall be attached to the report.
Amendment 378 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – title
Article 8 – title
Auditing on prevention, preparedness and response planning
Amendment 395 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. On the basis of the information provided by the Member States in accordance with Article 7, and of the results of the audits referred to in Article 8, the Commission shall by July 2022 and every 2 years afterwards, transmit to the European Parliament and to the Council a report on the state of play and progress on prevention, preparedness and response planning at Union level.
Amendment 397 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission may adopt recommendations on preparedness and response planning addressed to Member States based on the report referred to in paragraph 1. These recommendations shall include recommendations on the minimum resources needed in relation to population size, developed on the basis of good practice and policy assessments.
Amendment 401 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – title
Article 10 – title
Coordination of prevention, preparedness and response planning in the HSC
Amendment 403 #
2020/0322(COD)
1. The Commission and the Member States shall work together within the HSC to coordinate their efforts to develop, strengthen and maintain their capacities for the monitoring, prevention, early warning, and assessment of, and response to serious cross-border threats to health.
Amendment 405 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) sharing best practice and experience in prevention, preparedness and response planning;
Amendment 406 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point b
(b) promoting the interoperability of national prevention, preparedness planning and the intersectoral dimension of prevention, preparedness and response planning at Union level;
Amendment 410 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point e
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point e
(e) monitoring progress, identifying gaps and actions to strengthen prevention, preparedness and response planning, including in the field of research, at regional, national and at Union levels.
Amendment 415 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. The Commission may organise training activities, supported by the Union agencies including ECDC, EMA among others, in close cooperation with medical societies and patient organisations, for healthcare staff and public health staff in the Member States in particular interdisciplinary One Health training, including preparedness capacities under the International Health Regulations.
Amendment 419 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
The Commission shall organise those activities in cooperation with the Member States concerned and in articulation with WHO to avoid duplication of activities, including preparedness capacities under the International Health Regulations. At border regions, joint cross-border exercises should be promoted and familiarity with public health systems encouraged.
Amendment 422 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
The Commission shall use the fullest potential of distance learning to broaden the number of trainees.
Amendment 425 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 2
Article 11 – paragraph 2
2. The training activities referred to in paragraph 1 shall aim to provide staff referred to in that paragraph with knowledge and skills necessary in particular to develop and implement the national preparedness plans referred to in Article 6, implement activities to strengthen crisis preparedness and surveillance capacities including the use of digital tools and consistent with the One- Health approach.
Amendment 427 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. The knowledge and skills referred to in paragraph 2 should be updated every 3 years at the latest, with activities, including laboratory staff training, that fit the needs of healthcare staff and public health staff.
Amendment 475 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1
Article 13 – paragraph 1
1. The network for the epidemiological surveillance of the communicable diseases, including communicable diseases of zoonotic origin, and of the related special health issues referred to in points (i) and (ii) of point (a) of Article 2(1) shall ensure a permanent communication between the Commission, the ECDC, and the competent authorities responsible at national level for epidemiological surveillance.
Amendment 481 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) identify and monitor risk factors for disease transmission, population groups at risk and in need of targeted prevention measures;
Amendment 488 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point i a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point i a (new)
Amendment 495 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. The information communicated by Member States referred to in point (a) shall be reported at least at NUTS II level to the European Surveillance System (TESSy) or another platform, on a timely basis defined by the article 9.
Amendment 500 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 6 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 6 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
The ECDC shall support the Member States to ensure the integrated operation of the network for the epidemiological surveillance of the communicable diseases and of the related special health issues referred to in points (i) and (ii) of point (a) of Article 2(1).
Amendment 501 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 9 – introductory part
Article 13 – paragraph 9 – introductory part
9. The Commission shall, after consulting with the ECDC, by means of implementing acts, establish and update:
Amendment 505 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 1
1. The ECDC shall ensure the further development of the digital platform through which data are managed and automatically exchanged, to establish integrated and interoperable surveillance systems enabling real-time surveillance where appropriate, for the purpose of supporting communicable disease prevention and control. Human oversight should be ensured.
Amendment 508 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) enable the automated collection of surveillance and laboratory data, make use of informationrelevant health data from a previously defined and authorized list from the electronic health records and health databases, media monitoring, and apply artificial intelligence for data validation, analysis and automated reporting;
Amendment 512 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
(b a) allow for automated notification on EWRS when communicable diseases rise above warning thresholds, as referred to in point (a) of article 13(2). The notification shall be validated by the competent health authority.
Amendment 513 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3
Article 14 – paragraph 3
3. Member States are responsible for ensuring that the integrated surveillance system is fed on a regular basis with timely and complete information, data and documents transmitted and exchanged through the digital platform. The Member States shall promote the automation of this process between the national and the Union surveillance system.
Amendment 514 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 5
Article 14 – paragraph 5
5. For epidemiological surveillance purposes, ECDC shall also have access to relevant health data accessed or made available through digital infrastructures enabling the use of health data for research, policy making and regulatory purposes. The access to the health data should be proportionate to specific and concrete purposes that shall be defined previously by ECDC.
Amendment 515 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 6 – point c
Article 14 – paragraph 6 – point c
(c) contingency arrangements and secure data backups to be applied in the event of unavailability of any of the functionalities of the platform;
Amendment 516 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 6 – point f a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 6 – point f a (new)
(f a) Ensure standardization of the infrastructure on storage, processing and analysis of data.
Amendment 528 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. The laboratories referred to in paragraph 1 should contribute to share good practices and to improve the epidemiological surveillance referred to in article 13;
Amendment 537 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 16 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. The sero-epidemiological data referred to in paragraph 1 shall be reported automatically to the national surveillance platforms, contributing to robust the monitoring and epidemiological surveillance of communicable diseases and related special health issues referred to in points (i) and (ii) of point (a) of Article 2(1);
Amendment 538 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 3 b (new)
Article 16 – paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. The network shall establish Union common standards for transfusion, transplantation and medically assisted reproduction services.
Amendment 541 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 17 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. The European Surveillance System (TESSy) shall be used for ad hoc monitoring of a serious cross-border threat to health referred to in point (iii) of point (a) of Article 2(1) and in points (b), (c) or (d) of Article 2(1).
Amendment 542 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 17 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. The Commission, after consulting the ECDC shall, by means of implementing acts, adopt, where necessary, the case definitions to be used for ad hoc monitoring, in order to ensure the comparability and compatibility at Union level of the collected data.
Amendment 544 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Article 18 – paragraph 1
1. The EWRS shall enable the Commission, the ECDC, and the competent authorities responsible at national level to be in permanent communication for the purposes of preparedness, early warning and response, alerting, assessing public health risks and determining the measures that may be required to protect public health.
Amendment 548 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 18 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The ECDC shall continuously update the EWRS allowing for the use of modern technologies, such as digital mobile applications, artificial intelligence models, space enabled applications, or other technologies for automated contact tracing, building upon the contact tracing technologies developed by the Member States or by the Union.
Amendment 552 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. The ECDC shall develop and improve the EWRS, to augment the automation of information collection and analyses, upgrade the categorization of notification and reduce the open text communication, reduce the administrative burden and improve the standardization of the notifications.
Amendment 553 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. The EWRS shall be improved to reduce the burden of bureaucracy and duplications of notification and shall allow the national competent authorities notify the WHO of events that may constitute public health emergencies of international concern in accordance with Article 6 of the IHR and take up this information in the EWRS system, to automatically notify an alert in the EWRS.
Amendment 555 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. The EWRS shall be able to automatically collect information from other important databases such as environmental data, climate data, water irrigation data and other data relevant to the serious cross-border threat to health that could facilitate understanding and mitigate the risk of potential health threats.
Amendment 558 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 2
Article 19 – paragraph 2
2. Where the national competent authorities notify the WHO of events that may constitute public health emergencies of international concern in accordance with Article 6 of the IHR, they shall at the latestas referred to in point 2b, Article 18, shall be simultaneously notify an alert in the EWRS, provided that the threat concerned falls within those referred to in Article 2(1) of this Regulation.
Amendment 568 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. The Member State shall update the information referred to in paragraph 3 as new data becames available.
Amendment 569 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 20 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Where an alert is notified pursuant to Article 19, the Commission shall, where necessary for the coordination of the response at Union level or upon request of the HSC referred to in Article 21 or on its own initiative, make promptly available to the national competent authorities and to the HSC, through the EWRS, a risk assessment of the potential severity of the threat to public health, including possible public health measures, including a risk assessment of mental health of the affected population. That risk assessment shall be carried out by:
Amendment 574 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 20 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(a a) the European Medicines Agency (EMA), in accordance with Article 1 of Regulation (EU) 2021/... [insert the number of revised EMA regulation 2020/0321(COD)], in the case of a shortage of medical products for human use or medical devices that potentially represents a risk to public health.
Amendment 582 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) risk and crisis communication, to be adapted to Member State needs and circumstances, aimed at providing consistent and coordinated information in the Union to the public and, to healthcare professionals and public health professionals;
Amendment 584 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) adoption of opinions and guidance, including on specific response measures for the Member States for the prevention and control of a serious cross-border threat to health, including coordination of response measures.
Amendment 589 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 2
Article 21 – paragraph 2
2. Where a Member State intends to adopt or cease public health measures to combat a serious cross-border threat to health, it shall, before adopting or ceasing those measures, inform and consult, consult and coordinate with the other Member States and, the Commission and Health Security Committee on the nature, purpose and scope of the measures, unless the need to protect public health is so urgent that the immediate adoption of the measures is necessary.
Amendment 591 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 3
Article 21 – paragraph 3
3. Where a Member State has to adopt, as a matter of urgency, public health measures in response to the appearance or resurgence of a serious cross-border threat to health, it shall, immediately upon adoption, inform the other Member States and, the Commission and the Health Security Committee on the nature, purpose and scope of those measures.
Amendment 600 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 22 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) be proportionate to the public health risks related to the threat in question, avoiding in particular any unnecessary restriction to the free movement of persons, of goods and of services, and promote coordination of measures between Member States.
Amendment 603 #
2020/0322(COD)
(c a) be time limited, and cease as soon as one of the applicable conditions of (a), (b) and (c) is no longer met.
Amendment 609 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 24 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. For the purpose of the formal recognition of a public health emergency at Union level, the Commission, with the consultation of the Health Security Committee shall establish an Advisory Committee on public health emergencies (‘Advisory Committee’) which, at the request of the Commission, shall advise the Commission or the Health Security Committee, shall advise the Commission and the Health Security Committee by providing its views on:
Amendment 618 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 2
Article 24 – paragraph 2
2. The Advisory Committee shall be composed of independent experts, selected by the Commission, after consulting the Health Security Committee, according to the fields of expertise and experience most relevant to the specific threat that is occurring. The Committee should have multidisciplinary membership so it can advise on biomedical, behavioural, social, economic, cultural, transports and international aspects. The representatives of the ECDC and of the EMA participate as observers in the Advisory Committee. The representatives of other Union bodies or agencies relevant to the specific threat shall participate as observers in this Committee as necessary. The Commission or the Health Security Committee may invite experts with specific expertise with respect to a subject matter on the agenda to take part in the work of the Advisory Committee on an ad- hoc basis.
Amendment 626 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 3
Article 24 – paragraph 3
3. The Advisory Committee shall meet whenever the situation requires, on a request from the Commission, the Health Security Committee or a Member State.
Amendment 629 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 6
Article 24 – paragraph 6
6. The Advisory Committee shall establish its rules of procedure including on the rules for the declaration and termination of an emergency situation, and adoption of recommendations and voting. The rules of procedures shall enter into force after receiving a favourable opinion from the Commission and the Health Security Committee.
