28 Amendments of Fabienne KELLER related to 2021/0227(BUD)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Finds the proposed reduction in the budget of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) by 0,5 % very disappointing; stresses that the FRA’s tasks of collection and analysis of reliable information on fundamental rights compliance in the Member States are expected to increase in the future; calls instead for a budgetary increase of EUR 27,1 million and for the addition of two temporary agents at AD grade and two contractual agents to function group IV in the establishment plan to allow FRA to continue to operate effectively;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the proposed increase of the budget of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) by 11,2 %; considers that the continuous challenge of migration and asylum management calls for strong support from the agency to strengthen the implementation of the a Common European Asylum System (CEAS), enhance practical cooperation, provide operational and technical assistance and stimulate information exchange as well as convergence in the assessment of protection needs between the Member States; stresses that the interinstitutional agreement reached on June 29th 2021 on the transformation of EASO into the European Union Asylum Agency (EUAA) requires additional human resources which were not foreseen in the Commission’s draft budget; underlines in particular the need to recruit from 2022 new staff at AD and AST positions for the function of Fundamental Rights Officer, the Asylum Support Teams, the Liaison Officers in Member States or to strengthen legal and training teams; also calls for adjustments to the establishment plan as regards the distribution of posts across different grades to enable reclassification needs and for the publication of planned posts for 2022; emphasises that the latter will not impact the total budget or the total number of staff proposed, set aside the additional staff required for the implementation of the EUAA;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that the Union budget must be equipped with the tools to enable it to respond to multiple crises simultaneously; reiterates Parliament’s view that the 2022 budget should play a pivotal role in ensuring a positive and tangible impact on citizens’ lives; against this background, supports increases to boost investment with a particular focus on SMEs, strengthen efforts towards the green and digital transitions, give fresh opportunities to young people in particular, build a strong European Health Union; reinforces, further, priorities in the fields of security, migration, fundamental rights, while acknowledging the recent deteriorating situation in external policy and humanitarian aid and the need to be able to react swiftly to the upcoming challenges; emphasises the leading role that the European Union must play in ending the pandemic by financing vaccination through COVAX in the low income countries;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is concerned with the serious and repeated allegations made against European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) related to pushbacks at external borders; is disappointed to note that, according to the Court of Auditors, Frontex has not managed to implement its mandate from 2016, let alone its updated mandate of 2019, and that serious and multiple deficiencies regarding its effectiveness have been identified, while taking note of the conclusion from Frontex’ s Management Board “working group on fundamental rights and legal and operational aspects of operations” (WG FRaLO), that has closed its investigation on 13 incidents in the Aegean Sea and found no evidence of pushbacks; is disappointed to note that, according to the Court of Auditors, Frontex has not managed to implement its mandate from 2016, let alone its updated mandate of 2019, and that serious and multiple deficiencies regarding its effectiveness have been identified; points out that the audit period runs from the end of 2016, when the Agency's new mandate comes into force, to the end of 2020, and therefore does not take into account recent steps from the Agency to comply with its mandate; welcomes the presentation by Frontex on March 3rd 2021 of a comprehensive roadmap addressing the recommendations from the WG FRaLO; considers it is an important step to implement fully the new mandate and expects the recommendations to be implemented by the end of the year; stresses that substantial budget and staff increases for Frontex are conditional on its accountability and transparency, on its commitment to Union law, and on its fulfilment of its mandate; proposes, therefore, to make a part of the budget allocations conditional upon Frontex recruiting 40 fundamental rights monitors at AD gradadequate level to ensure their independence, adopting a clear procedure for the implementation of Article 46 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council1 , and swiftly appointing deputy executive directors in line with Frontex’ 2019 mandate; stresses, meanwhile, that any amount of budget put in a reserve should not prevent the Agency from actually meeting the above-mentioned requirements and the implementation of its mandate, including the recruitment of the standing corps; _________________ 1Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2019 on the European Border and Coast Guard and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1052/2013 and (EU) 2016/1624 (OJ L 295, 14.11.2019, p. 1).
