45 Amendments of Younous OMARJEE related to 2017/2052(INI)
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
– having regard to the communication of 17 October 2017 from the Commission on ‘A stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the EU's outermost regions’ (COM(2017)0623),
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas regional cohesion policy is one of the EU’s core policies, bringing Europe together, improving its economic, social and territorial cohesion and strengthening its economy, and it is therefore key that sufficient funding for cohesion policy - at least equivalent to that of the current period - is provided for in the MFF;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas measures should be taken to ensure that the budgetary challenge deriving from the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU does not disrupt regional policy and does not reduce the budget for cohesion in the next MFF, including by shifting to new own resources for funding;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas cohesion policy has contributed significantly to economic, social and territorial cohesion, to the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy and to achieving its goals for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; whereas the strategy should be reviewed for the post-2020 period, giving a major role to cohesion policy;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the configuration of the MFF 2014-2020 has de facto created a situation contrary to the Treaties, which include the provision in Article 311 TFEU that ‘The Union shall provide itself with the means necessary to attain its objectives and carry through its policies’, and whereas the inadequate mid-term review of the current MFF did not rectify this fundamental contradiction with the Treaties;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the discussion about the next MFF as an opportunity to prepare the ground for a stronger Europe through one of its most tangible instruments, the Union budget; believes that the next MFF should be embedded in a broader strategy and narrative for the future of EurRecalls that, in its current form, the EU was built without the peoples of Europe and that the next MFF should seek to transform it into an environmentally sound and socially fairer Europe; believes that the next MFF should be embedded in a strategy of reaffirmation of the central objective of the EU, which is economic, social and territorial cohesion, and a broader narrative concerning the remaking of the organisation so as to benefit all its people;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls, therefore, for the MFF to provide for sufficient fundsfunds that are at least equivalent to those of the current programming period for cohesion policy post-2020, striking a good balance between investments in citizens and investments for citizens and ensuring that the EU’s political goals can be reached;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that regional funding should be protected and should continue to predominantly take the form of grants rather than financial instruments, which do, however, have an important role to play in certain cases; stresses that in the event of a reduction in the EU’s budgets, greater focus on the EU’s core goals is requirunder no circumstances should the EU have its budgets reduced;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is convinced that the next MFF shoulThe next MFF should enhance, improve and build upon the Union’s well- established social oriented convergence policies and priorities, which aim atreinforcing the promotingon of peace, democracy and human rights, at boosting welfare, long- term and sustainable economic growth, high-quality jobs, sustainable development and innovation, and at fostering economic, social and territorial cohesion as well as enhancing solidarity between Member States and citizens; considers that these pillars are prerequisites for a properly functioning single market and Economic and Monetary Union as well as for reinforcing Europe’s positionthe Union as well as for the role of Europe as a Global Partner in the world; trusts that they are more relevant than ever for Europe’s future endeavours;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the EU not to sacrifice the Community policies that have been entrusted to it and are at the heart of its responsibilities towards European citizens, such as cohesion policy or the common agricultural policy, in order to substitute priorities which do not correspond to any of the responsibilities defined by the Treaties;
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses the importance of regional policy to protect the most vulnerable regions, such as the least developed and outermost regions;stresses that under no circumstances should those regions be harmed by any reduction in the MFF;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls, therefore, for continuous and increased support for existing policies, in particular the long-standing EU policies enshrined in the Treaties, namely the common agricultural and fisheries policies, and the cohesion policy; rejects any attempt to renationalise these policies, as this would neither reduce the financial burden on taxpayers and consumers, nor achieve better results, but would instead hamper growth and the functioning of the single market while widening the disparities between territories and economic sectors; intends to secure the same level of funding for the EU-27 for these policies inwhich are primarily cohesion policy – which remains the only policy expressing European solidarity on a large scale – and the common agricultural and fisheries policies; considers that the EU must also pursue the objective of redressing the gaps in wealth between the poorer and richer regions, as well as income disparities between various social groups in the context of the next programming period, while further improvincreasing their added value of these policies and simplifying the procedures associated with them;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Believes that Europe should offer prospectshas a responsibility to offer prospects for a better future to the younger generation as, who weill as to the future-oriented undertakings that make the EU more successful in the global arenasuffer from the disastrous impact of the economic policies adopted in the Union in recent decades; is determined to substantially scale up two of its flagship programmes, namely the Research Framework Programme and Erasmus+, which Erasmus+, which should benefit all young Europeans and not only a limited number of students who can afford to spend time abroad, this being a programme which at present cannot satisfy the very high demand involving top quality applications with, because of the very low level of funding of this policy under