Activities of László SURJÁN related to 2008/2025(BUD)
Plenary speeches (1)
2009 budget: First reflections on the 2009 PDB and mandate for the conciliation (debate)
Amendments (21)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – indent 2
Paragraph 4 – indent 2
– Continuing cohesion policy in order to reduce inequalities between the Union's regions, which is not just solidarity since it results in a more competitive Europe in a globalised world;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls the European Parliament's priorities as expressed in its abovementioned resolution of 24 April 2008 on the Commission’s Annual Policy Strategy for 2009;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Points out that, as a result of the very small margins under the other ceilings of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2007 - 2013, in particular in headings 1a, 3b and 4, the Union's capacity to react to policy changes in budgetary terms is extremely limited; underlines, at the same time, the possibility for recourse to the provisions of the IIA to overcome financial shortfalls;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Considers it its responsibility as budgetary authority to ensure that the funding allocated to the EU budget is spent with a view to optimising the limited resources; intends to strive for a more ambitious, balanced and coherent budget in cooperation with, and in line withtaking into account the requests of, the specialised committees;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Cannot always see a clear correlation between the Commission's political priorities, as described in its Annual Policy Strategy (APS) and the PDB, and increases in the corresponding budget lines and policy areas; is still not satisfied with the attempts of the Commission to include Parliament's priorities in the PDB; is not convinced, for example, that the climate change priority really is reflected throughout the budget as proposed by the Commission;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Expresses its strong concern that a time has come in which the margins that are available are more and more frequently due to "creative budgeting" such as backloading existing multiannual programmes, excluding budgetary requirements that are already well known and foreseeable and other similar manoeuvres; considers such practices to be in breach of the principle of sound budgeting and requests once more a PDB that is an honest reflection of the budgetary needs to come in the following year; invites the Commission and the Council to cooperate with a view to taking the necessary decisions to reach a satisfactory level of appropriations for the 2009 budget;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Requests the Commission to continue its screening exercise started in 2007 and to set out clearly further information regarding human resources policy, andpplication of redeployment strategy for 2009and the degree of externalisation of tasks for 2009; asks for a follow-up report by 30 April 2009 including the conclusions the Commission will draw with regard to their internal organisation; takes note of the Commission's 2008 follow-up report on "Planning and optimising Commission human resources to serve EU priorities" whereby the Commission confirms its commitment not to request any new posts up to 2013, beyond the last tranche of enlargement-related posts in 2009;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Is worried about the increasing number of external investigations of OLAF opened in the external aid sector; invites, therefore, the Commission to adopt the necessary measures to ensure proper protection of EU funds; asks the Member States to improve the quality of their cooperation with the Commission in the fight against EU fraud, including the assistance given to OLAF when conducting investigations on their territories; calls for the strengthening of the information exchange, from the Member States to the Commission, on irregularities and frauds, notably in the field of structural funds; asks the Member States to ensure a proper follow-up of the anti-fraud investigations, including the recovery procedure; invites the Commission to focus efforts also on the prevention aspects of the anti-fraud and anti-corruption policies;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Welcomes the Commission's intention to undertake key actions in the field of job creation and support for innovation, SMEs and research;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Considers the planned Small Business Act an important strategy to support Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises; notes that also a financial framework and legislative acts are required to support SMEs in the most appropriate way; urges the Commission and the Member States to make enhanced use for this purpose also of the resources available through the Structural Funds in this context;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Recognises the need for coordination of the different communication policies implemented by the institutions within the Interinstitutional group on information and communication; recalls that communication has long been an important priority for Parliament; considers that Parliament's key role in this process is vital and guarantees continuity and efficiency of the policy, in particular in view of the coming European elections; points out in this context that information provided to citizens concerning their rights stemming from the application of EU law should be enhanced;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Notes, therefore, with concern that the Commission has already stated, at this early stage of the budgetary procedure, that appropriations for Kosovo, the Middle East, Food aid and Macro-financial assistance will clearly not be sufficient to fulfil existing EU commitments in the world, let alone expected supplementary needs: the PDB proposes, for example, EUR 161 million in commitments and EUR 100 million in payments for assistance to Palestine and the Peace process, although final amounts for the 2008 Budget were EUR 300 million and EUR 200 million, respectively; regarding Kosovo, appropriations for the EULEX mission drop by 15,7% under the CFSP; believes that, with regard to the decision to vastly increase the original number of experts working in the EUPOL mission to Afghanistan, financial shortfalls can already be foreseen at this stage;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Points outRegrets that, as a general principle, the Commission's PDB does not include any commitments for pilot projects and preparatory actions, so that these will need to be financed from the margins of the relevant MFF headings; expresses its astonishment that there are a few exceptions to this general rule insofar as a small number of pilot projects and preparatory actions, in which the Commission seems to be interested, are already budgeted in the PDB with commitment appropriations;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 63
Paragraph 63
63. States its willingness to submit to the Commission before the parliamentary summer recess a first indicativeprovisional list of its intentions as regards pilot projects and preparatory actions for the 2009 budget procedure, in accordance with Annex II, Part D, of the IIA, in order to facilitate the establishment of a balanced and coherent final package; points out that this list does not preclude the presentation of any other proposals or amendments ofn pilot projects and preparatory actions by individual MEPs, specialised committees and political groups in its First Reading in the autumn; insists that, for this exercise, all headings and sub-headings of the budget must have sufficient margins available;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
Paragraph 68
68. Deplores the fact that the Commission has still not presented to the budgetary authority the details of how it proposes to finance the two new agencies currently under discussion, one of which is already included in the PDB for 2009 with a pm entry; has come to the conclusion that, in the situation of current margins, for the financing of new bodies, which fulfil in part administrative tasks, all possibilities granted by the IIA of 17 May 2006 should be explored; recalls that prior agreement of the budgetary authority on the financing of any new agency is required in line with point 47 of the IIA;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73 – indent 3 a (new)
Paragraph 73 – indent 3 a (new)
– commitment by the Commission to submit, where the EU Solidarity Fund and the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund are concerned, amending budgets that have the mobilisation of these funds as their sole purpose in order to avoid any delay in the delivery of financial aid;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73 – indent 3 b (new)
Paragraph 73 – indent 3 b (new)
– adequate response to food aid requirements;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73 – indent 3 c (new)
Paragraph 73 – indent 3 c (new)
- state of play regarding the implementation of Point 44 of the IIA;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73 – indent 4
Paragraph 73 – indent 4
– firstprovisional intentions of the budgetary authority with regard to pilot projects and preparatory actions;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73 – indent 5
Paragraph 73 – indent 5
– clarity of budget presentation, especially concerning administrative expenditure and human resources and outsourcing of tasks;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73 – indent 6
Paragraph 73 – indent 6
– adequate budgetary provision to allow for a linkage ofenable a response to the EU priorities "competitiveness for growth and employment" and ,"combating climate change and promoting a sustainable Europe" and "making a reality of the Common Immigration Policy";