Activities of Mojca KLEVA KEKUŠ
Plenary speeches (63)
Call for a measurable and tangible commitment against tax evasion and tax avoidance in the EU (debate)
Preparations for the European Council meeting (19 - 20 December 2013) (debate)
Action programme for taxation (debate)
Multiannual financial framework 2014-2020 - Interinstitutional agreement on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management (debate)
Common provisions on European funds - European Social Fund - European Regional Development Fund and the 'investment for growth and jobs' goal - European Regional Development Fund and the 'European territorial cooperation' goal - Cohesion Fund - European grouping of territorial cooperation (debate)
Gender balance among non-executive directors of companies listed on stock exchanges (debate)
One-minute speeches (Rule 150)
European Semester for economic policy coordination (debate)
Human rights in the Sahel region (A7-0325/2013 - Charles Tannock)
Organised crime, corruption, and money laundering (debate)
EU trade policy towards countries of the Eastern Partnership (debate)
Manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products (debate)
Convention on preventing and combating violence against women (Istanbul convention) (debate)
Implementation and impact of the energy efficiency measures under the cohesion policy (short presentation)
Programme of activities of the Lithuanian Presidency (debate)
Review of the Irish Presidency, including the MFF agreement (debate)
Recent floods in Europe (debate)
Implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of financial transaction tax (debate)
Port State control (debate)
Financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings - Transparency requirements in relation to information about issuers whose securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market (debate)
Organised crime, corruption and money laundering (debate)
Social investment for growth and cohesion (debate)
Educational and occupational mobility of women (short presentation)
Regional policy as a part of wider State support schemes (short presentation)
Preparations for the European Council meeting (22 May 2013) - Fight against tax fraud, tax evasion and tax havens - Annual tax report: how to free the EU potential for economic growth (debate)
Preparations for the European Council meeting (22 May 2013) - Fight against tax fraud, tax evasion and tax havens - Annual tax report: how to free the EU potential for economic growth (debate)
Specific tasks for the European Central Bank concerning policies relating to the prudential supervision of credit institutions - European Banking Authority and prudential supervision of credit institutions (debate)
One-minute speeches (Rule 150)
Women's rights in the Balkan accession countries (short presentation)
One year of European Citizens' Initiative in practice: evaluating experience and tackling obstacles (debate)
Completing the scoreboard for the Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure (debate)
Current situation in Cyprus (debate)
Credit institutions and prudential supervision - Prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms (debate)
European Central Bank annual report (2011) (debate)
Financial assistance for Member States whose currency is not the euro (debate)
Regional State Aid (debate)
Equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services (debate)
Impact of the economic crisis on gender equality and women's rights - Eliminating gender stereotypes in the EU - Situation of women in North Africa (debate)
Common system of value added tax and a quick reaction mechanism against VAT fraud (debate)
European Semester for economic policy coordination: annual growth survey 2013 - European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social aspects in the annual growth survey 2013 - Governance of the single market (debate)
Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls (debate)
Improving access to finance for SMEs (debate)
One-minute speeches (Rule 150)
Role of territorial development in cohesion policy (A7-0421/2012 - Derek Vaughan)
European Union Solidarity Fund, implementation and application (A7-0398/2012 - Rosa Estaràs Ferragut)
Credit rating agencies - Undertakings of collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS) and alternative investment funds managers (debate)
Public finances in EMU - 2011 and 2012 (debate)
Explanations of vote
Explanations of vote
Explanations of vote
Presentation of the Court of Auditors’ annual report - 2011 (debate)
Explanations of vote
Explanations of vote
European Semester for economic policy coordination: implementation of 2012 priorities (debate)
Innovative financial instruments in the context of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (debate)
Multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020 - Own resource based on the value added tax (debate)
One-minute speeches (Rule 150)
Proposals for a European banking union (EBU) (debate)
Attractiveness of investing in Europe (short presentation)
European Semester (debate)
Risk sharing instruments for Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability (debate)
European Investment Bank - annual report 2010 (debate)
5th cohesion report and strategy for the post-2013 cohesion policy - Implementation of cohesion policy programmes for 2007-2013 - European urban agenda and its future in cohesion policy - Objective 3: future agenda for cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation - Increased effectiveness between ERDF and other structural funds (debate)
Reports (4)
REPORT on the proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 2011/96/EU on the common system of taxation applicable in the case of parent companies and subsidiaries of different Member States PDF (211 KB) DOC (329 KB)
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on information accompanying transfers of funds PDF (429 KB) DOC (570 KB)
REPORT on the implementation and impact of the energy efficiency measures under Cohesion Policy PDF (216 KB) DOC (135 KB)
REPORT on Fight against Tax Fraud, Tax Evasion and Tax Havens PDF (277 KB) DOC (177 KB)
Shadow reports (10)
REPORT on the proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 2006/112/EC on the common system of value added tax as regards a standard VAT return PDF (177 KB) DOC (290 KB)
REPORT on equality between women and men in the European Union – 2012 PDF (273 KB) DOC (152 KB)
REPORT on regional policy as a part of wider State support schemes PDF (265 KB) DOC (168 KB)
REPORT on women’s rights in the Balkan accession countries PDF (238 KB) DOC (149 KB)
REPORT on the proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 2006/112/EC on the common system of value added tax, as regards the treatment of vouchers PDF (196 KB) DOC (209 KB)
REPORT on improving access to finance for SMEs PDF (251 KB) DOC (166 KB)
REPORT on the attractiveness of investing in Europe PDF (288 KB) DOC (190 KB)
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 as regards certain provisions relating to risk-sharing instruments for Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability PDF (302 KB) DOC (379 KB)
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 as regards certain provisions relating to financial management for certain Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability PDF (207 KB) DOC (126 KB)
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 as regards repayable assistance and financial engineering PDF (216 KB) DOC (175 KB)
Opinions (5)
OPINION on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council directives 78/660/EEC and 83/349/EEC as regards disclosure of non-financial and diversity information by certain large companies and groups
OPINION on social housing in the European Union
OPINION on the European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social aspects in the Annual Growth Survey 2013
OPINION on Special Report No 2/2012: Financial instruments for SMEs co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund
OPINION on innovative financial instruments in the context of the next Multiannual Financial Framework
Shadow opinions (5)
OPINION on long-term financing of the European economy
OPINION on the financial participation of employees in companies' proceeds
OPINION on the e-Health Action Plan 2012-2020 – Innovative healthcare for the 21st century
OPINION on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on improving the gender balance among non-executive directors of companies listed on stock exchanges and related measures
OPINION on the European Semester for economic policy coordination: implementation of 2012 priorities
Written declarations (2)
Amendments (328)
Amendment 105 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas as the consequence of Troika's involvement, the economic situation and recent developments in some Member States have compromised the quality of employment, social protection and, health and safety standards; and have excluded from eligibility for benefits and increased the costs for people on low income causing deepening of poverty and destitution;
Amendment 314 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. RegretCondemns the lack of transparency in the MoU negotiations; notes the necessity to evaluate whether formal documents were clearly communicated in due time to the national parliaments and the European Parliament; further notes the possible negative impact of such practices on citizens’' rights and the stability of political situation within the countries concerned;
Amendment 381 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Deplores that since 2008 the income distribution inequality has grown above average in the four countries destroying the social fabric and that cuts in social benefits and rising unemployment are raising destitution and poverty levels;
Amendment 593 #
2013/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes that the Troika’'s mandate has been perceived as being unclear and lacking transparency and democratic legitimacy;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Member States to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual and, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people are protected from homophobic hate speech and violence, and that same-sex partners enjoy the same respect, dignity and protection as the rest of society; stresses the need to organise awareness-raising campaigns at national and European level regarding the rights of LGBTI people;
Amendment 12 #
2013/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the need to promote policies and practices aimed at combating discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and to promote policies to foster diversity in the workplace, together with initiatives which encourage the full inclusion and respect of LGBTI staff in the work environment;
Amendment 16 #
2013/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the need to emphasise in the education and training of social and health care professionals the importance of respecting the dignity of LGBTI people, as well as their specific health care needs and choices;
Amendment 22 #
2013/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Member States to take action to promote respect for and inclusion of LGBTI people at school and to foster objective knowledge on issues concerning sexual orientation and gender identity in schools and other educational settings; expresses concern that the young LGBTI people and those perceived as LGBTI are at an increased risk of being bullied; stresses the need to build a safe environment for all young people, irrespective of their gender, race or sexual orientation;
Amendment 26 #
2013/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Emphasises the need to recognise same - sex marriages and the parental rights of same-sex parents, individually or jointly, including their rights of guardianship and custody without discrimination on grounds of their sexual orientation or gender identity; stresses that the parental rights of transgender persons should continue to be respected after legal recognition of their preferred gender;
Amendment 29 #
2013/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Underlines the need to respect the right of freedom of expression in practice by safeguarding the possibility of receiving and imparting information on issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity in any form of expression such as the press, publications, oral and written statements, the arts and the media.; stresses the need to respect the freedom of peaceful assembly and association for all LGBTI people; notes that local and regional authorities should therefore facilitate efforts by LGBTI organisations to organise events such as Pride parades as they can raise public awareness on LGBTI issues and empower LGBTI people;
Amendment 31 #
2013/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Encourages Member States to ensure that relevant quantitative data in the form of regular surveys on prevalence of abuse and victimisation of LGBTI people are gathered and analysed;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. States that it is of the utmost importance for the EU's social cohesion to tackle the high unemployment rates, in particular among young people, in the EU by boosting regional competitiveness and employment; calls, therefore, for the European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds to focus on creating jobs by providing a hospitable environment for smallmicro, small and medium-sized enterprises, businesses and start-ups;
Amendment 17 #
2013/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that efforts to support growth in a sustainable economy must ensure a balance between economic and social requirements and impose safety and health standards, in order to provide decent, well- paid and quality jobs in all regions of the EU;
Amendment 23 #
2013/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the possibilities for SMEs to gain access to finance through innovative financial instruments provided by the ESI Funds and points out the need to widenincrease the scope and guarantee legal clarity of these instruments, given that difficulties in accessing finance are one of the main obstacles obstructing the growth of SMEs; points out that strengthened role of financial instruments can guarantee revolving funds, foster public-private partnerships and achieve a multiplier effect with the EU budget; in this regard, welcomes the application of financial instruments being extended to all thematic objectives and all ESI Funds in the new programming period 2014-2020;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2175(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underscores the importance of long- term capital funding as a prerequisite for the effectiveness of EU regional policy; emphasises the role of both the Structural and the Investment Funds in the long-term promotion of growth and employment, given that the availability of lending for investment in the economy varies greatly from region to region;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2175(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the Commission’s suggestion that the availability of investment capital should be made less dependent on traditional commercial bank lending, which has provedn too vulnerable to crisesbe crisis prone;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2175(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Draws attention to the situation in many Member States where commercial banks continue to attach unduly tough conditions to investment financing for the households and the economy, and especially for SMEs;
Amendment 13 #
2013/2175(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the role played by decentralised regional financial institutions which have continued, even during the crisis in the financial markets, to offer reliable funding to regional and local economies, and stresses that local and regional bodies of this kind, some of them structured along cooperative lines, should be retained and expandedstrengthened; points out, in addition, at the importance of microcredit opportunities and availability of alternative financing for micro, small and medium enterprises, which should be put at the forefront of crisis recovery strategies and long term goals of the EU;
Amendment 14 #
2013/2175(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Points out that the use of financial instruments in cohesion policy especially in relation to the SMEs should be reinforced in the future as it can guarantee revolving funds, foster public- private partnerships and achieve a multiplier effect with the EU budget;
Amendment 16 #
2013/2175(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses at the same time that direct, non-repayable subsidies must also continue to be available wherever possible, thus giving local authorities and regions a choice as to the most suitable instrument or mix of instruments to meet their particular needs; takes the view that the criteria to be met in the case of tailored solutions should not be more stringent than those for standard sources of EU funding;
Amendment 17 #
2013/2175(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for use of the financing instruments to be subject to thorough reporting and transparency, monitoring and auditing processes without, however, cancelling out the central advantage of revolving funding through the imposition of new and additional requirements; highlights in this regard the specific nature of financial instruments in cohesion policy, which are generally financing projects in less developed regions and regions with economic difficulties, with the aim of improving situations of market failure and sub-optimal investment, thus they do not only focus on short-term profitability but also on high socio-economic benefits;
Amendment 18 #
2013/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that long-term investments provide the basis for continuous and sustainable economic growth and social well-being necessary to achieve a competitive, sustainable and socially inclusive EU;
Amendment 18 #
2013/2175(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission to strengthen the communication and relationship with the EIB in relation to the design of tailored loans and guarantee schemes; encourages the EIB to work closely with the Member States and regions on their implementation of new innovative financial instruments from European Structural and Investment funds and to continue their investment strategy targeted at social economy sector; additionally, invites the EIB to also consider the option of greater flexibility when defining the size and rules of such tailored loans and other related schemes so as to be the most compatible with financial instruments offered through European Structural and Investment Funds, especially when it comes to appropriate financing for young entrepreneurs and social enterprises;
Amendment 19 #
2013/2175(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for greater account to be taken, when legislating for and regulating the financial markets, of the specific nature of local and regional authorities and their dual role, and; notes in this regard that municipalities and regions can be both long-term investors on the financial markets and at the same time be targets of investment.
Amendment 58 #
2013/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Emphasizes the strengthened role of new innovative financial instruments within all fields of activity and all funds covered by the European Structural and Investment Funds; stresses that the role of financial instruments within the Cohesion Policy is growing in importance given the poor availability of lending for investment in the real economy; calls on the Commission to guarantee legal clarity and transparency of the new off-the-shelf financial instruments and establish firmer links with the EIB lending options;
Amendment 65 #
2013/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Believes that national or multilateral development banks canlong-term public investors (national, regional or multilateral development banks and public financial institutions) are strong tools to stimulate private investments and catalyse long-term financing for undertakings of broader public interest and to support access of SMEs to capital markets;
Amendment 73 #
2013/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Member States to create appropriate networks for cooperation and information exchange, and to set up national or regional development banklong-term public investors which can learn from the best practice of already established institutions; highlights in this regard that such national or regional development banks, which are often structured along cooperative lines, have during the current crisis, continued offering reliable funding to regional and local economies; calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen their support to the financial institutions of these type;
Amendment 74 #
2013/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Member States to create appropriate networks for cooperation and information exchange, and to set up national or regional development banks which can learn from the best practice of already established institutions; highlights in this regard that such national or regional development banks, which are often structured along cooperative lines, have during the current crisis, continued offering reliable funding to regional and local economies; calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen their support to the financial institutions of these type;
Amendment 76 #
2013/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission to explore ways to support Member States requiring financial and technical assistance to set up their national development banklong-term national and regional public investors, and to study the possibility of an EU guarantee mechanism for national development banklong-term national public investors;
Amendment 132 #
2013/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Believes that sound fair value accounting principles for institutional investors can enhance the transparency and consistency of financial information; stresses that those principles should avoid creating incentives for pro-cyclical strategies; believes that disclosure of clear and standardized non-financial information of large companies can increase transparency and foster more investor-friendly climate;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2157(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Commission forecast shows thating the return of real GDP growth in the euro area is return, falling, unemployment is expected to fall and inflation remains well below 2 %and inflation below 2 %, is far from current realities of stagnating recovery and increasing long-term unemployment, youth unemployment and income inequalities;
Amendment 98 #
2013/2157(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Member States to simplify their tax systems and reiterates its call for them to shift taxes from labour to consumption in order to make resource use more efficient and sustainable; calls for urgent action to be taken and a comprehensive strategy based on concrete legislative measures to be launched by the Commission to fight tax fraud and, tax evasion and tax avoidance;
Amendment 101 #
2013/2157(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls for an adoption of the European headline target of halving the tax gap by 2020, which is to become an integral part of Europe 2020 strategy; furthermore, highlights the need for concrete, measurable and binding targets introduced at the national levels to reduce tax fraud and tax avoidance; calls on the Commission to expand the national reform programmes and the stability and convergence programmes by incorporating these targets so as to achieve the required reduction in the tax gap;
Amendment 102 #
2013/2157(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that access to finance, particularly for SMEs, is one of the biggest obstacles to growth in the EU; believes that more alternatives to bank financing are needed, especially by improving the bus through improvement of the efficient allocation of capital through capital markets, stimulation of long-term public invess environment for venture capital but also, more broadly, by improving the efficient allocation of capital throughtment (national, regional or multilateral development banks and public financial institutions) and full use of new innovative financial instruments of the EU designed to support access of SMEs to capital markets;
Amendment 74 #
2013/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the gender pay gap and consequently the gender pension gap is still one of the main reasons women find themselves below the poverty line at a later stage in their lives;
Amendment 155 #
2013/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Member States to increase the participation of women in the labour market as well as to fight gender segregation in the labour market as the future economic prosperity of the EU depends crucially on its ability to fully utilise its labour resources;
Amendment 161 #
2013/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on the Member States to guarantee decent wages and pensions, reduce the gender pay and pension gap, create more high quality jobs for women as well as enable women to benefit from public services of a high standard and improve welfare provisions;
Amendment 165 #
2013/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Calls on the Member States to introduce gender budgeting with the intention of analysing not only programmes that are specifically targeted at women, but also to examine all government programmes and policies, their effects on resource allocation and their contribution to equality between women and men;
Amendment 198 #
2013/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Strongly urges the Member States to increase their investment in public services, particularly health services relating to sexual and reproductive health; stresses that Member States should ensure that all women share the same rights when it comes to contraception, maternity or sexuality and calls therefore on the Member States to collect data in order to know the situation faced by women regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights;
Amendment 216 #
2013/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses that fiscal tightening should not jeopardise the progress achieved by policies promoting gender equality;
Amendment 235 #
2013/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Emphasises that in order to promote the participation of women in decision- making, measures need to be set in motion to combat gender-based discrimination as well as stereotypes and prejudices about the role of women, along with specific policies to support equal rights and opportunities in economic, social, political and cultural life (to combat irregular and unforeseeable working hours, applying fair remuneration and equal pay and expand public childcare, nursery and school networks,) with the positive effect of strengthening women’s participation in all levels of social and political life;
Amendment 238 #
2013/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Notes that the low participation of women in decision-making is affected by obstacles such as the lack of supportive environment, the persistence of gender- based stereotypes and the consequences of the economic crisis and its negative effects on gender equality;
Amendment 247 #
2013/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Highlights that gender equality in decision-making is especially important in these times of crisis as it has been acknowledged that more women in top economic positions bring strong organisational and financial company performance as well as better quality of decision-making, while improved female representation in top political positions is an essential requirement for the functioning of a democratic society;
Amendment 253 #
2013/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Stresses that Member States should introduce measures to encourage career progression of women at all levels through positive actions such as networking and mentoring programmes;
Amendment 299 #
2013/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recommends that the Member States strengthen their free public health services in the area of support to women subjected to violence and that they increase the number of refuges and their capacity, with specialised assistance to women of different nationalities, in a range of languages and where women would be offered adequate legal assistance as well as psychological counselling and therapy;
Amendment 304 #
2013/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls on the Commission to promote the collaboration between Member States and women NGOs and organisations in order to prepare and implement an efficient strategy to fight violence against women;
Amendment 311 #
2013/2156(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Stresses the need to ensure continued funding for programmes that promote gender equality and the fight against all types of violence against women, children and young people in order to tackle the deeply rooted stereotypes in our society;
Amendment 87 #
2013/2145(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61 a (new)
Paragraph 61 a (new)
61a. Regrets the deletion of the budget line 16 03 04 (Communicating Europe in Partnership); believes that the introduction of Strategic or Ad Hoc Agreements instead of Management Partnership Agreements (MPA) would lead to a serious lack of important funding for communication of EU affairs in Member States; points out that in the current times of crisis many Member States have already been forced to cut the national budget resources for communication activities related to the EU; is of the opinion that the proposed closure of the MPA would further exacerbate the situation, which in the run up to the European elections and the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the largest EU enlargement, should not be allowed to happen; stresses that the Commission has taken the decision to transform the mode of financing from MPA to Strategic or Ad Hoc Agreements unilaterally, without consultation of relevant partners; in this regard, calls on the Commission and the Member States to reintroduce into the 2014 EU budget the line 16 03 04 (Communicating Europe in Partnership) from the 2013 EU budget;
Amendment 1 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the 2013 Country-specific Recommendations (CSR) and especially their focus on ambitious measures to reignite growth, tackle unemployment and create jobs and enhance the competitiveness of EU economies; notes with concern that under the persistent pressure of the economic, social, financial and sovereign debt crisis, the CSR on the whole are not ambitious enough; in light of this, points out at the lack of recommendations to restore urgently needed lending to the real economy and SMEs, strengthening of the link between public and private investment capacities, fighting tax fraud and addressing the social dimension of EMU;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Reiterates the position of the European Parliament on the need to strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the process of the European Semester; stresses the fact that National Parliaments, and regional and local authorities, have very limited access to the process of the European Semester and their role is practically ignored within the CSR, despite the fact that their contribution and participation are necessary if the chances of meeting the Europe 2020 targets are to be improved;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates the importance of Cohesion Policy as the main investment instrument, playing a central role in combating the crisis, reducing regional disparities and engaging the EU and its regions on a path of sustainable growth; Hence underlines the importance of securing adequate budgetary provisions in the context of the MFF negotiations to the European Union Structural and Investment Funds, noting in particular their key share of investment in a range of areas such as employment, innovation, sustainable development and support to SMEs;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Points out that austerity measures that seek to reduce public deficits by cutting public sector jobs and welfare services have a bigger impact on women than on men; observes that the introduction of austerity measures significantly increased long-term unemployment among women; stresses that fiscal tightening should not jeopardise the progress achieved by policies promoting gender equality;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is strongly concerned by the sharp downfall in public and private investment in the productive economy and especially at the local and regional level; Is of the opinion that decisive measures are needed to reform product and labour markets, adopt cautious wage policies and base the future growth model on innovation, and shift production towardstowards green low-carbon economy and high value-added activities; Expresses its firm belief that the Structural and Investment Funds are essential in order to further strengthen as well as prevent and mitigate any shortfall in the aforementioned respects;
Amendment 8 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Points out that, at a time of heavy fiscal constraint and reduced lending capacity in the private sector, the EU Structural and Investment Funds, represent an essential lever for stimulating the economy, especially through the use of innovative financial instruments; believes that an increased use of innovative financial instruments within Cohesion Policy can foster public- private partnerships, achieve a multiplier effect with the EU budget, guarantee an important financing stream for strategic regional investment and raise EU growth potential; in this regard, welcomes the important role that the new innovative financial instruments will play within Cohesion policy in the programming period 2014-2020; urges the Commission to give financial instruments also a clearer position within the CSR and strengthen the alignment of the European Structural and Investment Funds with the EIB programmes, particularly in the area of loan guarantees for SMEs and microenterprises;
Amendment 8 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses that Member States should improve the percentage of children or young adults in educational systems and put more focus on the problem of early school leaving, especially by collecting information on the main reasons for early school leaving in order to adopt and implement policies for its prevention;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Notes with concern that the financing of the productive economy, especially SMEs, has not been restored across the whole EU, with the less developed regions taking the worst hit; points out that increasing differences in access to credit can further deepen regional divergences; hence underlines the importance of the European Structural and Investment Funds ability to link public and private investment and deliver alternative sources of financing for SMEs; calls on the Commission to guarantee, in a timely manner and before the start of the programming period 2014-2020, legal clarity and transparency around the usage of the off-the-shelf innovative financial instruments;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Believes that whereas financial protection measures enacted by the ECB have contributed to the stability of the euro area and calmed financial markets, the competitiveness problem in the euro area has been left unresolved;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission, in its upcoming Annual Growth Survey, to raise the issue of specific policy guidelines on reducing gender inequalities, including, in particular, guidelines on closing the gender pay gap and the gender pension gap which often results in women finding themselves below the poverty line at a later stage of their lives, on increasing the participation of women in the labour market and on combating gender segregation in the labour market as the future economic prosperity of the EU depends crucially on its ability to fully utilise its labour resources;
Amendment 12 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Commission to include the European Semester as one of the Europe 2020 subtargets in order to fight against youth unemployment and poverty;
Amendment 13 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the labour market reforms which were aimed at improving the resilience of the labour market, introducing more internal and external flexibility, reducing fragmentation and facilitating transition between jobs; Recalls however that further and more in-depth reforms are needed, notably to improve labour market mobility and especially youth mobility with; in this regard and connected to the alarming figures of youth unemployment in Europe, calls on the Commission to put a special focus on improving the professional opportunities of young people, in particular of those who face difficulties when entering the job market, to provide job- search assistance and to establish clear and transparent links between education and training in order to achieve a better match between skills and available jobs;
Amendment 14 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Points out the importance of gender budgeting with the aim to examine all government programmes and policies, their effects on resource allocation and their contribution to equality between women and men;
Amendment 20 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recalls the European Parliament's position against the proposed macroeconomic conditionality in the framework of the MFF negotiations to the European Union Structural and Investment Funds as this would, without any relation between policy performance at regional and Member State level, punish regions for possible failure of compliance with economic governance procedures at national level;
Amendment 21 #
2013/2134(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on the Commission to complete the EMU by delivering legislative proposals linked to the social pillar; stresses that a social scoreboard that would serve as a building block of this pillar needs to include also relevant regional and local specificities;
Amendment 121 #
2013/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the use by the Commission of the margin of manoeuvre offered by the revised SGP to extend the deadlines for the correction of excessive deficits in seven procedures; calls on the Commission and the Council to ensure that the content and the calendar of the fiscal adjustment path are adapted to the specificity of each country and, particularly in ‘deficit’ countries, include the aforementioned margin of manoeuvre and the full use of structural fEuropean Structural and Investment Funds, sound and sustainable structural reforms and the identification of investments (namely in the CSR) essential to boost competitiveness; calls on the Commission to clarify as a matter of urgency the ways in which to accommodate, under certain conditions, non-recurrent, public investment programmes with a proven impact on the sustainability of public finances;
Amendment 170 #
2013/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that the financing of the real economy, and of SMEs in particular, has not been restored on the EU's periphery; points out that major differences in access to credit further stimulate the growing internal divergence trends in the EU and euro area in particular and destroy the internal market through unfair competition conditions; points out also that negative economic prospects only partially justify such restrictive credit constraints; calls for closer monitoring of the banking sector practices in financing the real economy, in particular economically viable SMEs; calls foracknowledges in this regard the important role that the new innovative financial instruments in the Cohesion Policy can play in fostering public and private investment and urges the Commission to guarantee legal clarity and transparency of implementation around new financial instruments in a timely manner and before the start of the programming period 2014-2020; calls on the Commission to prioritise work on alternative sources of financing for SMEs, in particular through the structural fEuropean Structural and Investment Funds, the European Investment Bank, the European Investment Fund and public development banks;
Amendment 202 #
2013/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the Commission's ‘Action Plan to strengthen the fight against tax fraud and tax evasion’ and its recommendations on ‘measures intended to encourage third countries to apply minimum standards of good governance in tax matters’ and on ‘aggressive tax planning’, adopted on 6 December 2012; stresses that fairness and justice in burden sharing require a completely new approach to tax fraud and evasion; calls for urgent action by the Commission and for clear support from the Council on these dossiers; recalls the Parliaments resolution on the fight against tax fraud, tax evasion and tax havens of 21 of May 2013 that identified further necessary actions to be taken in the field of tax fraud, aggressive tax planning and tax havens; stresses that fairness and justice in burden sharing require a completely new approach to tax fraud and evasion; calls for urgent action and comprehensive strategy, based on concrete legislative actions by the Commission to close the EU tax gap and for clear support from the Council on all blocked or pending dossiers related to taxation;
Amendment 211 #
2013/2134(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the Council to conclude the negotiations for the Financial Transaction Tax and to include in its agenda, as a matter of urgency, theactions to close the tax gap, tackle tax havens and work on convergence of tax systems within the EU;
Amendment 2 #
2013/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Believes that, in order to promote financial participation aimed at creating a new form of company financing and enabling employees to be morebetter connected to the company that employs them, share capital subscriptions or specific debt securities (bonds) should be one of the possibilities offered; takes the view that the capital subscriptions should be voluntary for the companies and employees, either individually or in a group;
Amendment 6 #
2013/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Stresses that further transparency in national employee ownership schemes and especially in calculating the effective tax burden across EU-28 is needed to avoid double taxation and discrimination;
Amendment 7 #
2013/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 b (new)
Points out at the differences between the Member States as regards compulsory social security contributions on income for financial participation; notes also that tax differences in employee ownership schemes constitute barriers to workers’ mobility and free movement of capital; reiterates in this regard the need to guarantee the mutual recognition of employee ownership schemes as a first step towards a common European model;
Amendment 8 #
2013/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 c (new)
Calls on the Commission to present a framework for a European model of employee ownership to be developed as an alternative, optional instrument for Member States aimed at deepening the Single Market, improve cross-border activities of companies, especially SMEs, and protect employees of subsidiary companies; notes that such European framework should only serve as a best practice option, be voluntary for companies to use and should not override the national taxation rules;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Amendment 15 #
2013/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 4 a (new)
Calls on Member States to apply best practice principles of providing tax incentives in promoting employee ownership schemes;
Amendment 23 #
2013/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Points out that employee ownership fosters much needed social cohesion and serves as an important addition to sustainable corporate governance; stresses, nonetheless, to take precaution in promotion of ownership schemes so as not to substitute wages by profit-sharing systems;
Amendment 25 #
2013/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Believes that any measure relating to the financial participation of employees in company income should be sustainable in the long term and be on a voluntary basisbased on the principles of voluntary participation, equality among workers and due diligence, especially for SMEs.
