49 Amendments of Andris AMERIKS related to 2020/0006(COD)
Amendment 56 #
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 and requires substantial additional allocation from the Union Budget. 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. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 has had a profound impact on the European and global economies and it is necessary to increase the investments planned to achieve the climate neutrality objectives. While fighting climate change and environmental degradation will benefit all in the long term and provides opportunities and challenges for all in the medium to long 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. Such misbalance should be reflected in fair allocation of resources to affected Member states and regions requiring adequate financial support to ensure real just transition and avoid negative socio-economic impacts on industries and workers. JTF should address the most vulnerable regions and workers affected by the socio-economic transition and prevent deepening of energy poverty.
Amendment 69 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In order to be successful, the transition has to be fair and socially acceptaresponsible for all. A just climate and energy transition must not leave anyone behind and should create conditions to eradicate energy poverty. 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. Transition will require significant financial resources, therefore the Union budget has an important role in that regard.
Amendment 75 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) As set out in the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan, a Just Transition Mechanism should complement the other actions under the next multi-annual financial framework for the period from 2021 to 2027. It should contribute to addressing the social and economic consequences of transitioning towards Union climate neutrality by 2050 by bringing together the Union budget’s spending on climate, economic and social objectives at both national and regional level.
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 a (new)
Recital 4 a (new)
(4a) The green recovery should play an important role in mitigating the negative impacts of the COVID-19 crisis by creating opportunities for affected regions, industries, SMEs, and can therefore play a crucial role as post-crisis recovery plans.
Amendment 79 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 b (new)
Recital 4 b (new)
(4b) Just Transition Fund should tackle energy poverty as an issue of social justice, and should compensate incomes of most vulnerable groups in countries that do not have adequate financial reserves. In defining these measures, an active participations of trade unions, civil society organizations and relevant stakeholders complementing national and regional governments is essential.
Amendment 85 #
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 worker, workers affected directly or indirectly and their families concerned. 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, while creating conditions to eradicate energy poverty. 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 90 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) A just transition fund cannot aggravate existing inequalities among Member States nor weaken the single market.
Amendment 97 #
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. 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+ willmay contribute fully to the achievement of this target according to Members States necessity.
Amendment 98 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) A just transition entails as well supporting those most affected by climate change. The impacts of a changing climate will strike disproportionately some regions and communities that, in the spirit of European solidarity, have to be sustained.
Amendment 101 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The resources from the JTF should complement the resources available under cohesion policy. The transfer mechanism should be optional and not mandatory in order to allow Member States to assess the best way to allocate resources.
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7 a (new)
Recital 7 a (new)
(7a) The establishment of the JTF should not lead to cuts to, or transfers from cohesion policy effectively reducing the fund devoted to other cohesion policy program.
Amendment 112 #
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 rely or have relied until recently 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 tIt will also be demanding for those Member States that will have to upgrade their infrastructure and whose workers will have to adapt to the transition. The distribution of itsthe JTF financial means should reflect the capacity of Member States to finance the necessary investments to cope with the transition towards climate neutrality by 2050 and the ambition in their energy and climate objectives.
Amendment 131 #
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 continual 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 withrespect of the achievement of the EU 2030 climate objectives, as set up in the article 2of the European climate law, 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 and the creation of sustainable jobs. __________________ 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 139 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) To protect citizens who are most vulnerable to the climate transition, the JTF should also cover the up-skilling and reskilling of the affected workers, with the aim of helping them to provide necessary qualifications and adapt to new employment opportunities, as well as providingor adequately support them with providing alternatives such as job- search assistance to jobseekers and their active inclusion into the labour marke, income support to ensure subsequent inclusion and re-inclusion to the labour market avoiding both short and long-term unemployment directly linked to the transition. These actions should also take the gender dimension in due account.
Amendment 151 #
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 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. Investments in industrial facilities covered by the Union Emission Trading System shall not be targeted in such a way to contribute to increase the profits already generated through the trading of emission allowances. 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 168 #
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 in order to achieve a National climate-neutral economy. In that regard, Member States supported by the Commission should prepare, in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders and supported by the Commissionregional governments, trade unions, civil society organizations and relevant stakeholders, territorial just transition plans, detailing the transition process, consistently with their National Energy and Climate Plans and enhancing their climate ambition as well as the European Semester Country Report. 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 including energy-intensive industries and carbon-dependent regions.
