11 Amendments of Pietro FIOCCHI related to 2020/0006(COD)
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy constitutes one of the most important policy objectives for the Union. On 12 December 2019, the European Council endorsed the objective of achieving a climate-neutral Union by 2050, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. While fighting climate change and environmental degradation will benefit all in the long term and provides opportunities and challenges for all in the medium term, not all regions and Member States start their transition from the same point or have the same capacity to respond. Some are more advanced than others, whereas the transition entails a wider social and economic impact for those regions that rely heavily on fossil fuels - especially coal, lignite, peat and oil shale - or greenhouse gas intensive industries. Such a situation not only creates the risk of a variable speed transition in the Union as regards climate action, but also of growing disparities between regions, detrimental to the objectives of social, economic and territorial cohesion. Similarly, within the European economic system there are different productive sectors, not only in the coal regions, which are still heavily dependent on fossil and therefore highly emissive sources, which need to be accompanied towards the transition through adequate support measures, such as those referred to in this regulation.
Amendment 83 #
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, as well as productive sectors of the economy of all Member States which are currently more emissive and which will therefore be impacted by the transition. In line with the JTF specific objective, actions supported by the JTF should directly contribute to alleviate the impact of the transition 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 89 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) In the implementation of the European Green Deal and, in particular, in the use of the Fund for a just transition, each Member State will have to direct national support policies to the valorisation and rewarding of the virtuous behaviour of companies, in particular of micro and small ones, rather than penalising with burdens and constraints the different productive sectors present within their economic systems.
Amendment 128 #
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 and environmental priorities of the Union. The list of investments should include those that support local economies and are sustainable in the long- term, taking into account all the objectives of the Green Deal. The projects financed should contribute to a gradual 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 over time. 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 skilled employment and avoiding environmental degradation. PIn general, particular attention should also be given to SMEs and, more specifically, 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. Those investments should also enable the financing of the costs of expertise and analysis to help achieve the goals of a successful transformation in existing, well-established enterprises. __________________ 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 156 #
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 preferentially provide support to productive investment in 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 169 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The JTF support should be conditional on the effective implementation of a transition process in a specific territory and in specific highly emissive productive sectors within the European economic systems in order to achieve a climate-neutral economy. In that regard, Member States should prepare, in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders in accordance with the partnership principle established by Article 6 of Regulation (EU) .../... [new CPR] and supported by the Commission, territorial just transition plans, detailing the transition process, consistently with 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 191 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) The objectives of this Regulation, namely to support territories and productive sectors facing economic and social transformation in their transition to a climate-neutral economy, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States alone. The main reasons in this regard are, on the one hand, the disparities between the levels of development of the various territories and the backwardness of the least favoured territories, as well as the limit on the financial resources of the Member States and territories and, on the other hand, the need for a coherent implementation framework covering several Union funds under shared management. Since those objectives can better be achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 TEU. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives,
Amendment 199 #
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 and to the productive sectors facing serious socio-economic challenges deriving from the transition process towards a climate-neutral economy of the Union by 2050.
Amendment 241 #
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:
Amendment 279 #
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) in relation to investments in renewable energy, in particular measures aimed at the spread of small-scale plants on the territories, such as to develop private self-consumption, as well as to stimulate collective self-consumption and the establishment of energy communities;
Amendment 450 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3
Article 7 – paragraph 3
3. The preparation and implementation of territorial just transition plans shall involve the relevant partners and the structured and systematic consultation of the stakeholders in accordance with Article [6] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR].