48 Amendments of Patrizia TOIA related to 2020/0006(COD)
Amendment 56 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy constitutes one of the most important policy objectives for the Union and requires substantial additional allocation from the Union Budget. 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. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 has had a profound impact on the European and global economies and it is necessary to increase the investments planned to achieve the climate neutrality objectives. While fighting climate change and environmental degradation will benefit all in the long term and provides opportunities and challenges for all in the medium to long 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. Such misbalance should be reflected in fair allocation of resources to affected Member states and regions requiring adequate financial support to ensure real just transition and avoid negative socio-economic impacts on industries and workers. JTF should address the most vulnerable regions and workers affected by the socio-economic transition and prevent deepening of energy poverty.
Amendment 69 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In order to be successful, the transition has to be fair and socially acceptaresponsible for all. A just climate and energy transition must not leave anyone behind and should create conditions to eradicate energy poverty. Therefore, both the Union and the Member States must take into account its economic and social implications from the outset, and deploy all possible instruments to mitigate adverse consequences. Transition will require significant financial resources, therefore the Union budget has an important role in that regard.
Amendment 75 #
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 by bringing together the Union budget’s spending on climate, economic and social objectives at both national and regional level.
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 a (new)
Recital 4 a (new)
(4a) The green recovery should play an important role in mitigating the negative impacts of the COVID-19 crisis by creating opportunities for affected regions, industries, SMEs, and can therefore play a crucial role as post-crisis recovery plans.
Amendment 79 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 b (new)
Recital 4 b (new)
(4b) Just Transition Fund should tackle energy poverty as an issue of social justice, and should compensate incomes of most vulnerable groups in countries that do not have adequate financial reserves. In defining these measures, an active participations of trade unions, civil society organizations and relevant stakeholders complementing national and regional governments is essential.
Amendment 85 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(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 worker, workers affected directly or indirectly and their families concerned. 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, while creating conditions to eradicate energy poverty. 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 90 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) A just transition fund cannot aggravate existing inequalities among Member States nor weaken the single market.
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7 a (new)
Recital 7 a (new)
(7a) The establishment of the JTF should not lead to cuts to, or transfers from cohesion policy effectively reducing the fund devoted to other cohesion policy program.
Amendment 112 #
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 or have relied until recently heavily on fossil fuels or greenhouse gas intensive industrial activities 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 tIt will also be demanding for those Member States that will have to upgrade their infrastructure and whose workers will have to adapt to the transition. The distribution of itsthe JTF financial means should reflect the capacity of Member States to finance the necessary investments to cope with the transition towards climate neutrality by 2050 and the ambition in their energy and climate objectives.
Amendment 120 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8a) With the aim for a fair and sustainable transition that ensures the achievement and effectiveness of the objectives set by this regulation, the allocation of the resources should also take into account the results achieved by Member States with regard to the 2020 targets for GHG emissions reductions, renewable energy and energy efficiency. In this way, the JTF should not penalize Member States that have already invested and are in line with reaching the established objectives.
Amendment 136 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10 a (new)
Recital 10 a (new)
(10a) The JTF should also support industrial activities which, although they do not generate significant greenhouse gas emissions, involve manufacturing of industrial products which are ultimately incompatible with the transition and the target of climate neutrality in 2050. In that connection, the European thermic vehicle-manufacturing sector is one of the most severely disrupted, and will be disrupted even more, at a time when it is operating in a context of ever stiffer international competition and more stringent environmental requirements – it accounts for almost 20% of the Union’s CO2 emissions. Carbon neutrality cannot therefore be achieved without specific support for this sector, which accounts for 8.5% of industrial jobs in the EU, 7.5% of EU GDP and some 3.5 million direct and indirect jobs. In particular, as vehicle manufacturers, their suppliers and the maintenance and repair sectors are the most exposed, the JTF should support these sectors and assist workers and jobseekers in their conversion to more modern skills, particularly in the context of alternative industries manufacturing zero- and/or low-emission vehicles.