Amendment 27 #
2013/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Acknowledges that business succession, additional funding, staff retaining and other characteristic problems of SMEs, can be alleviated by employee share ownership plans; is of the opinion that employee ownership schemes in small and micro enterprises can be combined with labour market measures, such as unemployment benefits, and thus help to reinstate the unemployed;
Amendment 28 #
2013/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 b (new)
Notes the lack of information and education about possible employee ownership schemes, especially among SMEs; calls in this regard, on the Commission and Member States to better organize information campaigns and encourage the cross-border transferability of best practice schemes among Member States;
Amendment 6 #
2013/2104(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Welcomes the new proposed rules on transparency (paragraphs 127 and 128 of the draft guidelines); encourages Member-States to comply with these rules and publish in a central website complete and accurate information about granted aid;
Amendment 7 #
2013/2104(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines the fact that the primary role of State aid control is to ensure a level playing field in the internal market; fully supports the SAM overall aim of tailoring State aid rules to the need to promote economic growth, foster economic, social and territorial cohesion and stimulate job creation in the EU; notes that it is particularly relevant to promote economic growth in the most disadvantaged regions of the EU; points out that in the current times of economic and social crisis, public investment is essential as part of an overall strategy for growth and employment;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2104(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines the fact that the primary role of State aid control is to ensure a level playing field in the internal market; fully supports the SAM overall aim of tailoring State aid rules to the need to promote economic growth in the EU; notes that it is particularly relevant to promote economic growth in the most disadvantaged regions of the EU, keeping distortive effects within the internal market to a minimum;
Amendment 14 #
2013/2104(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission, however, to ensure that promoting economic growth through State aid will not lead to an increase in public debt; underlines the need for simplification of rules and less, but better targeted, State aid;
Amendment 15 #
2013/2104(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that regional aid can only play an effective role if it is used sparingly and proportionately, and is concentrated on the most disadvantaged regions of the EU where it is needed the most; believes, consequently, that State aid policy and cohesion policy are, to a large extent, complementary and mutually reinforcing; in this regard, urges the Commission to ensure that State aid modernization will be consistent with the proposed changes in the General Regulation on the Structural Funds and to prevent areas belonging to the same category and experiencing similar economic difficulties from being treated unequally;
Amendment 18 #
2013/2104(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. In light of the upcoming changes in the General Regulation on the Structural Funds for period 2014-2020, stresses that changes in cohesion policy legislation, especially the new categorization of regions, need to be carefully taken into account when modernizing not only RAG but also other horizontal or sector-specific guidelines for State aid; insists on establishing real synergies between all State aid instuments and cohesion policy to eliminate any disturbing discrepancies and ensure maximum consistency of the two policies;
Amendment 29 #
2013/2104(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)
Paragraph 5 e (new)
5e. Expresses doubts also about the ineligibility for regional aid of "firms in difficulties within the meaning of the Community guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in difficulty" (paragraph 11 of the draft guidelines), noting that this is not only inconsistent with helping firms affected by the economic crisis in assisted regions but also impossible to implement, given that those guidelines explicitly contain no precise definition of firms in difficulty;
Amendment 30 #
2013/2104(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 f (new)
Paragraph 5 f (new)
5f. Is convinced that it is essential that some margin of flexibility for the revision of the guidelines is kept, as mentioned in draft paragraph 177, in order to allow for any future required adjustments, since these guidelines are designed to cover a period of 7 years;
Amendment 70 #
2013/2103(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises that prostitution both globally and across Europe feeds trafficking of vulnerable women and girls, and stresses that, as shown by data from the European Commission, the majority (62 %) are trafficked for sexual exploitation, and women and girls account for 80 % of identified and presumed victims; notes, however, that there is no truly reliable data on trafficking across the EU due to its illegal and often invisible nature;
Amendment 100 #
2013/2103(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that prostituted persons are particularly vulnerable socially and economically and are more at risk of physical and psychological violence than in any other activity;
Amendment 139 #
2013/2103(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recalls that gender-specific prevention strategies and awareness-raising measures are key to combating the sexual exploitation of women and girls, especially among migrants;
Amendment 157 #
2013/2103(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Urges the Commission to evaluate the impact that the European legal framework designed to eliminate trafficking for sexual exploitation has had to date and, to undertake further research into patterns of prostitution and human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation in the EU as well as to promote the exchange of best practices among Member States;
Amendment 161 #
2013/2103(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Stresses that the Commission should continue funding projects and programmes to fight trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation;
Amendment 6 #
2013/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights, however, the fact that disparities still exist, and are in some cases widening, between EU regions, and that continued investment of EU funding at local and regional level is vitally important to ensure that support continues to reach areas that are in need of economic and social regeneration;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. HStresses that in the current times of crisis, cohesion policy funding in a number of Member States represents the main, if not only, source of investment; in this regard, highlights the importance of ensuring that Member States and regions are in a position to begin implementing the new round of cohesion policy funding as soon as possible at the start of 2014;
Amendment 24 #
2013/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Emphasises that advanced preparations are dependent on the relevant authorities and organisations having sufficient capacity to invest time, personnel and money in preparations at an early stage;
Amendment 57 #
2013/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Welcomes the fact that, on the basis of successful experiences from the previous round of funding, many Member States are seeking to enhance the leveraging of private sector funding in order to open up alternative sources of funding to complement traditional financing methods; stresses that at a time of heavy fiscal constraint and reduced lending capacity on the part of the private sector, the increased use of financial instruments can foster public-private partnerships, achieve a multiplier effect with the EU budget, open up alternative sources of finance and guarantee an important financing stream for strategic regional investments; highlights, therefore, the importance of using innovative financial instruments, such as loans and guarantees,, guarantees and equity investments, as complements to grants in order to encourage cooperation between enterprises, public sector organisations and educational institutions;
Amendment 5 #
2013/2078(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take account of women's needs and concerns, also by collaborating with civil society and women's NGOs, when drawing up legislation and analysing the situation of fundamental rights in the EU, and to monitor thoroughly the implementation of European legislation relating to gender equality in Member States;
Amendment 7 #
2013/2078(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Calls on the Member States to guarantee decent wages and pensions, reduce the gender pay gap, create more high quality jobs for women as well as to enable women to benefit from public services of a high standard and improve welfare provisions;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2078(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines the need for special support for and protection of women and children victims of gender-based violence, including domestic violence, sexual harassment, human trafficking and harmful traditional practices, such as forced marriages, female genital mutilation and, ‘honour crimes’ and femicide; calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt and continually improve legislation, and to take concrete measures to protect victims, such as to provide more funding for women's shelters, and to prosecute aggressors and prevent violence;
Amendment 24 #
2013/2078(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that women's underrepresentation in political and economic decision- making constitutes a democratic deficit; calls, therefore, on Member States to introduce positive discrimination measures such as legislation for parity systems and temporary gender quotas;
Amendment 3 #
2013/2061(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that women are especially under-represented in the research and ICT sectors; the Commission should therefore promote integrated and collective actions such as mentoring programmes and schemes in order to encourage the participation of women in these sectors;
Amendment 7 #
2013/2061(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Asks the Commission and the Member States to ensure equal access for women to the field of e-health, not only as patients but also as caregivers (professional or not), ICT specialists and policymakers.; highlights that women are involved in all levels of health sector throughout their entire life;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2061(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that eHealth opens up great opportunities for improving the accessibility of high quality and sustainable healthcare services for all EU citizens, irrespective of their location, citizenship, income or social status, or of disability and age; stresses that health literacy of patients, digital skills of patients and medical personnel, broadband access and user-friendly eHealth ICT tools are essential in order to strengthen social and territorial cohesion, eliminate health inequalities, ensure safety and surveillance for patients and provide access to preventative healthcare measures and medical advice in remote, sparsely populated and otherwise disadvantaged regions; considers that in this regard local and regional authorities have an essential role to play in spreading information regarding the benefits and opportunities of eHealth, educating and organising training according to the needs of local communities, and involving civil society organisations and volunteers;
Amendment 17 #
2013/2061(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that, since one of the main objectives of the e-health Action Plan is to ensure equal access to healthcare services for all citizens of the Union, measures should be taken as a matter of urgency to close the digital gap between the different regions of the Member States and, more particularly, to tackle disparities as regards women's access to ICTs within Member States; stresses that particular attention should be given to women living in low income settings and rural areas as well as to elderly women who often lack ICT skills;
Amendment 18 #
2013/2061(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. NPoints out that efficient health services are an important tool for regional development and competitiveness; notes that in many Member States health policy is to varying extents entrusted to regional and local authorities, and welcomes their active involvement in eHealth project design and implementation; calls for the role of regional and local authorities in developing eHealth infrastructures to be strengthened; takes the view that a well- functioning multi-level governance approach is a precondition for successfully setting and implementing eHealth;
Amendment 20 #
2013/2061(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Asks the Commission and the Members States to pay particular attention to digital literacy and technical training for women, considering especially elderly women, in order to ensure that e-health tools, especially telemedicine, are genuinely effective;
Amendment 23 #
2013/2061(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that the organisation of healthcare systems is a competence of the Member States; urges the Commission, nonetheless, to play a more active role in coordinating Member States' actions and encouraging cooperation, awareness- raising, promoting investment in innovative technologies, clarifying conditions and identifying common barriers to crossborder health provision, as well as assessing the efficiency of existing eHealth applications in terms of fostering the exchange of best practice at EU level;
Amendment 23 #
2013/2061(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission to deliver clear guidelines regarding funding in order to directly support the ICT and health sectors which have been acknowledged as sectors with the highest growth and employment potential;
Amendment 27 #
2013/2061(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Deeply regrets, especially given the current crisis of competitiveness in the Union, the proposed cuts to the Connecting Europe facility for broadband and digital services; hopes that financing for this area under Horizon 2020 will be maintained; encourages local and regional authorities to make effective use of EU funds for financing eHealth.