their current means; calls also forbudget; proposes that the budget for Erasmus+ should at the minimum be doubled in the next MFF and that at least half of it should be earmarked for young people from the poorest social classes; calls also for a considerable expansion of the Framework Programme for Research; calls for genuine progress to be made in the fight against youth unemployment and in support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and social enterprises, by equipping the successor programmes of the Youth Employment Initiative and the programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) with greater financial means;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Believes that Europe should offer prospects to the younger generation as well as to the future-oriented undertakings that make the EU more successful in the global arena; is determined to substantially scale up, among others, two of its flagship programmes, namely the Research Framework Programme and Erasmus+, which cannot satisfy the very high demand involving top quality applications with their current means; calls also for progress to be made in thestands firm in its support to substantially increase the resources to fight against youth unemployment and in support for micro, small and medium-sized, as well as, social enterprises by equipping the successor programmes of the Youth Employment Initiative and the programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) with greater financial means;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on the EU to increase its efforts to revitalise social convergence and cohesion in Europe, believes that substantial additional resources should be assigned to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and proposes that the budget of the European Social Fund should be doubled in order to tackle unemployment and alleviate the persistent social divides in Europe;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Highlights that the future framework is expected to integrate two new types of financial support featuring prominently on the Union’s economic agenda, namely the continuation of the investment support schemes, such as the European Fund for Strategic Investment, and the development of a fiscal capacity for the euro area and of financial stabilisation functions, possibly through the proposed European Monetary Fundinvestment support schemes, such as the European Fund for Strategic Investment, provided that these programmes accord with the objective of social, economic and territorial cohesion to which the EU has committed itself; considers that the proposal for a European Monetary Fund could have the objective of increasing European cohesion provided that its action is not limited solely to the euro area, that priority is given to the less advantaged regions and areas in terms of development and access to capital and that it does not impose counter-productive austerity measures on regions and Member States;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Believes that a stronger and a more ambitious Europe can only be achieved if it is provided with reinforced financial means; calls, in the light of the above- mentioned challenges and priorities, and taking into account the UK’s withdrawal from the Union, for a significant increase of the Union’s budget; estimates the required MFF expenditure ceilings at 1.3 % of the GNI of the EU-27, notwithstanding the range of instruments to be counted over and above the ceilingoverhauls itself so as to respond more fully to citizens’ expectations with regard to solidarity, cohesion, asylum, environmental protection and biodiversity, greening of the economy and energy, support for research and education, and education and social progress; considers that the required MFF expenditure ceilings should be set at the maximum proportion of the GNI of the EU-27 permitted by the Treaties;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recalls the budgetary principles of unity, budgetary accuracy, annuality, equilibrium, universality, specification, sound financial management and transparency, which need to be respected when establishing and implementing the Union budget; considers that the EU budget should not fund programmes, nor should the EU sign free trade agreements, which are contrary to the objective of economic, social and territorial cohesion;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Underlines that, during the current MFF, the budgetary authority approved a substantial mobilisation of the flexibility mechanisms and special instruments included in the MFF Regulation, in order to secure the additional appropriations needed to respond to serious crises or finance new political priorities; deplores the fact that a number of redeployments were effected by siphoning off funds from budget lines for other programmes, mainly cohesion policy;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Considers, therefore, that the flexibility provisions under the current MFF have worked well and havefailed to provided solutions in relation to the significant financing needed in particular to confront the challenges of migration and refugees and to address the investment gap; recalls that Parliament was the originator of several of these provisions, which it has strongly defended during past MFF negotiationsfor the common good on a European scale;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Approves the overall architecture of the MFF special instruments, notably the Flexibility Instrument, the Emergency Aid Reserve, the EU Solidarity Fund, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), and points to their extensive mobilisation under the current MFF; calls for improvementsa substantial increase to be made to their financial envelopes and operating provisions;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)
Paragraph 43 a (new)
43a. Is of the opinion that effective measures against corruption and tax evasion by multinationals and the wealthiest individuals would make it possible to return to the Member States’ budgets an amount estimated by the Commission at one trillion euros per year, and that in this field there is a serious lack of action by the European Union;
Amendment 329 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 16
Subheading 16
A stronger, more equitable1a and sustainable economy __________________ 1a In spite of the joint declaration attached to the 2014-2020 MFF on gender mainstreaming, there has been little progress in this field and no clear gender equality strategy with specific objectives, concrete targets and allocations, has emerged from the MFF 2014-2020. An iconic reference underlining the potential in which the overall financial framework of the Union may contribute to increase gender equality and ensure gender mainstreaming is of the utmost importance, in the context of this report.