Amendment 638 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 6 – point b
Article 26 – paragraph 6 – point b
(b) procedures for the interlinking of the EWRS with contact tracing systems at Union level and international level;
Amendment 640 #
2020/0322(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 6 – point c a (new)
Article 26 – paragraph 6 – point c a (new)
(c a) the establishment and update of a list of relevant health data to be automatically collected by digital platforms.
Amendment 69 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic which has particularly affected people with chronic non- communicable diseases. From the challenges experienced in responding to the pandemic it became clear that the Centre’s role in the Union’s framework for health crisis preparedness and response should be strengthened.
Amendment 72 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3 a (new)
Recital 3 a (new)
(3a) Improving overall population health through disease prevention will help to reduce susceptibility to future infectious outbreaks. Given the links between non-communicable and communicable diseases, an important part of communicable disease control requires consideration of non-communicable diseases. Furthermore, as many outbreaks are of zoonotic origin, a One Health approach is needed considering the interactions between humans, animals and the environment in order to face the emerging threats of zoonotic diseases.
Amendment 77 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) The European Ombudsman’s decision of 5 February2021 in strategic inquiry OI/3/2020/TE highlighted shortcomings in how the data is communicated and gathered by the Centre during the COVID-19 crisis. Notably, there were discrepancies in the reporting of reliable data and the lack of such data directly affected the Centre’s modelling and forecasting capacity. These issues and others have impeded the important work by the Centre and this Regulation should strengthen the mandate further to ensure inter alia improved coordination, epidemiological surveillance and communication.
Amendment 82 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) In this respect, the Centre should be tasked with providing epidemiological information and its analysis, epidemiological modelling, anticipation and forecasting, relevant risk assessments and recommendations, which set out options for prevention and control of communicable diseases. Its actions should be consistent with a One-Health approach, recognising the interconnections between human and animal health and the environment. It should monitor the capacity of the national health systems to respond to communicable disease threats, in particular given the importance of this information in the preparation of the national preparedness and response plans. The monitoring of the health systems’ capacity should be based on standardised indicators and definitions in order to ensure comparability. When assessing Member States’ health systems capacity, the Centre should inter alia take into account reported health indicators by Eurostat. To the greatest extent possible, the Centre should further explore possible synergies with the work on health systems performance assessment, in particular by the Commission, the OECD and the WHO. The Centre should support the implementation of actions funded by the relevant Union funding programmes and instruments and related to communicable diseases, provide guidelines for treatment and case management based on a thorough assessment of the latest evidence, support epidemic and outbreak responses in Member States and third countries, including field response, and provide timely objective, reliable and easily accessible information on communicable diseases to the public. The Centre should also establish clear procedures for cooperation with the public health actors in third countries, as well as international organisations competent in the field of public health hence contributing to EU’s commitment to reinforcing partners’ preparedness and response capacity.
Amendment 87 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) In this respect, the Centre should be tasked with providing epidemiological information and its analysis, epidemiological modelling, anticipation and forecasting, relevant risk assessments and recommendations, which set out options for prevention and control of communicable diseases. Its actions should be consistent with a One-Health approach, recognising the interconnections between human and animal health and the environment. It should monitor the capacity of the national health systems to respond to communicable disease threats and other cross-border threats to health, in particular given the importance of this information in the preparation of the national preparedness and response plans. The Centre should support the implementation of actions funded by the relevant Union funding programmes and instruments and related to communicable diseases, provide guidelines for surveillance, monitoring, screening, diagnosis, treatment and case management based on a thorough assessment of the latest evidence, support epidemic and outbreak responses in Member States and third countries, including field response, and provide timely objective, reliable and easily accessible information on communicable diseases to the public. The Centre should also establish clear procedures for cooperation with the public health actors in third countries, as well as international organisations competent in the field of public health hence contributing to EU’s commitment to reinforcing partners’ preparedness and response capacity.
Amendment 90 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) Taking into account the clear links between communicable and non- communicable diseases and a need for a truly integrated approach to health, the Centre should be tasked with the identification and monitoring of the relationship between non-communicable and communicable diseases considering the substantial effect of comorbidities on health outcomes as observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amendment 102 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) To enhance preparedness and response planning activities in the Union, the Centre’s operation of dedicated networks and networking activities should be broadened to reflect the scope of Regulation (EU) …/…. [OJ: please, insert reference to Regulation SCBTH [ISC/2020/12524]]. To this end, the Centre should coordinate and provide technical and scientific expertise to the Commission and, Member States and the Health Security Committee through dedicated networks with competent coordinating bodies, including newly established networks for laboratories and for supporting transfusion, transplantation and medically assisted reproduction,.
Amendment 120 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) To strengthen the capacity of the Union and Member States to assess the epidemiological situation and perform timely and accurate risk assessment and response, the Centre should in particular monitor and report on trends in communicable diseases, support and facilitate evidence-based response action, provide recommendations for improvement of communicable disease prevention and control programmes established at the national and Union level, monitor and assess the capacity of national health systems for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of communicable diseases, including in a gender-sensitive way, identify population groups at risk requiring specific measures, analyse the correlation of disease incidence with societal and environmental factors, and identify risk factors for transmission and disease severity of communicable diseases, and identify research needs and priorities. The Centre should work with nominated national focal points for surveillance, forming a network that strategically advises the Centre on such matters and would promote the use of enabling sectors, such as EU space data and services.
Amendment 134 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) With the aim of reducing the occurrence of epidemics and strengthening capacities to prevent communicable diseases in the Union, the Centre should develop a framework for the prevention of communicable diseases, which addresses such issues as vaccine preventable diseases, vaccine hesitancy, antimicrobial resistance, healthcare-associated infections related to communicable diseases, health education, health literacy, health inequalities and behaviour change.
Amendment 136 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) With the aim of reducing the occurrence of epidemics and strengthening capacities to prevent communicable diseases in the Union, the Centre should develop a framework for the prevention of communicable diseases, which addresses such issues as vaccine preventable diseases, antimicrobial resistance, health education, health literacy and behaviour change. This framework should be aligned with the best evidence available and WHO guidelines, when available.
Amendment 138 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Centre should enhance preparedness and response capabilities at national and Union level by providing scientific and technical expertise to the Member States and the Commission. In this context the Centre, in close collaboration with the Member States and the Commission, should carry out various actions, including the development of Union andpreparedness and response plans and the contribution to the development of the national preparedness and response plans, and preparedness monitoring and evaluation frameworks, provide recommendations on capacities to prevent, prepare and respond to disease outbreaks and on the strengthening of national health systems. The Centre should broaden its collection and analysis of data in terms of epidemiological surveillance and related special health issues, progression of epidemic situations, unusual epidemic phenomena or new diseases of unknown origin, including in third countries, molecular pathogen data and health systems data. To this end, the Centre should ensure appropriate datasets as well as the procedures to facilitate consultation and data transmission and access, carry out scientific and technical evaluation of prevention and control measures at Union level and work with agencies, competent bodies and organisations operating in the field of data collection.
Amendment 144 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Centre should enhance preparedness and response capabilities at national and Union level by providing scientific and technical expertise to the Member States and the Commission. In this context the Centre, in close collaboration with the Member States and the Commission, should carry out various actions, including the development of Union andpreparedness and response plans and support the development of national preparedness and response plans and preparedness monitoring and evaluation frameworks, provide recommendations on capacities to prevent, prepare and respond to disease outbreaks and on the strengthening of national health systems. The Centre should broaden its collection and analysis of data in terms of epidemiological surveillance and related special health issues, progression of epidemic situations, unusual epidemic phenomena or new diseases of unknown origin, including in third countries, molecular pathogen data and health systems data. To this end, the Centre should ensure appropriate datasets as well as the procedures to facilitate consultation and data transmission and access, carry out scientific and technical evaluation of prevention and control measures at Union level and work with agencies, competent bodies and organisations operating in the field of data collection.
Amendment 147 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14 a (new)
Recital 14 a (new)
(14a) The Centre should broaden its collection and analysis of data in terms of epidemiological surveillance and related special health issues, non-communicable diseases, vaccine effectiveness and long- term immunity, progression of epidemic situations, unusual epidemic phenomena or new diseases of unknown origin, including in third countries, molecular pathogen data and health systems data. To this end, the Centre should ensure appropriate datasets as well as the procedures to facilitate consultation and data transmission and access, carry out scientific and technical evaluation of prevention and control measures at Union level and work with agencies, competent bodies and organisations operating in the field of data collection.
Amendment 161 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17 a (new)
Recital 17 a (new)
Amendment 162 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17 b (new)
Recital 17 b (new)
(17b) The Centre should work in close cooperation with the competent bodies and the international organisations in the field of public health in particular the World Health Organization (WHO).
Amendment 163 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17 c (new)
Recital 17 c (new)
(17c) The Centre should communicate in an effective and transparent manner about current and emerging health risks to the general public. The Centre should timely publish the scientific studies, overviews, surveys, reports, rapid risk assessments and the assessments of the health systems’ capacities in order to increase transparency. The Centre should in this regard address issues regarding transparency as stated in the European Ombudsman’s decision in strategic inquiry OI/3/2020/TE.
Amendment 164 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17 d (new)
Recital 17 d (new)
(17d) The Centre should ensure gender and geographical balance at staff and management levels as well as ensure a gender sensitive approach in all its operations.
Amendment 172 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20 a (new)
Recital 20 a (new)
Amendment 180 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6 a (new)
(6a) ‘non-communicable disease’ means a non-communicable disease as defined by the World Health Organisation;
Amendment 189 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
In order to enhance the capacity of the Union and the Member States to protect human health through the prevention and control of communicable diseases in humans and those related special health issues set out in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) …/… [OJ: Please insert the number of Regulation SCBTH [ISC/2020/12524]], the mission of the Centre shall be to identify, assess and report on current and emerging threats to human health from communicable diseases and other cross- border threats to health, and provide recommendations for response at Union and national levels, as well as at regional level, if necessary.
Amendment 190 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
In order to enhance the capacity of the Union and the Member States to protect human health through the prevention and control of communicable diseases in humans and those related special health issues set out in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) …/… [OJ: Please insert the number of Regulation SCBTH [ISC/2020/12524]], the mission of the Centre shall be to identify, assess and report on current and emerging threats to human health from communicable diseases and non- communicable diseases, and provide recommendations for response at Union and national levels, as well as at regional level, if necessary.
Amendment 208 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) provide analyses, scientific advice, opinions, guidelines and support for actions by the Union and Member States on cross-border health threats, including risk assessments, analysis of epidemiological information, epidemiological modelling, anticipation and forecast, recommendations for actions to prevent and control communicable disease threats and other special health issues, contribution to defining research priorities, and scientific and technical assistance including training and other activities within its mandate;
Amendment 209 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
(ba) identify, monitor and collect data on non-communicable diseases which can cause an increase in the incidence, severity and mortality of communicable diseases;
Amendment 224 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g
(g) provide, upon request of the Commission or the HSC, or its own initiative, guidelines for surveillance, monitoring, screening, diagnosis, treatment and case management of communicable diseases and other special health issues relevant for public health, in cooperation with relevant societies;
Amendment 232 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j
(j) provide, upon request of the Commission or the Health Security Committee (‘HSC’), or on its own initiative, evidence-based communication messages to the public on communicable diseases, on the threats to health posed by them and on the relevant prevention and control measures.
Amendment 242 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. This Regulation shall be without prejudice to the obligations of Member States relating to their processing of personal data under Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Directive 2002/58/EC, or the obligations of the Centre and the Commission relating to their processing of personal data under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, when fulfilling their responsibilities.