Amendment 41 #
2013/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
F a. whereas SRHR are key factors for gender equality, poverty elimination, economic growth and development;
Amendment 55 #
2013/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
I a. whereas budgetary cuts in public health make health care and services even less accessible;
Amendment 92 #
2013/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that even though it is a competence of Member States to formulate and implement policies on SRHR, the EU can exercise policy-making competence and awareness-raising in the area of public health and of non- discrimination, and support better implementation of sexual and reproductive rights;
Amendment 105 #
2013/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on Member States to work with the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and civil society to design a European strategy for the promotion of SRHR, and support the elaboration and implementation of comprehensive national strategies for sexual and reproductive health; suggests that the EIGE be empowered to collect and analyse data and best practices; notes that more studies are needed to understand the problems of incorporating sexual and reproductive health prevention and treatment programmes into the basic health care systems;
Amendment 107 #
2013/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that the current austerity measures have a detrimental impact, particularly for women, on public health services related to sexual and reproductive health, both in terms of quality and accessibility, on family planning organisations, on NGO service providers, and on women's economic independence; points out that Member States should take the necessary steps so that the access to sexual and reproductive health services is not jeopardised;
Amendment 196 #
2013/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reminds the Member States that investments in reproductive health and family planning are among the most cost- effective, in terms of development, and the most effective ways to promote the sustainable development of a country; calls on the Member States to make SRHR one of the priorities of the health sector;
Amendment 10 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 36 a (new)
Citation 36 a (new)
- having regard to Commission's contribution to the European Council of 22 May 2013 entitled 'Energy challenges and policy',
Amendment 26 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that in the current period of crisis, improving EE can prove to be a decisive means of boosting competitiveness and the creation of jobs and growth, and represents a win-win option in the fight against climate change; underlines that meeting the 2020 objectives serves as a prerequisite for achieving the EU 2050 climate ambition and can make the overall energy transition less costly for all Member States;
Amendment 33 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Supports the EU's commitment to achieve the objective of increasing EE by 20 % until 2020; notes with concern that current estimates of energy saving efforts undertaken or announced by Member States in light of the adoption of the Energy Efficiency Directive show that only a 917 % improvement can be reached; urges, in this regard, the Member States to put further efforts towards achieving the EU2020 objective;
Amendment 35 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that steering public spending towards energy efficient products, transport modes, buildings, industry, works and services can help to reduce public authorities' expenditure on energy bills, health costs and offer an improved value for public money;
Amendment 39 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that the Member States should see the use of European Structural and Investment Funds for EE as an investment opportunity with a high leverage effect and not as an expenditure;
Amendment 47 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that currently over 9 % of EU citizens cannot keepheat their homes adequately warm; notes that fuel poverty is particularly severe in new Member States and is in most cases due to poorly performinginsulated homes; calls on the Commission to examine in detail the link between EE promotion, fuel poverty and vulnerable consumers;
Amendment 54 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Amendment 57 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls the 2009 relaxationamendment of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) regulations regarding energy efficiency, making housing eligible for support in all parts of EU, with a cap of 4 %; notes with concern that, in practice, this policy action has not resulted in a substantial increase of funds diverted to this objective; points at the importance of legal clarity regarding EE measures before the start of the new and during the programming period 2014- 2020;
Amendment 63 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the new opportunities offered by, and the more important role in realising the EE objectives given to, the ERDF and Cohesion Fund in the new programming period 2014-2020; supports in particular the future role of Cohesion Policy funding in the entire the housing sector;
Amendment 70 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Strongly maintains its position in the ongoingWelcomes the result of the negotiations on the ERDF regulation regarding the earmarked percentages to be used on specific thematic objectives for each category of regions, which would guarantee an important increase in the EE allocations and renewable energy resources; recalls that this earmarking is crucial for easier mobilisation of local actors and helps create stable, long-term renovation programmes;
Amendment 71 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the Commission's proposal to extend the use of innovative financial instruments (FI) in the ERDF in the upcoming programming period 2014-2020 to all thematic objectives, including EE;
Amendment 72 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Endorses the Commission's proposals for simplifyingication of the European Structural Fuand architectureInvestment Funds in the new programming period 2014-2020; believes that the conclusion of negotiations on the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) should result in a successful implementation of multiple- funds usage, which would greatly benefit larger EE projects;
Amendment 81 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. In the run up to the closure of MFF negotiations, rReminds the Member States once more of the importance of a well- funded budget for the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework, in which cohesion policy can and should act as a driver of recovery;
Amendment 84 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission to improve further and disseminatdisseminate and further improve the incomplete and asymmetric information that is now available on EE issues, the gains to be made from EE investment, the best methodologies and the providers of relevant services;
Amendment 92 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Encourages Managing Authorities, in the upcoming programming period 2014- 2020, to promote integrated projects by adopting a holistic approach to EE on a territorial level, in particular by making use of the new strategic programming tools, such as Integrated Territorial Investment, and by involving existing initiatives, such as the Covenant of Mayors, to help develop integrated plans;
Amendment 100 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Acknowledges that the transition to energy efficient technologies requires new skills, environment-conscious vocational education and specific training in construction and other sectors; encourages, in this regard, the Member States to continue to use funds to provide technical assistance at all levels (such as through the ELENA facility); calls, furthermore, on the Member States to make use of the European Structural and Investment Funds to re-train and up-skill workers for newly emerging jobs in the low-carbon economy;
Amendment 104 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Highlights the need for the provision of finance with terms and financial conditions which address the long-term need for the holistic and efficient transformation of Europe's built infrastructure and buildings;
Amendment 112 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Recognises the Commission's support for the enhanced role of new and innovative FI in the upcoming programming period 2014-2020; stresses that the lack of timely delivery and legal clarity presents a significant difficulty for the Member States as well as for other stakeholders included in the management of such instruments; urges the Commission to present without delay proposals for off- the-shelf FI to be available to support EE measures;
Amendment 113 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls upon Member States to share best practices in the design of National Energy Efficiency Funds where European Structural and Investment Funds can be used as equity contributions, or similar, and be aligned with additional funding sources from the private sector;
Amendment 129 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Notes with concern that the targets for EE as required by the Energy Efficiency Directive have not yet been provided and/or estimated for all Member States; stresses that if the commitment to achievement of the EU2020 objectives is to be realized, clear targets need to be defined for every Member State;
Amendment 131 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on the Commission to clarify the common indicators for EE to be applied and used by the Member States in the upcoming programming period 2014-2020;
Amendment 143 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Recalls that buildings have a natural renovation cycle of 40 years and that energy saving technologies in this sector are well developed, leaving most barriers that prevent the full use of energy saving potential to be of the non-technical nature; points out that also due to the nature of EE renovation projects, which are often less visible, smaller and more difficult to aggregate, the European Structural and Investment Funds play a crucial role in providing the funding needed to overcome these barriers;
Amendment 150 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)
Paragraph 40 a (new)
40a. Calls on the Member States to pay special attention to the difficulties faced by the joint ownership of multifamily apartment buildings, which represent a difficult free-rider problem;
Amendment 152 #
2013/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Calls on the Commission to build awareness around the real potential of deep renovation of the building stock by supporting Member States and regions in the preparation of their renovation roadmaps; recommends that these roadmaps be developed in parallel with proposals for OPs, and that they focus on incorporating the use of innovative FI and include indicative milestones to build investor confidence;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the Euro area as a whole is experiencing a double-dip recession caused by excessive debt and the financial crisis;
Amendment 33 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the contributing capacity of taxpayers is almost exhausted in several Member States; whereas the European shadow economy represents an estimated 22.1 % of total economic activity and a scandalous estimated EUR one trillion is lost to tax fraud and tax avoidance every year in the EU;
Amendment 36 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Gb. whereas the loss of tax revenue due to tax fraud and tax avoidance raises the deficit and debt levels of Member States, thereby reducing the funds available for fostering public investment, growth and employment, representing a danger for the safeguarding of the EU social model based on quality public services, threatening the proper functioning of the Single Market and acting as a dent to the efficiency and fairness of tax systems within the EU;
Amendment 60 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Welcomes the Commission's "Action Plan to strengthen the fight against tax fraud and tax evasion", the recommendations on "measures intended to encourage third countries to apply minimum standards of good governance in tax matters" and the recommendations on "aggressive tax planning" adopted by the Commission on 6 December 2012; calls on the Member States to follow up on Commission's recommendations, take immediate and coordinated action against tax havens and aggressive tax planning and thus guarantee a fairer distribution of the fiscal effort and increased Member States' revenue;
Amendment 62 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Asks the Commission and the Member States to cooperate further in order toand deliver a strong legislative strategy to halve the tax gap by 2020 and thus ensure the transparency of tax policy for both citizens and enterprises, and to reduce further legal gaps and uncertainties that may create possibilities for tax evasion and tax fraud, tax fraud and tax avoidance;
Amendment 103 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that for the functioning of such a system, the framework of the European Semester would be adequate, since – in tandem with other specific macroeconomic measures – it could keep good record ofrecord and coordinate the various tax policies of the different Member States, taking fully into account the basic economic background, fundamentals and future perspectives of the Member States concerned; in light of this, encourages the Commission and the Member States to enhance the use of the European semester by integrating the EU tax gap strategy into the annual national stability and growth programmes and national reform programmes;
Amendment 129 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls on Member States to agree and implement a compulsory Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base;
Amendment 131 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Urges the Commission to introduce country-by-country reporting for cross border companies in all sectors, requiring disclosure of information on the trading of a group as a whole in order to monitor respect for proper transfer pricing rules;
Amendment 132 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Calls on the Commission to take immediate action with regard to strengthening transparency and regulation in respect of company registries and registers of trusts and foundations;
Amendment 133 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Member States to give their full support to the Commission initiatives, in collaboration with national tax authorities, aimed at suppressing taxation and other fiscal obstacles related to cross-border activities in order to improve further coordination and cooperation in this field; encourages the Member States to continue and upgrade, under Fiscalis programme, the simultaneous controls to find and fight cross-border tax fraud as well as facilitate presence of foreign officials in the offices of tax administrations and during administrative enquiries; highlights the importance of regular knowledge- exchange between tax administrations when dealing with aggressive tax planning schemes used by multinational companies;
Amendment 135 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Urges Member States to swiftly implement the Commission's proposal for the introduction of a General Anti-Abuse Rule to counteract aggressive tax planning practices, and include a clause in their Double Taxation Conventions to prevent occurrences of double non- taxation; encourages Member States to ignore any tax benefits arising from artificial arrangements or those lacking commercial substance;
Amendment 138 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Calls on Member States to remove all obstacles in national law that hinder cooperation and exchanges of tax information with the EU institutions, while also ensuring effective protection of taxpayers' data;
Amendment 140 #
2013/2025(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Member States to improve substantially their tax collection capacity, thereby generating additional resources to promote growth and jobs as laid down in EU 2020; in light of this, urges Member States to allocate adequate financial and human resources to their national tax administrations and tax audit staff;
Amendment 9 #
2013/2011(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights the need to provide better universal social and health security and to promote social insurance for self- employed; calls on the Commission and Member States to link social security and social protection rights to the individual rather than the working contract, thereby enabling decent social protection for all including self-employed and workers regardless of their contract type or employment status;
Amendment 15 #
2013/2011(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Underlines the need for improvement and transparency of the social security systems in certain Member States with the aim of achieving fairer standards of contribution for self-employed workers, in particular as regards pregnancy and maternity leave;
Amendment 29 #
2013/2011(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on Member States to ensure the availability of affordable childcare and education facilities and to ensure equal access for self-employed to relevant tax or social advantages in relation to child care;
Amendment 30 #
2013/2011(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on Member States to ensure the availability of affordable childcare facilities and to ensure equal access for self-employed to public services and relevant tax or social advantages in relation to child care;
Amendment 42 #
2013/2011(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on Member States to facilitate the combination of work and care responsibilities by providing workers with flexibility with regard to working hours and working place in order to avoid that they have no other possibility for flexibility than to resort to dependent self- employment as it has been noted that self- employment is a steadily increasing trend in the EU;
Amendment 4 #
2013/2008(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph D
Paragraph D
D. whereas, while the evaluations of cohesion policy programmes over the 2007-2013 period show good overall awareness in the Member States of the gender equality requirement when setting up such programmes, they also indicate that gender equality is by no means effectively integrated into the programmes; whereas financial support for promoting equality between women and men has been decreasing;
Amendment 7 #
2013/2008(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Member States, in the context of cohesion policy, to develop programmes and actions aimed at promoting equal economic independence for women and men by levelling out participation in the labour market and addressing the persistent issue of the gender pay gap and consequently the gender pension gap;
Amendment 11 #
2013/2008(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the Member States to introduce gender budgeting in cohesion policy programming with the intention of analysing not only programmes that are specifically targeted to women, but also to examine all government programmes and policies, their effects on resource allocation and their contribution to equality between women and men;
Amendment 18 #
2013/2008(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission, in cooperation with the European Institute for Gender Equality, to further improve Member States’ reporting systems so as to make it possible to assess the support provided under cohesion policy for progress on gender equality; stresses that data on how cohesion policy programmes are meeting the gender equality objectives should be gender-disaggregated;
Amendment 29 #
2013/2008(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Commission to promote the exchange of best practices between Member States on gender mainstreaming in cohesion policy programmes;
Amendment 31 #
2013/2004(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas gender-based violence is associated to deeply rooted stereotypes and involves victims and perpetrators of all ages, educational backgrounds, incomes and social positions and is linked to the unequal distribution of power between women and men in our society;
Amendment 54 #
2013/2004(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas awareness raising and mobilization, including through media and social media, is an important component of an effective prevention strategy;
Amendment 61 #
2013/2004(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
Ma. whereas there is a shortage of shelters where it would be possible for women to live independently and free from violence and where women would be offered adequate health care services, legal assistance and psychological counselling and therapy;
Amendment 97 #
2013/2004(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Commission to promote the collaboration between Member States and women NGOs and organisations in order to prepare and implement an efficient strategy to eliminate violence against women;
Amendment 6 #
2013/0343(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) Council Directive 2006/112/EC12 requires taxable persons to submit VAT returns but allows flexibility for the Member States to determine the information needed. This gives rise to disparate rules and procedures governing the submission of VAT returns in the Union, added complexity for businesses, unnecessary administrative burdens for both Member States tax authorities and taxable persons, loopholes for committing VAT fraud and VAT obligations that create obstacles to Union trade. __________________ 12 Council Directive 2006/112/EC of 28 November 2006 on the common system of value added tax (OJ L 347, 11.12.2006, p. 1).
Amendment 7 #
2013/0343(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) To reduce burdens on business, eliminate the VAT gap and improve the functioning of the internal market a standard VAT return should be introduced for all businesses trading in the Union. The use of standardised returns should facilitate the control of VAT returns by the Member States.
