Activities of Margarida MARQUES related to 2020/2058(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Sustainable Europe Investment Plan - How to finance the Green Deal (debate)
Amendments (49)
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas all sectors of the EU economy will be impacted by the transition towards a sustainable economy,
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas the EU climate law will set in stone the EU’s commitment to climate neutrality by 2050, including ambitious intermediary steps necessary to achieve this objective,
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas the Commission has estimated the investment needs at EU level in order to achieve the current 2030 climate objectives at 240 bn EUR/year1a plus additional amounts of 130 bn EUR/year for environmental objectives , 192 bn EUR/year for social infrastructure and 100bnEUR/year for Europe’s wider transport infrastructure, whereas it is essential to mobilize all available funds to close the investment gap, __________________ 1a https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/ec onomy- finance/assessment_of_economic_and_in vestment_needs.pdf
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas the European Green Deal is a growth strategy and should lead to sustainable and inclusive economic growth, job creation and ensure the strategic autonomy of the EU,
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas public and private finance should adhere to the EU Taxonomy and to the Do Not Significantly Harm principle so that EU financial instruments, including the EU budget, including facilities financed through Next Generation EU, the EU Semester, the EU Investment Plan, the EIB, ECB and EU funding sources such as cohesion funds and structural and investment funds, should not go to objects, projects and activities that do significantly harm to social or environmental objectives,
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas the Covid-19 sanitary crisis underlines the importance of investments in a socially and environmentally sustainable economy, in particular investments promoting cutting edge R&D, competitive industry, deepening and strengthening of the single market, strong SMEs, healthcare, a strong welfare system and social wellbeing,
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas creating a sustainable economic system is central to developing long-term strategic autonomy of the European Union and to increase the EU’s resilience,
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan (SEIP) as central in ensuring the success of the Green Deal and the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient economy; Emphasizes that the SEIP should go hand in hand with other main socio-economic long-term goals and priorities of the EU; Stresses that the SEIP must be built on the lessons learned from the socio-economic crisis related to the Covid-19 crisis in order to facilitate the development of a more inclusive and stronger economy in the years to come;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan (SEIP) as central in ensuring the success of the Green Deal and the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient economy; considers that the investment envisaged in the SEIP will deliver necessary economic stimulus, build resilience to future shocks and create jobs;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan (SEIP) as central in ensuring the success of the Green Deal and the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient economy; stresses that the plan should be at the heart of a coordinated and inclusive Union response to building a more resilient economy and society after the Covid-19 crisis;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the Commission’s European Recovery Plan with the European Green Deal at its heart; endorses the underlying principle that public investments will respect the oath to ‘do no harm’; highlights that this oath applies to both social and environmental objectives; emphasises that national recovery and resilience plans should put the EU on the path to a 50 % to 55 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 and climate neutrality by 2050 while providing sufficient guarantees to ensure social equity in the sustainable transition;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the Commission’s European Recovery Plan with the European Green Deal at its heart; endorses the underlying principle that public investments will respect the oath to ‘do no harm’; stresses that the recovery shall be built on the Sustainable Development Goals and shall support the twin green and digital transitions; emphasises that national recovery and resilience plans should put the EU on the path to a 50 % to 55 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 and climate neutrality by 2050;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the success of the EU’s aim to achieve climate neutrality will depend on the adequacy of the financing; calls on the Commission and Member States to make sure the Green Deal Investment Plan, the Climate Budget and the Climate Bank, are massive enough to make future programs like the Renovation Wave, have sufficient impact on every building of Europe, and are made acceptable and welcome to all the citizens of Europe, because only with sufficient funding will our citizens accept the necessary regulations that will make it compulsory that by 2030 enough houses are renovated, enough farmers have transitioned, enough communities have changed their energy and transport systems;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Wishes to see it ensured that funding from the SEIP, at EU and national level, goes towards the policies and programmes with the highest potential to contribute to the fight against climate change, and looks forward to the Commission’s upcoming climate tracking methodology using appropriately the criteria established by the EU taxonomy; calls on the Commission to propose a Framework Regulation laying down a new stringent and comprehensive climate and biodiversity tracking methodology using appropriately the criteria established by the EU taxonomy, defining and tracking relevant expenditure together with a comprehensive proofing mechanism to identify potential harmful impacts of EU actions to biodiversity and climate in line with the EU’s commitments under the Paris Agreement and a roadmap for the rapid phasing-out of direct and indirect fossil fuel subsidies and all other harmful subsidies from the EU budget; recalls in this context that 112 bn EUR/year have been spent by 11 countries and the European Union to subsidise fossil fuels between 2014 and 201613a; __________________ 13a http://www.caneurope.org/publications/bl ogs/1471-report-phase-out-2020- monitoring-europe-s-fossil-fuel-subsidies
