Activities of Álvaro AMARO related to 2020/0101(COD)
Plenary speeches (1)
Additional resources in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: REACT-EU (debate)
Amendments (10)
Amendment 38 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) Member States have been affected by the crisis due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in an unprecedented manner. The crisis hampers growth in Member States, which in turn aggravates the serious liquidity shortages due to the sudden and important increase in public investments needed in their health systems and other sectors of their economies. In addition, there is a feasible concern that patients' access to health care services will be limited in the medium and longer term. It also needs to be acknowledged and seriously considered that profound health inequalities across and within EU will most likely be exacerbated, thus deepening unmet medical needs and reducing the overall social cohesion in Member States. This has created an exceptional situation which needs to be addressed with specific measures.
Amendment 48 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In order to redress huge shocks to the economy stemming from the exceptional restrictions put in place by Member States to contain the COVID-19 spreadingspread of COVID-19 and the risks of an asymmetric recovery stemmarising from the different national means available in different Member States, which resultinged in serious impacts on the functioning of the Internal Market, the European Council endorsed on 23 April 2020 the “Roadmap for recovery” with a strong investment component, called for the establishment of the European Recovery Fund and mandated the Commission to analyse the needs so that the resources would be targeted towards the sectors and geographical parts of the Union most affected, while clarifying also the link with the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027.
Amendment 52 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) An additional exceptional amount of EUR 58 272 800 000 (in 2018 current prices) for budgetary commitment from the Structural Funds under the Investment for growth and jobs goal, for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 and where justified by a Member State, also for the years 2023 and 2024, should be made available to support Member States and regions most impacted in crisis repair in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic or preparing a green, digital and resilient recovery of health systems and the economy, with a view tothe intention of deploying resources quickly to the real economy through the existing operational programmes. Resources for 2020 stem from an increase in the resources available for economic, social and territorial cohesion in the multiannual financial framework for 2014-2020 whereas resources for 2021 and 2022 and, where applicable, for 2023 and 2024, stem from the European Union Recovery Instrument. Part of the additional resources should be allocated to technical assistance at the initiative of the Commission. The Commission should set out the breakdown of the remaining additional resources for each Member State in a delegated act on the basis of an allocation method based on the latest available objective statistical data concerning Member States’ relative prosperity and the extent of the effect of the current crisis on their economies and societies to ensure harmonious development according to the principles of cohesion policy by promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion. The allocation method should include a dedicated additional amount for the rural, insular, mountainous and outermost regions given the specific vulnerability of their economies and societies. In order to reflect the evolving nature of the effects of the crisis, the breakdown should be revised in 2021 on the basis of the same allocation method using the latest statistical data available by 19 October 2021 to distribute the 2022 tranche, and where relevant, 2023 and 2024 tranches, of the additional resources.
Amendment 68 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) In order to allow maximum flexibility to Member States for tailoring crisis repair actions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic or preparing a green, digital and resilient recovery of health systems and the economy, allocations should be established by the Commission at Member State level. Furthermore,, while taking into consideration those most impacted by the crisis. Furthermore, it should provide the possibility for usingof use of any additional resources to support aid for the most deprived should also be provided for. In addition, it is necessary to establish ceilings concerning the allocation to technical assistance at the initiative of the Member States while allowing maximum flexibility to the Member States as to its allocation within operational programmes supported by the ERDF or the ESF. It should be clarified that there is no need to respect the ESF minimum share for the additional resources. Nevertheless, the fact that the operational strength of the ESF should be maintained must not be disregarded. Taking account of the expected quick spending of the additional resources, the commitments linked to those additional resources should only be decommitted at the closure of the operational programmes.