Amendment 33 #
2013/0265(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) To enable the internal market to function effectively, the use of electronic payments should be promoted and facilitated to the benefit of retailers and consumers. Cards and other electronic payments can be used in a more versatile manner, including possibilities to pay online in order to take advantage of the internal market and e-commerce, whilst electronic payments also provide retailers with potentially secure payments. Card and card based payments instead of cash use could therefore be beneficial for retailers and consumers, provided the fees for the use of the payment systems are set at an economically efficient level, whilst contributing to fair competition, innovation and market entry of new operators.
Amendment 85 #
2013/0265(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
1. This Regulation lays down uniform technical and business requirements for card based payment card transactions carried out within the Union, where both the payer's payment service provider and the payee's payment service provider are established therein.
Amendment 105 #
2013/0265(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Member States may decide to apply this Regulation to transactions under points (a), (b) and (c) of this paragraph.
Amendment 236 #
2013/0265(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 a (new)
Article 5 a (new)
Article 5 a Competent authorities shall prevent any attempts by the payment service providers to circumvent the rules established by this Regulation, including non-EU issuance of payment cards.
Amendment 258 #
2013/0265(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. When entering into a contractual agreement with his payment services provider, the consumer shall be able to decide whether or not he needs two or more different brands of payment instruments on his card, telecommunication digital or IT device. In good time before the contract is signed, the payment service provider shall provide the consumer with clear and objective information on all the payment brands available and their characteristics (functionalities, cost, security).
Amendment 295 #
2013/0265(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 4
Article 10 – paragraph 4
4. Issuing payment service providers shall ensure that their payment instruments are visibly and electronically identifiable in 18 months after the entry into force of this Regulation, enabling payees to identify unequivocally which brands and categories of prepaid, debit, credit or commercial cards or card based payments based on these are chosen by the payer.
Amendment 11 #
2013/0188(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) In recent years, the challenge posed by tax fraud and tax evasion, tax evasion and aggressive tax planning has increased considerably and has become a major focus of concern within the Union and at global level. Unreported and untaxed income is considerably reducing national tax revenues. An increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of tax collection is therefore urgently needed. The automatic exchange of information constitutes an important tool in this regard and the Commission in its Communication of 6 December 2012 containing an Action plan to strengthen the fight against tax fraud and tax evasion8 highlighted the need to promote vigorously the automatic exchange of information as the future European and international standard for transparency and exchange of information in tax matters. The European Parliament, in its Resolution of 21 May 2013 (2013/2025(INI)), and the European Council on 22 May 2013 requested the extension of automatic information exchange at Union and global levels with a view to combatting tax fraud, tax evasion and aggressive tax planning. __________________ 8 COM(2012)722 final.
Amendment 14 #
2013/0188(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) In the European Council agreement from 22 May 2013 the Member States have committed to adopt the revised Directive on the taxation of savings income before the end of 2013. It is of the upmost importance that Member States follow up on their commitments and close existing loopholes in the fight against tax evasion by extending information sharing to trusts, pensions, investment funds and other innovative financial instruments.
Amendment 50 #
2013/0188(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point c
Directive 2011/16/EU
Article 8 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1
5. Before 1 July 2017, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council a report that provides an overview and an assessment of the statistics and information received, on issues such as the administrative and other relevant costs and benefits of the automatic exchange of information, as well as practical aspects linked thereto. If appropriate, the Commission shall present a proposal to the Council regarding the categories and the conditions laid down in paragraph 1, including the condition that information concerning residents in other Member States has to be available, or the items referred to in paragraph 3a, or both.
Amendment 23 #
2013/0110(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) In order to provide enhanced transparency, the Commission should introduce country- by-country reporting for cross-border companies in all sectors by requiring disclosure of information such as the nature of the company's activities and its impact on the society, its geographical location, turn-over, number of employees on a full-time equivalent basis, as well as gender diversity, especially gender diversity in top management positions, in order to ensure a level playing field amongst European companies and investors.
Amendment 56 #
2013/0110(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) In order to enhance consistency and comparability of non-financial information disclosed throughout the Union, companies should be required to include in their annual report a non-financial statement containing information relating to at least environmental matters, gender equality, social and employee-related matters, respect for human rights, anti-corruption and bribery matters. Such statement should include a description of the policies, results, and the risks related to those matters.
Amendment 59 #
2013/0110(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) In order to increase transparency, the Commission should introduce country- by-country reporting for large undertakings, groups and public interest entities operating cross-border and in all sectors, enhancing the transparency of payments transactions – by requiring disclosure of information such as the nature of the company's activities and its geographical location, turn-over, number of employees on a full-time equivalent basis, profit or loss before tax, tax on profit or loss, and public subsidies received on a country-by-country basis on the trading of a group as a whole – in order to monitor respect for proper transfer pricing rules.
Amendment 81 #
2013/0110(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The scope of these non-financial disclosure requirements should be defined by reference to the average number and gender of employees, total assets and turnover. SMEs should be exempted from additional requirements, and the obligation to disclose a non-financial statement in the annual report should only apply to those companies whose average number of employees exceeds 2500, and exceed either a balance sheet total of EUR 20 million or a net turnover of EUR 40 million.
Amendment 84 #
2013/0110(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) Diversity of competences and views of the members of administrative, management and supervisory bodies of companies, including gender diversity, facilitates a good understanding of the business organisation and affairs. It has been acknowledged that gender diversity, especially in top positions, contributes to corporate governance, quality of decision- making and to the company's performance. Moreover, board diversity represents a benefit for the companies as board composition reflects demographic characteristics of key stakeholder groups such as employee, customer and investor. Furthermore, it enables members of these bodies to exercise a constructive challenge of the management decisions and to be more open to innovative ideas, addressing the similarity of views of members, the ‘group- think’ phenomenon. It contributes thus to effective oversight of the management and a successful governance of the company. It would therefore be important to enhance transparency regarding the diversity policy companies have in place. This would inform the market of corporate governance practices and thus put indirect pressure on companies to have more diversified boards.
Amendment 93 #
2013/0110(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) Since the objective of this Directive, namely to increase the relevance, consistency, transparency and comparability of information disclosed by companies across the Union, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States, and can therefore by reason of its effect be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Directive does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the pursued objective.
Amendment 95 #
2013/0110(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) This Directive respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised in particular by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, including non- discrimination, equality between women and men, the freedom to conduct a business, respect for private life and the protection of personal data. This Directive has to be implemented in accordance with these rights and principles.
Amendment 105 #
2013/0110(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – point 1 – point a
Article 1 – point 1 – point a
Directive 78/660/EEC
Article 46 – paragraph 1 – point b – subparagraph 1
Article 46 – paragraph 1 – point b – subparagraph 1
(b) For companies whose average number of employees during the financial year exceeds 2500 and, on their balance sheet dates, exceed either a balance sheet total of EUR 20 million or a net turnover of EUR 40 million, the review shall also include a non-financial statement containing information relating to at least environmental, social and employee matters, respect for human rights, anti- corruption and bribery matters, including:
Amendment 140 #
2013/0110(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – point 3 a – point a (new)
Article 1 – point 3 a – point a (new)
Directive 2013/34/EU
Article 18 – paragraph 2
Article 18 – paragraph 2
(3a) Article 18 is amended as follows (a) Paragraph 2 is replaced by the following: 2. Member States shall require large undertakings and groups as defined in Article 3(4) and (7) of Directive 2013/34/EU and public interest entities, to publicly disclose, specifying by Member State and by third country in which it has an establishment, the following information on an annually consolidated basis for the financial year: (a) name(s), nature of activities and geographical location; (b) turnover; (c) number of employees on a full time equivalent basis; (e) profit or loss before tax; (f) tax on profit or loss; (g) public subsidies received. The above information shall be audited in accordance with Directive 2006/43/EC and shall be published, where possible, as an annex to the annual financial statements or, where applicable, to the consolidated financial statement of the undertaking or public interest entity concerned.
Amendment 149 #
2013/0110(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – point 3 b – point a (new)
Article 1 – point 3 b – point a (new)
Directive 2013/34/EU
Article 20 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 20 – paragraph 4 a (new)
(3b) Article 20 is amended as follows: (a) The following paragraph 4a is inserted: 4a. To counteract aggressive tax planning practices, Member States shall adopt a general anti-abuse rule (GAAR), as defined in the European Commission Recommendation on Aggressive Tax Planning of 12 December 2012, ignoring all artificial arrangements or artificial series of arrangements which have been put in place for essential purpose of avoiding taxation and are adapted to domestic and cross-border situations confined to the Union and situation involving third countries.
Amendment 159 #
2013/0110(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – point 1 – point a
Article 2 – point 1 – point a
Directive 83/349/EEC
Article 36 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
Article 36 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 3
For parent undertakings of undertakings to be consolidated that together exceed an average number of 2500 employees during the financial year, and, on their balance sheet dates, exceed either a balance sheet total of EUR 20 million or a net turnover of EUR 40 million, the review shall also include a non-financial statement containing information relating to at least environmental, social and employee matters, respect for human rights, anti- corruption and bribery matters, including the following:
Amendment 188 #
2013/0110(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Member States shall ensure effective means in order to monitor and enforce full and accurate disclosure of non- financial information by companies in compliance with the provisions of this Directive.
Amendment 111 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. For the purposes of paragraph 1, Europol shall submit an opinion on the money laundering and terrorist financing risks affecting the internal market within one year from the date of entry into force of this Directive.
Amendment 113 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
The Commission shall submit a report on the money laundering and terrorist financing risks affecting the internal market to the European Parliament and the Council within 18 months from the date of entry into force of this Directive. The Commission’s report shall cover at least the following aspects: a) identification of the areas of the internal market at greater risk of money laundering and terrorist financing; b) money laundering and terrorist financing risks outside the financial sector; c) the role of EUR 500 notes in criminal activities and money laundering and the impact of a possible discontinuation of the issuing of EUR 500 notes in the eurozone; d) risks related to gambling services. For the purposes of subparagraph 1, the European Banking Authority (hereinafter "EBA"), European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (hereinafter "EIOPA") and European Securities and Markets Authority (hereinafter "ESMA") shall provide a joint opinion on the money laundering and terrorist financing risks affecting the internal market.
Amendment 115 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The opinion shall be provided within 2one years from the date of entry into force of this Directive.
Amendment 118 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall make the opinions referred to in paragraph 1, subparagraphs 2 and 1a(new) available to assist Member States and obliged entities to identify, manage and mitigate the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing.
Amendment 133 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 3
Article 7 – paragraph 3
3. In carrying out the assessments referred to in paragraph 1, Member States may make useshall take account of the opinions referred to in Article 6(1), subparagraphs 2 and 1a(new), and the Commission’s assessment referred to in Article 6(1) and shall inform the Commission, where appropriate, of any variations noticed when carrying out the assessments referred to in paragraph 1.
Amendment 135 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – point a a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – point a a (new)
(aa) identify, where appropriate, areas at negligible, lower and greater risk of money laundering and terrorist financing;
Amendment 136 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – point b a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – point b a (new)
(ba) use the assessment(s) to ensure that appropriate rules be drawn up for each area, in accordance with the risk of money laundering;
Amendment 137 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – point c
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – point c
(c) make appropriatethe required information available to obliged entities to carry out their own money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessments and develop appropriate policies, controls and procedures to mitigate and manage risks.
Amendment 138 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 5
Article 7 – paragraph 5
5. Member States shall make the results of their risk assessments available to the other Member States, the Commission, and EBA, EIOPA and ESMA upon request.
Amendment 187 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 29 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Member States shall ensure that central registers, commercial registers or company registers within their territory contain information about the beneficial owners of (a) companies of all legal forms, (b) other legal persons, such as foundations, (c) legal arrangements, such as trusts, through which funds are administered or distributed, and (d) express trusts governed by their law established within their territory, enabling the beneficial owners to be clearly identified. The information referred to in paragraphs 1 and 1a shall be updated continuously and without delay in the respective register.
Amendment 192 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 29 – paragraph 2
Article 29 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall ensure that the information referred to in paragraphs 1 and 1a of this Article can be accessed in a timely mannerwithout delay by competent authorities and by obliged entities of all Member States in the respective register and that they can check the correctness of the information.
Amendment 194 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 29 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Member States shall ensure that access to the information referred to in paragraphs 1 and 1a is provided by means of the European platform, the portal and optional access points established by the Member States pursuant to Directive 2012/17/EU. Member States, with the support of the Commission, shall ensure that their central, commercial and company registers are interoperable within the system of register networking through the European platform.
Amendment 198 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 29 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. The Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council within three years after the entry into force of this Directive a report on the application and mode of functioning of the requirements pursuant to paragraphs 1, 1a, 2 and 2a, if appropriate accompanied by a legislative proposal.
Amendment 209 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 30 – paragraph 3
Article 30 – paragraph 3
3. Member States shall ensure that the information referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article can be accessed in a timely manner by competent authorities and by obliged entities of all Member States and that they can check the correctness of the information.
Amendment 246 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
The Commission shall submit a report on the money laundering and terrorist financing risks affecting the internal market to the European Parliament and the Council within 18 months from the date of entry into force of this Directive. The Commission's report shall cover at least the following aspects: a) identification of the areas of the internal market at greater risk of money laundering and terrorist financing; (b) money laundering and terrorist financing risks outside the financial sector; (c) the role of EUR 500 notes in criminal activities and money laundering and the impact of a possible discontinuation of the issuing of EUR 500 notes in the eurozone; (d) risks related to gambling services. For the purposes of subparagraph 1, the European Banking Authority (hereinafter ‘'EBA’'), European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (hereinafter ‘'EIOPA’') and European Securities and Markets Authority (hereinafter ‘'ESMA’') shall provide a joint opinion on the money laundering and terrorist financing risks affecting the internal market. within one year from the date of entry into force of this Directive.
