18 Amendments of Françoise GROSSETÊTE related to 2016/0287(COD)
Amendment 24 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The Commission Communication of 14 September 2016 entitled “Connectivity for a Competitive Digital Single Market – Towards a European Gigabit Society”, setting out a European vision of Internet connectivity for citizens and business in the Digital Single Market14, describes a number of possible measures capable of enhancing connectivity in the European Union. _________________ 14 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Connectivity for a Competitive Digital Single Market - Towards a European Gigabit society (COM(2016)587).
Amendment 26 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Amongst measures to support the vision of European connectivity, it promotes the deployment of local wireless access points through simplified planning procedures and reduced regulatory obstacles. Such access points including those ancillary to the provision of other public services or non-commercial in character, can make an important contribution to the improvement of current and the deployment of future generations of wireless communications networks by facilitating more granular coverage in line with evolving needs. These access points can form a network with a authentication system that is valid throughout the territory of the European Union, and other free local wireless connectivity networks can join the system. The network must not allow the data to be used for commercial purposes.
Amendment 33 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Following the Communicationission Communication of 14 September 2016 setting out a European vision of Internet connectivity for the Digital Single Market and in order to promote digital inclusion, the Union should support the provision of free local wireless connectivity in the centres of local public life, including outdoor spaces accessible to the general public, through targeted support. Such support is so far not covered by Regulations (EU) No 1316/201315 and (EU) No 283/201416 . _________________ 15 Regulation (EU) No 1316/20136 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 establishing the Connecting Europe Facility, amending Regulation (EU) No 913/2010 and repealing Regulations (EC) No 680/2007 and (EC) No 67/2010, OJ L 348, 20.12.2013, p. 129, as last amended by Regulation (EU) 2015/1017 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2015, OJ L 169, 1.7.2015, p. 1. 16 Regulation (EU) No 283/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 on guidelines for trans- European networks in the area of telecommunications infrastructure and repealing Decision No 1336/97/EC, OJ L 86, 21.3.2014, p. 14.
Amendment 37 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Support of this kind should encourage entities with a public mission such as public authorities and providers of public servicpublic sector bodies to offer free local wireless connectivity as an ancillary service to their public mission so as to ensure that local communities can experience the benefits of very high-speed broadband in the centres of public life. Such entities could include municipalities and other local public author, particularly in rural areas that do not benefit from any similar free public or private offers. Such bodies could include municipalities, a group of municipalities and other local public authorities, cultural spaces, museums, schools and universities, libraries and, hospitals and health centres.
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) LIn the context of this Regulation, local wireless connectivity should only qualify as free where it is provided without corresponding remuneration, whether by direct payment or other types of consideration, including, but not limited to, commercial advertising and the provision of personal data for commercial purposes.
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) Rural coverage of the new access networks (NAN) is still significantly lower than urban coverage, and only 28% of rural homes are covered by a fast fixed internet connection.
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Given the non-commercial nature of this intervention and the small scale of individual projects foreseen, the administrative burden should be limited to a minimum. Therefore, the intervention should be implemented by the most appropriate forms of financial assistance, notably grants, for example in the form of vouchers or loans, available under the Financial Regulation, now or in future. The intervention should not rely on financial instruments.
Amendment 67 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8a) Given that the amount of financial assistance awarded to each applicant is small, but that the total number of potential applicants is large, administrative procedures should be streamlined so that decision-making is quick and effective. The CEF Regulation should therefore be amended in order to enable Member States to approve categories of proposals under this Regulation, in accordance with the criteria set out in Section 4, rather than having to give their agreement to individual applicants, and to stipulate that certification of the expenditure and the annual forwarding of information to the Commission are not mandatory for grants awarded pursuant to this Regulation.
Amendment 70 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Due to the limited reach of any single local wireless access point and the small value of individual projects covered, access points benefitting from financial assistance under this Regulation are not expected to challenge commercial offers. In order to further ensure that such financial assistance does not unduly distort competition, crowd out private investments or create disincentives for private operators to invest, the intervention should be limited to projects that do not duplicate already existing private or public offers of similar characteristics in the same area. This should not exclude additional support to deployments under this initiative from public or private sources of funding., nor should it prohibit the setting of limits in the terms of use, which may, for instance, require that connectivity be provided for a limited period of time only, restrict access to certain websites or limit data usage to a reasonable level in order to guarantee a good connection and to prevent misuse;
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9 a (new)
Recital 9 a (new)
(9a) The available budget should be allocated to projects in a geographically balanced manner among the Member States and, in principle, on a 'first come, first served' basis. The mechanism designed to ensure geographical balance should be included in the relevant Work Programmes adopted pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013, and be spelt out in calls for proposals, if necessary, for example in order to facilitate greater participation by applicants from Member States in which take-up of vouchers has been comparatively low.
Amendment 86 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Given Internet connectivity needs within the Union and the urgency of promoting access networks that can deliver, throughout the EU, an Internet experience of high quality based on very high- speed broadband services, and at the same time contribute to achieving the objectives of the European Gigabit Society, financial assistance should seek to attain a geographically balanced distribution and help to address the digital divide.
Amendment 95 #
(1a) Where justified by the need to avoid undue administrative burden, in particular in case of low value grants within the meaning of Article 185 of Regulation (EU) No 1286/2012, Member States' agreement may be given to a certain category of proposals under the work programmes pursuant to Article 17, without indicating individual applicants. An agreement of that type obviates the need for Member States to approve the proposal made by each individual applicant.
Amendment 105 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Regulation (EU) No 283/2014
Annex – section 4 – paragraph 2
Annex – section 4 – paragraph 2
Financial assistance shall be available to entities with a public mission such as local authorpublic sector bodies, as defined in Article 3(1) of the Directive on the accessibility of the websities and providermobile applications of public servicctor bodies, undertaking to provide free local wireless connectivity through the installation of local wireless access points.
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Regulation (EU) No 283/2014
Annex – section 4 – paragraph 3 – point 1
Annex – section 4 – paragraph 3 – point 1
(1) are implemented by an entity with a public mission public sector body capable of planning and supervising the installation, and of ensuring the financing of operating costs, of indoor or outdoor local wireless access points in public spaces;
Amendment 110 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Regulation (EU) No 283/2014
Annex – section 4 – paragraph 3 – point 2
Annex – section 4 – paragraph 3 – point 2
(2) build on very high-speed broadband connectivity enabling delivery of high quality Internet experience to users that
Amendment 114 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Regulation (EU) No 283/2014
Annex – section 4 – paragraph 4
Annex – section 4 – paragraph 4
Projects duplicating already existing free private or public offers of similar characteristics, including quality, in the same area shall not be covered.
Amendment 122 #
The available budget shall be allocated in a geographically balanced manner across Member States to projects meeting the above conditions in view of the proposals received and, in principle, on a 'first come, first served' basis.’'
Amendment 123 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Regulation (EU) No 283/2014
Annex – section 4 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Annex – section 4 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Member States may allocate their own resources or resources from the European Structural and Investment Funds to develop complementary and similar services and offers that boost the number and sustainability of projects;