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls the estimate made by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) that it will process 3 000 investigations in 2022; emphasises that EPPO is a prosecutorial body with mandatory competences and obligations to investigate irrespective of budgetary provision; is concerned that the funding proposed for 2022 does not include a meaningful increase as compared with 2021; considers that last year budget was already falling short compared to the workload anticipated and a potential extension of the EPPO mandate covering environmental offences will require sufficient budgetary means, especially for the establishment of a EPPO Green Prosecutor with a special environmental crime unit; stresses that a substantial funding increase to EUR 55,7 million, ands well as 59 additional members of staff at AD grade and 76 additional members of staff at AST grade are required;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Highlights that the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) is a cornerstone of the EU Security Union Strategy and plays an ever greater role in the fight against terrorism, radicalisation, organised crimes and environmental crimes, in line with the Agency’s Strategy 2020+; expects an intensification of tasks for Europol to fight criminal infiltrations in the legal economy and prevent fraud to the EU recovery budget; therefore, welcomes the budget increase of 11,2% and the additional 71 Temporary Agents for the Europol; however, regrets that the grade of 14 staff in the draft proposal does not reflect Europol’s request for 2022; therefore requests a reclassification of 14 staff from AST to AD grades; also stresses that EUR 15 987 100 million is put in reserve until the revised mandate of the Agency is adopted, corresponding to the amount required for the recruitment of the 71 additional Temporary Agents; considers that a smaller amount should be put in reserve to allow the recruitment of new staff from early 2022, in order to complete preparatory actions for the implementation of the upcoming revised mandate; recalls that the Agency didn't benefit of any staff increase in 2021;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets the small funding increase of 1,5 % proposed for the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA); believes that this will not be sufficient to cover EMCDDA’s needs without hampering the scientific activities of EMCDDA; highlights that the 2021 budget was already insufficient and that EMCDDA was obliged to downsize a significant part of its work programme; notes with concern that the drug market has been remarkably resilient to disruption caused by the pandemic, while globalisation and new technology support the establishment of new trafficking routes and the growth of online markets; requests, therefore, an increase in EMCDDA’s 2022 budget to EUR 18,4 million;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the proposed budgetary increase for the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) which contributes to the EU Security Union policy; is disappointed that the proposed establishment plan would reduce the number of members of staff by two, from 207 staff in 2021 to 205 in 2022; considers that increasing Eurojust’s budget while reducing its personnel sends a conflicting signal on how to handle the challenges faced by Eurojust with its ever increasing caseload; stresses that a staff increase is necessary for the Agency to carry out existing and future tasks, in particular as regards to the digitalisation of Justice, the implementation of new instruments in the field of judicial cooperation such as e-Evidence or the fight against environmental crimes;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes the increase of 44,2 % in commitment appropriations and the increase of 39,1 % in payment appropriations for eu-LISA; requests 24grets however as in 2021 that the proposed allocation of staff in the draft budget falls short of the request from the Agency; recalls that the eu-LISA plays a key role in the development of a fully functioning Schengen area by ensuring adequate border management and internal security tools; stresses that in 2022 eu-LISA will carry out important tasks in the implementation of the EES, ETIAS and the interoperability regulations; therefore requests 27 additional members of staff at AD grade to support the implementation of important large-scale IT projects, including projects relating to interoperability, and in particular to reduce eu-LISA’s dependency on external contractors;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Regrets the decrease of 3,3 % in commitment and payment appropriations for the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) and requests rather additional funding of EUR 750 000, including for specific appropriations for training programmes tackling the rise of environmental crime, and additional five posts at AD grade in the establishment plan;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes the slight reduction in payment appropriations for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) compared to 2021; further takes note of the substantivewelcomes the 25,9% increase in commitment appropriations to get that new fund up to cruising speed as quickly as possible; stresses that this increase is essential at a time where the pressure on national authorities for asylum remains very high, with huge gaps in terms of proper reception of asylum seekers and major delays in the procedures for asylum in the Member States; recalls the importance of providing adequate financial capacities to support the development of the CEAS, to bring concrete solidarity to Member States most exposed to migration and asylum flows, as well as to ensure efficient and fair asylum and return procedures; calls, in the light of the proposed New Pact on Migration, for a further 10 % increase in commitment and payment appropriations for the Common European Asylum SystemEAS and the solidarity objectives of the AMIF;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Is deeply concerned by the continuing loss of lives in the Mediterranean Sea, which have increased 56,6 % with respect to last year, representing at least 1146 people who lost their life on maritime routes to Europe between January and June 20211a; believes that search and rescue is a state responsibility that cannot be left only to non-state actors; considers that the Commission should present a legislative proposal to set up a Search and Rescue Fund to support search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea; proposes, therefore, the creation of a new budget line for such a fund; _________________ 1a Migrants deaths on maritime routes to Europe in 2021, GMDAC and IOM: https://missingmigrants.iom.int/sites/mmp /files/Mediterranean_deaths_Jan- Jun_2021.pdf
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Welcomes the 47% increase in commitment appropriations and the 20% increase of payment appropriations of the Integrated Border Management Fund (IBMF); considers that this programme will provide essential operational support to Member States in the areas of external border surveillance, common visa policy and customs controls;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Reiterates its call for the creation of a separate budget line per specific objective set out in the legal bases of AMIF and the Instrument for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI); believes that a separate budget line per specific objective would help ensure adequate transparency and funding for all objectives of AMIF and BMVI;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Welcomes the 29,3% increase in commitment appropriations and the 33,3% increase of payment appropriations of the Internal Security Fund (ISF); stresses that this programme is a strong tool to implement the EU Security Union Strategy, by support cooperation and efforts of law enforcement authorities to strengthen cybersecurity, combat terrorism and organised crime in Europe;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Recalls that independent and qualitative investigative journalism is an essential component of a well-functioning democracy, by bringing quality fact-based information, combating disinformation, raising awareness to citizens, and revealing wrongdoings or crimes; stresses that journalism across Europe faces strong challenges, in particular the lack of financial resources, hence threatening their independence or survival; calls for ambitious funding programmes in the European budget in this field;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes with regret the decrease in commitment and payment appropriations of 6 % and 16,9 % respectively for the Justice Programme, in particular in the field of support to judicial training; recalls that Justice is a key component of a Security Union; proposes rather to maintain the funding in 2022 at the level of the 2021 Budget;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Regrets that Member States still provide an insufficient amount of Seconded National Experts (SNE) to EU agencies in the field of Justice and Home Affairs; highlights the importance of such exchanges to support EU agencies’ human resources, but also to develop a European culture in this area and common understanding between national administrations.