Amendment 252 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Amendment 257 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. For the purposes of paragraph 1, Europol shall submit an opinion on the money laundering and terrorist financing risks affecting the internal market within one year from the date of entry into force of this Directive.
Amendment 261 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall make the opinionreport and the opinions referred to in paragraph 1, subparagraphs 2 and 1a(new) available to assist Member States and obliged entities to identify, manage and mitigate the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing.
Amendment 272 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 3
Article 7 – paragraph 3
3. In carrying out the assessments referred to in paragraph 1, Member States may make use ofshall take account of the report and the opinions referred to in Article 6(1) and shall inform the Commission, where appropriate, of any variations noticed when carrying out the assessments referred to in paragraph 1.
Amendment 274 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – point a a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – point a a (new)
(aa) identify, where appropriate, sectors or areas at negligible, lower and greater risk of money laundering and terrorist financing;
Amendment 275 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – point b a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – point b a (new)
(ba) use the assessment(s) to ensure that appropriate rules be drawn up for each sector or area, in accordance with the risk of money laundering;
Amendment 276 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – point c
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – point c
(c) make appropriatethe required information available to obliged entities to carry out their own money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessments and develop appropriate policies, controls and procedures to mitigate and manage risks.
Amendment 277 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 5
Article 7 – paragraph 5
5. Member States shall make the results of their risk assessments available to the other Member States, the Commission, and EBA, EIOPA and ESMA upon request.
Amendment 360 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 29 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Amendment 372 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 29 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Member States shall ensure that access to the information referred to in paragraphs 1 and 1a is provided by means of the European platform, the portal and optional access points established by the Member States pursuant to Directive 2012/17/EU. Member States, with the support of the Commission, shall ensure that their central, commercial and company registers are interoperable within the system of register networking through the European platform.
Amendment 379 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 29 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. The Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council within three years after the entry into force of this Directive a report on the application and mode of functioning of the requirements pursuant to paragraphs 1, 1a, 2 and 2a, if appropriate accompanied by a legislative proposal.
Amendment 387 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 29 – paragraph 2
Article 29 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall ensure that the information referred to in paragraphs 1 and 1a of this Article can be accessed in a timely mannerwithout delay by competent authorities and by obliged entities of all Member States in the respective register and that they can verify the correctness of the information. Member States shall ensure that the information referred to in paragraphs 1 and 1a of this Article can be accessed by the public.
Amendment 402 #
2013/0025(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 30 – paragraph 3
Article 30 – paragraph 3
3. Member States shall ensure that the information referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article can be accessed in a timely manner by competent authorities and by obliged entities of all Member States and that they can verify the correctness of the information. Member States shall ensure that the information referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article can be accessed by the public.
Amendment 77 #
2013/0024(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 3
Article 4 – paragraph 3
3. Before transferring the funds, the payment service provider of the payer shall apply customer due diligence measures in accordance with Directive (xxxx/yyyy) and verify the accuracy of the information referred in paragraph 1 on the basis of documents, data or information obtained from a reliable and independent source.
Amendment 81 #
2013/0024(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
1. By way of derogation from Article 4(1) and (2), where the payment service provider(s) of both the payer and the payee are established in the Union, only the account number of the payer or histhe unique transaction identifier shall be provided at the time of the transfer of funds.
Amendment 100 #
2013/0024(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
If the intermediary payment service provider of the payee becomes aware, when receiving transfers of funds, that information on the payer and the payee required under Articles 4(1) and (2), 5(1) and 6 is missing or incomplete or has not been completed using the characters or inputs admissible within the conventions of the messaging or payment and settlement system, it shall either reject the transfer or suspend it and ask for complete information on the payer and the payee.
Amendment 120 #
2013/0024(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 1
Article 19 – paragraph 1
Administrative sanctions and measures imposed in the cases referred to in Articles 17 and 18(1) shall be published without undue delay including information on the type and nature of the breach and the identity of persons responsible for it, unless such publication would seriously jeopardise the stability of financial markets.
Amendment 124 #
2013/0024(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Where a competent authority of a Member State applies an administrative sanction or a measure in accordance with Articles 17 and 18 it shall notify the EBA of that sanction or measures and the circumstances under which it was applied. EBA shall include such notification in the central database of administrative sanctions established in accordance with Article 69 of Directive 2013/36/EU and apply to it the same procedures as for all other published sanctions.
Amendment 144 #
2013/0024(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – title
Article 24 – title
Agreements with territories or countries not mentioned in Article 355 of the Treaty
Amendment 12 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas an estimated and scandalous EUR 1 trillion is lost to tax fraud and tax avoidance every year in the EU, representing an approximate cost of EUR 2000 for every European citizen each year;
Amendment 16 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas state aid should be better aligned with the targets set by the Lisbon European Council of March 2000, while at the same time complementseek balance with the objectives of other EU policies, in particular the Cohesion Policy;
Amendment 17 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas this loss represents an alarming loss of public revenue, a danger for the safeguarding of the EU social model based on quality public services, a threat to proper functioning of the Single Market and a dent to the efficiency and fairness of tax systems within the EU;
Amendment 21 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes the view that the implementation of both the Cohesion Policy and the rules on State support schemes to reinforce local and regional investments are of key importance for promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion, regional and local development, industrialhelping to reduce regional imbalances and stimulating business competitiveness, as well as fostering growth and job creation; is, however, concerned about whether the State aid rules are coherent with the implementation of the European Structural and Investment Funds; in this regard, urges the Commission to ensure that SAM will be consistent with the proposed changes in the General Regulation on the Structural Funds and to prevent areas belonging to the same category and experiencing similar economic difficulties from being treated unequally;
Amendment 25 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights that the State aid rules, as well as the Cohesion Policy objectives, should lead to improving the situation of the less-developed regions and thus achieving harmonious and balanced development of the EU, and that the SAM process must reflect the objectives of cohesion throughout the EU; in this regard, insist on establishing real synergies between the two policies to eliminate any disturbing discrepancies and ensure maximum consistency of the two policies during the implementation; believes that the modernisation of competition rules must be based on understanding the impact of these rules at sub-national level;
Amendment 27 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the scale of tax fraud and tax avoidance undermines citizens' trust and confidence in the fairness and legitimacy of tax collection and fiscal system as a whole;
Amendment 28 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas the lack of coordination of tax policies in the EU leads to significant cost and administrative burden for citizens and businesses operating cross- border within the EU and may result in unintended non-taxation or lead to tax fraud and tax avoidance;
Amendment 32 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas countries under assistance programmes have in the last years, after stepping up tax collection and eliminating privileges in line with Troika proposals, seen many of their larger companies leave in order to benefit from tax privileges offered by other countries; whereas in the case of Greece the Commission has calculated that as much as €60 billion have escaped from Greece to Swiss banks since the beginning of 2012;
Amendment 32 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the Commission’s aim in the SAM process to make the principles clearer, more straightforward and easier; takes the view that these principles should be both well coordinated with other EU policies and sufficiently clear, predictable and flexible to meet the needs of certain Member States and their regions facing a time of crisis and severe economic hardship; reiterates its recognition of theconsiders that given the current economic and social crisis, public investment is essential as part of an overall strategy for growth and employment; in this regard, reiterates the important role played by State aid in addressing the crisis; expresses its concern that the proposal, as published for consultation, is not sufficiently evidence- based and will go against the objective of simplification; asks the Commission to specify in the future regional State aid guidelines that the aid intensities laid down in these guidelines do not apply for public subsidies granted by Member States using ESF and ERDF resources which meet the compatibility requirements of the Services of General Economic Interest Decision or the Framework;
Amendment 35 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas the job cuts in majority of Member States' national tax authorities through austerity measures over the past years greatly jeopardise the implementation of the Commission's Action Plan;
Amendment 47 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas European finance ministers in February 2013 at the G20 meeting in Moscow vowed to take the necessary action in tackling tax avoidance and confirmed that solely national measures will not deliver desired effects;
Amendment 47 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Takes the view that the geographical zoning of the new Guidelines on Regional State Aid 2014-2020 (RSAG) should not be reduced, and that decreasing the aid intensity should be reconsidered, taking into account the political, economic and social situation in the Member States; points out that, in the global context, the EU economy could be placed at a disadvantage relative to third countries benefitting from looserwith less stringent employment schemes or lower cost structures;
Amendment 52 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Suggests that in its zoning criteria, the Commission takes into account the natural, geographic or demographic handicaps faced by certain regions, including rural, mountain and island areas; points out that the zoning requirements are not always appropriate for all areas, in terms of the minimum size and extent of the zones, and that these areas can in particular often not meet population requirements asked for; calls therefore for these requirements to be relaxed either by setting more adequate population ceilings, or by applying these two criteria more flexibly;
Amendment 58 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out to theInsists that the new RSAG should not have a restrictive impact of new rules on investment and growth of regions as they move from the less developed to the more developed category; is aware that certain regions eligible for State aid under the current system willrisk not meeting the zoning criteria of the RSAG in the future period; believes that these regions should havebe eligible for a special "safety net" regime, similar to that for transition regions under the Cohesion Policy, allowing them to cope with their new situationrespond to their new situation; in this regard, finds it essential that all regions which were considered as “a” regions in 2007-2013 period are treated as pre- defined “c” regions in 2014-2020;
Amendment 61 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the Commission’s initiative to establish a ‘Platform for Tax Good Governance’; calls on the Commission to consult and involve in the workings of the Platform also the national tax workforce, social partners and trade unions; calls on the Commission to submit on a yearly basis to the Council and the European Parliament a report about the work and achievements of the Platform;
Amendment 64 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that the EU should lead the discussions and shoul in the OECD, the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, the G20 and G8 on the fight against tax fraud, tax avoidance and tax havens; stresses that the EU should persuade and assist non- EU countries in subscribing to the EU principles of transparency, exchange of information and abolition of harmful tax measures;
Amendment 83 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the particular situation of regions, which are adjacent to less developed regions, is carefully addressed so as to prevent creation of isolated regions practically without State aid bordering two "a" regions;
Amendment 91 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Believes that the application of State aid rules within Cohesion Policy programmes could be better achieved by focussing on large-scale aiconcentrating aid where really needed, simplifying rules, increasing the de minimis ceiling, and extending the horizontal categories in the Enabling Regulation and the scope of the block exemption rules in the General Block Exemption Regulation ;
Amendment 97 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on Member States to commit to an ambitious but realistic target of halving the tax gap by 2020, since this would gradually generate new tax revenue without raising tax rates; insists that Member States engage in serious negotiations and bring to a closure all open legislative proposals regarding issues of tax fraud, tax avoidance and tax havens;
Amendment 99 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Takes the view that application of the State aid rules within the Cohesion policy programmes in infrastructure projects exploited for economic activities, namely after the above-mentioned ruling of the Court of Justice in joint cases Mitteldeutsche Flughafen and Flughafen Leipzig/Halle v Commission, may lead to a greater administrative burden being imposed onin regards to the ruling of the Court of Justice in joint cases Mitteldeutsche Flughafen and Flughafen Leipzig/Halle v Commission, it is important to guarantee a correct application of the State aid rules within the Cohesion policy programmes in infrastructure projects used for economic activities, so as to ensure that local and regional authorities and/or their public entities are not faced with any additional administrative burden; stresses that the implementation of these projects mayshould not be jeopardised by the demanding financial management rules, including the de -commitment rules pertaining to the Cohesion Policy and the complaint practice in the State aid procedure;
Amendment 105 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Believes that the Member States and regions should coordinate their activities with the Commission better, in terms of the quality and timeliness the information they are to submit and the notifications they are to prepare; calls on the Member States to ensure the proper application of the State aid ex-ante conditionality under Cohesion Policy, and to provide better compliance with State aid rules at national level;
Amendment 108 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Believes that certain, newly proposed rules in the draft RSAG for 2014-2020 – such as counterfactual scenarios, clear evidence that the aid has an impact on the investment choice, or the condition that work on the project must not start before a decision to award aid is taken by public authorities – which the Commission would like to imposeapply in the coming period – both on companies applying for incentives and on the Member States and their sub- national government structures – go againstshould go hand in hand with the principle of simplification and ‘debureaucratisation’ as promoted in the Cohesion Policy and other EU and national policies; reiterates that such rules may mean that certain projects will be excluded from investment aid;
Amendment 117 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12 . Urges Member States to allocate adequate financial and human resources to their national tax administrations and tax audit staff as well as resources for the training of the tax administration staff focusing on cross-border cooperation on tax fraud and avoidance;
Amendment 121 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Is of the opinion that excluding large enterprises companies from State aid rules in areas covered by Article 107(3)(c) TFEU is not justified given their contribution to employment, the supply- chains that they create with SMEs, their common involvement in research and development, and the role they play in the economic crisis; takes the view that the presence of large undertakings is often key to the success of SMEs that benefit from clusters led by large companies and from their sub- contracting activities; underlines that such a decision may lead to job losses and reduced economic activity in the regions and to the relocation of companies to other regions either within and outside the EU;
Amendment 127 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Believes that the eligibility of large enterprises for State aid incentives should be determined not on the basis of the size of the enterprise or the sector in which it operates but on the basis of the number of jobs that could be created and saved under the incentive, the quality of these jobs orand the sustainability of the project; additionally, advocates that to eliminate the risk of relocation and guarantee that productive investment enhancing job and growth creation comes out of given State aid, the Commission should amend a safeguard clause which would oblige large enterprises to maintain investment and jobs created in the area where the aid was awarded for a period of 10 years, or 5 years in the case of SMEs; believes that in case of early relocation, the enterprise should be obliged to reimburse given aid; stresses that, in compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, decisions to determine which particular projects have the highest potential to achieve the objectives of EU policies should be left to the Member States, the regions concerned and local governments; within the European framework;
Amendment 135 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Calls on the Commission to raise the current threshold for the definition of small and medium enterprises (SMEs); asks, accordingly, the Commission to create, as it has already agreed for the agri-food industry, a new category of mid- sized enterprises, employing between 250 and 750 workers and with a turnover of under EUR 200 million, located between SMEs and large enterprises, in order to promote the development of our SMEs;
Amendment 136 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on Member States tothe Commission and Member States to take action and suspend or revoke the banking licenses of financial institutions if they actively assist in tax fraud by offering products or services to customers enabling them to evade taxes or refuse to cooperate with tax authorities;
Amendment 139 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Encourages the Commission to introduce proposals for a harmonised tackling of tax fraud under criminal law, in particular as regards crossborder and mutual investigations; believes that explicit mention of tax crimes as predicate offences to money laundering should be included in the review of the Third Anti-Money Laundering Directive; alerts the Commission to enhance its cooperation with other EU law enforcement bodies, in particular with authorities responsible for anti-money laundering, justice and social security;
Amendment 153 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses the importance of implementing new strategies and making better use of existing EU structures for improved combating of VAT fraud; urges, therefore, the Member States to swiftly adopt the Commission's proposal for a Quick Reaction Mechanism against VAT fraud;
Amendment 158 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Encourages the Member States to continue and upgrade, under Fiscalis programme, the simultaneous controls to find and fight cross-border tax fraud as well as facilitate presence of foreign officials in the offices of tax administrations and during administrative enquiries; highlights the importance of regular knowledge-exchange between tax administrations when dealing with aggressive tax planning schemes used by multinational companies;
Amendment 189 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Urges Member States to swiftly implement the Commission’s proposal for the introduction of a General Anti-Abuse Rule to counteract aggressive tax planning practices, and include a clause in their Double Taxation Conventions to prevent occurrences of double non-taxation; encourages Member States to ignore any tax benefits arising from artificial arrangements or those lacking commercial substance; suggests work to be started on the standard set of rules for EU Member States to prevent double taxation;
Amendment 192 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Encourages the Commission and Member States to establish efficient revenue-collecting mechanisms that minimise the distance between taxpayers and tax authorities and maximise the use of modern technology; calls on the Commission to tackle complexities of taxing electronic commerce by developing appropriate EU standards;
Amendment 198 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Encourages Member States to notify and make public tax rulings by national authorities for companies operating cross- border;
Amendment 213 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Proposes that a tax haven be defined as a jurisdiction which has not effectively implemented the international standards for transparency and exchange of information as established by the Global Forum, or which operates tax measures that breach the principles and criteria of the Code of Conduct; In this regard, a jurisdiction is considered to be tax haven if: (i) advantages are accorded only to non- residents or in respect of transactions carried out with non-residents, or (ii) advantages are ring-fenced from the domestic market, so they do not affect the national tax base, or (iii) advantages are granted even without any real economic activity and substantial economic presence within the jurisdiction offering such tax advantages, or (iv) the rules for profit determination in respect of activities within a multinational group of companies departs from internationally accepted principles, notably the rules agreed upon within the OECD, or (v) the tax measures lack transparency, including where legal provisions are relaxed at administrative level in a non- transparent way, or (vi) the jurisdiction imposes no or only nominal taxes, or (vii) there are laws or administrative practices that prevent the effective exchange of information for tax purposes with other governments on taxpayers benefiting from the no or nominal taxation, or (viii) the jurisdiction creates non- transparent and secretive structures that render the formation and working of company registries and registers of trusts and foundations to be incomplete and non-transparent.