Amendment 139 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) To protect citizens who are most vulnerable to the climate transition, the JTF should also cover the up-skilling and reskilling of the affected workers, with the aim of helping them to provide necessary qualifications and adapt to new employment opportunities, as well as providingor adequately support them with providing alternatives such as job- search assistance to jobseekers and their active inclusion into the labour marke, income support to ensure subsequent inclusion and re-inclusion to the labour market avoiding both short and long-term unemployment directly linked to the transition. These actions should also take the gender dimension in due account.
Amendment 151 #
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. Investments in industrial facilities covered by the Union Emission Trading System shall not be targeted in such a way to contribute to increase the profits already generated through the trading of emission allowances. 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. __________________ 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 165 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) In order to provide flexibility for the programming of the JTF resources under the Investment for jobs and growth goal, it should be possible to prepare a self- standing JTF programme or to programme JTF resources in one or more dedicated priorities within a programme supported by the European Regional Development Fund (‘ERDF’), the European Social Fund Plus (‘ESF+’) or the Cohesion Fund with additional resources. In accordance with Article 21a of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], JTF resources should be reinforced with complementary funding from the ERDF and the ESF+, which should be given additional resources for this purpose. The respective amounts transferred from the ERDF and the ESF+ should be on voluntary basis and consistent with the type of operations set out in the territorial just transition plans.
Amendment 168 #
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 National climate-neutral economy. In that regard, Member States supported by the Commission should prepare, in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders and supported by the Commissionregional governments, trade unions, civil society organizations and relevant stakeholders, territorial just transition plans, detailing the transition process, consistently with their National Energy and Climate Plans and enhancing their climate ambition as well as the European Semester Country Report. 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 including energy-intensive industries and carbon-dependent regions.
Amendment 180 #
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, notably as regards the conversion or closure of facilities involving fossil fuel production or other greenhouse gas intensive activities whilst maintaining and expanding employment opportunities in the affected territories in order to avoid social exclusion. Those territories should be precisely defined and correspond to NUTS level 3 regions or should be parts thereof. 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 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 184 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15 a (new)
Recital 15 a (new)
(15a) The JTF should ensure the active participation of relevant public authorities, economic and social partners, including trade unions and other relevant civil society stakeholders in the preparation and implementation of the territorial just transition plans;
Amendment 215 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article [4(1)] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], the JTF shall contribute to the single specific objective ‘enabling regions and people to address the social, economic and environmental impacts of the transition towards a climate- neutral economy’ by 2050.
Amendment 218 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. The JTF shall support the Investment for jobs and growth goal in all Member States and regions facing subsequent decarbonisation challenge and requiring adequate financial support to ensure real just transition and avoiding negative socio-economic impacts on industries, SMEs, including start-ups, as well as workers who lose their jobs as consequence of the transition.
Amendment 244 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
In accordance with paragraph 1, the JTF shall exclusively support the following activities:
Amendment 247 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) productive investments in SMEs, including start-ups, leading to creation of sustainable and quality new jobs related to green economy, economic diversification and reconversion;
Amendment 248 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a
(a) productive investments in SMEs, including start-ups, energy community entities and workers buyout cooperatives, leading to economic diversification and reconversion;
Amendment 254 #
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, and in the expansions of existing ones, with a particular emphasis on SMEs and start-ups in order to contribute to economic diversification and reconversion, including through business incubators and consulting services;
Amendment 261 #
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, including energy research, and fostering the transfer of advanced technologies;
Amendment 265 #
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 clean energy, in greenhouse gas emission reduction including investments in sustainable mobility and decarbonisation of the transport sector, energy efficiency and/or renewable energy; emphasising investment in renewables, smart electricity solutions, together with related infrastructure and in circular economy and environmental remediation.