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Wishes to see it ensured that funding from the SEIP, at EU and national level, goes towards the policies and programmes with the highest potential to contribute to the fight against climate change, and looks forward to the Commission’s upcoming climate tracking methodology using appropriately the criteria established by the EU taxonomy; calls on the Commission to propose, after consultation of Parliament, and using similar criteria a framework laying down a methodology establishing eligibility criteria for climate-related expenditures, defining and tracking climate expenditure together with a proofing mechanism to identify harmful impacts in accordance with the “do not significantly harm” principle and the commitments under the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Wishes to see it ensured that funding from the SEIP, at EU and national level, goes towards the policies and programmes with the highest potential to contribute to the fight against climate change, protect environment and preserve biodiversity, and looks forward to the Commission’s upcoming climate tracking methodology using appropriately the criteria established by the EU taxonomy;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for the phasing-out of public and private investments in fossil fuel based and highly polluting and harmful industries for which economically feasible alternatives are available, while fully respecting the rights of Member States to choose their energy mixunderlining the urgency to find such alternatives through massive investments in technological innovation and energy efficiency, while fully respecting the rights of Member States to choose their energy mix and with the objective of implementing a fully renewable energy system and a Paris Agreement Compatible energy grid by 2040;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for the phasing-out of public and private investments in highly polluting and harmful industries, using the EU taxonomy criteria, for which economically feasible alternatives are available, while fully respecting the rights of Member States to choose their energy mix;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the central role of the EU budget in delivering the SEIP; reiterates its long-standing position that new initiatives should always be financed through additional appropriations and should not negatively affect other policies; welcomes the new European Union Recovery Instrument, "Next Generation EU", as an emergency instrument to support investments and reforms aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and to reinforce the EU programmes that contribute for a sustainable and resilience recovery of the EU economy;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the proposal to top up the Just Transition Fund (JTF), including with additional funds from Next Generation EU, and the two additional pillars of the Just Transition Mechanism, namely a dedicated scheme under InvestEU and a public sector loan facility, which will contribute to alleviating the economic effects of the transition to climate neutrality on the most vulnerable regions in the EU; supports a strengthened European Agricultural Fund (EAFRD) to help farmers and rural areas to deliver the green transition, ensure a sustainable management of natural resources and preserve biodiversity;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Underlines that the aim of the JTF should be to provide support to citizens, economic activities and territories facing energy sustainability, energy security and energy affordability challenges in the transition process towards a just and sustainable, climate-neutral, climate- resilient, resource-efficient economy of the Union by 2050; Stresses that in order to minimize the negative socio-economic consequences of the transition, we need to ensure that the investments and actions previously made by Member States to reduce greenhouse emission are duly acknowledged and recognised as part of the path towards a climate-neutral economy; consequently, the JTF should also provide tailored support to regions that are in a more advanced phase of its transition, ensuring energy affordability for its citizens and economic activities, leading the way to a socially fair and just green transition;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the role of InvestEU in the implementation and functioning of the SEIP and considers that it should be at the heart of the Union’s green, fair and resilient recovery; welcomes, therefore, the Commission’s proposal to increase the programme’s size and scope; welcomes the proposal to create a Strategic Investment Facility within InvestEU to promote sustainable investments in key technologies and value chains; calls for the InvestEU programme legal basis to include the highest standards regarding climate and sustainability proofing of the projects financed, at least at the level applicable to direct EU budget financing;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the role of InvestEU in the implementation and functioning of the SEIP and considers that it should be at the heart of the Union’s green, fair and resilient recovery; welcomes, therefore, the Commission’s proposal to increase the programme’s size and scope; stresses the importance to support sustainable infrastructure projects, including the renovation wave for local jobs; welcomes the proposal to create a Strategic Investment Facility within InvestEU to promote sustainable investments in key technologies (such as clean hydrogen and batteries) and value chains;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Underlines that the success of the European Green Deal and the just transition requires to refocus all relevant EU policies to contribute to achieve those objectives;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Stresses that cohesion policy, as the main EU investment policy, will play a crucial role in supporting the transition to climate neutrality; notes, however, cohesion