Activities of Claude GRUFFAT related to 2021/2185(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Competition policy – annual report 2021 (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on competition policy – annual report 2021
Amendments (40)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regard Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council1 which sets the target of economy-wide climate neutrality by 2050 and establishes a binding Union reduction commitment of GHG emissions of at least 55 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030,
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)
Citation 1 b (new)
- having regard the Commission communication on the Guidelines on State aid for climate, environmental protection and energy 2022 published on 21st December 20212,
Amendment 3 #
- having regard the Commission Guidelines on State aid to promote risk finance investments published on 6th December 20213,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission’s follow up to the European Parliament non-legislative resolution on the Annual Report on Competition policy 2019,
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas EU competition policy has an important role – especially at times of uncertainty and digital transformation – in ensuring effective competition to encourage innovation, set fair economic conditions, as well as driving innovation that develops new technologies which can help us to do more, with less harm to the environment and giving the industry a powerful incentive to use our planet’s scarce resources efficiently and provide greater choice for consumers;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas full coherence between the Union’s policy goals in the framework of the Green Deal, the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals on the one hand and competition rules on the other is necessary; whereas the application of EU competition law should address all market distortions, including those created by negative social and environmental externalities;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic need to be adequately taken into account and that the guiding principle should be the reasonablphasing out of specific support measures should be progressive and aligned with the withdrawal of contingent measures adopted to fight against the pandemic; stresses that the phasing -out of specific support measuresthe pandemic specific measures should take into account its social impact including on employment; highlights that a broad reflection on an intelligent industrial policy that can help reallocate resources to certain key sectors (e.g. health) in a way that does not distort competition between firms can also help to lay the ground for a resilient and sustainable economy in the long term;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls for the development of an effective system of well-adjusted and complementing regulatory and enforcement instruments to facilitate the digital and green transition; states that such changes are an opportunity for European businesses to take the lead in implementing the green transition and operate in a competitive market for sustainable development;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Highlights that small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the European economy, representing 99.8% of all businesses in the EU; notes that the strong contribution to job creation and value added make SMEs crucial to ensuring economic growth and social integration in the EU; regrets that despite their growth opportunities, SMEs may face difficulties in obtaining access to finance; welcomes in this regard of the revised Guidelines on State aid to promote risk finance investments, which clarify and simplify the rules under which Member States can support SMEs access to finance;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes that mobilising investments at the scale needed to meet the 2030 emission targets will require in certain appropriate cases the provision of State aid as recognised by the Commission; calls therefore on the Commission to align State aid rules with EU’s efforts towards decarbonisation in particular for the energy transition;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Stresses that EU competition rules shall contribute to the Union’s objective as defined in Article 3 TEU; Considers that competition rules have a key role in ensuring full employment, social progress and the protection of the environment and biodiversity; stresses that the ‘fair price’ of products is not the lowest price possible for the consumer, but a price that allows for the fair remuneration of all parties along the supply chain, while not resulting in negative externalities;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Calls on the Commission to conduct an in-depth analysis of the extent and effect of buying alliances, thereby devoting special attention to guaranteeing fair competition and greater transparency in supermarket and hypermarket chains’ commercial practices, particularly where such practices affect brand value and product choice or limit innovation or price comparability;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3d. Reiterates that the Commission’s Directorate General for Competition (DG COMP) should be provided with sufficient and adequate staff and resources; stresses the Commission should ensure that its staff has sufficient knowledge and expertise, in particular as regards the functioning of the digital economy;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Takes note that 80,1% of State aid approved was notified by only 3 Member States, with 51.5% only for Germany; calls the Commission to assess the impact of this high concentration of State aid on the internal market;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Deplores that no green conditioning was attached to the 670 decisions approving €3 trillion of State aid under the Temporary Framework; Regrets in particular that more than 40 decisions allowed State aid to airlines, airports and ground handling companies without requiring these companies to adopt transition plans toward a more sustainable business models;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the planned evaluation of the rules on health and social services of general economic interest (SGEI) to ensure that those rules meet their objectives and are fit for purpose; Recalls the need for better targeted State aid especially for SGEI, including energy, transport, telecommunication, health and housing;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls for reflection on possible distortions of competition arising from the European Central Bank’s (ECB) pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP) and corporate sector purchase programme (CSPP); asks the Commission to examine whether possible distortions of competition arise from the CSPP especially between SMEs and multinational corporations; welcomes that the ECB is preparing to align its corporate asset purchases with the Paris Agreement but warns against delay;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Regrets that the Commission continue to negotiate free trade agreements (FTA) without ensuring that these agreements are in line with the Green Deal objectives; calls on the Commission to pay greater attention of the impact of FTA on SMEs and to ensure a level playing field between EU and companies and third country companies; urges the Commission to ensure that FTAs do not undermine such level playing field by guaranteeing that equivalent environmental, social and governance standards applied to goods and services imported into the EU; demands to implement an EU-wide import ban on goods made with forced labour;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Expresses its strong concerns regarding the EU-Mercosur trade agreement as negotiated by the Commission; stresses that the EU- Mercosur trade agreement could lead to massive deforestation, jeopardise the enforcement of EU health and food safety standards and create an unfair playing field for European producers; calls for the reopening of the negotiation mandate to fully align the deal with the Green Deal Objectives including by introducing mirror clauses requiring all European standards to apply to products imported from the Mercosur countries;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Highlights the potential of the ongoing review of the Guidelines on Horizontal Cooperation Agreements to facilitate cooperation agreements for sustainability which may result in the achievement of legitimate environmental or social policy objectives in the EU and abroad (such as enhanced environmental standards or the achievement of living incomes or living wages in third countries); invites the Commission in particular to consider societal benefits and delayed benefits when evaluating the fulfilment of Article 101(3);
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a new regulation on foreign subsidies in order to curtail potentially distortive effects on the single market, close the enforcement gap, and level the playing field for European companies by using EU competition law instruments and their key building blockand foster positive social and environmental externalities;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Is of the opinion that the Union and the Member States need targeted policies and investments in order to re- industrialise certain strategic industries and re-shore jobs and value chain activities;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that Parliament’s negotiating mandate on the Digital Markets Act will be voted on in plenary andas voted at the December 2021 plenary reinforces the Commission’s initial proposal as regards consumer protection; highlights that the European Parliament’s position contains strong interoperability requirements for messaging and social networking services to the great benefit of end-users; states that Parliament is prepared to work towards the accelerated completion of negotiations and the entry into force of the new rules;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the recent judgment by the General Court of the EU3 , which confirms the Commission’s assessment as regards an abuse of dominant market position and its proof and an example of the effective application of traditional EU competition rules in the context of a digital economy; __________________ 3Judgment of the General Court of 10 November 2021, Google and Alphabet v Commission, T-612/17, ECLI:EU:T:2021:763.
