15 Amendments of Mick WALLACE related to 2020/0035(COD)
Amendment 32 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) In its Communication of 11 December 201915 , the Commission set out a European Green Deal for the European Union and its citizens. The European Green Deal is a new growth strategy that aims to transform the Union into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use. _________________ 15 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 11 December 2019 on the European Green Deal (COM/2019/640 final)The spirit of a Green New Deal, or any manipulation of these words, is to have an ambitious, state-led and publicly funded ecological transition.
Amendment 37 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) In line with the objectives set out in the Commission Communication on the European Green Deal, there is a need to transform the Union economy and to rethink policies, in particular in the field of transport and mobility, which implies accelerating the shift to sustainable and smart mobility. Transport accounts for a quarter of the Union’s greenhouse gas emissions, and still growing. To achieve climate neutrality, a 90% reduction in transport emissions is needed by 2050. Achieving sustainable transport means putting users first and providing them with more affordable, accessible, healthier and cleaner alternatives to their current mobility habits. It also means ending all favourable fiscal environments, all forms of state aids and public investment in industries and modes of transport that are disproportionally detrimental to the environment. The European Green Deal implies to accelerate the shift to sustainable and smart mobility to address these challenges. In particular, a substantial part of the 75% of inland freight carried today by road should shift onto rail and inland waterways.
Amendment 45 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Rail has a significant role to play as a game changer to achieve the climate neutrality objective by 2050. It is one of the most environmentally friendly and energy-efficient transport modes. Rail is largely electrified and emits far less CO2 than equivalent travel by road or air, and is the only mode that has consistently reduced its greenhouse gas emissions and CO2 emissions since 1990. In addition, rail has decreased its energy consumption between 1990-201618 and increasingly uses renewable energy sources. However, the unfavourable fiscal environment that the rail sector faces does not allow the industry to reach its full capacity, travellers being attracted by other cheaper but disproportionally detrimental modes of transport. _________________ 18DG MOVE Statistical Pocketbook 2019 “EU transport in figures” (source: Eurostat)
Amendment 52 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) By connecting the Union’s main transport routes with its peripheral regions and territories, as well as distant neighbourhoods and city peripheries to city centres, the rail sector contributes to social, economic and territorial cohesion. Its advantages in reducing the negative externalities of urbanisation such as noise, air pollution and bottlenecks are not negligible and help make cities more liveable. At the same time, it allows better connectivity and a distribution of the population which has a direct impact on the environment and social and economic cohesion
Amendment 62 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) The preservation of branch lines is essential to strengthen territorial connectivity, whether these are connections in the territories of the Member States, cross-border connections or peripheral territories. Rail transport should be promoted as a sustainable universal mode of transport through its social accessibility, its territorial connectivity, covering all uses at any time of the day and year.
Amendment 80 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 7 a (new)
Recital 7 a (new)
(7a) While the transport, culture and tourism sectors have been the most negatively affected of all major economic sectors by COVID-19, with large-scale unemployment affecting, the current crisis also represents a historic opportunity to modernise tourism in the EU and make it more sustainable and more accessible. Therefore, rail transport represents the best solution in order to promote rural and agro-ecotourism and the European Union should further promote and support initiatives that would generate additional sources of income for rural areas, create jobs, prevent depopulation, increase social benefits and place rail transport at the heart of tourist mobility.
Amendment 85 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 7 b (new)
Recital 7 b (new)
(7b) The COVID-19 crisis shows how crucial railway workers are to keep Europe moving in times of crisis, whether they are on a train, in a railway station, working in traffic management or infrastructure maintenance. Operational staff, office staff and out-sourced and sub-contracted workers are part of public services that are essential in daily life and the European Year of Rail should be the opportunity to promote to the public the wide offer of railway sector jobs and to draw the attention of stakeholders to the need to protect the employment and collective rights of railway workers.
Amendment 87 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) In order to promote rail transport in line with the objectives set out in the Commission Communication on the European Green Deal, including with regard to sustainable and smart mobility, the year 2021 should be designated as European Year of Rail. 2021 will be an important year for the Union rail policy, it will be the first full year where the rules agreed under the Fourth Railway Package will be implemented throughout the Union, namely on the opening of the market of domestic passenger services and on reducing costs and administrative burden for railway undertakings operating across the Union. There is a growing public interest in railways, including in night trains, in a number of Member States, as also illustrated by the popularity of #DiscoverEUThere is a growing understanding among Union citizens that publicly owned and maintained rail transportation represents, including alternative commercial offers such as night trains, a safe, reliable and eco- friendly, mode of transport. Moreover, the international arts festival ‘Europalia’ will dedicate its 2021 edition to the influence of railways on the arts and highlight the role of rail as a powerful promotor of social, economic and industrial change.
Amendment 114 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) highlight thstress the need for an efficient and sustainable European, cross- border dimension of rail, that brings citizens closer together, allows them to explore the Union in all its diversity, fostpublic transport service, accessible to all, which would allow citizens to have access to quality mobility at reasonable prices and promotes furthers cohesion and contributes to integrateion of the Union internal market;
Amendment 115 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(ba) highlight that trains, railways stations and rail infrastructure as part of Europe's cultural heritage, deserves to be promoted and celebrated; that in the same light, railway workers unions, their struggles and commitments towards greater labour rights, social security, free time, have greatly contributed to Europe’s current social, labour and welfare standards.
Amendment 131 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) contribute to promote the railway sector at the heart of social and economic inclusion with the promotion of railway jobs to the public and the importance of encouraging public investments in the sector in order to improve the quality of services.
Amendment 136 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point d b (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point d b (new)
(db) foster a Union-wide debate, including users, unions, workers and public authorities, about the new challenges and risks that have arisen through the liberalisation of railways in Europe; to promote an alternative pan- European discourse about rail public policy, that would entail creating a socially responsible mobility policy in terms of social rights, working conditions, new forms of employment, including subcontractors and outsourcing, while maintaining high quality of working conditions for traditional workers.
Amendment 139 #
(dc) lead to an inclusive reflection with the largest number of participants, including Union citizens, on the long- term mobility policy and lead to rethink our way of traveling; question the political choice of investments in the different modes of transport, including those with higher environmental impacts or poor records of social practices; question the investments in new transport infrastructures such as airports and the competition that this can generate with the railway sector; Examine the importance of high-speed trains in public investment and unnecessary and wasteful infrastructure projects.
Amendment 144 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. The measures to be taken to achieve the objectives set out in Article 2 shall include the following activities at Union, national, regional or local level and involve all stakeholders including union representatives and civil society linked to the objectives of the European Year:
Amendment 155 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) promote and contribute to raise awareness towards rail as the preferred environmental friendly and inter-modal travel option, conveniently allowing for combination between sustainable modes of transport such as bicycling