Amendment 255 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) develop national preparedness and response plans in accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EU) .../... [OJ: Please insert the number of Regulation SCBTH [ISC/2020/12524]], update them in a timely manner taking into account the Centre’s recommendations, and report on their preparedness and response planning and implementation at national level in accordance with Article 7 of Regulation (EU) .../... [OJ: Please insert the number of Regulation SCBTH [ISC/2020/12524]];
Amendment 257 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) promote the automatisation of the data communication process between the national and the Union surveillance systems;
Amendment 258 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
(cb) facilitate the digitalisation and the automation of data collection and the data communication process between the national and the Union surveillance systems;
Amendment 259 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c c (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c c (new)
(cc) immediately notify any delay in the reporting of the data to the Centre with an explanation and plan as to when the data will be submitted;
Amendment 265 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The Centre shall ensure the integrated operation of the network for the epidemiological surveillance of the communicable diseases and non- communicable diseases in accordance with Article 3(2) of this Regulation, and of the related special health issues referred to in points (i) and (ii) of point (a) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) …/… [OJ: Please insert the number of Regulation SCBTH [ISC/2020/12524]].
Amendment 273 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point a
(a) ensure the further development of the digital platforms and applications supporting epidemiological surveillance at Union level, supporting Member States with technical and scientific advice to establish integrated surveillance systems enabling real-time surveillance where appropriate, benefiting from existing EU space infrastructures and services, with the aim to simplify the data exchange process and reduce the administrative burden at Union and Member State levels;
Amendment 304 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5 – paragraph 4 – point d
Article 5 – paragraph 4 – point d
(d) monitor and assess health systems’ capacity, based on standardised indicators and definitions, for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of specific communicable diseases as well as patients’ safety;
Amendment 312 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5 – paragraph 4 – point f
Article 5 – paragraph 4 – point f
(f) contribute to the assessment of the burden of communicable diseases on the population using data, such as disease prevalence, complications, hospitalisation, morbidity and mortality, and ensure that this data is disaggregated on age, gender and disability;
Amendment 317 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5 – paragraph 4 – point h a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 4 – point h a (new)
(ha) identify, monitor and collect data on non-communicable diseases which can cause increase in the incidence, severity and mortality of communicable diseases;
Amendment 322 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5 – paragraph 5 –- subparagraph 3 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 5 –- subparagraph 3 a (new)
National focal points shall, to the greatest extent possible, be the same as the National IHR Focal Points, to minimise the duplication of resources and efforts.
Amendment 334 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5a – paragraph 1
Article 5a – paragraph 1
1. The Centre shall support Member States to strengthen their communicable disease prevention and control systems, improving and facilitating the data collection process with real-time and interoperability sharing of data, as well as capacitating TESSy and other platforms to better address the monitoring and surveillance needs.
Amendment 339 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5a – paragraph 2
Article 5a – paragraph 2
2. The Centre shall develop a framework for the prevention of communicable diseases and special issues, including vaccine preventable diseases, vaccine hesitancy, antimicrobial resistance, healthcare-associated infections related to communicable diseases, health education, health literacy, health inequalities and behaviour change.
Amendment 352 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5a – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 5a – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. The Centre shall develop a platform to monitor the vaccination coverage by Member States, taking into account Member States and regional specificities of the vaccination schemes.
Amendment 354 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5a – paragraph 4
Article 5a – paragraph 4
4. The Centre shall coordinate independent post-marketing vaccines effectiveness and safety monitoring studies collecting new information and/or using the relevant data collected by competent bodies. Besides vaccine-induced immunity, the Centre shall collect data on natural immunity and long-term immunity. That work shall be conducted jointly with the European Medicines Agency and notably though a new vaccine monitoring platform.;
Amendment 367 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5b – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point h
Article 5b – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point h
(h) support the Member States to develop targeted activities addressing at- risk groups and community preparedness;
Amendment 371 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5b – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point i
Article 5b – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point i
(i) assess health systems’ capacity based on standardised indicators and definitions to detect, prevent, respond to and recover from outbreaks of communicable diseases, identify gaps and provide recommendations for the strengthening of health systems, to be implemented with Union support as appropriate;
Amendment 377 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5b – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point i a (new)
Article 5b – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point i a (new)
(ia) publish the assessments of the health systems’ capacity together with the provided recommendations ensuring full transparency;
Amendment 378 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 5b – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point j
Article 5b – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point j
(j) bolster modelling, anticipation and forecast capacity of the Centre; and of the Member States; and
Amendment 380 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7 – point a
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 6 – paragraph 1a
Article 6 – paragraph 1a
1a. The Centre shall provide concrete analyses and recommendations for actions to prevent and control communicable disease threatss and other cross-border threats to health upon request of the Commission.;
Amendment 386 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7 – point b
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
To carry out the studies referred to in the first paragraph, the Centre shall have access to health data made available or exchanged through digital infrastructures and applications, in accordance with data protection ruleRegulations (EU) 2016/6794 and (EU) 2018/1725 and with Directive 2002/58/EC on privacy and electronic communications, allowing for the health data to be used for healthcare, research, policy making and regulatory purposes. For the purposes of studies under the first paragraph, the Centre shall also make use of other relevant data, for example on environmental and socio-economic factors.;
Amendment 388 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7 – point b
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
To carry out the studies referred to in the first paragraph, the Centre shall have access to health data made available or exchanged through digital infrastructures and applications, in accordance with data protection rules at Union and Member States level, allowing for the health data to be used for healthcare, research, policy making and regulatory purposes. For the purposes of studies under the first paragraph, the Centre shall also make use of other relevant data, for example on environmental and socio-economic factors.;
Amendment 389 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7 – point b
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
The Centre shall make available the studies referred to in the first subparagraph in a timely manner.
Amendment 394 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 7 – paragraph 1– point c a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 1– point c a (new)
(ca) at the request of the Health Security Committee
Amendment 405 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) ensure that the EWRS is efficiently and effectively linked with other Union alert systemnd international alert systems and databases.
Amendment 410 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 8 – paragraph 3
Article 8 – paragraph 3
3. The Centre shall work with the Commission and the HSC on the EWRS continuous updates, including for the use of modern technologies, such as digital mobile applications, artificial intelligence models, or other technologies for automated contact tracing, building upon the contact tracing technologies developed by the Member States and on defining the functional requirements of the EWRS.
Amendment 422 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 10
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 10
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 8a – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 8a – paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. The Centre shall work together with the Member States to improve the risk assessment capacity of the Member States and shall provide training in this area if necessary.
Amendment 425 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 8b – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 8b – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) Union responses to the serious cross-border threat to health
Amendment 429 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12 – point c
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12 – point c
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 9 – paragraph 6
Article 9 – paragraph 6
6. The Centre shall, as appropriate, support and coordinate training programmes, in particular in epidemiological surveillance, field investigations, preparedness and prevention, and public health research. and risk communication. Those programmes shall take into consideration the need for updating training and shall respect the principle of proportionality and the training needs of Member States;
Amendment 430 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12 – point c
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12 – point c
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 9 – paragraph 6
Article 9 – paragraph 6
6. The Centre shall, as appropriate, support and coordinate training programmes, in particular in epidemiological surveillance, field investigations, preparedness and prevention, response to public health emergencies, and public health research.;
Amendment 439 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 13 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 13 – point b
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 11 – paragraph 1a – point e a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 1a – point e a (new)
(ea) implementation of the Centre’s recommendations on countermeasures by Member States and the outcomes thereof.
Amendment 445 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 13 – point c
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 13 – point c
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 11 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 11 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) develop solutions to access relevant health data made available or exchanged through digital infrastructures, in accordance with data protection ruleRegulations (EU) 2016/679 and (EU) 2018/1725 and with Directive 2002/58/EC on privacy and electronic communications, allowing for the health data to be used for healthcare, research, policy making and regulatory purposes; and provide and facilitate controlled access to health data to support public health research.;
Amendment 449 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 13 – point d
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 13 – point d
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 11 – paragraph 4
Article 11 – paragraph 4
4. In the situations of urgency related to severity or novelty of a serious cross- border threat to health or to the rapidity of its spread among the Member States, the Centre shall make available epidemiological forecasts as referred to in point (g) of Article 5(4), upon request of the Commission, Member States or the European Medicines Agency, in an objective, reliable and easily accessible way and on the basis of the best available information.
Amendment 465 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 15 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 15 – point a
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
The Centre shall communicate on its own initiative within the scope of its mission, after having given prior information to the Member States and, to the Commission and to the Health Security Committee.
Amendment 468 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 15 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 15 – point a
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The Centre shall ensure that the public or any interested party is rapidly given objective, reliable, evidence-based and easily accessible information with regard to the results of its work. The Centre shall make available information for the general public, including through a dedicated website It shall also publish its opinions produced in accordance with Article 6.; the information communications shall be aligned with the HSC communications.
Amendment 470 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 15 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 15 – point b
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Amendment 472 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 15 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 15 – point b
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Amendment 486 #
2020/0320(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 21
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 21
Regulation (EC) No 851/2004
Article 21 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Article 21 – paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. The Centre shall ensure the confidentiality of health data under the data protection legislation of Member States and the Union.
Amendment 19 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In its Communication to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 11 December 2019, entitled ‘The European Green Deal’ the Commission committed itself to consider revising Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 to improve access to administrative and judicial review at Union level for citizens and environmental non- governmental organisations who have concerns about the compatibility with environmental law of decisions with effects on the environment. The Commission also committed to take action to improve their access to justice before national courts in all Member States; to this end, it issued a Communication on ‘Improving access to justice in environmental matters in the EU and its Member States’ in which it affirms that “access to justice in environmental matters, both via the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) and the national courts as Union courts, is an important support measure to help deliver the European Green Deal transition and a way to strengthen the role which civil society can play as watchdog in the democratic space”.
Amendment 24 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3 a (new)
Recital 3 a (new)
(3a) Taking into account the climate and environmental emergency declared with the adoption of the European Parliament resolution of 28 November 2019 on the climate and environment emergency1a, the Union's institutions and bodies should operate, within the limits of their competences, in such a manner as to enable full use to be made of Union law on environmental protection. __________________ 1aNot yet published in the Official Journal.
Amendment 27 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3 b (new)
Recital 3 b (new)
(3b) Article 9(3) and (4) of the Aarhus Convention provide for access to judicial or other procedures for members of the public, including individuals and non- governmental organisations, so that they can challenge the substantive or procedural legality of decisions, acts or omissions that may contravene environmental law. Enhancing individual access to administrative and court review is necessary as part of the Union’s compliance with the requirements of those provisions, and as part of the Commission’s commitment to improving access to justice contained in the European Green Deal.
Amendment 28 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Taking into account the provisions of Article 9(3) and (4) of the Aarhus Convention, as well as concerns expressed by the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee5, Union law should be brought into compliance with the provisions of the Aarhus Convention on access to justice in environmental matters in a way that is compatible with the fundamental principles of Union law and with its system of judicial review. __________________ 5See findings of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee in case ACCC/C/2008/32 at https://www.unece.org/env/pp/compliance/ Compliancecommittee/32TableEC.html, the findings5 and the advice5a of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee, as the main body for the review of compliance with the Aarhus Convention5b, in a way that is compatible with the fundamental principles of Union law and with its system of judicial review. This Regulation therefore amends Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 in order to fulfil the Union’s obligations under international law to implement Article 9(3) and (4) of the Aarhus Convention as regards the Union’s institutions and bodies. __________________ 5See findings of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee in case ACCC/C/2008/32 at https://www.unece.org/env/pp/compliance/ Compliancecommittee/32TableEC.html. 5aSee advice of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee ACCC/M/2017/3 available at https://unece.org/env/pp/cc/accc.m.2017.3 _european-union. 5bAt its first session (Lucca, October 2002) the Meeting of the Parties adopted decision I/7 on the review of compliance.