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Emphasises that youth remains an overarching priority for the Union budget; reinforces therefore funding to meet increasing demand for the Erasmus+ programme by a total amount of just over EUR 137 million, as a 5% increase represents an additional 40,000 mobility exchanges; calls the Commission to present a draft amending budget so that the unspent funds from the 2021 budget should be carried over into the 2022 budget in order to help students regaining the missed opportunities due to the pandemic, so that we do not have a lost generation for Erasmus; furthermore increases the European Solidarity Corps by EUR 5 million as the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic should not adversely affect support for the youth;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Regrets that the increase for EPPO budget in 2021 voted by both arms of budgetary authority is not respected the Commission; reiterates the fundamental role that EPPO plays in protecting the financial interests of the Union, including the use of funds from Next Generation EU, as well as ensuring the respect of the rule of law; invites the Commission to clarify the blockade of the 7.3 million euro and to ensure that the budget for 2021 and 2022 of EPPO will be fully respected and implemented;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Strongly objects to Council’s cuts to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) as the agency must be adequately equipped and its staff upgraded to enable it to deliver in all areas of responsibility falling under its new mandate; decides, however, to place EUR 90 000 000 into the reserve subject to the recruitment of the remaining 20 fundamental rights monitors at AD grade, the recruitment of the three deputy executive directors and the adoption of a procedure for the implementation of Article 46 of Regulation 2019/18969 ; _________________ 9Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2019 on the European Border and Coast Guard and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1052/2013 and (EU) 2016/1624 (OJ L 295, 14.11.2019, p. 1).
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39 a. Highlights the need to ensure appropriate staff level to Europol as of the beginning of 2022, in line with relevant Commission proposal; Stresses that in the absence of the adoption of Europol’s revised legal basis by the end of 2021, the reserve retained on the agency's budget may lead to delayed recruitment of staff allocated to the Agency in 2022 which is required to ensure the preparation for an efficient implementation of Europol’s revised legal basis and mandate.
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. StressDeplores the ineed to support developing countries in improvquality of vaccination coverage ing their health systems and world; therefore stresses the need to enable accessing to COVID-19 vaccines in developing countries, particularly through the COVAX initiative, as well as supporting the improvement of their health systems; decides, therefore, to earmark the amount of EUR 1 billion under the emerging challenges and priorities cushion of NDICI-Global Europe in 2022 to this effect, including the NDICI carry- over funds from year 2021, as well as a further EUR 100 million under the line “People - Global Challenges” in addition to the pledges already made by the Commission in 2021, including the extra 200 million doses announced at the State of the Union; requests that Member States fulfil with urgency the COVAX pledges already made and invites them to commit additional EUR 2 billion, either to COVAX or in vaccine doses, in the first semester of 2022;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Stresses that, given the new legislative proposals, such as and strategic initiatives arising from the European Green Deal, such as the Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, Chemical Strategy for Sustainability, Fit for 55 package, and increased Union spending due to NGEU and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, some services, in particular the Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), will need staff reinforcements; asks the Commission as honest broker to reassess these needs promptly and to propose thesadequate reinforcements in its Amending letterduring the Conciliation, without undermining the actual human resources level in its other services or agencies;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 – point i
Paragraph 53 – point i
i) rRecalls the support of the vast majority of Parliament’s Members for a single seat to ensure that Union taxpayers’ money is spent efficiently and for Parliament to assume its institutional responsibility to reduce its carbon footprintneed to find solutions to optimise parliamentary institutional work, financial costs and the carbon footprint with due regard for geographical distribution of European Parliament’s three seats; recalls that according to the Treaty on the European Union, the European Parliament is to have its seat in Strasbourg; notes that permanent changes would require a Treaty change for which unanimity is needed;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 – point n b (new)
Paragraph 53 – point n b (new)
n b) calls for increased digital means to directly engage with citizens; supports the establishment of Europa Experiences by 2024 in all Member States; supports the administration in its policy aimed at maximizing synergies;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 – point n c (new)
Paragraph 53 – point n c (new)
n c) calls to introduce the opportunity for the citizens and the residents of Member States and partner countries to make virtual guided tours in the Parliament in order to achieve better understanding of the work and values of the institution among broader public;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54 a (new)
Paragraph 54 a (new)
54 a. stresses that the European Data Protection Supervisor is a key institution, active in all aspects of the processing of personal data; that its tasks and responsibilities have grown, necessitating an increase in its human and financial resources; recalls that the Commission has integrated its expenditure estimates;