Amendment 178 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The territorial just transition plans should identify the territories most negatively affected, where JTF support should be concentrated and describe specific actions to be undertaken toin the pathway towards achieving the 2030 climate targets as set out in the European Climate law and reaching a climate- neutral economy by 2050, notably as regards the conversion or closure of facilities involving fossil fuel production or other greenhouse gas intensive activities. whilst maintaining and expanding employment opportunities in the affected territories in order to avoid social exclusion. Those territories should be precisely defined and correspond to NUTS level 3 regions or should be parts thereof. The plans should detail the challenges and needs of those territories and identify the type of operations needed in a manner that ensures the coherent development of climate- resilient economic activities that are also consistent with the climate targets, the transition to climate- neutrality and the objectives of the Green Deal. Only investments in accordance with the transition plans should receive financial support from the JTF. The territorial just transition plans shouldmight be part of the programmes (supported by the ERDF, the ESF+, the Cohesion Fund or the JTF, as the case may be) which are approved by the Commission.
Amendment 212 #
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 ‘achievement of the EU 2030 climate objectives, as set up in the article2 of the European climate law, enabling regions and people to address the social, economic and environmental impacts of the transition towards a climate- neutral economy’ by 2050.
Amendment 218 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. The JTF shall support the Investment for jobs and growth goal in all Member States and regions facing subsequent decarbonisation challenge and requiring adequate financial support to ensure real just transition and avoiding negative socio-economic impacts on industries, SMEs, including start-ups, as well as workers who lose their jobs as consequence of the transition.
Amendment 227 #
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 7.519 billion in 2018 prices, which(“principal amount”), and shall not be transferred from the allocations of the Funds covered by Regulation (EU) …/… [new CPR]. The principal amount 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.
Amendment 232 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
For the purposes of programming and subsequent inclusion in the Union budget, the amount referred to in the first subparagraph shall be indexed at least 2% per year.
Amendment 247 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) productive investments in SMEs, including start-ups, leading to creation of sustainable and quality new jobs related to green economy, economic diversification and reconversion;
Amendment 254 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
(b) investments in the creation of new firms, and in the expansions of existing ones, with a particular emphasis on SMEs and start-ups in order to contribute to economic diversification and reconversion, including through business incubators and consulting services;
Amendment 261 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
(c) investments in research and innovation activities, including energy research, and fostering the transfer of advanced technologies;
Amendment 265 #
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, in greenhouse gas emission reduction including investments in sustainable mobility and decarbonisation of the transport sector, energy efficiency and/or renewable energy; emphasising investment in renewables, smart electricity solutions, together with related infrastructure and in circular economy and environmental remediation.
Amendment 286 #
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) investments aimed at promoting modal shift in urban areas towards more sustainable mobility modes;
Amendment 304 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e
(e) investments in digitalisation and digital connectivity, including equipment and appliance load controls, metering and communications technology that allow the development of demand response;
Amendment 309 #
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 project, related to revitalization, decontamination, access and renovation of former coal and other mines and power station as well as brownfield sites and facilities, land restoration and repurposing projects, including afforestation of post coal mine sites;
Amendment 319 #
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 circular economy, including through waste prevention, reduction, resource efficiency, reuse, repair and recycling, recycling and other means of recovery (including energy recovery);
Amendment 323 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g a (new)
(ga) investments in projects for fighting energy poverty and enhancing energy efficiency on most affected regions;
Amendment 330 #
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 and jobseekers towards the green economy sector;
Amendment 334 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point i
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point i
(i) job-search assistance to jobseekers; and income support to workers who lost their job as consequence of the transition.
Amendment 337 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point j
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point j
(j) active inclusion of jobseekers;, with a particular emphasis on women and transitioning workers. Mobility grants should be included for workers who need to move for a new job.
Amendment 347 #
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, 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 and, for industrial activities covered by the ETS, if they do not contribute to increase the profits deriving from the trading of emission allowances.
Amendment 354 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
The JTF may also support investments to achieve the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from activities listed in Annex I to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council provided that such investments have been approved as part of the territorial just transition plan based on the information required under point (i) of Article 7(2). Such investments shall only be eligible where they are necessary for the implementation of the territorial just transition plan and if they do not contribute to increase the profits deriving from the trading of emission allowances.
Amendment 374 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) productive investments in broadband infrastructure in areas in which there are at least two broadband networks of equivalent categoryenterprises other than SMEs, that imply the transfer of jobs, capital and production processes from one Member State to another.