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. SupportsRegrets the lack of ambition of the review of EU competition law instruments as outlined in the Commission communication of 18 November 2021; recalls, however, that this should not exclude the development of new tools where necessary;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Highlights that the transparency of the State aid case evaluation process should be enhanced; stresses that the motivation for approving cases as well as the conditions imposed are often only vaguely described; asks for a better and more systemic reporting on which Member States and which economic activities are entitled to which kind of public support; calls the European Court of Auditors to audit the Commission’s decision-making process regarding State aid and assess its effectiveness and transparency;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Stresses that the European Commission evaluates State aid cases on a case-by-case basis; Highlights that there is a risk of interconnectedness between cases that can be neglected; Asks the Commission to evaluate the cases while taking into account previous cases submitted by the same Member State as well as similar cases submitted by other Member States;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Stresses that companies registered in tax heavens should be banned from receiving State aid; Stresses that companies which received State aid should not pay dividends or make share buy-backs in 2022; Stresses that companies that have received State aid should not carry out large-scale social plans;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Reiterates that taxation is sometimes used to grant indirect State aid, creating an uneven playing field in the internal market; calls in the Commission to review its tax State aid rules to assess whether tax advantages, such as tax exemptions or tax credits, do distort competition; calls on the Commission to look into the possibility to fine countries found in breach of EU State aid rules; encourages the Commission to pursue its investigations into Member States’ tax ruling practices;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 e (new)
Paragraph 16 e (new)
16e. Calls on the Commission to check whether the kerosene tax exemption amounts to a distortion of competition benefiting the aviation sector, based on an incorrect interpretation of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 f (new)
Paragraph 16 f (new)
16 f. Regrets that some multinationals still adopt aggressive and harmful tax practices, recalls that tax advantages targeted at large companies may stifle innovation and jeopardise the contestability of markets, especially for SMEs;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 g (new)
Paragraph 16 g (new)
16g. Underlines the need to coherently revisit the State aid rules and the Commission’s 2013 Banking Communication to reflect progress in the implementation and improvement of the crisis management framework and to achieve consistency with respect to Bank recovery and resolution directive (BRRD) requirements, taking due account of recent rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Takes note of the planned revision of the related sections of the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER)4 ; welcomes that the draft revised GBER further recognises renewable energies and biodiversity protection measures; stresses however that clear, stringent and enforceable criteria and targets should be set for allowing State aid to low-carbon hydrogen; considers that State aid to gas projects should be allowed only to renewable natural gas projects; __________________ 4 OJ L 187, 26.6.2014, p. 1.
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Takes note of the Commission’s initiative to revise the State aid rules in the field of climate, environmental protection and energy (CEEAG) to align them with the European Green Deal and supports the adoption of new guidelines in that regard; welcomes that the guidelines acknowledges that measures that directly or indirectly involve support to fossil fuels, in particular the most polluting ones, often have negative environmental externalities on the market; stresses that therefore those measures should never receive a positive assessment; welcomes that the guidelines include a dedicated section to renewable energy and energy efficiency;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Urges the Commission to accelerate its commitment to reviewing its notice on the definition of relevant market; notes that the Commission launched a call for evidence on the revision and updating of its market definition notice; stresses that this review should be adapted to the new digital environment, the increased global competition and the climate crisis;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Commends the Commission for having kept its position on mergers and resisted the pressure from some Member States to foster mergers in order to create so-called “EU Champions”;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Acknowledges the Commission guidance on certain aspects of Article 22 of the Merger Regulation6 ; expresses concern, however, that this initiative may not be sufficient to adapt the regulation to the needs of modern business models, such as on killer acquisitions; regrets that the Commission did not review the Merger Regulation which is not fit for the digital economy as the jurisdictional thresholds setting the starting point for an EU merger review are based on the turnover of the target and acquiring entities; deplores that unlike national authorities the Commission does not have the ability to block mergers and acquisitions based on public interest concerns; __________________ 6 OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on the Commission to clarify how and under which conditions sustainability initiatives can allow certain types of arrangements;