Amendment 75 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) In order to complement the actions already available under the scope of support of the ERDF, as extended by Regulations (EU) 2020/460 and (EU) 2020/558 of the European Parliament and of the Council5 , Member States should continue to be allowed to use the additional resources primarily for investments in products and services for health services, for providingincluding cross-border health services. Resources should be used to provide equal services for all citizens, as well as support in the form of working capital or investment support to SMEs, in operations contributing to the transition towards a digital and green economy, infrastructure providing basic services to citizens living in rural, insular, mountainous and outermost regions, or economic support measures for those regions most dependent on sectors most affected by the crisis, such as tourism which generates about 10% of the EU's GDP, employs about 13 million workers and is the fourth largest export industry. The data shows that it is necessary to revitalize this economic sector as soon as possible, and it is especially important for all Member States in which tourism is of strategic importance. Technical assistance should also be supported. It is appropriate that the additional resources are focused exclusively under the new thematic objective “"Fostering crisis repair in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing a green, digital and resilient recovery of the economy”", which should also constitute a single investment priority, to allow for simplified programming and implementation of the additional resources. _________________ 5 Regulation (EU) 2020/460 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 March 2020 amending Regulations (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013 and (EU) No 508/2014 as regards specific measures to mobilise investments in the healthcare systems of Member States and in other sectors of their economies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak (Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative) (OJ L99, 31.3.2020, p. 5); Regulation (EU) 2020/558 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2020 amending Regulations (EU) No 1301/2013 and (EU) No 1303/2013 as regards specific measures to provide exceptional flexibility for the use of the European Structural and Investments Funds in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, (OJ L 130, 23.4.2020, p. 1).
Amendment 88 #
(9a) In order to enable equal access to health care, reduce unmet medical needs and increase resilience to future health crises, additional resources for the ERDF should also be used to develop centres of excellences for specific disease and health crises around the EU by providing financial support for the procurement of medicinal products and medical devices, as well as supporting the additional specialization of already established centres for complex diseases and virus research. Stronger health cooperation, coordination and resilience can be fostered by developing a network of centres of excellence around the EU, evenly deployed between Member States and its regions, each specialised in providing specific treatment for all European citizens that are in need of a such health service and treatment.
Amendment 89 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) For the ESF, Member States should primarily use the additional resources to support the modernisation of the labour market, health and social systems, as well as comprehensive lifelong learning strategies in order to negate long-term unemployment and support job maintenance, including through short-time work schemes and significant support to self-employed, job creation, in particular for people in vulnerable situations and those who are living in rural, insular, mountainous and outermost regions, support to youth employment measures, education and training, skills development and to enhance access to social services of general interest, including for children for all citizens, including children. Special attention should be given to measures supporting training and mobilisation of health and social care workers, particularly in the context of increasing resilience for potential future crises. It should be clarified that in the present exceptional circumstances support to short-time work schemes for employees and the self- employed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic can be provided even when that support is not combined with active labour market measures, unless the latter are imposed by the national law. Union support to those short-time work schemes should be limited in time.
Amendment 104 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) In order to ensure that Member States have sufficient financial means to swiftly implement crisis repair actions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing a green, digital and resilient recovery of health systems and the economy, it is necessary to provide a higher level of initial pre- financing payment or, where applicable, annual pre- financing, for the quick implementation of actions supported by the additional resources. This pre-financing rate will serve as a defence mechanism against the economic and social consequences, as the beneficiaries of the Funds need a strong momentum in ensuring the financial liquidity. The initial pre- financing to be paid should ensure that Member States have the means to arrange for advance payments to beneficiaries where necessary and to reimburse beneficiaries quickly following the submission of payment claims, as more current available resources mean more opportunities to react.
Amendment 111 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) With a view to alleviating the burden on public budgets regarding crisis repair in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing a green, digital and resilient recovery of health systems and the economy, Member States should be given the exceptional possibility to request a co- financing rate of up to 100 % to be applied to the separate priority axes of operational programmes providing support from the additional resources.
Amendment 113 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) In order to enable Member States to deploy the additional resources for crisis repair quickly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing a green, digital and resilient recovery of the health systems and economy within the current programming period, it is justified to exempt, on an exceptional basis, Member States from the need to comply with ex ante conditionalities and requirements on the performance reserve and application of the performance framework, on thematic concentration, also in relation to the thresholds established for sustainable urban development for the ERDF, and requirements on preparation of a communication strategy for the additional resources. It is nevertheless necessary that Member States carry out at least one evaluation by 31 December 2024, or by 31 December 2026 where additional resources are made available for budgetary commitment in 2023 and 2024, to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the additional resources as well as how they contributed to achieving the goals of the new dedicated thematic objective. To facilitate the availability of comparable information at Union level, Member States are encouraged to make use of the programme-specific indicators made available by the Commission. In addition, while carrying out their responsibilities linked to information, communication and visibility, Member States and managing authorities should enhance the visibility of the exceptional measures and resources introduced by the Union, in particular by ensuring that potential beneficiaries, beneficiaries, participants, final recipients of financial instruments and the general public are aware of the existence, volume and additional support stemming from the additional resources.