Activities of Andrea CAROPPO related to 2020/0006(COD)
Plenary speeches (1)
Just Transition Fund (debate)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Just Transition Fund
Amendments (40)
Amendment 71 #
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 costs of the transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy, where any remaining greenhouse gas emissions are compensated by equivalent absorptions. This Regulation, in addition, makes a substantial contribution towards the vital measures to counter the sharp and sudden deflation the EU will have to face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. __________________ 11 COM(2019) 640 final, 11.12.2019. 12 COM(2020) 21, 14.1.2020.
Amendment 77 #
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 termThe deflationary effect of fighting climate change will in itself have socio-economic disadvantages in the medium term and therefore will also not always have a positive environmental impact. Moreover, as the COVID-19 pandemic will cause a deep recession and - in the absence of appropriate monetary policies pursued by the ECB - lasting deflation, it would be highly desirable to mitigate the pro-cyclical impact of the Union’s climate policies, postponing until a date to be determined the attainment of the target approved by the European Council. At the same time, not all regions and Member States start their transition to a climate-neutral economy from the same point or have the same capacity to respond. Some are more advanced than others, whereas the transition entails a wider social, labour market 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.
Amendment 100 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In order to be successful, the transition has to be fair and socially acceptable for all. Therefore, both the Union and the Member States, as well as the different regional and local actors, must take into account its economic and, social and employment implications from the outset, and deploy all possible instruments to mitigateremove any adverse consequences. The Union budget has an important complementary role in that regard.
Amendment 109 #
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 negative social and economic consequences both of transitioning towards Union climate neutrality and of the COVID-19 crisis by bringing together the Union budget’s spending on climate and social objectives at regional level.
Amendment 121 #
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 alleviate both the impact of the transition byand that of the COVID-19 crisis, by creating new employment opportunities and 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 125 #
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 PThe JTF should make a substantial contribution towarids 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+ will contribute fully to the achievement of this tarmitigating the deflationary impact of tackling climate change, with a particular focus on the economic sectors and regions suffering the greatest damaget.
Amendment 171 #
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 includegive priority to those that support the creation of new jobs and 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 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, provided that employment is protected and increased and environmental degradation avoided. Particular attention should also be given to activities enhancing innovation and research inand to the relevant deployment of advanced and sustainable technologies, as well asincluding in the fields of digitalisation and connectivity, provided that such measures help mitigatremove 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 187 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) To protect citizens who are most vulnerable to the climate transitionhave been the most damaged by the effects of the transition towards a climate-neutral economy, the JTF should also cover the up-skilling and reskilling of the affected workers, with the aim of helping them to adapt to new employment opportunities, as well as providing job-search assistance to jobseekers and their active inclusion into the labour market.
Amendment 200 #
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 undertakings, particularly micro- enterprises and 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, pProductive investments should only be supported primarily if they are necessary for mitigatingcancelling out job losses resulting from the transition, by creating new jobs or protecting a significant number of jobs and theyexisting ones, provided that such investments do not lead to relocation or result from relocation from another Member State or another region of the same Member State. 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 belowcompliance with 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 jobsdo not have a net negative impact on employment. Any such investment should be justified accordingly in the relevant territorial just transition plan. In order to protect the integrity of the internal market andsocial, economic and territorial cohesion policy, support to undertakings should comply withbe exempted from Union State aid rules as set out in Articles 107 and 108 TFEU and, in particular,, provided that support to productive investments by enterprises other than SMEs should bemicro-enterprises and SMEs is 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 214 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) In order to provide flexibility for the programming of the JTF resources under the Investment for jobs and growth goal, it should be possible to prepare a self- standing JTF programme or to programme JTF resources in one or more dedicated priorities within a programme supported by the European Regional Development Fund (‘ERDF’), the European Social Fund Plus (‘ESF+’) or the Cohesion Fund. In accordance with Article 21a of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], JTF resources shcould be reinforced with complementary funding from the ERDF and the ESF+. The respective amounts transferred from the ERDF and the ESF+ should be consistent with the type of operations set out in the territorial just transition plans.