Amendment 43 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The definition of an administrative act for the purposes of Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 should include non-legislative acts. However, a non legislative act might entail implementing measures at national level against which environmental non- governmental organisations can obtain judicial protection, including before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) through a procedure for preliminary ruling under Article 267 TFEU. Therefore, it is appropriate to exclude from the scope of the internal review those provisions of such non- legislative acts for which Union law requires implementing measures at national level.
Amendment 45 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
Amendment 55 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) When assessing whether an administrative act contains provisions which may, because of their effects, contravene environmental law, it is necessary to consider whether such provisions may have an adverse effect on the attainment of the objectives of Union policy on the environment set out in Article 191 TFEU. As a result, the internal review mechanism should also cover acts that have been adopted in the implementation of policies other than Union policy on the environment.
Amendment 62 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11a) As confirmed by the case law of the CJEU1a, state aid for activities that contravene rules of the Union law on the environment cannot be declared compatible with the internal market. Measures taken by the Commission under Articles 106 and 107 TFEU should, therefore, be covered by the definition of an administrative act for the purposes of Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006. __________________ 1aJudgement of the Court of Justice of 22 September 2020, Austria v. Commission, C-594/18 P, ECLI:EU:C:2020:742, paragraphs 42 to 44.
Amendment 66 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 b (new)
Recital 11 b (new)
(11b) The scope of review proceedings under Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 should include both the substantive and procedural legality of the act challenged. According to the case law of the CJEU, proceedings under Article 263(4) TFEU and Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 cannot be founded on grounds or on evidence not appearing in the request for review, since otherwise the purpose for the requirement, in Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006, relating to the statement of grounds of review for such a request, would be made redundant and the object of the procedure initiated by the request would be altered1a. __________________ 1aJudgement of the Court of Justice of 12 September 2019, TestBio Tech eV and Others v Commission, C-82/17, ECLI:EU:C:2019:719, paragraph 39.
Amendment 67 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 c (new)
Recital 11 c (new)
(11c) Article 9(4) of the Aarhus Convention requires that court proceedings under the scope of Article 9(3) of the Aarhus Convention are not to be prohibitively expensive. In order to ensure that judicial proceedings under Article 12 of Regulation (EC) 1367/2006 are not prohibitively expensive and that the amount of costs is foreseeable for the applicant, the Union's institutions or bodies should only make reasonable cost requests and should, in particular, not be permitted to seek to pass on the costs of external representation.
Amendment 78 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) This Regulation respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter), in particular the principle of environmental protection (Article 37), the right to good administration (Article 41) and the right to an effective remedy and to a fair trial (Article 47). This Regulation contributes to the effectiveness of the Union system of administrative and judicial review in environmental matters, and as a result, strengthens the application of Articles 37, 41 and 47 of the Charter and thereby contributes to the rule of law, enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU).
Amendment 83 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point g
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point g
(g) ‘administrative act’ means any non- legislative act adopted by a Union institution or body, which has legally binding and external effect effects vis-à-vis third parties and contains provisions that may, because of their effects, contravene environmental law within the meaning of point (f) of Article 2(1), excepting those provisions of this act for which Union law explicitly requires implementing measures at Union or national level;
Amendment 93 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 a (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – introductory phrase
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – introductory phrase
1a. Article 2, paragraph 2, introductory phrase is amended as follows: ‘2. Administrative acts and administrative omissions shall not include measures taken or omissions by a CommunityUnion institution or body in its capacity as an administrative review body, such as under:’
Amendment 97 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 b (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1 b (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point a
Amendment 117 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Any non-governmental organisation whichor other member of the public that meets the criteria set out in Article 11, is entitled to make a request for internal review to the Union institution or body that has adopted an administrative act or, in case of an alleged administrative omission, should have adopted such an act, on the grounds that such an act or omission contravenes environmental law.
Amendment 123 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Where an administrative act is an implementing measure at Union level required by another non-legislative act, the non-governmental organisation or other member of the public may also request the review of the provision of the non- legislative act for which that implementing measure is required when requesting the review of that implementing measure.
Amendment 134 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 d (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 d (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006
Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
2d. In Article 11 the following paragraph is inserted : ‘1a. Any other member of the public shall be entitled to make a request for internal review in accordance with Article 10, provided that they prove they have sufficient interest in and/or are directly concerned by the administrative act or omission that allegedly contravenes environmental law, including where the administrative act or, in the case of an alleged administrative omission, the failure to adopt such an act, interferes with their legitimate interests as regards one or more of the elements or factors referred to in points (d)(i) and (ii) of Article 2(1), and which are protected by the rules of environmental law in question.’
Amendment 137 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 e (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 e (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006
Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
2e. Article 11, paragraph 2 is amended as follows: ‘2. The Commission shall adopt the provisions which are necessary to ensure transparent and consistent application of the criteria mentioned in paragraphs 1. and 1a.’
Amendment 143 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 g (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 g (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006
Article 12 – paragraph 1
Article 12 – paragraph 1
2g. Article 12, paragraph 1 is amended as follows: ‘1. TWhere a non-governmental organisation or other member of the public which made thea request for internal review pursuant to Article 10 may institute proceedings before the Court of Justice in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Treaty.considers that a decision by the Union institution or body in response to that request is insufficient to ensure compliance with environmental law, that non- governmental organisation or other member of the public may institute proceedings before the Court of Justice in accordance with Article 263 TFEU, to review the substantive and procedural legality of that decision.’
Amendment 146 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 h (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 h (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
2h. Article 12, paragraph 2 is amended as follows: ‘2. Where the CommunityUnion institution or body fails to act in accordance with Article 10(2) or (3) the non-governmental organisation or other member of the public may institute proceedings before the Court of Justice in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Treaty.FEU.’
Amendment 150 #
2020/0289(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 i (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 i (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006
Article 12 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2i. In Article 12, the following paragraph is inserted: ‘2a. Without prejudice to the Court’s prerogative to apportion costs, the Union institutions and bodies referred to in Article 10(1) must ensure that court proceedings initiated under this provision are not prohibitively expensive. They shall not request that applicants pay costs other than reasonable travel and subsistence expenses. In particular, Union institutions and bodies shall not request applicants to pay the remuneration or fees of agents, advisers or lawyers.’
Amendment 433 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9
(9) ‘serious cross-border threat to health’ means a life- threatening or otherwise serious hazard to health of biological, chemical, radiological, nuclear, environmental or unknown origin which spreads or entails a significant risk of spreading across the national borders of Member States, and which may necessitate coordination at Union level in order to ensure a high level of human health protection;
Amendment 453 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) protect people in the Union from serious cross-border threats to health; implement better preparedness and coordination within and between Member States as regards health emergencies;
Amendment 476 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 3
(3) strengthen health systems and the healthcare workforce, including by digital and green transformation, and by increased integrated and coordinated work among the Member States, sustained implementation of best practice and comparable data sharing, to increase the general level of public health and health literacy of the population.
Amendment 502 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) strengthen the capability of the Union for prevention, preparedness and response to serious cross-border threats to health, and the management of health crises, including through coordination, provision and deployment of emergency health care capacity, data gathering and, surveillance and health risk assessment;
Amendment 528 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 3 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 3 a (new)
(3a) support the research and development of new medicines, medical devices and health products, enhance clinical trials and research based on real world data;
Amendment 530 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 4
(4) strengthen the effectiveness, accessibility, sustainability and resilience of health systems, including by supporting green and digital transformation, the uptake of digital tools and services, systemic reforms, implementation of new care models leading to person-centred systems and universal health coverage, and address inequalities in healthand inequities in health and promote a set of minimal health services standards and ensure that the right to affordable preventive and curative health and care as set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights is respected;
Amendment 536 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 4 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 4 a (new)
(4a) support the digitalization of health, increasing the skills of citizens and health workers and services, the interoperability of systems and availability of data, ensuring data comparability, to improve the knowledge and evidence on health, support the creation and implementation of a European Health Data Space while respecting citizens´ data protection rights and the Union data protection framework;
Amendment 574 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 6 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 6 a (new)
(6a) strengthen the programmes to fight against communicable diseases and health threats, as AMR, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis, influenza, sexually transmitted infections among others, promoting healthy lifestyles, premature detection, access to treatment and long- life care;
Amendment 590 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 9
(9) support integrated work among Member States, and in particular their health systems, including the implementation of high-impact prevention practices, the identification of health technologies meant to benefit from a European assessment, and scaling up networking through the European Reference Networks and other transnational networks aiming to increase the coverage of patients and the response to more diseases and health problems;
Amendment 652 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 2
Article 20 – paragraph 2
2. The interim evaluation of the Programme shall be performed once there is sufficient information available about their implementation, but not later than four years after the start of the implementation and before any decision is taken on future work programmes. The results of the interim evaluation shall be made public.
Amendment 659 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point a – point ii
Annex I – point a – point ii
(ii) Critical health infrastructure relevant in the context of health crises, tools, structures, processes, production and laboratory capacity, including tools for surveillance, modelling, forecast, prevention and management of outbreaks and relevant medical products.
