38 Amendments of Othmar KARAS related to 2010/2011(INI)
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Expresses its concern that the re- emergence of economic protectionism could result in fragmentation of the single market and therefore needs to be avoided; is concerned that the current economic and financial debacle could be used as a justification for reviving protectionist measures in various Member States;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Takes the view that the old perception of the single market as being primarily tied to economic considerations needs revisiting; sStresses that all those involved in shaping and implementing the single market need to adopt a more holistic approach, fully integrating citizens"´ concerns, particularly in relation to economic, social, health and environmental issues and consumer protection;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. ProposesBelieves that the single market is a very important prerequisite for the success of the EU 2020 strategy; proposes therefore that any strategy and policies to revitalise the single European market, including the EU 2020 Strategy, should be should be coordinated by the European institutions and based on a pragmatic, comprehensive and wide-ranging deal supported by all the Member States and focusing mainly on priorities for which the Member States will truly take ownership and which they will implement effectively at national, regional and local level;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. States that reducing debt and coping with extensive budget deficit procedures have to be coordinated and be in line with the EU2020 strategy;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls for a new paradigm of political thinking, withfocusing on citizens and, consumers occupying a central roleand SMEs in the relaunch of the single European single market; holds the view that this can be achieved by makputting the European citizen the main political variable in the determination and formulation of Union legislation and policyin the heart of European Union policy making;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Reiterates that meaningful assessment of the social, consumer and, environmental and economic impacts of the single market – which should feature in all single market proposals – is crucial to gaining public confidence and will also ensure the realistic integration of social, consumer- protection, environmental and economic goals;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Believes that the abolition of borders in the single market boosted further the competitiveness of Europe in a globalised world;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Stresses that the internal market and the common currency were a protective shield in Europe to reduce negative impact of the financial crisis on businesses and citizens in Europe.
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Highlights the importance of establishing a green single market for emerging low-carbon and environmental technologies, services and products by developing EU-wide standards for measuring and auditing carbon footprints; points out that clear standards and labelling for energy efficient products must become mandatory throughout the Union; notes that existing methodologies and standards should be taken into account when developing new standards for carbon footprints; emphasises that such standards must not create overly burdensome requirements in particular for SMEs;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Endorses initiatives taken by the Commission to prioritise research, knowledge and innovation in any future strategy; expects that sufficient funds will be allocated in successive Union budgets in order to address these crucial matters; proposes that the Commission starts to examine the possible ways to find concrete benchmarks in order to measure success in the areas of research, knowledge and innovation.
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Emphasises that, in order to secure further social backing and cooperation of European citizens, the EU and national institutions must radically change popular perceptions of the single market by making people aware of and able to understand the benefits it offers them;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Maintains that citizens are not being given theenough information they need on single market legislation and the availability and enforcement of their rights; highlights the fact that many of the relevant websites and the large number of information centres and "points of single contact" remain disorganised and are failing to reach people effectively; underlines the role of the "Your Europe" portal of the Commission in informing both citizens and businesses on aspects of living, working and business opportunities in the European Union; proposes to strengthen existing offers instead of creating new points of contact;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Deplores the fact that only a small percentage of citizens, consumers and SMEs are aware of existing alternative redress mechanisms, or know how to register a complaint with the Commission; points out that existing problem solving systems for citizens and businesses such as SOLVIT need to be strengthened in accordance with Parliament's report on SOLVIT of 2.3.2010 (2009/2138(INI)); calls on the Commission to initiate an accelerated Treaty infringement procedure if an unresolved SOLVIT complaint reveals a prima facie breach of Community law;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Subtitle
Subtitle
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Considers that obstacles of SMEs to access public procurement markets should be further removed in order to boost further competitiveness in the single market; more precisely simplifying requirements for SMEs in calls for tender of contracting authorities
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Will back future joint initiatives by the Commission and the Member States to: (1) support small businesses operating across borders throughout the EU; (2) effect a tangible reduction in administrative, financial and regulatory burdens, particularly the administrative hurdles faced by SMEs, in accordance with the principle of proportionality; in this regard calls on the Member States and the European Commission to strictly implement and apply the Think Small First principle as outlined in the Small Business Act.
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Will back future joint initiatives by the Commission and the Member States to: (1) support small businesses operating across borders throughout the EU; (2) effect a tangible reduction in administrative, financial and regulatory burdens, particularly the administrative hurdles faced by SMEs, in accordance with the principle of proportionality; in this regard calls on the Member States and the European Commission to strictly implement and apply the Think Small First principle as outlined in the Small Business Act.
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Agrees that proper implementation of the Small Business Act - in particular regarding a strict application of the SME test by the Commission when proposing new legislative internal market measures - and the introduction of a European private company statute will guarantee the practical integration of SMEs into a relevant and viable single European system;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 – subparagraph a (new)
Paragraph 30 – subparagraph a (new)
a) Supports strongly the Regulation governing translation requirements for the future EU patent, which will finally make the EU Patent a reality and reinforce Europe as a driving force of innovation and competition in the world;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. States that the most important problem for SMEs in times of economic crisis is their access to finance; regrets that as a result of the withdrawal of large banks from rural and under populated or economically weak areas a major problem for SME regarding access to finance has emerged; welcomes the important role of savings banks and various cooperative movements as regards financing the regional economy and their contribution to the social market economy due to their promotion of ethical and social projects.
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)
Paragraph 30 b (new)
30b. Agrees that the notification procedure introduced by Directive 98/34/EC is a very efficient tool for improving national legislation on the one hand and for avoiding barriers in the single market particularly for SMEs on the other hand; believes that the Commission should reinforce the mechanism by starting a fast track infringement procedure if a Member State does not comply with a detailed opinion issued by the Commission or does not react to a detailed opinion issued by a Member State.
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 c (new)
Paragraph 30 c (new)
30c. Supports strongly the Regulation governing translation requirements for the future EU patent, which will finally make the EU Patent a reality and reinforce Europe as a driving force of innovation and competition in the world; further supports the review of the Community Trade Mark system to achieve higher quality and better perspectives for this system;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 d (new)
Paragraph 30 d (new)
30d. Believes that different economic and social policies such as budget, tax, education and research policies have to be coordinated at EU level;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Takes note of the new concept of 'smart regulation' as introduced in the Commission's communication on EU2020; asks for further clarification on the "smart regulation agenda" such as on the intention to a wider use of regulations instead of directives; considers it essential that this concept does not fall behind but goes beyond the concept of "better regulation" in terms of ambition; calls on the Commission to step up its efforts on reducing administrative burden, e.g. by introducing new reduction targets.
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Urges the Commission to ensure proper coordination and to work in collaboration with Parliament and the national governments of the Member States, as well as major trading partners and business and consumer associations, in surveillance of the goods market and in cross-border enforcement of consumer protection law and to control the undisciplined flow of information reaching European consumers and citizens;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Recommends that the Commission conduct an independent exercise to identify the top 20 single-market-related sources of dissatisfaction and frustration which citizens encounter every day, in particular on the labour market, in relation to e- commerce, cross-border medical care, vehicle purchase and hire, portability of pensions, mutual recognition of professional qualifications, child custody, adoption and maintenance and allowances;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Insists that the Commission ensure: independent scrutiny of regulatory proposals for their quality and their impact on the real economy; the adoption of ex- ante and ex-post mechanisms for verifying the effectiveness of legislation; the use of benchmarking against international best practice; the use of conformity assessments to gauge social and environmental impact at both EU and national level;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Subtitle 9
Subtitle 9
Measures needed to inform and empower citizens and SMEs more effectively in the single market
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Calls on the Commission, together with the Member States, to develop outreach activities in Member States ("road shows") bringing together the various stakeholders (i.e. Commissioners, MEPs, national governments and parliamentarians) and attracting as much media attention as possible;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)
Paragraph 46 a (new)
46a. Highlights the key role played by the Enterprise Europe Network in enabling SMEs to make use of the opportunities offered by the single market; stresses that bureaucratic obligations tie up valuable resources and thereby hinder a stronger focus on the Enterprise Europe Network's core task of providing tailor-made support for SMEs; calls on the Commission to make more use of the Enterprise Europe Network for the targeted distribution of information and to reduce bureaucracy for the Enterprise Europe Network's partners;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 b (new)
Paragraph 47 b (new)
47b. Believes that both financial services and access to finance have to be a part of the EU 2020 strategy.
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Suggests that in the first stage of the above mentioned healthcheck, the Commission should conduct a financial audit of the EU budget and allocate as a priority more funds on investments in education, innovation and research; calls on the Member States to set the same priorities in their budget spending.
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Calls on the Commission to attach to its single market legislative package a working document on measures to develop a social single market based on Article 9 TFEU, including a framework directive to protect services of general economic interest,develop a strategy for better communication of the social benefits of the single market based on Article 149 TFEU and Protocol 26 thereto, especially since ambiguity and lack of legal clarity have given rise to numerous uncertainties at local-government levelto include the results to the single market legislative package ;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Calls on the Commission – in preparing its single market legislative package – to identify carefully the existing priorities of the individual Member States and those of the Union, particularly in areas that have given rise over the years to concerns about the workings of the internal market (e.g. public services, public procurement, bureaucratic rules affecting SMEs), and then to redefine the economic and social interest of the Union as a whole;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Calls on the Commission to ensure that there is better coordination within the Commission departments so that legislative proposals from the various DGs dealing with, or affecting, single market policy do not contradict one another and that the order of business in the Commission is revamped to provide citizens and businesses with a more coherent system;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Recommends the commissioning of a study to identify ways and means of integrating consumer interest into all EU policies, thus enabling consumer protection to feature automatically as aone of the prime concerns in the drafting of every piece of EU legislation; Or. en (This idea reiterates paragraph 49, so it is necessary to weaken it a bit.)
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Notes that redress mechanisms applicable across the Union havWelcomes the Commission's intention to analyse in depth the issue of policy coherence in the yfielded limited results and therefore urges the Commission to bring forward a legislative proposal to ensure implementation of an affordable, expedient and accessible Europe-wide collective redress system by May 2011; of collective redress and to strengthen alternative dispute resolutions in Europe; reiterates that any future proposal on collective redress must respect Parliament's view expressed in its resolution of 26 March 2009 on damages actions for breach of the EC antitrust rules and insists that Parliament must be involved, in the framework of the codecision procedure, in any legislative initiative in the area of collective redress