Amendment 219 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Urges the Commission to compile and create a European blacklist of tax havens until 31st December 2014; calls on Member States to suspend or terminate existing Double Tax Conventions with jurisdictions that are on the blacklist, and to initiate Double Tax Conventions with jurisdictions that cease to be tax havens;
Amendment 223 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Calls on the Commission to compile a list of sanctions for jurisdictions listed on European blacklist for tax havens, among which should be prohibition of access to EU public procurement of goods and services by companies based in identified jurisdictions and refusal to grant state aid where such applications are made;
Amendment 225 #
2013/0000(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Encourages Member States to offer cooperation and assistance to developing third countries which are not tax havens, helping them to effectively tackle tax fraud and tax avoidance; in particular through capacity building measures; supports the Commission’s call that to this end the Member States should second tax experts to such countries for a limited period of time;
Amendment 36 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the effects of the crisis now will also have a significant impact on women in the longer term on account of their non- linear career path, made up of poorly paid temporary, or even informal, jobs, often with part-time working imposed, and which only entitle them in the end to a very small pension which may result in women finding themselves below the poverty line;
Amendment 42 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas female employment is affected by stereotypes and whereas the idea that male unemployment is more serious than female unemployment is deeply rooted as men are still considered as the main breadwinners and women as the main caretakers of the family;
Amendment 49 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the number of women taking informal and (whether voluntary or not) unpaid work with less social protection in order to escape the crisis is rising, and whereas according to an OECD study16 domestic work accounts for 33 % of the GNP of the OECD member countries;
Amendment 94 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on the Member States to introduce gender budgeting in order to analyse government programmes and policies, their effects on resource allocation and their contribution to equality between women and men;
Amendment 122 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls that in a great many Member States, it has become more difficult since the start of the crisis for young women (aged between 15 and 24) to find their first full-time job and that many of these young women are now prolonging their studies as a solution to this problem; observes that, despite this trend and the fact that better training gives women better protection on the whole, their status is not enhanced by their qualifications as much as would be the case for a man; calls on the Member States to focus on strategies that combine education and training policies with targeted employment policies for young women;
Amendment 128 #
2012/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Member States to promote women's economic empowerment focusing on female entrepreneurship, by encouraging and supporting women who set up companies, by facilitating women's access to finance, in particular via microcredits, and by promoting the development of female entrepreneurship and sponsorship networks;
Amendment 7 #
2012/2293(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph B a (new)
Paragraph B a (new)
B a. whereas women with low income often find themselves in severe housing problems and are therefore at greater risk of living in unsafe and unhealthy environments;
Amendment 9 #
2012/2293(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph C
Paragraph C
C. whereas the gender pay gap and, consequently, the gender pension gap are still one of the main reasons why women find themselves below the poverty line at a later stage in their lives;
Amendment 11 #
2012/2293(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the Commission's proposals for a regulation laying down common provisions (COM(2012)0496), a regulation on specific provisions concerning the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (COM(2011)0614) and a regulation on the European Social Fund (ESF) (COM(2011)0607 final/2), which make full provision for priority investment in energy-efficiency improvements, the promotion of renewable energy sources, integrated sustainable urban development measures and action to combat exclusion by providing marginalised communities, especially vulnerable groups of women such as migrants, women from minority groups, elderly, disabled persons and single mothers, with access to high-quality housing and social services at affordable prices;
Amendment 12 #
2012/2293(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph D
Paragraph D
D. whereas the financial and economic crisis has increased the unemployment rate among women and prevented greater progress in providing disadvantaged women with housing options; whereas low income and unemployment make it difficult for women to access bank loans and finance;
Amendment 23 #
2012/2293(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Encourages the Member States to cooperate with local and regional authorities, in accordance with the principle of multi-level governance, to establish priorities and methods of using – on a joint basis, wherever possible – the ERDF, the ESF, and, in the case of social housing in rural areas and small and medium-sized towns, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD); considers that greater integration of the Structural Funds could encourage the sustainable development of disadvantaged areas, thus avoiding the pernicious effects of segregation and promoting social homogeneity and, cohesion and gender equality; hopes that technical assistance programmes and specialised funds will be maintained and extended;
Amendment 34 #
2012/2293(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that investment in social housing plays a part in more far-reaching policies, including gender mainstreaming policies, and has a beneficial impact on the local economy in terms of job creation, social inclusion, support for local micro enterprises and SMEs, public health and environmental protection;
Amendment 49 #
2012/2293(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes with regret that victims of domestic violence are often more likely to stay in an abusive environment if they are financially unable to find suitable housing; calls, therefore, for the EU to promote gender sensitive policies and, programmes that increaseand funding that would increase the number of shelters and access to safe and affordable housing for domestic violence victims;
Amendment 56 #
2012/2293(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. notes that housing policies and programmes need to be developed in consultation with women with low incomes and from different social backgrounds in order to see which policies correspond better to women's needs.
Amendment 22 #
2012/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas ‘gendercide’ is a sex-neutral term referring to the systematic, deliberate and gender-selective mass killing of people (either male or female) belonging to a particular sex (or gender), reported to be a risingwhich is a rising but underreported problem in several countries, taking also the forms of infanticide and lethal violence against a particular gender at any stage of life; whereas gender roles may have lethal consequences analogous to those of racial, religious and class prejudice7 ;
Amendment 48 #
2012/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas a culture of persistent ‘son preference’ not only preserves stereotypes, democratic deficits and gender inequalities but also discriminates against women and thus presents obstacles for womenthem to fully enjoy equal treatment and equal opportunities in all areas of life;
Amendment 88 #
2012/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Supports relevant reforms, continued monitoring and effective implementation of gender equality and non-discrimination legislation, particularly in developing countries;
Amendment 101 #
2012/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls, therefore, on the Commission to promote an educational and social environment in which both sexes are respected and treated equally and in which both sexes receive recognition for their abilities and potential, without stereotypes and discrimination, reinforcing gender mainstreaming, equal opportunities and equal partnership;
Amendment 103 #
2012/2273(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission, and urges relevant international organisations, to support educational programmes that empower women, enabling them to develop self-esteem, acquire knowledge, make decisions and take responsibility for their own lives, health and employment which would allow them to live a financially independent life;
Amendment 5 #
2012/2259(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Maintains that investment in, and the exploitation of, renewable energy will promote economic development, new innovations, social convergence of the regions and sustainable growth in the EU's regions and, moreover, will create jobs;
Amendment 36 #
2012/2259(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. PUnderlines that the use of renewable energy technologies should be optimised based on availability of renewable resources in the region; points out that increased renewable energy production will pose challenges to the serviceability of the existing energy infrastructure as the sources are often remotely located and therefore require major development work on transmission and distribution lines; points to the importance of both public and private funding where energy infrastructure investment is concerned; believes that, for example, ELENA assistance should support large- scale renewable energy investment projects to more useful effect and that the Intelligent Energy – Europe programme could be used to foster acceptance of renewable energy;
Amendment 60 #
2012/2256(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas Europe's future economic prosperity depends crucially on its ability to fully utilise its labour resources, also by increasing the participation of women in the labour market;
Amendment 104 #
2012/2256(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q a (new)
Recital Q a (new)
Qa. whereas fiscal tightening should not jeopardise the progress achieved by policies promoting gender equality nor serve as a pretext for reducing efforts in this respect;
Amendment 213 #
2012/2256(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission and the Council to revise the recommended fiscal adjustment policies whenever economies move into recession, guaranteeing minimum levels of social welfare, safeguarding basic labour rights and avoiding a recessionary spiral; calls on the Commission and the Council to propose Union instruments for social protection and minimum social standards, focusing especially on women and disabled persons;
Amendment 220 #
2012/2256(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls also on the Commission to come forward with a holistic approach to tackling growth, which should include a genuine European industrial policy, a robust and adequately funded cohesion policy and the guarantee that Europe will use all its strength and influence in its external trade relations; calls on the Commission to exploit to the full the sources of growth stemming from trade with third countries and establish reciprocity as well as fair trade; calls on the Commission to include strong social clauses in trade agreements on the basis of International Labour Organisation labour standards;
Amendment 246 #
2012/2256(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls onWelcomes the Commission to present concrete proposals to improve's Action Plan to strengthen the fight against tax fraud and tax evasion, including in relation to third countries, as an essential tool for a; calls on the Member States to follow up on Commission's recommendations, take immediate and coordinated action against tax havens and aggressive tax planning and thus guarantee fairer distribution of the fiscal effort and for increasinged Member States' revenue;
Amendment 306 #
2012/2256(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex - Part 3 – paragraph 1
Annex - Part 3 – paragraph 1
Using consistently credible sources the resulting estimate of tax evasion and tax avoidance in the European Union reaches approximately €1 trillion a year. Thus, the current tax gap in the EU represents a scandalous loss of public revenue, a threat to proper functioning of the Single Market and a dent to the efficiency and fairness of tax systems within the EU. Tackling both tax avoidance and tax evasion is possible only if Member States are willing to consistently implement actions that build on introducing: country- by-country reporting, a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base, a thorough accounting reform, a change in corporate accounting disclosure for tax purposes, an elimination of aggressive tax planning practices, a closure of double taxation loopholes, more investment in tax audits staff and an upgrade and extension of the European Union Savings Tax Directive.
Amendment 308 #
2012/2256(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex - Part 3 – paragraph 2
Annex - Part 3 – paragraph 2
The Commission -presented an aAction plan onto strengthen the fight against tax fraud, and tax evasion andrepresents a belated but certainly welcomed step forward to tackle tax havensoidance on EU level; this new focus must now be unanimously embraced by Member States with a view to agree on an ambitious while realistic headline target: halving the tax gap by 2020. By moving towards this target, member states would gradually achieve new tax revenue without raising tax rates at the level of several hundred billion € a year.
Amendment 321 #
2012/2256(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Annex - Part 3 – paragraph 5
Annex - Part 3 – paragraph 5
It is of paramount importance that the Commission deals with non-EU countries on behalf of the EU as a whole without leaving the initiative to single countries engaging in bilateral agreements. Namely the EU must lead the discussion, in the G20 and then G8, on the fight against tax havens and through its measures persuade non-EU countries to apply EU governance standards in regards to fair taxation, assisting them to subscribe to EU principles of transparency, exchange of information and abolition of harmful tax measures.
