Activities of Göran FÄRM related to 2011/2020(BUD)
Plenary speeches (1)
2012 budgetary procedure: joint text (debate)
Amendments (21)
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out that the margins stemming from the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) do not allow real room for manoeuvre, especially in subheading 1a and heading 4, and reduce the capacity of the EU to react to policy changes and unforeseen needs while maintaining its priorities; points out that the scope of the challenges the EU faces, would require means well beyond the current ceilings of the MFF; recalls, in that respect, that the mobilisation of the instruments foreseen in the Interinstitutional Agreement (IIA) of 17 May 2006 on budgetary discipline and sound financial management has been rendered unavoidable by the various challenges and new priorities that have arisen, such as the Arab Spring this year and the need to give a strong impetus to the implementation of the EU 2020 strategy as a coordinated way to fight the current economic and social crisis;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Keeps on considering that the level of payments proposed by the Commission is a bare minimum for payments, as also mentioned in several statements by President Barroso and Commissioner Lewandowski; is not confident that Draft Council's statement No 1 on payment appropriations aiming at addressing the issue of possible additional payment needs may be of any help in this respect, notably in light of early 2011 experience, when Council happened to be reluctant to honour the similar statement it initiated for 2011 Budget; therefore also decides to restore most payment appropriations to DB levels all the more that Council cuts in payments also affect areas and budget lines falling under EU 2020 objectives, particularly in Headings 1a and 1b;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Regrets that the Commission and the Council do not generally propose to boost – beyond what was originally planned – the support for investments urgently needed to implement the seven flagship initiatives, and notes that they are regrettably inclined to postpone the necessary big leap in terms of common financial effort to the post- 2013 MFF; is convinced that this attitude will seriously endanger the achievement of the headline goals by 2020; is therefore proposing some targeted increases over the draft Budget of the Commission in some key areas, namely competitiveness and entrepreneurship, research and innovation, education and life long learning;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Reaffirms its strong opposition to any form of redeployment from FP7 like proposed by the Commission as part of the ITER financing package since this would endanger the successful implementation of FP 7 and significantly reduce its contributions to the achievement of the headline goaltargets and the implementation of the flagship initiatives of the Europe 2020 strategy; therefore restores FP7 to financial programming figures by adding the EUR 100 million to the budget lines cut by the Commission; proposes furthermore to increase commitment appropriations over the level proposed by the Commission for a limited number of priorities under the FP 7 as necessary incentives to European research and support to the work undertaken by researchers; underlines in particular the needs in the field of research in relation to energy as a way to accelerate the implementation of the SET - PLAN; also restores the bulk of payments cuts brought on FP7 lines by the Council (EUR XXX million or X %), as a matter of avoiding any risk of non implementation of existing legal obligations, which could lead to additional costs due to late interests to pay;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Also increases support for the Lifelong Learning programme, given its high European added value and also because of its strong contribution to the flagship initiatives ‘Youth on the Move’ and ‘Innovation Union’; is convinced that these increases are fully implementable and can provide a useful answer to the increasing calls for participation to the actions encompassed in the life long learning program;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Recalls the important role regional and cohesion policies play towards the achievement of the goals of the EU 2020 strategy and economic recovery of European regions; deplores Council's restrictive approach on payments, which were cut by some EUR 1 300 million as compared to Commission's forecasts of payment needs for 2012; notes that only the convergence objective and the technical assistance lines remained untouched by the cuts of Council; reminds that these cuts apply to budget allocations that were already far below Member States' own estimates (EUR 61 billion for 2012 or some 50% above DB) and widely considered as being the bare minimum for honouring upcoming payment claims and be consistent with the speeding up of implementation at the end of the programming period; is convinced that this attitude of the Council is all the more unacceptable since the European Commission has recently made some concrete proposals to boost payments of structural and cohesion funds in those countries most affected by the current financial and economic crisis;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Underlines that the prevention and response mechanisms with relation to crises in the fruit and vegetable sector are clearly insufficient and therefore an immediate solution needs to be found until the new CAP is in place; urges the Commission to present a concrete proposal to the European Parliament and the Council to ensure a sufficient increase of the Union's contribution to the crisis fund within the operational funds for producer organisations; calls for this increase to serve for specific measures for the producers affected by the E. coli crisis and to prevent future crises;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Maintains the budget allocation dedicated to the EU Food Distribution Programme for the Most