Activities of João FERREIRA related to 2020/0006(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Just Transition Fund
Amendments (34)
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) This Regulation identifies types of investments for which expenditure may be supported by the JTF. All supported activities should be pursued in full respect of the climate and environmental priorities of the Union. The list of investments should include those that support local economies and are sustainable in the long- term, taking into account all the objectives of the Green Deal. The projects financed should contribute to a transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy. For declining sectors, such as energy production based on coal, lignite, peat and oil shale or extraction activities for these solid fossil fuels, support should be linked to the phasing out of the activity and the corresponding reduction in the employment level. As regards transforming sectors with high greenhouse gas emission levels, support should promote new activities through the deployment of new technologies, new processes or products, leading to significant emission reduction, in line with the EU 2030 climate objectives and EU climate neutrality by 205013 while maintaining and enhancing employment and avoiding environmental degradation. The JTF should also seek to bring about major shifts in mobility patterns, moving towards more environmentally-friendly modes of transport, investing in the modernisation and expansion of rail networks and providing more efficient public transport services in metropolitan areas and urban centres. Particular attention should also be given to activities enhancing innovation and research in advanced and sustainable technologies, as well as in the fields of digitalisation and connectivity, provided that such measures help mitigate the negative side effects of a transition towards, and contribute to, a climate- neutral and circular economy. _________________ 13 As set out in “A Clean Planet for all European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy”, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank - COM(2018) 773 final.
Amendment 68 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In order to be successful, the transition has to be fair and socially acceptable for all. It must ensure that the right of affected workers to decent employment is respected, realigning their skills to changing job requirements. Therefore, both the Union and the Member States must take into account its economic and social implications from the outset, and deploy all possible instruments to mitigate adverse consequences. The Union budget has an important role in that regard.
Amendment 77 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3 a (new)
Recital 3 a (new)
(3a) If the JTF is to achieve its goal, it is essential to increase the EU budget, stepping up its role in the reallocation of structural, investment and cohesion funding earmarked for genuine economic and social convergence between Member States and funding for the productive sectors and for employment with rights.
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3 b (new)
Recital 3 b (new)
(3b) Enhanced cohesion policy instruments and EU budgetary easing are essential in view of the current economic and social fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Member States; Member States should be free to redirect appropriations between funds, items of expenditure and priorities in accordance with their economic and social needs, irrespective of thematic concentration objectives and EU macroeconomic and/or political conditionality.
Amendment 97 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) This Regulation establishes the Just Transition Fund (‘JTF’) which is one of the pillars of the Just Transition Mechanism implemented under cohesion policy. The aim of the JTF is to mitigate the adverse effects of the climate transition by supporting the most affected territories and workers concerned. In line with the JTF specific objective, actions supported by the JTF should directly contribute to alleviate and offset the impact of the transition by financing the diversification and modernisation of the local economy and by mitigating the negative repercussions on employment. This is reflected in the JTF specific objective, which is established at the same level and listed together with the policy objectives set out in Article [4] of Regulation EU [new CPR].
Amendment 109 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
(b) investments in the creation of new firms, including through business incubators and consulting services;
Amendment 111 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) investments in the modernisation, expansion and rationalisation of public transport networks and fleets, promoting rail services, lighter modes of transport and interoperability, focusing on metropolitan areas and urban centres, but also helping to improve connections with island and rural areas;
Amendment 111 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) In view of the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union’s commitments to implement the Paris Agreement, the commitment regarding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the increased ambition of the Union as proposed in the European Green Deal, the JTF should provide a key contribution to mainstream climate actions. Resources from the JTF own envelope are additional and come on top of the investments needed to achieve the overall target of 25% of the Union budget expenditure contributing to climate objectives. Resources transferred from the ERDF and ESF+ resources will contribute fully to the achievement of this target.
Amendment 112 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c b (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c b (new)
Amendment 119 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The resources from the JTF shouldcan complement the resources available under cohesion policyose made available by stepping up cohesion policy funding and allowing the flexible use thereof by Member States and beneficiaries.
