12 Amendments of Inese VAIDERE related to 2020/0108(COD)
Amendment 2 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The Covid-19 pandemic is a major shock to the global and Union economy. Due to the necessary containment measures, economic activity in the EU dropped significantly. The contraction in EU GDP in 2020 is expected to be around 7.5%, far deeper than during the financial crisis in 2009. The outbreak of the pandemic has shown the interconnectivity of global supply chains and exposed some vulnerabilities such as the over-reliance of strategic industries on non-diversified external supply sources. Such vulnerabilities need to be addressed, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to improve the Union’s emergency response as well as the resilience of the entire economy, while maintaining its openness to competition and trade in line with its rules. Investment activity is expected to have dropped significantly. Even before the pandemic, while a recovery in investment-to-GDP ratios in the Union could be observed, it remained below what might be expected in a strong recovery and was insufficient to compensate for years of underinvestment following the 2009 crisis. More importantly, the current investment levels and forecasts do not cover the Union’s needs for structural investment to restart and sustain long-term growth in the face of technological change and global competitiveness, including for innovation, skills, infrastructure, small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) and the need to address key societal challenges such as sustainability or population ageing. Consequently, in order to achieve the Union's policy objectives, in particular the dual objective of accelerating the climate and digital transitions, and to support a swift, inclusive and healthy economic recovery, support is necessary to address market failures and sub-optimal investment situations and to reduce the investment gap in targeted sectors.
Amendment 14 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The InvestEU Fund should contribute to improving the competitiveness and socio-economic convergence and cohesion, cohesion and long-term economic growth of the Union, including in the fields of innovation and digitisation, to the efficient use of resources in accordance with the circular economy, to the sustainability and inclusiveness of the Union's economic growth and to the social resilience and integration of the Union capital markets, including through solutions that address the fragmentation of Union capital markets and that diversify sources of financing for Union enterprises. To that end, the InvestEU Fund should support projects that are technically and economically viable by providing a framework for the use of debt, risk sharing and equity instruments backed up by a guarantee from the Union budget and by financial contributions from implementing partners as relevant. The InvestEU Fund should be demand-driven, while at the same time it should focus on providing strategic, long-term benefits in relation to key areas of Union policy which otherwise would not be funded or would be insufficiently funded, thereby contributing to meeting policy objectives of the Union. Support under the InvestEU Fund should cover a wide range of sectors and regions, but should avoid excessive sectoral or geographical concentration and should facilitate access of projects composed of partner entities in multiplewith high growth potential and in key strategic sectors in all regions across the EU.
Amendment 28 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) Reflecting the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union's commitments to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the SDGs, the InvestEU Programme will contribute to mainstream climate actions and to the achievement of an overall target of 2530 % of the Union budget expenditures supporting climate objectives. Actions under the InvestEU Programme are expected to contribute 3at least 40 % of the overall financial envelope of the InvestEU Programme to climate objectives. Relevant actions will be identified during the InvestEU Programme's preparation and implementation and reassessed in the context of the relevant evaluations and review processes.
Amendment 56 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24
Recital 24
(24) In the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, market allocation of resources is not fully efficient and perceived risk impairs private investment flow significantly. Under such circumstances, the key feature of the InvestEU Fund of de-risking economically viable projects to crowd in private finance is particularly valuable and should be reinforced, inter alia in order to counteract the risk of an asymmetric recovery. The InvestEU Programme should be able to provide crucial support to companies in the recovery phase, in particular SMEs, and at the same time ensure a strong focus of investors on the Union’s medium- and long-term policy priorities such as the European Green Deal, the European Green Deal Investment Plan, the Strategy on shaping Europe’s digital future and the Strong Social Europe for Just Transitions. It should significantly increase the risk- taking capacity of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group and national promotional banks and institutions and other implementing partners in support of economic recovery.
Amendment 69 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29 a (new)
Recital 29 a (new)
(29 a) The visibility of the Union funding from the InvestEU Fund, and in particular the strategic European investment window and its identified strategic priorities, should be ensured through effective communication, highlighting Union-funded actions and results in order to adequately promote the Union added value of the InvestEU Programme as part of the recovery.
Amendment 84 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 59
Recital 59
(59) In the context of the InvestEU Fund, there is a need to provide support for project development and capacity building to develop the organisational capacities and market development activities needed to originate quality projects. Such support should also target financial intermediaries that are key to help small companies’ access financing and realise their full potential, and it should include technical assistance. Particular emphasis should be put on reducing the administrative burden, in particular for SMEs. Moreover, the aim of the advisory support is to create the conditions for the expansion of the potential number of eligible recipients in nascent market segments, in particular where the small size of individual projects considerably raises the transaction cost at the project level, such as for the social finance ecosystem, including philanthropic organisations, or for the cultural and creative sectors. The capacity- building support should be complementary and in addition to actions taken under other Union programmes that cover specific policy areas. An effort should also be made to support the capacity building of potential project promoters, in particular local organisations and authorities.
Amendment 86 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 61
Recital 61
(61) In accordance with Regulation [European Union Recovery Instrument] and within the limits of resources allocated therein, recovery and resilience measures under the InvestEU should be carried out to address the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 crisis and, in line with the objectives of the strategic European investment window, support long-term growth, quality jobs and competitiveness. Such additional resources should be used in such a way as to ensure compliance with the time limits provided for in Regulation [EURI].
Amendment 110 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point e – introductory part
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point e – introductory part
(e) a strategic European investment policy window which comprises strategic investment to support final recipients that are established in aone or more Member States and that operate in the Union, and whose activities are of strategic importance to the Union, in particular in view of the green and digital transitions and of enhanced resilience, while enhancing the competitiveness of the Member States' economies, including the need to rebuild the Member States' productive capacity and promote entrepreneurship and job creation, in one of the following areas:
Amendment 115 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point e – point i
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point e – point i
i) critical healthcare provision, manufacturing and stockpiling of pharmaceuticals, medical deviceines, vaccines, active pharmaceutical ingredients, pharmaceutical raw materials, medical devices, diagnostic tools and medical supplies, strengthening of health crisis response capacity and of the civil protection system;
Amendment 120 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point e – point ii
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point e – point ii
ii) critical infrastructure, whether physical or virtual, including infrastructure elements identified as critical in the fields of energy, transport, environment, water, health, secure digital communication, 5G, internet of things, online service platforms, secure cloud computing, data processing or storage, payments and financial infrastructure, aerospace, defence, communications, media, education and training, electoral infrastructure and sensitive facilities, as well as land and real estate crucial for the use of such critical infrastructure;
Amendment 138 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point e – point iv – point c
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point e – point iv – point c
(c) biomedicine, nanotechnologies, biotechnologies, pharmaceuticals and advanced materials;
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
4. The Commission shall develop sustainability guidance that, in accordance with Union environmental and social objectives and standards, including Regulation (EU) 2020/852, allows to: