13 Amendments of Pedro GUERREIRO related to 2008/2055(INI)
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that, despite the progress achieved in convergence in the EU, absolute inequalities remain high, and there are still enormous variations between Member States in terms of levels of prosperity, including cases of constant divergence over several years now;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Stresses that structural policy must have as its primary objectives the reduction of disparities in development level between regions, the promotion of real convergence, and the stimulation of growth and employment, and that it must be an instrument of redistribution and compensation for the increased costs arising from the single market, economic and monetary union and the liberalisation of international trade for the Union's less- favoured Member States and regions;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Is concerned at the fact that in some regions Community funding has not been sufficient to offset the adverse effects of the single market, economic and monetary union and the liberalisation of international trade; calls on the Commission, therefore, to undertake an in-depth analysis of the effects of the Stability and Growth Pact, the introduction of the euro and the liberalisation of the internal and international markets on cohesion policy and convergence in the EU;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Considers that the existing Community financial resources for cohesion policy are insufficient to meet the needs of real convergence, regional inequalities, high levels of unemployment, income inequalities and poverty in the EU; reiterates, therefore, the need for an increase in the Community budget with the central and primary objective of promoting economic and social cohesion in the Union;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Believes that a solid and properly financed European regional policy is an essential condition for assimilating the successive enlargements and achieving social, economic and territorial cohesion in an enlarged Union;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Believes that cohesion policy and the associated financial resources must be targeted on the promotion of economic, social and territorial development, and must therefore not be subordinated to the competition and deregulation criteria of the Lisbon strategy; considers that competitiveness must not be allowed to replace convergence as a goal in those Member States and regions where social and economic development is still lagging behind;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Stresses that cohesion policy must not be seen as merely an instrument for achieving the objectives of other sectoral policies, since it is a Community policy in its own right offering substantial value added;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Emphasises that the territorial dimension must not be counterposed to or be allowed to dilute the main objective of regional policy, which is the promotion of economic and social cohesion, i.e. the reduction of inequalities of development between the regions and of the lack of progress of the least-favoured regions;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recommends that the Union's cohesion policy, in its various facets, be adapted by means of specific measures to the most remote regions pursuant to Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty; calls on the Commission to propose policies and measures, of a permanent and flexible nature and suitably funded, that can be adjusted to the needs of each of the outlying regions and help them tackle the inbuilt constraints on development from which they suffer;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Draws attention to the situation of those regions which, despite being among the least-favoured in the EU-15, are now excluded from the least-favoured group in the EU-27 purely for statistical reasons; recommends that attention be paid to these regions' predicament, recalling that they have suffered budget cuts under the present financial framework; believes that this framework must be revised so as to restore to the regions affected by the 'statistical effect' the same levels of support as they would have under the EU- 15 eligibility criteria;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Stresses that public aid granted under the Structural Funds must be conditional on the existence of long-term contracts with enterprises with provisions on duration and employment so as to ensure that relocation is not encouraged;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7d. Believes it is necessary to increase the Community cofinancing rates for the 'convergence' regions, and especially for the least-favoured regions of the Cohesion Fund Member States and for regions characterised by permanent geographical or natural disadvantages, such as the most remote regions;