Activities of Emilie TURUNEN related to 2012/2150(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
European Semester for economic policy coordination: implementation of 2012 priorities (debate)
European Semester for economic policy coordination: implementation of 2012 priorities (debate)
Amendments (25)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the economic, social, financial and sovereign debt crises have not yet abated, whereas the current severe economic downturn is a matter of concern as it threatens the substantial efforts made by Member States regarding their budgetary consolidation;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomesTakes note of the Commission's country- specific recommendations for the euro area; expects these recommendations to form the basis of the Spring Council's recommendations;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that the European Semester allows for ex ante surveillance and coordination in the euro area context, both via the transmission of draft budget plans and the discussion of major economic policy reform plans, in order to take into account of, and reduce, negative spill-over effects from national actions on other countries or on the euro area as a whole;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is confidentExpects that the measures proposed are conducive to sustainable public finances, increased competitiveness, higher sustainable growth and improved employment;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes the Commission's insistence on conducting growth-enhancing structural reforms to allow the EU to get to grips with the crisis and regain its preeminent role in the world economy; supports the Commission's efforts to correct the macroeconomic imbalances within the euro area; underlines that a more resilient EMU requires as a matter of urgency a sustained and symmetric reduction of excessive macroeconomic imbalances;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Looks forward for the dedicated study from the Commission on the interlinkages between deficits and surpluses in the euro area announced for the autumn 2012;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Asks the Commission to draw up proposals in order to refine and update the scoreboard for the surveillance of macroeconomic imbalances as committed when the first version of the scoreboard was adopted so as to include specific indicators related to financial imbalances; believes that such indicators should scrutinize net and gross flows as both are relevant for monitoring the building up of excessive financial imbalances;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Observes that current Country Specific Recommendations put an unbalanced weight on the need to reduce wages, social security expenditure and reform public pension frameworks whereas specific recommendations relating to other domains such as taxes on capital gains, consumption, real estate and polluting activities are largely underweighted.
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Points out that structural reforms can only yield in the long term and cannot per se solve the recessionary spiral in which the EU is currently trapped;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Recalls its demands to the Council and the Commission to preserve sufficient policy space for Member States regarding the definition and implementation of measures conducive to the EU overarching objectives;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Underlines that Commission recommendations addressed to several Member States have little added value to the respective Stability/Convergence programmes and National Reform Programmes; points out that Commission recommendations need to add elements regarding the implementation of committed measures as well as on the assessment of progress made towards agreed objectives and targets instead of simply recalling National priorities.
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Encourages the Member States to stricmartly follow the rules set by the Stability and Growth Pact, as modified by the ‘'six- pack’', in order to render public finances more resilient, ensure that the European economy becomes more sustainable and reduce the pressure from the banking sector regarding refinancing conditions; expects the Commission and the Council to enforce these rules in a strict mannerdifferentiated manner taking into account country specific circumstances; firmly believes that fiscal discipline and fiscal institutions should be strengthened at both national and sub-national level and that government expenditure should be shifted towardsfocused on long- term investment, which would foster sustainable growth;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Deems that the current recessionary spiral in the euro area requires more resolute action from the Commission in order to fully and proactively use the flexibilities embedded in EU fiscal rules allowing for a differentiated path of budgetary consolidation and taking into account country specific circumstances and necessary investments in future- oriented areas as laid out in the EU2020 strategy;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Notes that in many countries there is little or no progress in achieving the social and environmental targets of the EU2020 strategy whereby EU as whole is not on track to fulfil the EU2020 objectives; emphasizes therefore the need to prioritize policy instruments fostering these objectives;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Expresses its concern about the fact that Member States under a financial assistance programme did not receive country-specific recommendations regarding progress towards the EU2020 objectives; calls on the Commission to assess the impact of the economic adjustment programme on progress towards the EU2020 headline targets and propose modifications to it to bring the adjustment programme in line with the EU2020 objectives;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the end of excessive deficit procedures for several Member States; hopes that more procedures can be brought to an end in the near future whenever the macroeconomic conditions allow it;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. WelcomesTakes note of the ratification of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union by a growing number of the 25 Member States that signed it; urges all other Member States to ratify the Treaty as soon as possible; lauds the positive outcome of the Irish referendum on that Treaty;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Urges all parties involved to speedily agree on the ‘two-pack’ to complement current legislation adopted in co-decision; urges all parties involved not to dilute Council conclusions shortly aftercalls on Council for the swift agreement with Parliament and immediate application of the proposal for the strengthening of surveillance of Member States in serious difficulties, including a social impact assessment and full consistency of they are adopteddjustment programmes with the broad economic policy guidelines;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Lauds the economic dialogue held so far between Parliament and nNational representatives, and wishes to conduct further dialogues; believes that economic dialogues constitutes a milestone towards enhanced democratic accountability regarding economic policy surveillance and coordination within the EMU;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Welcomes the 'comply or explain' principle introduced by the 'six pack' regarding Country Specific Recommendations; believes that such a clause will increase the transparency and scrutiny of the EU Semester process;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Underlines the need to strengthen the working methods of the Eurogroup; so as to increase its overall accountability towards the European Parliament;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Reiterates its urgent call to take action to improve the stability of the financial system in the euro area and to foster the creation of a genuine Economic and Monetary Union built on enhanced democratic legitimacy and accountability;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recalls that the recommendations by the Commission are a contribution to the Spring Council and that this procedure is not a legislative one; recalls its previous demands to treat the EU Semester as a quasi co-decision file; calls therefore on the Commission to agree with the Parliament on a format of the Annual Growth Survey that allows Parliament to propose amendments that can be considered by the Council before adoption, so as to ensure that a transparent process of inter-institutional decision-making ends in commonly agreed democratically legitimate policy guidance;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Reiterates its call in the framework of the forthcoming Annual Growth Survey for a encompassing sustainable growth initiative aiming at promoting long term investments and complementing the required structural reforms for the transformation of the European economy and a green job rich recovery; points out that transversal and ambitious reforms need to be carried on with that purpose on domains such as EU energy, transportation and environmental law;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Calls on the Commission and the Council to agree on concrete measures to improve participation and involvement of social partners, NGOs and local authorities in the formulation and implementation of policies in the framework of the European Semester both at national and at European level; welcomes that the Cypriot Presidency has identified this challenge as one of its priorities;