Amendment 10 #
2012/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
(2a) Notes with concern that women remain under-represented in the labour market as well as in economic and political decision-making;
Amendment 12 #
2012/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
(2b) Notes that the introduction and the implementation of gender quota in political decision-making should be supplemented with effective legal sanctions;
Amendment 13 #
2012/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
(2c) Points out that supporting policies of equal opportunities is important for the economic and social development of the Balkan accession countries; calls on the governments to introduce measures in order to reduce the gender pay gap and, consequently, the gender pension gap;
Amendment 15 #
2012/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes with concern the lack of financial and human resources allocated to the functioning of governmental and independent institutions tasked with the initiation and implementation of gender equality measures, especially gender mainstreaming policies, in most countries; calls on authorities at all levels to accompany measures and action plans with adequate resources for their implementation;
Amendment 27 #
2012/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Invites the Government of Montenegro, and the Serbian, Macedonian and Albanian Governments, once they start accession negotiations, to agree on a framework agreement with their parliaments, political parties and civil society on the involvement of civil society organisations, inter alia in the area of women's rights and gender equality, in the accession negotiations and in drafting the action plans for reform resulting from these negotiations, and ensuring their access to relevant documents pertaining to the accession process;
Amendment 64 #
2012/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls onEncourages the Croatian Government to work on aligningcontinue the adjustment of its legislation with the EU's acquis communautaire in the last- remaining areas of gender equality, specifically in the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Suppression of Discrimination Act, before its accession to the European Unarea of gender equality after accession;
Amendment 66 #
2012/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Commends Croatia for the establishment of the office of a Gender Equality Ombudsperson and the awareness of women's rights and gender equality measures created by the visibility of this office; recommends all countries in the region to consider whether they can follow this example as good practice; calls onencourages the Croatian Government to ensure adequatcontinue funding for the Ombudspersons Office and to follow up on their recommendations made by them;
Amendment 68 #
2012/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls onEncourages the Croatian Government to establishcontinue a structural dialogue with civil society organisations, especially with a view to the situation after accession;
Amendment 81 #
2012/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
(20a) Notes with concern that Roma women suffer from double discrimination on the grounds of gender and ethnicity; calls therefore on the Macedonian government to adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination framework that would enable Roma women to secure their rights;
Amendment 31 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) European institutions, bodies and agencies should set the example as regards gender equality in decision- making by implementing and monitoring gender equality strategies such as quota systems.
Amendment 39 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The efficient use of human capital is the most important determinant of an economy's competitiveness, development and growth and is key to addressing the EU's demographic challenges, to competing successfully in a globalised economy and to ensuring a comparative advantage vis-à-vis third countries. The pool of highly trained and qualified women is constantly growing as evidenced by the fact that 60 per cent of university graduates are female. A continued failure to draw on this pool in appointments to economic decision-making positions would amount to a failure to fully exploit skilled human capital.
Amendment 45 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) At company level, it is widely acknowledged that the presence of women on boards improves corporate governance, because team performance and the quality of decision-making are enhanced due to a more diverse and collective mind-set incorporating a wider range of perspectives as well as a more proactive business model and therefore reaching more balanced decisions. Numerous studies have also shown that there is a positive relationship between gender diversity at top management level and a company's financial performance and profitability. Enhancing female representation on the boards of publicly listed companies in the Union can therefore have a positive impact on the performance of companies concerned.
Amendment 50 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Existing evidence also shows that labour market equality can improve economic growth substantially. Enhancing female presence in the boardrooms of listed companies in the Union not only affects the women appointed to boards, but also contributes to attracting female talent to the company and ensuring a greater presence of women at all levels of management and in the workforce. Therefore, a higher share of women on company boards has a positive impact on closing both the gender employment gap and the gender pay gap. Making full use of the existing female talent pool would constitute a marked improvement in terms of return on education for both individuals and the public sector. Female under- representation in the board rooms of publicly listed companies in the EU is a missed opportunity in terms of achieving long-term sustainable growth for Member States' economies at large. Member States should therefore introduce measures to encourage career progression of women at all levels through positive actions such as networking and mentoring programmes.
Amendment 57 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) European institutions, bodies and agencies should set the example as regards gender equality in decision- making by implementing and monitoring gender equality strategies such as quota systems.
Amendment 60 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The efficient use of human capital is the most important determinant of an economy's competitiveness, development and growth and is key to addressing the EU's demographic challenges, to competing successfully in a globalised economy and to ensuring a comparative advantage vis-à-vis third countries. The pool of highly trained and qualified women is constantly growing as evidenced by the fact that 60 per cent of university graduates are female. A continued failure to draw on this pool in appointments to economic decision-making positions would amount to a failure to fully exploit skilled human capital.
Amendment 64 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) At company level, it is widely acknowledged that the presence of women on boards improves corporate governance, because team performance and the quality of decision-making are enhanced due to a more diverse and collective mind-set incorporating a wider range of perspectives as well as a more proactive business model and therefore reaching more balanced decisions. Numerous studies have also shown that there is a positive relationship between gender diversity at top management level and a company's financial performance and profitability. Enhancing female representation on the boards of publicly listed companies in the Union can therefore have a positive impact on the performance of companies concerned.
Amendment 67 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Existing evidence also shows that labour market equality can improve economic growth substantially. Enhancing female presence in the boardrooms of listed companies in the Union not only affects the women appointed to boards, but also contributes to attracting female talent to the company and ensuring a greater presence of women at all levels of management and in the workforce. Therefore, a higher share of women on company boards has a positive impact on closing both the gender employment gap and the gender pay gap. Making full use of the existing female talent pool would constitute a marked improvement in terms of return on education for both individuals and the public sector. Female under- representation in the board rooms of publicly listed companies in the EU is a missed opportunity in terms of achieving long-term sustainable growth for Member States' economies at large. Member States should therefore introduce measures to encourage career progression of women at all levels through positive actions such as networking and mentoring programmes.
Amendment 68 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) While this Directive does not aim to harmonise national laws on the selection procedures and qualification criteria for board positions in detail, the introduction of certain minimum standards as regards the requirement for listed companies without balanced gender representation to take appointment decisions for non- executive directors on the basis of a transparent and clearly defined selection procedure and an objective comparative assessment of the qualifications of candidates in terms of suitability, competence and professional performance is necessary in order to attain gender balance among non-executives directors. Only an EU-level binding measure can effectively help to ensure a competitive level-playing field throughout the Union and avoid practical complications in business life.
Amendment 78 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) While this Directive does not aim to harmonise national laws on the selection procedures and qualification criteria for board positions in detail, the introduction of certain minimum standards as regards the requirement for listed companies without balanced gender representation to take appointment decisions for non- executive directors on the basis of a transparent and clearly defined selection procedure and an objective comparative assessment of the qualifications of candidates in terms of suitability, competence and professional performance is necessary in order to attain gender balance among non-executives directors. Only an EU-level binding measure can effectively help to ensure a competitive level-playing field throughout the Union and avoid practical complications in business life.
Amendment 116 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) The methods of recruiting and appointing directors differ from one Member State to another and from one company to another. They may involve the pre-selection of candidates to be presented to the shareholders' assembly, for example by a nomination committee, the direct appointment of directors by individual shareholders or a vote in the shareholders' assembly on individual candidates or lists of candidates. The requirements concerning the selection of candidates should be met at the appropriate stage of the selection process in accordance with national law and the articles of association of the listed companies concerned. In this respect, this Directive only establishes a minimum harmonisation of selection procedures, which should be based on transparency and merit, therefore making it possible to apply the conditions provided for by the case-law of the Court of Justice with a view to attaining the objective of a more balanced gender representation in the boards of listed companies.
Amendment 121 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) The methods of recruiting and appointing directors differ from one Member State to another and from one company to another. They may involve the pre-selection of candidates to be presented to the shareholders' assembly, for example by a nomination committee, the direct appointment of directors by individual shareholders or a vote in the shareholders' assembly on individual candidates or lists of candidates. The requirements concerning the selection of candidates should be met at the appropriate stage of the selection process in accordance with national law and the articles of association of the listed companies concerned. In this respect, this Directive only establishes a minimum harmonisation of selection procedures, which should be based on transparency and merit, therefore making it possible to apply the conditions provided for by the case-law of the Court of Justice with a view to attaining the objective of a more balanced gender representation in the boards of listed companies.
Amendment 132 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 30
Recital 30
(30) Member States should provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions for breaches of this Directive, which cshould include, inter alia, administrative fines and nullity or annulment declared by a judicial body of the appointment or of the election of non- executive directors made contrary to the national provisions adopted pursuant to Article 4(1).
Amendment 134 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 30
Recital 30
(30) Member States should provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions for breaches of this Directive, which cshould include, inter alia, administrative fines and nullity or annulment declared by a judicial body of the appointment or of the election of non- executive directors made contrary to the national provisions adopted pursuant to Article 4(1).
Amendment 137 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 31
Recital 31
Amendment 139 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 31
Recital 31
Amendment 181 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. The number of non-executive director positions necessary to meet the objective laid down in paragraph 1 shall be the number closest to the proportion ofat least 40 per cent, but not exceeding 4950 per cent.
Amendment 197 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 6
Article 4 – paragraph 6
Amendment 209 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. The number of non-executive director positions necessary to meet the objective laid down in paragraph 1 shall be the number closest to the proportion ofat least 40 per cent, but not exceeding 4950 per cent.
Amendment 228 #
2012/0299(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 6
Article 4 – paragraph 6
Amendment 93 #
2012/0295(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (hereinafter the ‘Fund’) should strengthen social cohesion by contributing to the reduction of poverty in the Union by supporting national schemes that provide non-financial assistance to the most deprived persons to alleviate food deprivation, homelessness, social exclusion and material deprivation of children and households with children.
Amendment 118 #
2012/0295(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In order to improve the quality and design of each operational programme and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the Fund, ex ante and ex post evaluations should be conducted. Those evaluations should be supplemented by anonymous surveys on the most deprived persons who have benefited from the operational programme and, if necessary, by evaluations during the programming period. In light of the possible social stigma of poverty, personal data protection rules of the most deprived persons should be complied with when carrying out evaluations. The responsibilities of Member States and the Commission in this respect should be specified.
Amendment 129 #
2012/0295(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) It is necessary to specify the types of actions that can be undertaken at the initiative of the Commission and of the Member States as technical assistance supported by the Fund. This should be decided in close cooperation with the managing authorities and partner organisations.
Amendment 157 #
2012/0295(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 7
(7) ‘end recipient’ means the most deprived persons receiving the food and/or goods and/or benefiting from the accompanying measures;
Amendment 179 #
2012/0295(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Each Member State shall submit to the Commission one operational programme, prepared in close cooperation with the competent regional, local and other public authorities, as well as bodies representing civil society, including antipoverty organisations and organisations involved in the distribution of material aid to the most deprived persons, covering the period between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2020 within three months of the entry into force of this Regulation, containing the following items:
Amendment 240 #
2012/0295(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2
Article 15 – paragraph 2
2. The managing authority shall carry out a structured anonymous survey on end recipients in 2017 and 2021, in accordance with the template provided by the Commission. The Commission shall adopt the template by means of an implementing act. This implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 60(2).
Amendment 11 #
2012/0205(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) Tax fraud in the field of value added tax (VAT) leads toresults in considerable budget losslosses to public finances and affects the conditions of competition, collection of Union's own resources and thus the operation of the internal market. Specific sudden and massive forms of tax fraud have recently developed especially via the use of electronic means which facilitate rapid illegitimate trade on a large scale. and often extend beyond single Member State borders.
Amendment 14 #
2012/0205(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The designation of the recipient as person liable for the payment of the VAT (reverse charge) is an effective measure to stop at once the most well-known types of tax evasion in certain sectors. However, as the situation may evolve over time, it may also be necessary to allow for other measures. To that end, the Council should, where appropriate, upon proposal of the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, determine any other measure as falling within the scope of the Quick Reaction Mechanism. The type of measures that could be authorised should be establishedidentified quickly and transparently in order to minimise the time necessary for the authorisation of the derogations by the Commission.
Amendment 9 #
2012/0102(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) Council Directive 2006/112/EC of 28 November 2006 on the common system of value added tax lays down rules on the time and place of supply of goods and services, the taxable amount, the chargeability of value added tax (VAT) and the entitlement to deduction. Those rules are, however, not sufficiently clear or comprehensive to ensure consistency in the tax treatment of transactions involving vouchers to an extent which has undesirable consequences for the proper functioning of the internal market. In order to eradicate opportunities for tax evasion and tax fraud, to increase VAT collection from vouchers and hence increase public revenue, it is necessary to reinforce the scope, neutrality and transparency with regards to tax treatment of transactions involving vouchers.
Amendment 10 #
2012/0102(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) To ensure certain and uniform treatment and to avoid inconsistencies, distortion of competition, double or non- taxation, ambiguity with regard to tax liability and to reduce the risk of tax avoidance and tax evasion, there is a need for specific rules applying to the VAT treatment of vouchers.
Amendment 12 #
2012/0102(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The VAT treatment of the transactions associated with vouchers is dependent upon the specific characteristics of the voucher. It is therefore necessary to distinguish between various types of vouchers and the distinct definitions need to be set outclarified in Union legislation.
Amendment 18 #
2012/0102(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Directive 2006/112/EC
Chapter 5 – Article 30a – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Chapter 5 – Article 30a – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
“Voucher” shall mean any instrument carrying a right to receive a supply of goods or services, or to receive a price discount or rebate with regard to a supply of goods or services and where there is a corresponding obligation to fulfil this right.