Amendment 151 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9 a (new)
Recital 9 a (new)
(9a) The JTF should facilitate the spread of investments (from agricultural and industrial production to energy generation hubs), ensuring territorial cohesion and balanced occupation, avoiding divergence between Member States and, on the contrary, promoting divergence between them.
Amendment 155 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) This Regulation identifies types of investments for which expenditure may be supported by the JTF. All supported activities should be pursued in full respect of the climate and environmental priorities of the Union. The list of investments should include those that support local economies, promote quality employment and are sustainable in the long- term, taking into account all the objectives of the Green Deal. The projects financed should contribute to a transition to a climate- neutral and circular economy focused on promoting quality employment. For declining sectors, such as energy production based on coal, lignite, peat and oil shale or extraction activities for these solid fossil fuels, support should be linked to the phasing out of the activity and the corresponding industrial reconfiguration of the affected regions, avoiding any structural reduction in the employment level. As regards transforming sectors with high greenhouse gas emission levels, support should promote new activities through the deployment of new technologies, new processes or products, leading to significant emission reduction, in line with the EU 2030 climate objectives and EU climate neutrality by 205013 while maintaining and enhancing employment with rights and avoiding environmental degradation. The JTF should also seek to bring about major shifts in mobility patterns, moving towards more environmentally-friendly modes of transport, investing in the modernisation and expansion of rail networks and providing more efficient public transport services in metropolitan areas and urban centres. Particular attention should also be given to activities enhancing innovation and research in advanced and sustainable technologies, as well as in the fields of digitalisation and connectivity, provided that such measures help mitigate the negative side effects of a transition towards, and contribute to, a climate- neutral and circular economy. _________________ 13 As set out in “A Clean Planet for all European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy”, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank - COM(2018) 773 final.
Amendment 177 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) To protect citizens who are most vulnerable to the climate transition, the JTF should also cover the up-skilling and reskilling of the affected workers, with the aim of helping them to adapt to new employment opportunitiessituation, as well as providing job-search assistance to jobseekers and their active inclusion into the labour market ensuring that they do not lose out when changing jobs.
Amendment 184 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In order to enhance the economic diversification of territories impacted by the transition, the JTF should provide support to productive investment in SMEs. Productive investment should be understood as investment in fixed capital or immaterial assets of enterprises in view of producing goods and services thereby contributing to gross-capital formation and decent employment. For enterprises other than SMEs, productive investments should only be supported if they are necessary for mitigating job losses resulting from the transition, by creating or protecting a significant number of jobs and they do not lead to or result from relocation. Investments in existing industrial facilities, including those covered by the Union Emissions Trading System, should be allowed if they contribute to the transition to a climate- neutral economy by 2050 and go substantially below the relevant benchmarks established for free allocation under Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council14and if they result in the protection of a significant number of jobs. Any such investment should be justified accordingly in the relevant territorial just transition plan. In order to protect the integrity of the internal market and cohesion policy, support to undertakings should comply with Union State aid rules as set out in Articles 107 and 108 TFEU and, in particular, sSupport to productive investments by enterprises other than SMEs should be limited to enterprises located in areas designated as assisted areas for the purposes of points (a) and (c) of Article 107(3) TFEU. _________________ 14Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32).
Amendment 197 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
Amendment 283 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 3.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The resources for the JTF under the Investment for jobs and growth goal available for budgetary commitment for the period 2021-2027 shall be EUR 7.5XX billion in 2018 prices, which may be increased, as the case may be, by additional resources allocated in the Union budget, and by other resources in accordance with the applicable basic act.
Amendment 289 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 3.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The resources for the JTF under the Investment for jobs and growth goal available for budgetary commitment for the period 2021-2027 shall be EUR 7.5XX billion in 2018 prices, which may be increased, as the case may be, by additional resources allocated in the Union budget, and by other resources in accordance with the applicable basic act.