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
Paragraph 68
68. Believes that the next MFF should see a greater concentration of budgetary resources in areas that demonstrate a clear European added value and stimulate economic growth, competitiveness and employmentin order to make the European economy more virtuous by promoting solidarity and sustainability; stresses, in this context, the importance of research and innovation in creating a sustainable, world-leading, knowledge- based economy, and regrets that, due to the lack of adequate financing, only a small proportion of high-quality projects in this field has received EU funding under the current MFF;
Amendment 351 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69 a (new)
Paragraph 69 a (new)
69a. Notes that the next MFF must support the EU and its member states in reaching their climate goals as laid out in the Paris Agreement; stresses that EU funds should support the renewable energy transition to lower emissions source; stresses the importance of guaranteeing biodiversity funding, through programmes such as the LIFE Programme and ensuring its continuation in the next MFF;
Amendment 362 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 a (new)
Paragraph 70 a (new)
70a. Insists on the Union’s commitment to peace and calls upon the Member States to agree upon a ban on the use of the EU budget to finance or guarantee any dual technological development projects with military applicability;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 a (new)
Paragraph 72 a (new)
72a. Considers it necessary to ensure that EFSI’s place in the budget and in the political priorities of the Union does not undermine the pursuit of European cohesion policy objectives; takes the view that the activities financed by EFSI must be dependent on the objective of reducing disparities of wealth in Europe and the objectives of social cohesion and sustainability;
Amendment 408 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 a (new)
Paragraph 75 a (new)
75a. Takes the view that European islands, Outermost Regions (ORs) and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) share the same climate change challenges as some of the least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS), which benefit from the mechanism for financing adaptation to climate change through the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA+); considers it necessary, therefore, to create a European Fund for the adaptation of European islands, ORs and OCTs to the challenges of climate change, which would make it possible to mitigate the impact of climate change on them;
Amendment 457 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 a (new)
Paragraph 78 a (new)
78a. Takes the view that the next MFF should include sufficient funding to prevent loss of biodiversity, by strengthening the LIFE programme and creating a line for green infrastructure and a biodiversity financing instrument to manage Natura 2000, among others;
Amendment 460 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79
Paragraph 79
79. Stresses the socioeconomic and ecological importance of the fisheries sectormarine environment, the ‘blue economy’ and their contribution to the food autonomy of the EU; points out that the common fisheries policy is an exclusive EU competenceEU must achieve good environmental status for its seas as set out in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, including through the common fisheries policy and the integrated maritime policy; emphasises, in this respect, the need to keep a specific, substantial, independent and accessible fisheriesustainable oceans fund to implement this policy; calls, at least,e objectives of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive; calls for the level of financial appropriations dedicated to the fEuropean Maritime and Fisheries sectorFund under the current MFF to be maintained and, if new needs arise, to increase the financial appropriations for maritime affairs; warns about the possible negative impacts of a hard Brexit on this sectorwith the aim of achieving sustainable and exemplary fisheries in the EU; notes that other financial instruments, in addition to non-repayable aid, could provide complementary financing possibilities;
Amendment 503 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82
Paragraph 82
82. Considers maintaining the financing of cohesion policy post-2020 for the EU-27 at least at the level of the 2014- 2020 budget to be of the utmost importance; stresses that GDP should remain one of the parameters for the allocation of cohesion policy funds, but believes that it should be complemented by an additional set of social, environmental and demographic indicators to better take into account new types of inequalities between EU regions in order to enable every country to benefit from this policy and ensure that the poorest parts, both urban and rural, of rich regions are likewise made priority investment areas for cohesion policy; supports, in addition, the continuation under the new programming period of the elements that rendered cohesion policy more modern and performance-oriented under the current MFF;
Amendment 517 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82 a (new)
Paragraph 82 a (new)
82a. Considers that the necessary resources must be earmarked in the next MFF in order to bring about economic, social, and territorial cohesion in the EU’s outermost regions (ORs), as well as to implement the specific measures for those regions provided for in Article 349 TFEU, in keeping with the aims and principles set out in the Commission communication on ‘a stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the EU’s outermost regions’;
Amendment 533 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83 a (new)
Paragraph 83 a (new)
83a. Considers that the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) requires that social policies be properly financed; calls, therefore, for the budget of the European Social Fund (ESF) to be increased substantially with a view to expanding its role in attaining the goals of the EPSR;
Amendment 554 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84 a (new)
Paragraph 84 a (new)
84a. Underlines the need to step up with support measures to address the demographic challenges, in particular, the significant increase on an ageing population in need of special and dedicated care, in particular the elderly; reiterates its support to initiatives such as "villages for person’s with dementia" where due care is provided for since early stage.