Amendment 271 #
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 clean renewable energy, in greenhouse gas emission reduction, energy efficiency and renewable energincluding technologies that enable the integration of renewable energy, such as storage and green hydrogen and energy efficiency;
Amendment 272 #
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 clean energy, in greenhouse gas emission reduction, storage, energy efficiency and renewable energy, including alternative fuels infrastructure;
Amendment 286 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) investments aimed at promoting modal shift in urban areas towards more sustainable mobility modes;
Amendment 304 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e
(e) investments in digitalisation and digital connectivity, including equipment and appliance load controls, metering and communications technology that allow the development of demand response;
Amendment 305 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e a (new)
(ea) investments in activities related to medical products, equipment and devices;
Amendment 312 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
(f) investments in regeneration and decontamination of sites, land restoration and repurposing projects, while ensuring the appropriate application of the polluter pays principle;
Amendment 313 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
(f) investments in regeneration and decontamination of sites, land restoration and repurposing projects, while ensuring respect for the “polluter pays” principle;
Amendment 315 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
(f) investments in green infrastructure, regeneration and decontamination of sites, land restoration and repurposing projects;
Amendment 323 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point g a (new)
(ga) investments in projects for fighting energy poverty and enhancing energy efficiency on most affected regions;
Amendment 333 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point h a (new)
(ha) developing social infrastructure needed to support the access to labour market, social inclusion and active health ageing;
Amendment 336 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point i
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point i
(i) job-search assistance and skilling to jobseekers;
Amendment 340 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point j
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point j
(j) active inclusion of jobseekers and early retirement support;;
Amendment 382 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
The JTF resources shall be programmed for the categories of regions where the territories concerned are located, on the basis of the territorial just transition plans established in accordance with Article 7 and approved by the Commission as part of a programme or a programme amendment. The resources programmed shall take the form of one or more specific programmes or of one or more priorities within a programme. 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 and the Long Term Strategy as well as the European Semester Country Report of the Member State concerned.
Amendment 383 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
The JTF resources shall be programmed for the categories of regions where the territories concerned are located, on the basis of the territorial just transition plans established in accordance with Article 7 and approved by the Commission as part of a programme or a programme amendment. The resources programmed shall take the form of one or more specific programmes or of one or more priorities within a programme. Resources shall be allocated for sector most affected by the transition to climate neutrality.
Amendment 390 #
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.
Amendment 397 #
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 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 directly and indirectly affected based on the economic and social impacts resulting from the transition, in the short and long term, 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 and conversion to alternative industries in sectors whose finished industrial products are ultimately incompatible with the target of carbon neutrality. __________________ 17 Regulation (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 398 #
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 on both national and regional level, one or more territorial just transition plans covering one or more affected territories corresponding to 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. Relevant authorities and stakeholders should be actively involved in all phases of the process: preparatory, selection and implementation. __________________ 17 Regulation (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 412 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) a description of the transition process at national level towards a climate- neutral economy by 2050, including a timeline for key transition steps which are consistent with the latest version of the National Energy and Climate Plan (‘NECP’) and the Long Term Strategy;
Amendment 418 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) an assessment of the transition challenges faced by the most negatively affected territories, including the social, economic, and environmental impact of the transition to a climate-neutral economy, identifying the potential number of affected jobs and job losses, number of enterprises disrupted and expected revenue losses, the development needs and objectives, to be reached by 2030 linked to the transformation or closure of greenhouse gas-intensive activities or activities whose finished industrial products are ultimately incompatible with the target of carbon neutrality in those territories;
Amendment 432 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) a description of the governance mechanisms consisting of the partnership arrangements, the monitoring and evaluation measures planned and the responsible bodies both on national and regional level;
Amendment 436 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point h
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point h
(h) where support is provided to productive and sustainable investments to enterprises other than SMEs, an exhausindicative list of such operations and enterprises and a justification of the necessity of such support through a gap analysis demonstrating that the expected job losses would exceed the expected number of jobs created in the absence of the investment; where this support is provided to industrial activities already covered by the Emission Trading System, a description that such a support do not contribute to increase the profits already deriving from the ETS.
Amendment 448 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3
Article 7 – paragraph 3
3. The preparation and implementation of territorial just transition plans shall involve the relevant partners in accordance with Article [6] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR]. as well as representatives of industry, energy sector, social partners, national and regional authorities and relevant stakeholders
Amendment 500 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point b
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) the allocations resulting from the application of point (a) are adjusted to ensure that no Member State receives an amount exceeding EUR 2 billion. The amounts exceeding EUR 2 billion per Member State are redistributed proportionally to the allocations of all other Member States. The Member States shares are recalculated accordingly taking into account the achievements regarding the 2020 targets for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, as referred respectively to in Article 1(1) of Directive 2012/27/EU and in Annex I of Directive 2009/28/EC;