Amendment 711 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point d – point i
Annex I – point d – point i
(i) Implementation, enforcement, monitoring of Union health legislation and action for the protection and promotion of health; and technical support to the implementation of legal requirements;
Amendment 753 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point e – point v
Annex I – point e – point v
(v) Establishment and operation of a Union health response mechanism coordinated by the ECDC and with the assistance of other health-related agencies (EMA, EFSA, ECHA, EEA) of a Union reserve of medical and healthcare staff and experts and of a mechanism to deploy such staff and experts as necessary to prevent or respond to a health crisis throughout the Union; establishment and operation of a Union Health Emergency team to provide expert advice and technical assistance on request by the Commission in the case of a potential health crisis or health threat;
Amendment 767 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point f – point v
Annex I – point f – point v
(v) Actions to address and manage the collateral health consequences of a health crisis, in particular those on mental health, on patients suffering from chronic diseases and other vulnerable groups, such as people living with addiction, with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or in socially vulnerable situations;
Amendment 771 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point f – point v a (new)
Annex I – point f – point v a (new)
(v a) Actions to support e-health, the transition to telemedicine, the use of digital health tools, enabling patients to use e-health solutions and implement self- care plans, empowering citizens and patients to self-manage as regards their health;
Amendment 778 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point f – point vii a (new)
Annex I – point f – point vii a (new)
(viia) Establishment and operation of a mechanism responsible for procurement and development of countermeasures against biological threats, including bioterrorism, and chemical, nuclear and radiological threats;
Amendment 801 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point iii
Annex I – point g – point iii
(iii) Support toactions to address the decision of qualified health workers to leave their Member State of origin to work elsewhere, improve the geographical distribution of healthcare workforce, and avoidance of ‘medical deserts’void ‘medical deserts’ and the phenomenon of ‘brain drain’, and promote and implement retention policies in the healthcare sector as well in the health investigation and development sector;
Amendment 805 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point iv
Annex I – point g – point iv
(iv) Support the establishment and coordination and deployment of Union Reference Laboratories and Centres, and of Centres of excellence of excellence, improve the access of and the coverage to all citizens that need it , and support the establishment of Union disease-specific platforms for the exchange, comparison and benchmarking of best practices between Member States;
Amendment 806 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point v
Annex I – point g – point v
(v) Audit of Member States preparedness and response arrangements (such as crisis management, antimicrobial resistance, vaccination), and implementation of health programmes that address health promotion and disease prevention and tackle communicable and non-communicable diseases;
Amendment 817 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point ix
Annex I – point g – point ix
(ix) Support the establishment and implementation of programmes assisting Member States and their action to improve health promotion and disease prevention (for communicable and non-communicable diseases) and mitigate the main risk factors of chronic diseases;
Amendment 822 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point x
Annex I – point g – point x
(x) Support Member States’ actions to put in place healthy and safe urban, work and school environments, to enable healthy life choices and promote the regular practice of physical activity and healthy diets taking into account the needs of vulnerable groups;
Amendment 833 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point xiii a (new)
Annex I – point g – point xiii a (new)
(xiiia) Support actions to combat all types of discrimination concerning patients and to ensure that there is equal access for all to health;
Amendment 836 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point xiii b (new)
Annex I – point g – point xiii b (new)
(xiiib) Support actions to adopt a common set of health determinants and methodologies, and support Member States to collect, analyse and report these data and improve the knowledge, and support Union actions to mitigate health inequalities and iniquities;
Amendment 839 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point xiii d (new)
Annex I – point g – point xiii d (new)
(xiiid) Support Member States’ actions to boost health education and health literacy, creating well-informed societies, enhancing healthier lifestyles;
Amendment 840 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point xiii e (new)
Annex I – point g – point xiii e (new)
(xiiie) Support the creation and promotion of a Union platform for reliable and updated health information, available in all official languages of the Union, with food, medicines, health, sports and data on other issues;
Amendment 841 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point xiii f (new)
Annex I – point g – point xiii f (new)
(xiiif) Support the development and implementation of guidelines on health promotion and disease prevention in different stages of a person's lifetime and needs; creating quality standards to focus on, inter alia, child health, maternal health, aging health, mental health and reproductive and sexual health;
Amendment 843 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point xiii h (new)
Annex I – point g – point xiii h (new)
(xiiih) Support collaboration between different sectors to improve health determinants and enhance the benefits in health outcomes;
Amendment 844 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point xiii i (new)
Annex I – point g – point xiii i (new)
(xiiii) Support the establishment of quality assurance schemes for disease- specific centres;
Amendment 845 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point xiii j (new)
Annex I – point g – point xiii j (new)
(xiiij) Actions supporting the quality of life of chronic disease patients, care givers and informal carers;
Amendment 846 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point g – point xiii k (new)
Annex I – point g – point xiii k (new)
(xiiik) Actions supporting continuity of care (integrated care approaches for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care);
Amendment 885 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point h – point v a (new)
Annex I – point h – point v a (new)
(va) Support equal and timely access to truly innovative medicines and therapies;
Amendment 888 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point h – point v b (new)
Annex I – point h – point v b (new)
(vb) Support implementing policies, national programmes and guidelines regarding reducing inequalities in access to essential therapies and medicines, supportive and palliative care of paediatric cancers across Europe, including availability and affordability of such health care and services;
Amendment 929 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point i – point ii a (new)
Annex I – point i – point ii a (new)
(iia) Support tools and platforms to collect real-world data to produce real- world evidence, promote research and evidence on the safety, effectiveness and impact of vaccines, while guaranteeing robust evidence generation in the pre- approval phase;
Amendment 933 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point i – point iii
Annex I – point i – point iii
(iii) Support clinical trials, including those involving increased coordination at Union level and with EMA, to speed up the development, authorisation and access to innovative, safe and effective medicines and vaccines; support publication of all clinical reports (including CSRs) on the day marketing authorisation is granted for such medicines and vaccines;
Amendment 941 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point i – point iv
Annex I – point i – point iv
(iv) Support action to ensure greater availability and affordability in the Union of medicines, vaccines, and medical devices and contribute to their affordability for patients and health systems, using the Union mechanism as joint procurement at the same time enhance the transparency of the process;
Amendment 951 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point i – point v a (new)
Annex I – point i – point v a (new)
(va) Support actions to implement models of R&D and IP ownership and management which prioritise the public interest and ensure that there are societal benefits, for example by including binding safeguards to ensure availability, accessibility and affordability of medical products developed with public funds;
Amendment 970 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point i – point viii
Annex I – point i – point viii
(viii) Action to strengthen the environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and medical devices;
Amendment 974 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point i – point ix
Annex I – point i – point ix
(ix) Action to promote the prudent use and disposal of antimicrobials, surveillance of antimicrobial use, antimicrobial resistance and support action to fight against AMR;
Amendment 979 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point i – point x
Annex I – point i – point x
(x) Support action to foster international regulatory convergence on medicines and, vaccines, medical devices. and products and e-health solutions;
Amendment 983 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point i – point x b (new)
Annex I – point i – point x b (new)
(xb) action to promote data transparency in the entire value chain of medicines;
Amendment 985 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point i – point x d (new)
Annex I – point i – point x d (new)
(xd) Support actions aimed at strengthening the fight against counterfeiting and piracy of medicines and medical devices;
Amendment 986 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point i – point x e (new)
Annex I – point i – point x e (new)
(xe) Support actions to promote the reinforcement of investment in a joint R&D policy;
Amendment 987 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point i – point x f (new)
Annex I – point i – point x f (new)
(xf) Support the strengthening of investment in instruments for monitoring the commerce and availability of medicines for human use and medical devices, at national and Union level;
Amendment 988 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point i – point x g (new)
Annex I – point i – point x g (new)
(xg) Support research into possible repurposing of existing drugs, exploring new uses and indications of therapies for existing drugs;
Amendment 989 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point j – point i
Annex I – point j – point i
(i) Support for the deployment, operation and maintenance of mature interoperable digital service infrastructures and data security and quality assurance processes for data exchange, access, use and reuse; support for cross border networking, including through theimprovement and better use of electronic health records, registries and other databases;
Amendment 997 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point j – point ii
Annex I – point j – point ii
(ii) Support toinvestments for the digital transformation of health care and health systems including through benchmarking and capacity building for the uptake of innovative tools and technologies; digital upskilling of health care professsionals and citizens;
Amendment 1003 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point j – point iii b (new)
Annex I – point j – point iii b (new)
(iiib) Support the development of digital tools and digital solutions to increase the use of e-health and improve the sustainability and resilience of healthcare systems;
Amendment 1004 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point j – point iii c (new)
Annex I – point j – point iii c (new)
(iiic) Support action to scale up cross- border information exchange services and commence the implementation of projects such as Patient Summary and ePrescription;
Amendment 1009 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point j – point iv a (new)
Annex I – point j – point iv a (new)
(iva) Actions to support the involvement of patients and healthcare professionals in the development, design and deployment of user-centred accessible, secure and efficient digital health innovation;
Amendment 1012 #
2020/0102(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – point k – point iii
Annex I – point k – point iii
(iii) Communication to promote disease prevention andand protect health, prevent disease and promote healthy lifestyles, in cooperation with all concerned actors at international, Union and nat, national and regional level.;
Amendment 48 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The regulatory framework governing the Union’s cohesion policy for the period from 2021 to 2027, in the context of the next multi-annual financial framework, contributes to the fulfilment of the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by concentrating Union funding on green objectives. This Regulation implements one of the priorities set out in the Communication on the European Green Deal (‘the European Green Deal’)11 and is part of the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan12 providing dedicated financing under the Just Transition Mechanism in the context of cohesion policy to address the economic and social costhallenges of the transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy by 2050 at the latest, where any remaining greenhouse gas emissions are compensated by equivalent absorptions. _________________ 11 COM(2019) 640 final, 11.12.2019. 12 COM(2020) 21, 14.1.2020.
Amendment 72 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In order to be successful, the transition has to be fair, inclusive and socially acceptable for all, reduce inequalities and leave no one behind. Therefore, both the Union and the Member States must take into account its economic and social implications from the outset, and deploy all possible instruments to mitigate adverse consequences. The Union budget has an important role in that regard.
Amendment 92 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) This Regulation establishes the Just Transition Fund (‘JTF’) which is one of the pillars of the Just Transition Mechanism implemented under cohesion policy. The aim of the JTF is to mitigate the adverse effects of the climate transition by supporting the most affected territories and workers concerned. In line with the JTF specific objective, actions supported by the JTF should directly contribute to facilitate and alleviate the impact of the transition by creating new sustainable employment opportunities, by mitigating the negative repercussions on employment and adverse social consequences and by financing the diversification and modernisation of the local economy and by mitigating the negative repercussions on employment. This is reflected in the JTF specific objective, which is established at the same level and listed together with the policy objectives set out in Article [4] of Regulation EU [new CPR].
Amendment 99 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) The application of Union support and funding through the JTF shall ensure that all eligible projects in every Member State are consistent with all Member States’ obligation, set out in Regulation (EU)XX/XXX establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 [new European Climate Law], to achieve national climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest;
Amendment 106 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) In view of the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement, the commitment regarding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the increased ambition of the Union as proposed in the European Green Deal, the JTF should provide a key contribution to mainstream climate actions and accelerate the transition to a climate-neutral economy by 2050 at the latest. Resources from the JTF own envelope are additional and come on top of the investments needed to achieve the overall target of 25% of the Union budget expenditure contributing to climate objectives. Resources transferred from the ERDF and ESF+ will contribute fully to the achievement of this target.
Amendment 113 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) The resources from the Just Transition Fund cannot deliver the transition to climate neutrality on its own. The other two pillars of the Just Transition Mechanism will offer an additional set of measures and financing opportunities, next to the JTF, with the objective of facilitating and accelerating the transition of the most affected regions. A dedicated just transition scheme under InvestEU will attract private investments that benefit the regions in transition and help their economies find new sources of growth such as projects for decarbonisation, economic diversification of the regions, energy, transport and social infrastructure. Public sector loan facility with the European Investment Bank backed by the EU budget will be used for concessional loans to the public sector, for example for investments in energy and transport infrastructure, district heating networks, and renovation or insulation of buildings.
Amendment 122 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The resources from the JTF should complement the resources available under cohesion policy as well as national and regional investments, private capital and should by no means replace such investments.
Amendment 140 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Transitioning to a climate-neutral economy is a challenge for all Member States. It will be particularly demanding for those Member States that but also an enormous opportunity. Additional support will be needed for the regions that still rely heavily on fossil fuels or greenhouse gas intensive industrial activities which need to be phased out or which need to adapt due to the transition towards climate neutrality and that lack the financial means to do so. The JTF should therefore cover all Member States, but the distribution of its financial means should reflect the capacity of Member States to finance the necessary investments to cope with the transition towards climate neutrality.
Amendment 163 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) This Regulation identifies types of investments for which expenditure may be supported by the JTF. All supported activities should be pursued in full respect of the climate, social and environmental priorities of the Union. The list of investments should include those that support local economies and are sustainable in the medium and long- term, taking into account all the objectives of the European Green Deal and the European Pillar of Social Rights. The projects financed should contribute to a transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy. For declining sectors, such as energy production based on coal, lignite, peat and oil shale or extraction activities for these solid fossil fuels, support should be linked to the phasing out of the activity and the corresponding reduction in the employment level. As regards transforming sectors with high greenhouse gas emission levels, support should promote new activities through the deployment of new technologies, new processes or products, leading to significant emission reduction, in line with the EU 2030 climate objectives and EU climate neutrality by 205013 while maintaining and enhancing employment and avoiding environmental degradation. Particular attention should also be given to activities enhancing innovation and research in advanced and sustainable technologies, as well as in the fields of digitalisation and connectivity, provided that such measures help mitigate the negative side effects of a transition towards, and contribute to, a climate- neutral and circular economy. _________________ 13 As set out in “A Clean Planet for all European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy”, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank - COM(2018) 773 final.