Amendment 573 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85 a (new)
Paragraph 85 a (new)
85a. Recognises the importance of addressing public health threats at a global as well as EU level, notes the importance of robust health programmes to tackle transnational public health issues; calls for a safeguarding of funding for research and development for rare diseases; calls for increased funding for tackling anti-microbial resistance across the EU.
Amendment 593 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87 a (new)
Paragraph 87 a (new)
87a. Points to the urgent need to set up a European authority to combat tax evasion and tax fraud;
Amendment 605 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88
Paragraph 88
88. Stresses that the world is confronted with multiple challenges including conflicts, cyber-attacks, terrorism, disinformation, natural disasters, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, climate change, human rights violations and protracted crises; believes that the Union has a particular political and financial responsibility which is founded on rules-based foreign policy, cooperation with partner countries, poverty eradication and crisis response;
Amendment 610 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88 a (new)
Paragraph 88 a (new)
88a. Notes that the outermost regions (ORs) and the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) are geographically a special case in that they are isolated from the mainland European regions and thus have to contend with specific natural, economic, or social challenges; considers their particular nature to be such that the EU should set up a research fund intended specifically for the ORs and OCTs in order to promote research in fields of vital importance to them, including the blue economy, environmental protection, vulcanology, astronomy, renewable energy sources, and biodiversity; considers, given the difficulties facing ORs and OCTs in accessing cross-cutting Union programmes, such as Horizon 2020, that access paths should be provided for research programmes specifically tailored to their needs;
Amendment 612 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88 a (new)
Paragraph 88 a (new)
88a. Expresses its dedication to the pursuit of peace; calls upon the Member States, the Council and the Commission to commit to a European Convention to ban investment, development and implementation of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, and to develop all efforts to support and develop the creation of a worldwide Convention;
Amendment 623 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90
Paragraph 90
Amendment 646 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 92 a (new)
Paragraph 92 a (new)
92a. Considers, in the light of the humanitarian emergency related to the crisis situation regarding the reception of migrants, that alongside the EU law enforcement agencies there should be a European agency with tasks centring on the protection of persons, humanitarian support, and rescue operations, guaranteeing basic rights for all, EU citizens and non-citizens alike;
Amendment 649 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 93
Paragraph 93
Amendment 659 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 94
Paragraph 94
94. In the context of the increased attention given to security and defence in the Union, requests a reassessment of all external security expenditure; looks forward in particular to a reform ofDeplores the fact that security and defence instruments in the Union, such as the Athena mechanism and of the African Peace Facility, after the budgetisation ofre linked to development policy or the EDF; welcomnotes the recent commitments by Member States under permanent structured cooperation and asks the High Representative and the Commission to provide clarification as regards its future financing; calls for a successor programme for the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace focusing on crisis response and capacity building for security and development, while finding a legally sound solution for military capacity buildinghumanitarian action and development;
Amendment 669 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 95
Paragraph 95
95. Considers that a strong, efficient and high quality public administration is indispensable to the delivery of Union policies and to rebuild trust and strengthen dialogue with citizens; underlines the role of the institutions made up by democratically elected members in that respect; recalls that, according to the Court of Auditors, the EU institutions, bodies and agencies have implemented the 5% reduction in staff as set out in their establishment plans; takes the view that they should not be subject to a further horizontal reduction approach of this kind only if such a measure were shown to be useful and justified and did not serve to reduce the legislative capacity of the European institutions;