Amendment 382 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
The JTF resources shall be programmed for the categories of regions where the territories concerned are located, on the basis of the territorial just transition plans established in accordance with Article 7 and approved by the Commission as part of a programme or a programme amendment. The resources programmed shall take the form of one or more specific programmes or of one or more priorities within a programme. 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 and the Long Term Strategy as well as the European Semester Country Report of the Member State concerned.
Amendment 393 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 2
2. The JTF priority or priorities shall comprise the JTF resources consisting of all or part of the JTF allocation for the Member States and on a voluntary basis the resources transferred in accordance with Article [21a] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR]. The total of the ERDF and ESF+ resources transferred to the JTF priority shall be at least equal to one and a half times the amount of support from the JTF to that priority but shall not exceed three times that amount.
Amendment 398 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall prepare, together with the relevant authorities of the territories concerned on both national and regional level, one or more territorial just transition plans covering one or more affected territories corresponding to level 3 of the common classification of territorial units for statistics (‘NUTS level 3 regions’) as established by Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 868/201417 or parts thereof, in accordance with the template set out in Annex II. Those territories shall be those most negatively affected based on the economic and social impacts resulting from the transition, in particular with regard to expected job losses in fossil fuel production and use and the transformation needs of the production processes of industrial facilities with the highest greenhouse gas intensity. Relevant authorities and stakeholders should be actively involved in all phases of the process: preparatory, selection and implementation. __________________ 17 Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) (OJ L 154 21.6.2003, p. 1).
Amendment 408 #
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 and regional level towards the achievement of the EU 2030 climate targets, as set up in the European climate law, and of a climate- neutral economy by 2050, including a timeline for key transition steps which are consistent with the latest version of the National Energy and Climate Plan (‘NECP’); and European Semester Report
Amendment 422 #
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, energy security, and environmental impact of the transition to a climate-neutral economy, identifying the potential number of affected workers, jobs and job losses, the potential impact on self-government revenues at NUTS2 and NUTS3 levels and development needs and objectives, to be reached by 2030 linked to the transformation or closure of greenhouse gas-intensive activities in those territories;
Amendment 426 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) a description of the expected contribution of the JTF support to addressing the social, economic energy security, and environmental impacts of the transition to a climate- neutral economy; and preventing deepening of energy poverty
Amendment 432 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) a description of the governance mechanisms consisting of the partnership arrangements, the monitoring and evaluation measures planned and the responsible bodies both on national and regional level;
Amendment 436 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point h
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point h
(h) where support is provided to productive and sustainable investments to enterprises other than SMEs, an exhausindicative list of such operations and enterprises and a justification of the necessity of such support through a gap analysis demonstrating that the expected job losses would exceed the expected number of jobs created in the absence of the investment; where this support is provided to industrial activities already covered by the Emission Trading System, a description that such a support do not contribute to increase the profits already deriving from the ETS.
Amendment 438 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point i
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point i
(i) where support is provided to investments to achieve the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from activities listed in Annex I to Directive 2003/87/EC, an exhaustive list of operations to be supported and a justification that they contribute to a transition to a climate neutral economy and lead to a substantial reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions going substantially below the relevant benchmarks established for free allocation under Directive 2003/87/EC and provided that they are necessary for the protection of a significant number of jobs and that these investments do not contribute to increase the profits already deriving from the trading of emissions allowances;
Amendment 448 #
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 in accordance with Article [6] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR]. as well as representatives of industry, energy sector, social partners, national and regional authorities and relevant stakeholders
Amendment 452 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Territorial just transition plans shall be consistent with the territorial strategies referred to in Article [23] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], with the 2030 climate targets and carbon neutrality objective by 2050 referred in Article 2 of the European Climate Law, with relevant smart specialisation strategies, the NECPs and the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Amendment 465 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
A description of the governance Where the Commission concludes, based on the examination of the final performance report of the programme, that there is a failure to achieve at least 65% of the target established for one or more output or result indicators for the JTF resources, it may make financial corrections pursuant to Article [98] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR] by reducing the support from the JTF to the priority concerned in proportion to the achievements. Financial corrections should relate to failures related to programme interventions (not failures stemming from external factors).
Amendment 502 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point b
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) the allocations resulting from the application of point (a) are adjusted to ensure that no Member State receives an amount exceeding EUR 2 billion. The amounts exceeding EUR 2 billion27% of total budget of the Fund. The amounts exceeding 27% of total budget of the Fund per Member State are redistributed proportionally to the allocations of all other Member States. The Member States shares are recalculated accordingly;