Amendment 185 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In order to enhance the economic diversification of territories impacted by the transition, the JTF should provide support to productive investment inwith job creation potential in green and sustainable SMEs. Productive investment should be understood as investment in fixed capital or immaterial assets of enterprises in view of producing goods and services thereby contributing to gross- capital formation and employment. For enterprises other than SMEs, productive investments should only be supported if they are necessary for mitigating job losses resulting from the transition, by creating or protecting a significant number of jobs and they do not lead to or result from relocation. Investments in existing industrial facilities, including those covered by the Union Emissions Trading System, should be allowed if they contribute to the transition to a climate-neutral economy by 2050 and go substantially below the relevant benchmarks established for free allocation under Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council14 and if they result in the protection of a significant number of jobs. Any such investment should be justified accordingly in the relevant territorial just transition plan. In order to protect the integrity of the internal market and cohesion policy, support to undertakings should comply with Union State aid rules as set out in Articles 107 and 108 TFEU and, in particular, support to productive investments by enterprises other than SMEs should be limited to enterprises located in areas designated as assisted areas for the purposes of points (a) and (c) of Article 107(3) TFEU. _________________ 14Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32).
Amendment 206 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The JTF support should be conditional on the effective and measurable implementation of a transition process in a specific territory in order to achieve a climate-neutral economy by 2050 at the latest. In that regard, Member States should prepare, in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders and supported by the Commission, territorial just transition plans, detailing the transition process, consistently with and possibly going beyond their National Energy and Climate Plans. To this end, the Commission should set up a Just Transition Platform, which would build on the existing platform for coal regions in transition to enable bilateral and multilateral exchanges of experience on lessons learnt and best practices across all affected sectors.
Amendment 233 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) In order to supplement and amend certain non-essential elements of this Regulation, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 TFEU should be delegated to the Commission to set out the annual breakdown of available allocations per Member State in accordance with Annex I, as well as in respect of the amendment of the elements contained in Annex III of this Regulation regarding the common output and result indicators. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level, and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making15 . In particular, to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts, the European Parliament and the Council receive all documents at the same time as Member States’ experts; these experts systematically have access to meetings of Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts. _________________ 15 OJ L 123, 12.5.2016, p.13.
Amendment 234 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
Amendment 247 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
1. This Regulation establishes the Just Transition Fund (‘JTF’) to provide support to territories facing serious socio-economic challenges deriving from the transition process towards a climate-neutral economy of the Union by 2050, ensuring that all Member States achieve climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest.
Amendment 267 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article [4(1)] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], the JTF shall contribute to the single specific objective ‘enabling regions and people to address the social, economic and environmental impacts of the transition towards a climate- neutral economy’ by 2050 at the latest.
Amendment 279 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. The JTF shall support the Investment for jobs and growth goalsocial, socio-economic and environmental impact of the transition in affected regions in all Member States.
Amendment 283 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The resources for the JTF under the Investment for jobs and growth goal available for budgetary commitment for the period 2021-2027 shall be EUR 7.5 billion in 2018 prices, which may be increased, as the case may be, by additional resources allocated in the Union budget, and by other resources in accordance with the applicable basic act. The funding of the JTF shall not be to the detriment of resources allocated to the other MFF funds.
Amendment 294 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3
Article 3 – paragraph 3
3. The Commission shall adopt a decision by means of an implementing act settingis empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 10 to set out the annual breakdown of resources, including any additional resources referred to in paragraph 2, by Member State in accordance with the methodology set out in Annex I.
Amendment 295 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Access to the funds made available under the JTF shall be conditional on national commitment to climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest, as well as commitment to the accomplishment of the intermediate GHG emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2040. If a Member State fails to produce an appropriate schedule for a phase-out of high GHG emission technologies in accordance with Article 7, yearly allocations for that Member State will be redistributed by the Commission to those Member States that have put in place such plans. The mid-term assessment of the JTF must evaluate each Member State’s progress towards the net zero emission target by 2050 at the latest and intermediate targets for 2030 and 2040. Insufficient progress in the reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions, according to the mid-term assessment, shall entail reduction in yearly allocations for that Member State.
Amendment 305 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
In accordance with paragraph 1, the JTF shall exclusively support the following activities provided that they are eligible under Regulation on the establishment of a framework to facilitate sustainable investment (EU) [new EU Taxonomy Regulation]:
Amendment 313 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) productive and sustainable investments in SMEs, including start-ups, leading to sustainable job creation, economic diversification and reconversion;
Amendment 339 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
(c) investments in sustainable research and innovation activities and fostering the transfer of advanced sustainable zero- emission technologies;
Amendment 351 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d
(d) investments in the deployment of technology and infrastructures for affordable clean energy, safe and sustainable energy in order to phase out fossil fuel based one, in greenhouse gas emission reduction, energy efficiency and renewable energy;
Amendment 369 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) targeted energy efficiency measures to address energy poverty;
Amendment 393 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
(f) investments in regeneration and decontamination of sites, land restoration and repurposing projects, while ensuring appropriate application of the polluter pays principle;
Amendment 406 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g
(g) investments in enhancing the non- toxic circular economy, including through waste prevention, reduction, resource efficiency, reuse, repair and recycling;
Amendment 423 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h
(h) upskilling and reskilling of workers, including self-employed, regardless of the sector;
Amendment 444 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Additionally, the JTF may support, in areas designated as assisted areas in accordance with points (a) and (c) of Article 107(3) of the TFEU and in compliance with Union State aid rules as set out in Article 107 and Article 108 of the TFEU, productive investments in enterprises other than SMEs, provided that such investments have been approved as part of the territorial just transition plan based on the information required under point (h) of Article 7(2). Such investments shall only be eligible where they are necessary for the implementation of the territorial just transition plan, are sustainable and do not increase or maintain dependency on fossil fuels, nor lead to unsustainable use of biomass or any use of food crops for energy generation purposes which would risk increasing food crop prices.
Amendment 452 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Amendment 463 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) the decommissioning or, the construction or any other form of investment in of nuclear power stations;
Amendment 486 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) investment related to the production, processing, distribution, storage, transport or combustion of fossil fuels;
Amendment 516 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The Commission shall only approve a programme where the identification of the territories most negatively affected by the transition process, contained within the relevant territorial just transition plan, is duly justified and the relevant territorial just transition plan is consistent with the National Energy and Climate Plan of the Member State concerned, as well as with the commitment to a climate-neutral economy by 2050 at the latest, including the intermediate targets for 2030 and 2040.
Amendment 551 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) a description of the transition process at national level towards a climate- neutral economy by 2050 at the latest, including a timeline for key transition steps such as decomissioning of fossil fuel installations and overall phase-out dates for high GHG emission technologies, which are consistent with the latest version of the National Energy and Climate Plan (‘NECP’);
Amendment 571 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) an assessment of the transition challenges faced by the most negatively affected territories, including the social, economic, and environmental impact of the transition to a climate-neutral economy, identifying the potential number of affected jobs and job losses, the development needs and objectives, to be reached by 2030 linked to the transformation or closure of greenhouse gas-intensive activities in those territories consistent with the transition away from fossil fuel use;
Amendment 592 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point i
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point i
Amendment 620 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 2
2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to Article 3(3) and in Article 8(4) shall be conferred on the Commission for an indeterminate period of time from [the date of the entry into force of this Regulation].
Amendment 622 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 3
Article 10 – paragraph 3
3. The delegation of power referred to in Article 3(3) and Article 8(4) may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated acts already in force.
Amendment 624 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 4
Article 10 – paragraph 4
4. Before adopting a delegated act, the Commission shall consult experts designated by each Member State and conduct stakeholder consultation in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making.
Amendment 627 #
2020/0006(COD)
6. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 3(3) and Article 8(4) shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or by the Council within a period of two months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or of the Council.
Amendment 670 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point 1.1
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point 1.1
1.1. Outline of the expected transition process towards a climate-neutral economy, in line with the objectives of the National Energy and Climate Plans and other existing transition plans with a timeline for ceasing or scaling dowall high GHG emission activities such as coal and lignite mining or coal firactivities related to fossil-fuel based electricity production
Amendment 676 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point 1.1
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point 1.1
1.1. Outline of the expected transition process towards a climate-neutral economy, in line with the objectives of the National Energy and Climate Plans and other existing transition plans with a timeline for ceasing or scaling dowall high GHG emission activities such as coal and lignite mining or coal firactivities related to fossil-fuel based electricity production
Amendment 683 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – paragraph 2 – point 2.4 – Reference: Article 7(2)(i)
Annex II – paragraph 2 – point 2.4 – Reference: Article 7(2)(i)
Amendment 685 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – paragraph 2 – point 2.4 – Reference: Article 7(2)(j)
Annex II – paragraph 2 – point 2.4 – Reference: Article 7(2)(j)
- synergies and complementarities of the envisaged operations with other programmes under the Invesments for jobs and growth goal (supporting the transition process) other financing instruments (the Union Emissions Trading Modernisation Fund) and the other pillars of the Just Transition Mechanism (dedicated scheme under InvestEU and public sector loan facility with the European Investment Bank) to address identified investment needs
Amendment 686 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – paragraph 3 – point 3.1
Annex II – paragraph 3 – point 3.1
- Arrangements for involvement of partners in the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the territorial just transition plan - Outcome of public consultationincluding which civil society organisations will be involved and how community representatives are consulted and engaged in the programming process, before and after programming documents are developed; - Outcome of public consultation and how the outcome of the public consultation has been taken into account in the final version of the plan.