policy will be one of the decisive instruments in the economic recovery and should not divert from its main objectives namely to contribute to social, economic and territorial cohesion, as stipulated by the EU Treaties; insists that this cohesion policy should be reinforced to cope with its main objectives and contributing to the success of the European Green Deal;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12c. Stresses the key role that the Common Agricultural Policy and the common fisheries policy will have to play in achieving the objectives of the SEIP; notes that the EU agricultural and fisheries sectors will have to become sustainable and ensure a sustainable management of natural resources and preservation of biodiversity together with its objectives on supporting the provision of high-quality food supply, guaranteeing food sovereignty for Europeans, contributing to stable and acceptable earnings for farmers and fisherwomen/men and contributing to the sustainable development of rural areas;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Supports the Commission’s innovative approach in stating that the EU budget will contribute to achieving climate objectives also through its revenue side; recalls Parliament’s longstanding position in favour of generating added-value and policy co-benefits by introducing green new own resources;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Reaffirms its previous position regarding candidates for new own resources, and calls on the Commission to propose new own resources which correspond to essential EU objectives including the fight against climate change and the protection of the environment; asks, therefore, for the introduction of new own resources based on the auction revenues of the Emissions Trading System, a contribution on non-recycled plastic packaging waste, the future Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base or a precursor based on operations of large enterprises, a tax on digital companies, and a financial transaction tax; Calls on the Member States not to undermine the abovementioned solutions, especially related to taxation, either from being established or from being allocated as own resources in the EU budget;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Underlines that both types of revenues, environmental and non- specifically environmental, will be indispensable for the establishment of a reliable basket of new genuine own resources, since the amount of income produced by environmental revenues will proportionally decrease over the time with the adoption of green practices by contributors and will therefore need to be compensated by resources generated by single market revenues; stresses the emergency to agree on the own resources with the highest potential revenues;
Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the efforts of the European Investment Bank (EIB) to revise its energy lending policy and to devote 50 % of its operations to climate action and environmental sustainability; calls on the EIB to commit to the sustainable transition towards climate neutrality while taking into account the different energy mixes of Member States and devoting particular attention to the sectors and regions most affected by the transition; calls on the EIB to review and modify its climate action definitions, namely the environmental sustainability financing definitions, in line with the EU taxonomy;
Amendment 361 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recognises the important role of the national promotional banks and institutions and of international financial institutions (IFIs), including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank, in the financing of sustainable projects, thereby contributing to the achievement of the goals of the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Underlines as well the NPBIs’ advantages in the conception, management and financing of relatively smaller projects, from their experience in this field; welcomes therefore their involvement in different aspects of the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan, as the most adequate bodies to channel European level investments towards to the ground at local scale;
Amendment 371 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recalls the statement of the ECB President that the ECB is supporting the development of a taxonomy as a way of facilitating the incorporation of environmental considerations in central bank portfolios; calls on the ECB to evaluate the feasibility of including sustainability criteria in its collateral framework and its annual stress testing exercise, while assessing ways to guide lending towards energy transition investments and to rebuild a sustainable economy in the aftermath of the COVID- 19 crisis; encourages the ECB to move forward with its monetary policy review in order to evaluate the financing of economic activities causing significant harm to environmental and social objectives; calls on the ECB to disclose annually its degree of alignment with the Paris Agreement and its exposure to the EU taxonomy;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recalls the statement of the ECB President that the ECB is supporting the development of a taxonomy as a way of facilitating the incorporation of environmental considerations in central bank portfolios; emphasizes that environmental and climate disasters more and more poses financial stability risks and, therefore, prudential regulation and supervision shall better incorporate those long-term risks in their assessments; calls on the ECB to evaluate the feasibility of including sustainability criteria in its collateral framework and its annual stress testing exercise, while assessing ways to guide lending towards energy transition investments and to rebuild a sustainable economy in the aftermath of the COVID- 19 crisis;
Amendment 388 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Amendment 393 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Supports a renewed sustainable finance strategy; underlines the need for an EU eco-label for financial products, for an EU Green Bond Standard (EU GBS), and for more reliable, comparable and accessible sustainability data obtained by harmonising sustainability indicators and creating a public sustainability data register; recalls the genuine importance of green finance to the international role of the euro in the next decade.
