31 Amendments of Sophia IN 'T VELD related to 2020/0006(COD)
Amendment 33 #
Proposal for a regulation
Citation 1
Citation 1
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the third paragraph of Article 175, 192 (1), 194 (1) and 194 (2) thereof,
Amendment 39 #
Proposal for a regulation
Citation 1
Citation 1
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the third paragraph of Article 175, 192 (1), 194 (1) and 194 (2) thereof,
Amendment 63 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The transition, to a climate-neutral and non-toxic circular economy constitutes one of the most important policy objectives for the Union. On 12 December 2019, the European Council endorsed the objective of achieving a climate-neutral Union by 2050, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. While fighting climate change and environmental degradation will benefit all in the long term and provides opportunities and challenges for all in the medium term, not all regions and Member States start their transition from the same point or have the same capacity to respond. Some are more advanced than others, whereas the transition entails a wider social and economic impact for those regions that rely heavily on fossil fuels - especially coal, lignite, peat and oil shale - or greenhouse gas intensive industries. Such a situation not only creates the risk of a variable speed transition in the Union as regards climate action, but also of growing disparities between regions, detrimental to the objectives of social, economic and territorial cohesion.
Amendment 66 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In order to be successful, the transition has to be fair and socially acceptable for all. Therefore, both the Union and the Member States must take into account its economic, environmental and social implications from the outset, and deploy all possible instruments to mitigate adverse consequences. TheWhat is more, they should ensure that investments are channelled towards economic activities that make the greatest positive environmental impact and provide local economies with a viable long-term vision and future-proof employment prospects. The conditionalities of Union budget hasve an important role in that regard.
Amendment 84 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) As set out in the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan, a Just Transition Mechanism should complement the other actions under the next multi-annual financial framework for the period from 2021 to 2027. It should contribute to addressing the social and economic consequences of transitioning towards Union climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest bringing together the Union budget’s spending on climate and social objectives at regional level.
Amendment 94 #
(5) This Regulation establishes the Just Transition Fund (‘JTF’) which is one of the pillars of the Just Transition Mechanism implemented under cohesion policy. The aim of the JTF is to mitigate the adverse effects of the climate transition by supporting the most affected territories and workers concerned and to help achieve fair transition towards climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest. In line with the JTF specific objective, actions supported by the JTF should directly contribute to alleviate the impact of the transition by financing the diversification and modernisation of the local economy and by mitigating the negative repercussions on employment. This is reflected in the JTF specific objective, which is established at the same level and listed together with the policy objectives set out in Article [4] of Regulation EU [new CPR].
Amendment 136 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Transitioning to a climate-neutral economy is a challenge for all Member States. It will be particularly demanding for those Member States that rely heavily on fossil fuels or, greenhouse gas intensive industrial activities or manufacturing of products incompatible with the climate neutrality objective which need to be phased out or which need to adapt due to the transition towards climate neutrality and that lack the financial means to do so. The JTF should therefore cover all Member States, but the distribution of its financial means should reflect the capacity of Member States to finance the necessary investments to cope with the transition towards climate neutralityachieve climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest.
Amendment 161 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) This Regulation identifies types of investments for which expenditure may be supported by the JTF. All supported activities should be pursued in full respect ofInvestments shall only be eligible if they are in line with the climate and environmental prioriobjectives of the Union and with the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance. The list of investments should includprioritise those that support people, local economies, job creation and are sustainable in the long- term, taking into account all the objectives of the Green Deal. The projects financed should contribute to a transition to a climate-neutral and non-toxic circular economy and be in line with the do no harm principle of the Green Deal. For declining sectors, such as energy production based on coal, lignite, peat and oil shale or extraction activities for these solid fossil fuels, support should be linked to the phasing out of the activity and the corresponding reduction in the employment level. As regards transforming sectors with high greenhouse gas emission levels, support should promote new activities through the deployment of new technologies, new processes or products, leading to significant emission reduction, in line with the EU 2030 climate objectives and EU climate neutrality by 205013 at the latest while maintaining and enhancing employment and avoiding environmental degradation. Particular attention should also be given to activities enhancing innovation and research in advanced and sustainable technologies, as well as in the fields of digitalisation and connectivity, provided that such measures help mitigate the negative side effects of a transition towards, and contribute to, a climate- neutral and non-toxic circular economy. _________________ 13 As set out in “A Clean Planet for all European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy”, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank - COM(2018) 773 final.
Amendment 173 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10 a (new)
Recital 10 a (new)
(10a) The Just transition fund should support activities and deployment of technologies, which are viable in a long term and will not depend on subsidies to operate after initial scaling up. Supported activities should not hamper the development and deployment of low- carbon alternatives and lead to a lock-in in assets harmful to the climate neutrality and environmental objectives, considering their lifetime;
Amendment 191 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In order to enhance the economic diversification of territories impacted by the transition, the JTF should provide support to productive investment in SMEs. Productive investment should be understood as investment in fixed capital or immaterial assets of enterprises in view of producing goods and services thereby contributing to gross-capital formation and employment. For enterprises other than SMEs, productive investments should only be supported if they are necessary for mitigating job losses resulting from the transition, by creating or protecting a significant number of jobs and they do not lead to or result from relocation. Investments in existing industrial facilities, including those covered by the Union Emissions Trading System, should be allowed if they contribute to the transition to a climate-neutral economy by 2050 and go substantially below the relevant benchmarks established for free allocation under Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council14 and if they result in the protection of a significant number of jobs. Any such investment should be justified accordingly in the relevant territorial just transition plan. In order to protect the integrity of the internal market and cohesion policy, support to undertakings should comply with Union State aid rules as set out in Articles 107 and 108 TFEU and, in particular, support to productive investments by enterprises other than SMEs should be limited to enterprises located in areas designated as assisted areas for the purposes of points (a) and (c) of Article 107(3) TFEU. All investments shall be without prejudice to the energy efficiency first and polluters pay principles. _________________ 14Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32).
Amendment 212 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The JTF support should be conditional on the effective implementation of a transition process in a specific territory in order to achieve a climate-neutral economy. In that regard, Member States shouldwill prepare, in close cooperation with theall relevant stakeholders and supported by the Commission, territorial just transition plans, detailing the transition process, consistently with their National Energy and Climate Plans. To this end, the Commission should set up a Just Transition Platform, which would build on the existing platform for coal regions in transition to enable bilateral and multilateral exchanges of experience on lessons learnt and best practices across all affected sectors.
Amendment 220 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The territorial just transition plans should identify the territories most negatively affected, where JTF support should be concentrated and describe specific actions to be undertaken to reach a climate-neutral economy, enhance employment and prevent environmental degradation, notably as regards the conversion or closure of facilities involving fossil fuel production or other greenhouse gas intensive activities. Those territories should be precisely defined and correspond to NUTS level 3 regions or should be parts thereofan be part of or correspond to larger units such as NUTS level 3 regions. The plans should detail the challenges and needs of those territories and identify the type of operations needed in a manner that ensures the coherent development of climate- resilient economic activities that are also consistent with the transition to climate- neutrality and the objectives of the Green Deal. Only investments in accordance with the transition plans and in line with the climate and environmental objectives of the EU should receive financial support from the JTF. The territorial just transition plans should be part of the programmes (supported by the ERDF, the ESF+, the Cohesion Fund or the JTF, as the case may be) which are approved by the Commission.
Amendment 228 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) In order to enhance the result orientationsure intended results of the use of JTF resources, the Commission, in line with the principle of proportionality, should be able to apply financial corrections in case of serious underachievement of targets established for the JTF specific objective.
Amendment 304 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Investments under JTF shall only be eligible if they are in line with the climate and environmental objectives of the Union, the do no harm principle and with the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance. Activities which would hamper the development and deployment of low- carbon alternatives and lead to a lock-in in assets that are incompatible or undermine long-term environmental and climate goals, considering their lifetime, shall not be eligible under JTF.
Amendment 331 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
(b) investments in the creation of new firms, including through business incubators and consulting services;
Amendment 340 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
(c) investments in research and innovation activities and fostering the transfer of advanced technologies that do not rely on fossil fuels;
Amendment 359 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d
(d) investments in the deployment of technology and infrastructures for affordable c, renewable and sustainable energy, in greenhouse gas emission reduction, energy efficiency and renewable energy;
Amendment 400 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f a (new)
(fa) investments in nature-based climate mitigation and adaptation projects;
Amendment 409 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g
(g) investments in enhancing the circular economy, including through waste prevention, reduction, resource efficiency, reuse, repair and recycling;
Amendment 485 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) investment related to the production, processing, transport, distribution, storage or combustion of fossil fuels;
Amendment 490 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) investments which would prolong or maintain dependency on fossil fuels;
Amendment 496 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
(ea) investments which would lead to unsustainable use of biomass or any use of food crops for energy generation purposes;
Amendment 507 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 a (new)
activities or investments which would hamper the development and deployment of low-carbon alternatives and lead to a lock-in in assets harmful to the climate and environmental objectives, considering their lifetime;
Amendment 508 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 b (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 b (new)
activities or investments which are not in line with the climate and environmental objectives of the Union, the do no harm principle and with the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance;
Amendment 509 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 c (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 c (new)
activities or investments which are at increased risk of long-term unviability and dependency on subsidies to operate after initial scaling up;
Amendment 519 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The Commission shall only approve a programme where the identification of the territories most negatively affected by the transition process, contained within the relevant territorial just transition plan, is duly justified and the relevant territorial just transition plan is consistent with the National Energy and Climate Plan of the Member State concerned and with the EU Climate Law [2020/...].
Amendment 539 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall prepare, together with the relevant authorities of the territories concerned, one or more territorial just transition plans covering one or more affected territories corresponding to, which can be part of or correspond to larger levels such as level 3 of the common classification of territorial units for statistics (‘NUTS level 3 regions’) as established by Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 868/201417 or parts thereof, in accordance with the template set out in Annex II. Those territories shall be those most negatively affected based on the economic and social impacts resulting from the transition, in particular with regard to expected job losses in fossil fuel production and use and the transformation needs of the production processes of industrial facilities with the highest greenhouse gas intensity or incompatibility of production with the climate neutrality objective. _________________ 17Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) (OJ L 154 21.6.2003, p. 1).
Amendment 552 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) a detailed description of the transition process at national level towards a climate- neutral economy by 2050 and intermediate target of 2030, including a timeline for key transition steps which are consistent with the latest version of the National Energy and Climate Plan (‘NECP’) and with the EU Climate Law [2020/...];
Amendment 600 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3
Article 7 – paragraph 3
3. The preparation and implementation of territorial just transition plans shall involve theall relevant partners in accordance with Article [6] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR].
Amendment 623 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 4
Article 10 – paragraph 4
4. Before adopting a delegated act, the Commission shall consult experts designated by each Member State and conduct stakeholder consultation in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making.
Amendment 673 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – point 3 – point 3.1 a (new)
Annex II – point 3 – point 3.1 a (new)
3.1a. description of how community representatives and civil society actors are consulted and engaged in the programming process, both before and after programming documents are developed.