Amendment 690 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex III – Outputs – RCO120
Annex III – Outputs – RCO120
Amendment 693 #
2020/0006(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex III – Results – RCR29
Annex III – Results – RCR29
Amendment 1 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
- having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/515 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2019 on the mutual recognition of goods lawfully marketed in another Member State,
Amendment 12 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the General Product Safety Directive dates back from 2001 when e-commerce, business models and consumers’ purchase habits were very different;
Amendment 13 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas a previous reform attempt of the General Product Safety Directive, presented by the European Commission in 2012 could not be successfully concluded so far;
Amendment 17 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the European market surveillance system is mostly focusing on economic actors present on the European market; whereas developments in ecommerce result in high numbers of direct imports by consumers from third- countries, however many of these products do not respect European Union safety standards and thereby risk harming the consumer, who is often unaware of these hazards;
Amendment 22 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas product safety by design and by default is fundamental because safety in the design phase can hugely impact the safety of products on the market;
Amendment 23 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the number of dangerous products notified through the European Safety Gate remains too high as do the sales of dangerous and non-compliant products in brick-and-mortar shops and on online market places, according to the evidence obtained by consumer organizations, to keep consumers safe in the EU internal market;
Amendment 29 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas in the EU a high number of counterfeit goods were reported as dangerous and posed a serious risk to consumers health and safety;
Amendment 32 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas it is unacceptable that Union consumers are exposed to illegal and unsafe products, that go from containing dangerous chemicals to unsafe software and to other safety hazards;
Amendment 33 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B e (new)
Recital B e (new)
Be. whereas it is essential to ensure that consumers can really benefit from the internal market;
Amendment 36 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B h (new)
Recital B h (new)
Bh. whereas it is practically impossible to adopt Union legislation for all consumer products that exist or may be developed, and therefore there is a need for a legislative framework of a horizontal nature to act as a safety net and ensure consumer protection not otherwise ensured, in particular with a view to achieving a high level of protection of health and safety of consumers, as required by Articles 114, 169 and 191 TFEU;
Amendment 50 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out the need to adapt product safety rules to the digital world; asks the Commission to address the challenges ofand potential threats to consumers and their rights, including possible threats to fundamental rights which may be particularly adversely affected by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT) and robotics in its revision of the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD), and to identify and close gaps within existing legislation such as the Machinery Directive and Radio Equipment Directive, while avoiding duplicating legislation;
Amendment 53 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out the need to adapt product safety rules to the digital world; asks the Commission to address the challenges of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT) and, robotics, and 3D printing, in its revision of the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD), and to identify and close gaps within existing legislation such as the Machinery Directive and, the Radio Equipment Directive, while avoiding duplicating legislationand the Toy Directive, ensuring a consistent approach and a high level of consumer safety;
Amendment 63 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to redefine the term ‘product’ as part of the revision of the GPSD so that it reflects the complexity of emerging technologies, including AI, IoT and robotics embedded products, stand-alone software and software or updates which entail substantial modification to the product leading to a de facto new product;
Amendment 67 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is convinced that AI embedded into products can modify the nature of products, and have an impact on their safety after they have been placed on the market, in particular as a result of software updates or in the case of self-learning technology ; urges the Commission to consider whether ‘placing on the market’ as the decisive moment for the economic operator to guarantee the safety of the product is an approach still fit for purpose; , outlines that continued conformity, also after the installation of software updates, could be more fit for purpose in the digital age;
Amendment 70 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Agrees AI systems should be safe in order to be trustworthy, as outlined by the High-Level Expert Group in its Ethics Guidelines for trustworthy AI; to support the trustworthiness through standardised certificates, reflecting an external auditing process, informing consumers about the safety and security of AI and products where these are embedded; is convinced that an EU-wide approach to AI, including a common definition, is needed to avoid fragmentation of the internal market, which would undermine the trust of citizens and businesses, create legal uncertainty and weaken the EU’s economic competitiveness;
Amendment 77 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Considers that AI systems, whether stand alone or embedded in the product, should use high quality and unbiased data sets, as well as explainable, unbiased, transparent and auditable algorithms, in order to be trustworthy and promote consumer protection;
Amendment 102 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Asks the Commission and the Member States to take account of the autonomous self-learning behaviour of AI throughout a product’s lifetime; calls for human oversight and effective checks on high-risk AI products to ensure product safety; stresses that strong consumer rights, such as a right to transparency, support the development of safe and innovative AI products;
Amendment 118 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhancsure connectivity infrastructure, including 5G and/or IPV6, embeds security and privacy by design and by default, in order to improve the safety of connected products and consumers;
Amendment 137 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission to speed up its efforts to develop a European cybersecurity certification scheme for AI, IoT and robotics productsproducts embedding emerging technologies, such as AI, IoT and robotics products, in accordance with the EU cybersecurity framework, and to create mandatory certification schemes for consumer products that can be quickly updated to adapt to current risks without hindering innovation; further calls on the Commission to propose legislation on mandatory cybersecurity requirements and proper market surveillance mechanisms;
Amendment 145 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Asks the Commission to consider “child-appealing products", whose design, packaging and characteristics in any way resemble a toy or an object appealing to or intended for use by children, in order to assess their levels of risk and determine appropriate action to mitigate risk, in the context of the revision of the GPSD;
Amendment 160 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Encourages the enhancement of the cooperation among national authorities with powers related to product safety such as consumer protection authorities, data protection authorities, cybersecurity authorities, telecoms, market surveillance, and customs authorities to ensure proper enforcement of all consumer relevant aspects related to product safety and consumer rights;
Amendment 163 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Encourages the use of new technologies such as blockchain in the field of market surveillance for a better traceability of products; namely by identifying counterfeit products, further encourages the use of AI tools by market surveillance authorities, so that data analytics can be used to mitigate risk and improve surveillance whilst smoothing data cooperation;
Amendment 168 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Urges Member States to set minimum sampling rates; and asks market surveillance authorities to carry out sector- specific mystery shopping on a regular basis at least once a year, in particular for the product categories most notified on the Safety Gate (Rapex)or sweeping days like the ones carried out by the Consumer Protection Cooperation network (CPC), in particular for the product categories most notified on the Safety Gate (Rapex); recommends that these measures are soundly grounded on data analytics tools to optimise performance;
Amendment 175 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that products directly purchased by consumers from non-EU economic operators must be subject to effective controls; calls on customs and market surveillance authorities to undertake adequate checks on these products; calls for an obligation for non- EU economic operators to establish an authorised representative in the EU internal market for all consumer products to facilitate accountability and enhance product safety and consumer protection; furthermore calls for online marketplaces to complementarily check whether their traders from outside the EU, which target European consumers, either have appointed an authorised representative or set up a branch in the EU; urges the Commission to consider online marketplaces liable for damages and guarantees, without prejudice to seek redress to the trader a posteriori, if it’s proven they failed to verify that obligation;
Amendment 183 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Remarks that no comprehensive and reliable data is available on the safety of direct imports from third countries, therefore calls on the European Commission together with Market surveillance authorities to conduct a research into the safety of products directly available to consumers on online platforms or online marketplaces from sellers in third countries;
Amendment 187 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Asks the Commission to cooperate with the regulatory authorities of third countries, to exchange market surveillance- related information on dangerous products with them, and to include provisions on market surveillance in all bilateraland enforcement in all EU trade agreements;
Amendment 210 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Asks for the Commission to apply to online marketplaces rules that cover all entities that offer products to consumers in the Union, including if they are established outside the Union in order to better tackle the sale of unsafe products;
Amendment 225 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Asks the Commission to ensure that online marketplaces to enhance their cooperation between themselves and competent authorities, consult Rapex before placing products on their websites, remove products identified as unsafe by Rapex swiftly, exchange information on sellers that break the rules, take effective and dissuasive measures against them and their supply chain, andput in place a robust business user authentication in line with the “know your business customer” principle and product verification processes, and also develop an easily accessible tool for consumers to report unsafe products;
Amendment 236 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Asks the Commission to evaluate the necessity of requiringe online platforms and online marketplaces to put in place effective and appropriate safeguards to tackle the appearance of advertisements for unsafe products;
Amendment 243 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Asks the Commission to evaluate the necessity of requiringe online platforms to put in place effective and appropriate safeguards to tackle the appearance ofand promotion of unsafe products, including via advertisements for unsafe productmisleading guarantees and statements made by the suppliers or by customers;
Amendment 269 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Asks the Commission to evaluate how distributed ledger technology and blockchain could enhance the safety of products by improving product traceability throughout the supply chain, including through their standardisation or using the webcrawler tool;
Amendment 273 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Encourages the Commission to further develop the established infrastructure consisting of metrology, standardisation, accreditation, conformity assessment and market surveillance, in consultation with all partners involved, to meet the new challenges associated with emerging technologies;
Amendment 274 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
Amendment 279 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Asks retailers, and online marketplaces and consumer associations to play a greater role in recalls of unsafe products purchased online or offline by ensuring adequate information is available to consumersthat products are withdrawn swiftly from online listings and from the shelve and oblige retailers and online marketplaces to inform consumers of any safety issues and of any action required to ensure that recalls are carried out effectively; also asks the Commission and Member States to require online marketplaces to verify the identity of their users, buyers and sellers, individuals and businesses, in order to be able to reach then, when recalls are necessary, as quickly as possible;
Amendment 287 #
2019/2190(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to foresee a non-burdensomesimple and harmonised feedback report on recalls by economic operators to be submitted to the market surveillance authorities in order to assess the effectiveness of the recall;
Amendment 15 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that all types of asbestos- related diseases such as lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma – caused by the inhalation of asbestos-suspended fibres thin enough to reach the alveoli and long enough to exceed the size of macrophages, as well as different types of cancer caused not only by the inhalation of airborne fibre but also by the ingestion of water containing such fibres coming from asbestos pipes – have been recognised as a health hazard and can take several decades, and in some cases more than 40 years, to become apparent;
Amendment 18 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Stresses that asbestos is a non- threshold carcinogen, meaning that every level of exposure, however low, brings a risk of developing cancer;
Amendment 27 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that asbestos diseases have been observed in populations living or having lived in the vicinity of industrial sites or premises with degraded flocking, including populations living close to construction sites, train infrastructures, shipyards and power plants;
Amendment 31 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls, that despite the Europe- wide ban on asbestos (1999, to be implemented by 2005), asbestos still kills people in Europe. Whereas all types of asbestos are dangerous and its hazard impact has been documented and subject to regulations, and despite the ban on the use of asbestos, it is still found in many ships, trains, machinery, bunkers, tunnels, galleries, pipes in public and private water distribution networks and especially in buildings, including many public and private buildings;
Amendment 41 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that a study by Italian scientists has shown that ingestion of water containing asbestos fibres significantly increases the risk of gastric and colorectal cancers; further recalls that in line with WHO recommendations asbestos-cement pipes should no longer be used or approved for drinking water;
Amendment 46 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses, that background concentration levels of asbestos in the atmosphere should be known and measured all over Europe;
Amendment 47 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Considers that citizens should receive equal protection from exposure to asbestos in their living spaces; urges the Commission in this regard to ensure the protection of all citizens by introducing exposure limit values for asbestos in living spaces as it is necessary, notably in view of para-occupational exposure by means of which exposed workers transport asbestos fibres to the house setting;
Amendment 49 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Recalls that more information is needed with regard to population exposure through contact with commercial products containing asbestos, such as housing materials and their disturbance through normal activity; adds that risks arising from populations exposed to naturally occurring asbestos materials is also an area where information is lacking;
Amendment 50 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Stresses that increased environmental exposure in view of the deterioration of the building stock in the EU leads to more cases of mesothelioma;
Amendment 51 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4e. Urges the Commission and Member States in this regard to support research into the risks related to such environmental asbestos exposure pathways;
Amendment 64 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Recalls the anticipated increase in construction work in view of the Renovation Wave which will be accompanied by increased occupational and environmental exposure to asbestos fibres; highlights the need for asbestos to be substituted with energy efficient materials in the context of the Renovation Wave;
Amendment 85 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses the need to establish public registers relating to asbestos and minimum standards relating to their implementation; recalls that such minimum standards relating to public registers need to be linked to health and safety policies and to environmental and public health regulations;
Amendment 88 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Highlights the need for the treatment of asbestos waste and the safe handling, removal and substitution of this substance in waste streams to be at the heart of the strategy to be developed by the Commission; recalls the need for greater circularity in the construction sector and the importance of preventing asbestos waste from entering the circular economy;
Amendment 89 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Recalls that the disposal of asbestos waste in landfills is a short-term solution which is leading to the release of asbestos fibres into the environment to the detriment of public health;
Amendment 90 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 d (new)
Paragraph 9 d (new)
9d. Calls on the Commission to promote the establishment throughout the EU of centres for the treatment and inertisation of waste containing asbestos, combined with phasing out all delivery of such waste to landfills;
Amendment 91 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 e (new)
Paragraph 9 e (new)
9e. Highlights the need for the EU to fight in international fora against the dumping of asbestos in developing countries;
Amendment 92 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 f (new)
Paragraph 9 f (new)
9f. Emphasises the need for synergies between the strategy to be developed by the Commission, the circular economy objectives including the labelling system and the strategy for a sustainable built environment; highlights also the need for synergies to be created between the strategy and existing initiatives concerning the development of a knowledge base in relation to the substitution of hazardous substances of concern;
Amendment 93 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 g (new)
Paragraph 9 g (new)
9g. Recalls the need for transparency with regard to the presence and composition of asbestos fibres in waste streams with a view to improving dismantling and decontamination techniques in order to facilitate the recovery of waste; encourages the creation of synergies with the database being set up by the European Chemicals Agency to gather information and improve knowledge about substances of concern in products and in products when they become waste;
Amendment 106 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. The establishment of centres for the treatment and inerting of waste containing asbestos by providing for the phasing out of the disposal of such waste in landfillintegration of an EU-wide plan in the strategy to be developed by the Commission for the treatment of asbestos waste and the safe handling, removal and substitution of this substance in waste streams;
Amendment 109 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. The establishment of centres for the treatment and inerting of waste containing asbestos by providing for the phasing out of the disposal of such waste in landfills and other harmful practices such as its disposal in waterbodies;
Amendment 110 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. The development of a strategic plan for the EU to increase its activity and influence on global level with regard to the fight against dumping of asbestos in developing countries;
Amendment 114 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. The establishment of a European framework for public and accessible asbestos registers and minimum standards relating to their implementation, together with a mapping of the exact location of asbestos on public and private sites;
Amendment 121 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. The active involvement of the social partnersmeasurement and access to information with regard to background concentration levels of asbestos in the atmosphere all over the EU and other stakeholders, such as asbestos victims’ group introduction of exposure limit values for living spaces.