Deprived Persons of the Community (MDP); strongly calls for a legal solution to be found promptlyin the EU; welcomes the recent effort of the European Commission (see COM(2011)-634) dated 3.10.2011 ) to find a legal solution to avoid any drastic cuts toin the respective programmesimplementation of the program in 2012 and 2013; strongly calls on the Council to endorse without any delay this proposal, especially in view of the difficult social situation in many Member States following the financial and economic crisis;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Recalls its strong call for an appropriate and balanced answer to the current challenges in the area of migration and solidarity, with a view to the management of legal migration and slowing down of illegal migration; acknowledging the obligation of EU Member States to conform to established EU law, emphasises the need for sufficient funding and support tools to handle emergency situations in a spirit of full respect of internal protection rules and human rights and solidarity amongst all Member States; is accordingly calling for a balanced increase of budget appropriations over the Draft Budget for, on one hand, both Frontex and the European Asylum office, in view of their increasing tasks and, on the other hand, the European refugee fund; restores moreover to DB level commitment appropriations for both the European Return Fund and the External Borders Fund;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64
Paragraph 64
64. Votes therefore the overall level of its 2012 Budget at EUR xxx.xxxx, which means an increase of xx0.8 % compared to 2011, not considering in the 2012 budget the new 18 Members of the Parliament (in line with the Lisbon Treaty) and the Croatia accession;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
67. Notes that the general expenditure allowances (excluding daily allowances) are frozen at 2011 level is frozen at the 2011 level; calls on the Bureau not to index Members' travel and subsistence allowances (including the "daily" allowance);
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67 b (new)
Paragraph 67 b (new)
67b. Considering the current financial, economic and social situation, calls furthermore on the Bureau to freeze all the Members' allowances (including the "daily" allowance) in absolute terms at 2011 level until the end of the seventh legislature;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
Paragraph 68
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68 a (new)
Paragraph 68 a (new)
68a. Believes that in times of increasing financial difficulties for numerous Europeans and ongoing austerity policies, Parliament should give an example of restraint by reducing its number of business flights; calls in this context on the Bureau to examine the effectiveness of travel costs, to present proposals encouraging Members to buy economy / flexi-economy class airfares, to ensure a proper treatment of the Frequent Flyer Points and to revise the rules of the Members' Registry opening hours, in particular on Fridays;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
71. Approves, the following measures contained in the Amending Letter, which have been offset by other savings: - the release of appropriations from the reserve for the new security policy; - offsetting of the carbon emissions generated by administrative activities; - increase in the appropriations for contract staff in order to support the implementation of Parliament’s property policy; - increase of the annual grant to the EPA;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72
Paragraph 72
72. Requests to be kept informed on a regular basis on new developments for building projects with a significant impact on the budget, such as e.g. the KAD building; asks the ABelieves that the Parliament's building policy requires careful analysis and that the administration should continue to develop buildings policy in cooperation with the Committee on Budgets; requests therefore to be kept informed on a regular basis on new developments for building projects with a significant impact on the budget, such as e.g. the KAD building; asks to be kept informed about the creation of any new posts and a possible further financing of the existing posts relating to DG INLO's three year plan before they are approved by the administration; asks the administration to establish a service agreement for cost sharing with the Commission of part of the running costs;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 a (new)
Paragraph 72 a (new)
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73
Paragraph 73
73. Regrets the delay in the opening of the new visitors centre Parlamentarium and the total costs of setting up the project which are much higher than the initially intended; notes a large increase on this budget line (3243) for 2012; calls for a better planning and asks for a timely consultation of the Committee on Budgets on any further financial implications;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73 a (new)
Paragraph 73 a (new)
73a. Believes that, in view of making long-term savings, making the organisation more modern and efficient, the budget of the European Parliament should be subject to a comparative study with the budgets of a representative sample of Member States and with the budget of the United States Congress;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 74
Paragraph 74
74. Welcomes the putting into place of concrete incentives to make more use of less polluting means of transport by introducing the 50 % Jobcard system in Brussels; points out that the reserve on the different lines for missiontravel costs depends also on the result of a report requested from the Bureau examining the feasibility of measures to ensure the utmost efficiency of travel costs and making recommendations for budgetary savings;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 74 a (new)
Paragraph 74 a (new)
74a. Calls for further measures to be taken to reduce energy, water and paper consumption in view of making savings in Parliament's budget;