53 Amendments of Mick WALLACE related to 2020/0006(COD)
Amendment 32 #
Proposal for a regulation
Citation 1
Citation 1
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the third paragraph of Article 175, 192 (1), 194 (1), and 194 (2) thereof,
Amendment 38 #
Proposal for a regulation
Citation 1
Citation 1
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the third paragraph of Article 175, 192 (1), 194 (1), and 194 (2) thereof,
Amendment 46 #
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 ecological transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy, where any remaining greenhouse gas emissions are compensated by equivalent absorptions.zero-carbon circular economy; _________________ 11 COM(2019) 640 final, 11.12.2019. 12 COM(2020) 21, 14.1.2020.
Amendment 55 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The ecological transition to a climate-neutral andzero- carbon circular economy constitutes one of the most important policy objectives for the Union. On 12 December 2019, the European Council endorsed the objective of achieving a climate-neutral Union by 2050, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. While fighting climate change and environmental degradation will benefit all in the long term and provides opportunities and challenges for all in the medium term, not all regions and Member States start their transition from the same point or have the same capacity to respond. Some are more advanced than others, whereas the transition entails a wider social and economic impact for those regions that rely heavily on fossil fuels - especially coal, lignite, peat and oil shale - or greenhouse gas intensive industries. Such a situation not only creates the risk of a variable speed transition in the Union as regards climate action, but also of growing disparities between regions, detrimental to the objectives of social, economic and territorial cohesion. For this reason, the Just Transition Fund must have a dual objective, of firstly addressing the socio- economic impacts of the ecological transition to a zero-carbon circular economy and secondly of addressing socio-economic inequalities in the affected regions.
Amendment 74 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In order to be successful, the transition has to be fair and socially acceptable for allpromote socio- economic equality. 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. The Union budget has an important role in that regard.
Amendment 98 #
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 aims of the JTF isare to mitigate the adverse effects of the climate transition by supporting the most affected territories and workers concerned and to address inequality. In line with the JTF specific objectives, actions supported by the JTF should directly contribute to alleviate the impact of the transition by financing the diversification and modernisation of the local economy and by mitigating the negative repercussions on employment. This is reflected in the JTF specific objective, which is established at the same level and listed together with the pol and ensure sustainable development that reduces inequality in these territories. This is reflected in the JTF specificy objectives set out in Article [4] of Regulation EU [new CPR].
Amendment 104 #
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 contributions to mainstream climate actions and to uphold the human right to a liveable climate, the right to sustainable development, the right to a decent living. 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 target.
Amendment 117 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The resources from the JTF shouldcannot achieve the ecological transition to a zero- carbon circular economy on their own and should therefore be complemented by the resources available under cohesion policyother funds under cohesion policy, which should all be aligned with the objective with the JTF objectives and be additional to the JTF resources.
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) The ecological transitioning to a climate-neutralzero- carbon circular economy is a challenge for all Member States. It will be particularly demanding for those Member States that rely 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 neutralitydue to the ecological to a zero-carbon circular economy transition and that lack the financial means to do so. The JTF should therefore cover all Member States, but the distribution of its financial means should reflect the capacity of Member States to finance the necessary investments to cope with the ecological transition towards climate neutralit a zero- carbon circular economy.
Amendment 168 #
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 includprioritise those that support people, communities, and local economies and are sustainable in the medium- and long- term, taking into account all the objectives of the Green Deal. The projects financed should contribute to athe ecological transition to a climate-neutral andzero-carbon circular economy. For declining sectors, such as energy production based on coal, lignite, peat, gas, oil and oil shale or extraction activities for these solid fossil fuels, support should be linked to thedirectly linked to, and dependent on, a timetabled phasing out of the activity in the revised NECPs 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 205013consistent with the ecological transition to a zero-carbon economy 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. _________________ 13 As set out in “A Clean Planet for all European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climatsupporting activities which maximise community benefits, such as supporting renewable eneutral 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 finalrgy communities and renewable energy self-consumers.
Amendment 182 #
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 SMEsustainable cooperatives. Productive investment should be understood as investment in fixed capital or immaterial assets of enterprises in view of producing goods and services thereby contributing to gross-capital formation and employment. For enterprises other than SMEs, productive investments should only be supported if they are necessary for mitigating job losses resulting from the transition, by creating or protecting a significant number of jobs and they do not lead to or result from relocation. Investments in existing industrial facilities, including those covered by the Union Emissions Trading System, should be allowed if they contribute to the transition to a climate-neutral economy by 2050 and go substantially below the relevant benchmarks established for free allocation under Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council14 and if they result in the protection of a significant number of jobs. Any such investment should be justified accordingly in the relevant territorial just transition plan. In order to protect the integrity of the internal market and cohesion policy, support to undertakings should comply with Union State aid rules as set out in Articles 107 and 108 TFEU and, in particular, support to productive investments by enterprises other than SMEs should be limited to enterprises located in areas designated as assisted areas for the purposes of points (a) and (c) of Article 107(3) TFEU. _________________ 14Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32).
Amendment 209 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The JTF support should be conditional on the effective and measurable implementation of a transition process in a specific territory in order to achieve a climate-neutral economn ecological transition to a zero-carbon circular economy process in a specific territory. In that regard, Member States should prepare, in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders and supported by the Commission, territorial just transition plans, detailing the transition process, and consistently with, or more ambitious than, 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 238 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19 a (new)
Recital 19 a (new)
(19a) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that global coal, oil, and natural gas usage will have to decline, respectively, by 97%, 87%, and 74% by 2050 in order to limit global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius. This irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the fossil fuel sector and those of the people means that the JTF should explicitly aim to end the fossil fuel industry; this means that the JTF should effect a rapid transformation in the energy sector by supporting workers in these sectors;
Amendment 248 #
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 the transition process towards a climate-neutral economy of the Union by 2050that have ambitious decarbonisation plans in line with the 1.5 target of the Paris Agreement but are facing transformative socio-economic changes that will particularly affect workers.