Amendment 124 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. The identification of funding instruments including both EU and national funds for the implementation of the Strategy to be adopted by the Commission.
Amendment 126 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. To support research into the risks related to environmental asbestos exposure pathways.
Amendment 127 #
2019/2182(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. The active involvement of the social partners and other stakeholders, such as asbestos victims’ groups, tenants and environmental organizations.
Amendment 4 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11
Citation 11
— having regard to the draft feasibility study on options to step up EU action against deforestation, commissioned by the Commission’s Directorate General for Environment (20178),
Amendment 28 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 15 January 2020 on the European Green Deal
Amendment 31 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas the year 2020 is the deadline for a number of forest-related international commitments, such as target 15.2 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aims to halt deforestation by 2020, and the Aichi biodiversity target 5, adopted in 2010under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which states that “by 2020 the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, is at least halved and where feasible brought close to zero, and degradation and fragmentation is significantly reduced”; whereas these commitments are still far from being met;
Amendment 44 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas forests are essential to preserve the world’s biodiversity and climate, and to directly sustain millions of people’s livelihoods; however whereas, despite all efforts so far, conservation, preservation and sustainable use of the world’s forests as well as the protection of indigenous peoples and local communities cannot be adequately ensured by current policies;
Amendment 59 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas newly planted forests cannot replace primary forests; whereas stepping up action to protect existing forests and actively and sustainably restore the integrity of forest ecosystems before createing new forest coverage has to play a crucial role in the EU’s sustainability policies;
Amendment 72 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU is also indirectly involved in the deforestation and degradation of world forests, including through the consumption of products related to deforestation; whereas EU consumption represents around 10% of the global share of deforestation embodied in total final consumption of commodities such as palm oil, beef, soy, cocoa, maize, timber, including fuelwood for energy, and rubber;
Amendment 84 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas a recent Global Witness investigation revealed that, between 2013 and 2019, EU-based financial institutions were the main international source of funds and backed six agribusiness companies linked to forest destruction in the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Papua New Guinea to the tune of €7 billion1a; _________________ 1a https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaig ns/forests/why-eu-action-tackle- deforestation-should-not-let-finance- hook/
Amendment 89 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas current voluntary commitments from companies and banks to tackle deforestation have failed to deliver the change in behaviour needed to halt this disastrous environmental destruction;
Amendment 93 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas action at all levels, including regulatory measures, as well as substantial investment, will be needed to protect the world's forests more effectively;
Amendment 97 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas indigenous peoples and local communities are increasingly under threat and facing human rights violations for their efforts to protect their forests, land, and environment;
Amendment 100 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas increased protection of forests and other natural ecosystems, protects the cultures and livelihoods of indigenous peoples and local communities and provides opportunities for economic development, particularly at the level of local communities;
Amendment 113 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Amendment 118 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the amount of EU funding provided to support the protection and restoration of forests and sustainable forest management in partner countries is insufficient given the scale of the problem; whereas the protection, restoration and sustainable management of natural ecosystems, as well as their related co- benefits and human rights aspects, need to be better integrated into EU funding mechanisms;
Amendment 125 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
Amendment 142 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Welcomes the Commission Communication ‘Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests’ and considers it a good basis for the development of decisive EU action to protect and restore forests and other natural ecosystems while protecting human rights; underlines that implementing a comprehensive set of measures and initiatives, including new legislation, is essential to reduce the EU’s footprint on the world’s natural ecosystems;
Amendment 143 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Agrees with the priorities for stepping up EU action presented in COM(2019)352; notes, however, that the EU should be more ambitious; the communication; underlines that the five priorities laid out in the communication are equally important and should be implemented simultaneously; notes, however, that the EU should be more ambitious in its actions and policy measures in order to adequately address the urgency of deforestation and forest degradation worldwide; is of the opinion that EU action against deforestation should tackle its main drivers, including palm oil, soy, beef, maize, rubber, cocoa, and fuelwood for energy;
Amendment 152 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Amendment 166 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the EU has the powers, responsibility and funds available to also protect European forests as part of the world’s forests; calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that measures aimed at protecting and restoring the world’s foreststhe highest standards of environmental protection are consistently applied to European forests;
Amendment 170 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to recognise that the protection of native forests provides an outstanding climate mitigation benefit, deriving from the size and longevity of their ecosystem carbon stocks, which are greater in primary forests than in production forests even at harvest maturity;
Amendment 184 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the crucial role and rights of iIndigenous pPeoples and local communities in the protection of the world’s forests and calls on the Commission to take this role into account in the design, adoption, implementation and enforcement of forest protection measures, both at EU level, in partner countries, in dialogue with other consumer countries and in key international forums;
Amendment 202 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the role of civil society, Indigenous People and Communities in environmental protection and sustainable consumption and calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure transparency and public participation in forest-related measures in order to promote forest protection and human rights;
Amendment 207 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes the view that a single definition of the concept of non- deforestation- free supply chain is central to addressing the problem of commodities contributing to deforestation, and calls on the Commission to propose such a definition; considers that this definition should be as ambitious as possible, and aim at including forest degradation as well as deforestation and degradation and conversion of natural ecosystems that do not qualify as forests, as well as related human rights violations;
Amendment 217 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to ensure that studies on certification schemes for non-deforestation commodities are carried out without delay and to submit these studies, together with a proposal for follow-up actions, to the European Parliament for further consideration with a view to developing a single certification scheme;
Amendment 225 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recommends that the Commission pay particular attention to the possibilities of regulating access to the Union market iEmphasises that robust regulatory measures on the basis of due diligence are needed to ensure that there are no products entering the EU market that contribute to deforestation, forest degradation and conversion or der to promote non-deforestation products, including the possibility of introducing due diligence regulation for forest-risk commoditiesgradation of natural ecosystems, biodiversity loss or violations of human rights, including the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, in any phase of the supply chain; calls therefore on the Commission to present without delay a proposal for an effective European legal framework based on due diligence to guarantee deforestation-free supply chains for all products placed on the EU market;
Amendment 235 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Amendment 248 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the private sector to be more involved in the fight against deforestation and human rights violations embodied in their supply chains and investments, fulfilling without further delay their zero deforestation commitments; calls, at the same time, on the Commission to step up cooperation with the private sector and to develop appropriate instruments to incentivise volunteers based on the principle of shared responsibilityfrontrunners, as well as encourage companies to transition to global sustainable supply chains;
Amendment 272 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that the methods used to achieve the objectives set out in the Clean Energy for all Europeans package must not lead to deforestation and forest degradation in other parts of the world; calls, therefore, on the Commission to review by 2021 the relevant aspects of the report annexed to Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/807 and, if necessary, to revise this Regulation without undue delay, and in any case before 2023, in order to phase out as soon as possible high ILUC-risk biofuels used in Europe; on the basis of scientific knowledge and in accordance with the precautionary principle;
Amendment 274 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Emphasises the importance of reducing negative impacts of the EU food system on forests and other ecosystems; calls therefore for EU action that creates new incentives to promote sustainable food systems and diets, including reducing waste and pressure on the global food system stemming from EU consumption;
Amendment 284 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the Commission's plan to ensure that the topic of deforestation is part of country-level political dialogues and recommends that the Commission includeformalises partnership agreements, which include the protection of forests and ecosystems, the promotion of human rights, in particular the rights of iIndigenous pPeoples and local communities, as well as support for the effective participation of civil society organisations and environmentalists in these dialogues;
Amendment 289 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the Commission's plan to help partner countries develop and implement national frameworks for forests and their sustainable management, but considers that such assistance should produce measurable results demonstrating its cost-effectiveness and recommends that the Commission include this aspect in its reflections and actionsensuring the recognition of land tenure rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities and incorporating substantial direct support to civil society in partner countries to ensure a balanced and equitable political dialogue; points out that such frameworks should reflect not only domestic needs but also global commitments such as the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 329 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the Commission's plan to strengthen cooperation on policies and measures to protect the world’s forests in key international forums, and calls on the Commission to endeavour to cooperate with these forums with a view, inter alia, to harmonising the terminology and concepts in use (e.g. sustainable forest management or deforestation and human rights violation-free supply chains) and to ensuring the coherence of the policies and measures adopted;
Amendment 332 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Welcomes the Commission's intention of promoting sustainable supply chains in order to increase the benefits of the circular economy domestically and globally; underlines that this can only be done through mandatory due diligence obligations in line with OECD guidelines which fully respect environmental, social and safety standards as well as fully implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; expects the Commission to present a legislative initiative on due diligence, which includes the introduction of a transparent and functioning mandatory ‘social and environmental traceability’ along the entire supply chain;
Amendment 340 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission to ensure that all newly adopted tradeand future trade and investment agreements, both comprehensive and relevant sub- agreements, are fully compatible with the Paris Agreement and the SDGs, that environmental and climate provisions are legally binding and enforceable and that they contain provisions relating to forests andincluding safeguards to prevent them from being implemented in a manner that could lead to deforestation and forest degradation;
Amendment 355 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recommends that the Commission assess the possibility of including forest protection provisionbinding and legally enforceable provisions relating to forests, ecosystems and human rights in existing trade agreements which do not yet contain such provisions or in which such provisions are not binding and legally enforceable in practice;
Amendment 361 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Underlines the need to ensure the consistency of EU trade policy with the objectives of deforestation-free policies by guaranteeing the protection and restoration of forests and other natural ecosystems in trading partner countries whilst defending human rights, ensuring good land governance, supporting local livelihoods and maintaining the cultural integrity of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and smallholders;
Amendment 366 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the impact of trade agreements on the state of forests, natural ecosystems and human rights is systematically evaluated in the framework of sustainability impact assessments and other relevant assessment methods, and that the conclusions of these assessments are subsequently taken into account when deciding whether to conclude such agreements;
Amendment 374 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Commission to include binding targets for the protection and restoration of forest ecosystems, including native European forests, as part of the EU's future forest strategy; recalls that newly planted forests cannot replace primary forests;
Amendment 386 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Considers it necessary to redirect financial flows, both private and public, in the relevant industrial sectors towards activities that do not cause deforestation; underlines the need to introduce mandatory due diligence on deforestation risk for the finance sector to ensure it is not enabling or contributing to deforestation, forest degradation, ecosystem conversion and degradation, or human rights violations.
Amendment 401 #
2019/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the Commission to integrate forest and human rights-related elements systematically into development policies and all investment and support programmes aimed at producer countries, and to consider making investments and support conditional on compliance with these elements;
Amendment 28 #
2019/2098(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Underlines that the Authority, when carrying out its activities, needs to pay particular attention ensuring compatibility with Union law, respecting the principle of proportionality and complying with the fundamental principles of the internal market;
Amendment 64 #
2019/2098(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Underlines the importance of an open, efficient and independent European administration for all European agencies and the whole Union; recalls the problem of revolving door conflict of interest situations and stresses the need for a unified legal framework to address these issues;