Amendment 451 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for the introduction of an enabling framework for public sustainable investments to achieve the goals set out in the European Green Deal, but stresses that whatever financing model is chosen must not undermine the sustainability of public finance in the EU; believes that the review of the EU's Economic governance framework should look at ways of incentivising Member States to undertake reforms and investments to tackle environmental challenges while preserving debt sustainability; calls on Member States to be more active in applying principles of green budgeting as a way to deliver on the objectives of the European Green Deal while improving the quality of public finances; supports the commitment by EVP Dombrovskis to explore how taxonomy can be used in the public sector; calls for public support for airlines to be used in a sustainable and efficient manner;
Amendment 483 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Recalls that the European Semester is a framework for EU Member States to coordinate their budgetary and economic policies; believes that it could facilitate the implementation of the European Green Deal, the European Pillar of Social Rightsrecalls that this process should be improved to incentive sustainable and inclusive public investments of the Member States and their local authorities, promote the necessary economic and social measures to accompany the transition, contribute to the implementation of the European Green Deal, the European Pillar of Social Rights, the commitments made by the EU and of its Members States undertaken under the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); believes that the SDGs should be at the heart of EU’s policy making process;
Amendment 487 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Recalls that the European Semester is a framework for EU Member States to coordinate their budgetary and economic policies; believes that it couldmust facilitate the implementation of the European Green Deal, the European Pillar of Social Rights and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while putting a strict emphasis on economic and social sustainability as well as mutual and sincere cooperation amongst Member States; believes that the SDGs should be at the heart of EU’s policy making process;
Amendment 499 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Notes that recovery and resilience plans will be based on shared EU priorities; calls for green recovery investments under the Recovery and Resilience Facility in order to accelerate the structural transformation of the economy towards a more clean, resilient and carbon-neutral economy; highlights in this context the European Green Deal and the European Pillar of Social Rights; seeks the inclusion of priorities in areas such as employment, skills, education, digital, research and innovation and health, but also in areas related to the business environment, including public administration and the financial sector;
Amendment 510 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls for companies benefitting from public support to commit to public country-by-country reporting, to respect their non-financial reporting obligations and to guarantee jobs, and disclose any beneficial treatment received; urges that such companies should fairly contribute to the recovery efforts by paying their fair share of taxes; seeks in this context a new social contract for corporates, harmonizing aims for profit with considerations for people and planet;
Amendment 511 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Amendment 520 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Supports the Solvency Support Instrument to level the playing field in the single market, and the introduction of ‘green transition plans’ for certain companies to increase the sustainability of their activities; considers that society can ask for a quid pro quo when providing support to companies; believes that green transition plans should be obligatory for companies seeking state aid or EU-level support unless it is clear that they do not engage in environmentally or socially harmful activities; urges the Commission to only approve green transition plans that set businesses on the path to the climate- neutral and circular economy without significantly harming any other environmental or social objectives;
Amendment 524 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Underlines the role of National Promotional Banks in creating a sustainable economy; calls for state aid reforms to enable NPBs to provide preferential loans below market rates to promote sustainability; underlines the importance of ensuring local technical support for project promoters and innovation and the role of project nurseries helping projects to mature to receive financing;
Amendment 540 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Invites the Commission to revise the Energy Tax Directive and coordinate a kerosene tax that could also feed into the EU budget;
Amendment 551 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Wishes it to be ensured that all contribute equitably to the post-corona recovery and the transition to a sustainable economy; seeks an intensified fight against tax fraud, tax evasion and tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning; calls on the Commission to create a blacklist of EU Member States facilitating tax avoidance; calls for EU-level coordination to avoid aggressive tax planning by individuals and corporates; seeks in this context an ambitious strategy for business taxation for the 21st century; reminds the Commission about the existence of Article 116 of the TFEU in the context of tax-related dossiers and encourages the Commission to make use of it in case the issue addressed creates distortions to the conditions of competition within the single market;
Amendment 568 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Is of the opinion that companies registered on the territories put on EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes should not be granted public financial support unless they prove a legitimate economic activity there;