Amendment 222 #
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 climate-neutral economy. In that regard, Member States should prepare, in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders and supported by the Commission, territorial just transition plans, detailingproviding information about the transition process, that is 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 234 #
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 to reach a climate-neutral economy, notably as regards the conversion or closure of facilities involving fossil fuel production or other greenhouse gas intensive activities. 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 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 should 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 242 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) The objectives of this Regulation, namely to support territories 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 imposed by the Treaties 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 247 #
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 both the transition process towards a climate-neutral economy of the Union by 2050and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amendment 255 #
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, territories and people to address the social, economic and environmental impacts of the transition towards a climate- neutral economy’.
Amendment 265 #
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[X] 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.
Amendment 275 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 4
Article 3 – paragraph 4
4. By way of derogation from Article [21a] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], any additional resources referred to in paragraph 2, allocated to the JTF in the Union budget or provided by other resources shall not require complementary support from the ERDF or the ESF+. or any other fund allocation programmes provided for by the European Union.
Amendment 288 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) productive investments in micro- enterprises and SMEs, including innovative start-ups, leading to economic diversification and reconversion;
Amendment 296 #
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 and fostering the transferrelevant deployment of advanced technologies;
Amendment 303 #
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, including innovative and smart solutions for freight logistics;
Amendment 310 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e a (new)
(ea) new investments in existing industrial plants, including those covered by the EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS);
Amendment 336 #
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 TFEUthe respective territories, productive investments in enterprises other than micro-enterprises and 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.
Amendment 351 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c
Amendment 358 #
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 or combustion of fossil fuels; with the exception of investments aimed at switching from coal-fired power plants to gas-fired ones, associated with newly developed on-site carbon capture storage facilities capable of fully offsetting their emission;
Amendment 376 #
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 theany resources transferred by Member States 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 390 #
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, 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, social and labour market 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. __________________ 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 391 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a
Amendment 395 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) a justification for identifying the territories as most negatively affected by the transition process referred to in point (a) andthe last version of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), to be supported by the JTF, in accordance with paragraph 1;
Amendment 406 #
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 and, environmental and labour market impacts of the transition to a climate-neutral economy;
Amendment 421 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point h
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point h
(h) where support is provided to productive investments to enterprises other than micro-enterprises and SMEs, an exhausindicative list of such operations and enterprises and a justification of the necessity of such support through a gap analysis demonstrating that, in the expected job losses would exceed the expected number of jobs created in the absence of the investmentabsence of the investment, the net impact on employment would be negative;
Amendment 423 #
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 exhausindicative 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 jobscompliance with the relevant benchmarks established for free allocation under Directive 2003/87/EC, ensuring that the net impact on employment is not negative;
Amendment 436 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 4
Article 8 – paragraph 4
Amendment 439 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Amendment 444 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Amendment 446 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 3
Article 10 – paragraph 3
3. The delegation of power referred to in Article 8(43(3) 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 449 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 6
Article 10 – paragraph 6
6. A delegatedn implementing act adopted pursuant to Article 8(43(3) shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or by the Council within a period of two2 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 472 #
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 billion per Member Stat20% of the resources of the Fund as defined in Article 2(2). The amounts exceeding that figure are redistributed proportionally to the allocations of all other Member States. The Member States’ shares are recalculated accordingly;
Amendment 473 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point c – introductory part
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point c – introductory part
(c) the Member State shares resulting from the application of point (b) are adjusted negatively or positively by a coefficient of 1.5 times of the difference by which that Member State's most recent GNI per capita (measured in purchasing power parities) for the period 2015-2017 exceeds or falls below the average GNI per capita of the EU-27 Member States (average expressed as 100 %);
Amendment 479 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – point 1 – paragraph 1
Annex II – point 1 – paragraph 1
Amendment 481 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – point 1 – paragraph 2
Annex II – point 1 – paragraph 2
Reference: Article 7(2)(b) 1.2 Identifying the territories expected to be the most affected and justifying this choice with the corresponding estimation of the economic and employment impacts based on the latest version of the NECP.