Amendment 258 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – title
Article 2 – title
Specific objectives
Amendment 271 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Amendment 278 #
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 in line with the 1.5 Paris Agreement target and ensure a just transition for all.
Amendment 296 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Where new investments in fossil fuels are made in a Member State, regions of that Member State shall not be eligible for JTF resources. If a Member State establishes new fossil fuel investments within an eligible region, the Commission will immediately redistribute the financial allocations for that region to other Member States according to the allocation criteria set out in Annex I, excluding the Member State that made that investments.
Amendment 298 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 b (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Where a Member State invests funds in a fossil fuel facility without those funds going towards decommissioning it and lacking a complete plan for ending fossil fuel use in that facility, the yearly funds allocated in relation to that facility shall be repaid and reallocated;
Amendment 310 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Amendment 320 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) indemnities for workers in fossil fuel sectors;
Amendment 321 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a b (new)
(ab) investments in supporting sustainable cooperatives;
Amendment 322 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a c (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a c (new)
(ac) investments in the restoration and conservation of bogs, including to farmers with peatlands and local community restoration projects;
Amendment 323 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a d (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a d (new)
(ad) targeted energy efficiency measures;
Amendment 324 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Amendment 333 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
Amendment 360 #
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 cleanrenewable energy, in greenhouse gas emission reduction, and energy efficiency and renewable energy;
Amendment 376 #
Amendment 389 #
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 projects; restoration of degraded ecosystems and nature-based climate mitigation and adaptation projects, ensuring respect for natural ecosystems;
Amendment 424 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h
(h) further education, upskilling and reskilling of workers;
Amendment 429 #
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 and establishing public job guarantees;
Amendment 433 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point k
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point k
(k) technical assistance for the territorial just transition plans.
Amendment 439 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
investments in renewable energy, district heating and micro-generation,
Amendment 442 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Amendment 451 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Amendment 462 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) the decommissioning or the construction of nuclear power stations; or any activities related to the nuclear energy sector;
Amendment 469 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) the manufacturing, processing and marketing of tobacco and tobacco products or any other activities related to the tobacco industry;
Amendment 482 #
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 fuelr promotion of fossil fuels, or any other activities related to fossil fuel industries;
Amendment 492 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) investment in broadband infrastructure in areas in which there are at least two broadband networks of equivalent category.;
Amendment 499 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
(ea) investments in residual waste treatment facilities
Amendment 525 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
In territories with operating fossil fuel industries, the Commission shall only approve a programme if there is a timetabled phase out of the fossil fuel sector within the Member State's NECP that is in line with the Paris Agreement 1.5 Degree Celsius temperature goal and the European Climate Law.
Amendment 527 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 b (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 b (new)
For those Member States which have not yet endorsed at least 65% emissions reductions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, the Commission shall not release any of that Member State's allocation;
Amendment 550 #
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 level towards a climate- neutral economy, including a timeline for key transition steps which are consistent withthe decarbonisation required in line with the European Climate Law, including a detailed and precise timeline for key transition steps, such as decommissioning of fossil fuel installations and overall phase-out dates, including where coal is used, a coal phase-out by 2030 at the latest; those steps shall be consistent with, or more ambitious than, the latest version of the National Energy and Climate Plan (‘NECP’); and the European Climate Law.
Amendment 564 #
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 byin need of financial support for the transition process referred to in point (a) and to be supported by the JTF, in accordance with paragraph 1;
Amendment 567 #
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, and environmental impact of the ecological transition to a climate-neutralzero-carbon circular economy, identifying the potential number of affected jobs and job losses, the development needs and objectives, to be reached by 2030 linked to the transformation orransformation of energy and carbon intensive industry and agriculture consistent with the objective of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, with the transition away from fossil fuel use and the closure of greenhouse gas-intensive activities in those territories;
Amendment 576 #
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 impacts of the ecological transition to a climate-neutralzero-carbon circular economy;
Amendment 586 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point g
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point g
(g) a description of the type of operations envisaged and their expected contributions to alleviate the impact of the transitionthe specific objectives of the JTF as stated in Article 2;
Amendment 608 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. The territorial just transition plans shall exclude any investment in fossil fuel infrastructure;
Amendment 636 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point i
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point i
(i) greenhouse-gas emissions of industrial facilities in NUTS level 2 regions where the carbon intensity, as defined by the ratio of greenhouse gas emissions of industrial facilities as reported by Member States in accordance with Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council28 compared to the gross value added of the industry, exceeds by a factor of two the EU-27 average. Where that level is not exceeded in any NUTS level 2 regions in a given Member State, greenhouse-gas emissions of industrial facilities in the NUTS level 2 region with the highest carbon intensity is taken into account (weighting 4935%), _________________ 28Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 January 2006 concerning the establishment of a European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register and amending Council Directives 91/689/EEC and 96/61/EC (OJ L 33, 4.2.2006, p. 1).
Amendment 650 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point iii
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point iii
(iii) employment in industry in the NUTS level 2 regions taken into account for the purposes of point (i) (weighting 250%),
Amendment 653 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point iii a (new)
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point iii a (new)
(iiia) an ambitious phase out of lignite and coal mining before 2030, proportional to the number of remaining mines and power plants (weighting 5%),
Amendment 655 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point iv
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point iv
(iv) production and incineration of peat (weighting 0,95%),
Amendment 657 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point v a (new)
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point v a (new)
(va) the percentage by which Member States commit to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, as reflected in the respective 2030 NECPs (weighting 14%),