Amendment 319 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) investments by agencies, bodies and public entities to stimulate economic activity and job creation;
Amendment 329 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
(b) investments in the creation of new firms, including through business incubators and consulting services;
Amendment 363 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d a (new)
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) investments to counter planned obsolescence and reverse the trend towards reducing the useful lifespan of goods and equipment;
Amendment 373 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d b (new)
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d b (new)
Amendment 375 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d c (new)
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point d c (new)
(dc) investment in projects with the potential to attract users away from private vehicles towards public transport services, for example by providing such services free of charge;
Amendment 395 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point f
(f) investments in regeneration and decontamination of sites, land restoration and repurposing projects, limited to public entities and SMEs;
Amendment 458 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 4.º – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. The activities referred to in paragraph 2 shall promote company start- ups, the reconversion of existing structures and the reskilling of workers to ensure that employment is not structurally affected in areas requiring a complete overhaul of their industrial and production capacities;
Amendment 473 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5.º – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 5.º – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) investment failing to ensure decent employment, based on agreements and collective bargaining, in terms of pay and work-life balance;
Amendment 512 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6.º – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 6.º – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
The JTF resources shall be programmed for the categories of regions where the territories concerned are located, giving priority to the less developed regions under the cohesion policy, on the basis of the territorial just transition plans established in accordance with Article 7 and approved by the Commission as part of a programme or a programme amendment. The resources programmed shall take the form of one or more specific programmes or of one or more priorities within a programme.
Amendment 542 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7.º – paragraph 1
Article 7.º – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall prepare, together with the relevant authorities of the territories concerned, one or more territorial just transition plans covering one or more affected territories corresponding to level 3 of the common classification of territorial units for statistics (‘NUTS level 3 regions’) as established by Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 868/201417 or parts thereof, in accordance with the template set out in Annex II. Those territories shall be those most negatively affected based on the economic and social impacts resulting from the transition, in particular with regard to expected job losses in fossil fuel production and use and the transformation needs of the production processes of industrial facilities with the highest greenhouse gas intensity. _________________ 17 Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) (OJ L 154 21.6.2003, p. 1)and new job requirements in line with the restructuring of industrial and production capacity.
Amendment 568 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7.º – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 7.º – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) an assessment of the transition challenges faced by the most negatively affected territories, including the social, economic, and environmental impact of the transition to a climate-neutral economy, identifying the potential number of affected jobs and job lossesthose to be retrained, the development needs and objectives, to be reached by 2030 linked to the transformation or closure of greenhouse gas-intensive activities in those territories, as well as the necessary business start-up and job-retention incentives;
Amendment 582 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7.º – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 7.º – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) an assessment of its consistency with other national, regional or territorial strategies and plans, including economic and industrial restimulation strategies to sustain production and maintain or improve employment levels;
Amendment 604 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7.º – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Article 7.º – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Territorial just transition plans shall be consistent with the territorial strategies referred to in Article [23] of Regulation (EU) [new CPR], with relevant smart specialisation strategies, the NECPs and the objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Amendment 630 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point i
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point i
(i) greenhouse-gas emissions ofrom industrial facilities, transport, buildings, changes in land use and other sources regarded as relevant in NUTS level 2 and level 3 regions where the carbon intensity, as defined by the ratio of greenhouse gas emissions of industrial facilitifrom the above sources as reported by Member States in accordance with Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council28 compared to the gross value added of the industryGDP of the region in question, exceeds by a factor of two the EU-27 average. Where that level is not exceeded in any NUTS level 2 and level 3 regions in a given Member State, greenhouse-gas emissions of industrial facilities in the NUTS level 2 and level 3 region with the highest carbon intensity is taken into account (weighting 439%), _________________ 28 European Parliament and of the Council of 18 January 2006 concerning the establishment of a European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register and amending Council Directives 91/689/EEC and 96/61/EC (OJ L 33, 4.2.2006, p. 1).Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 of the
Amendment 642 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
(ii) employment in mining of coal and lignite or other sectors undergoing reconversion (weighting 25%),
Amendment 651 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point iii
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point iii
(iii) unemployment in industry in the NUTS level 2 and level 3 regions taken into account for the purposes of point (i) (weighting 25%),
Amendment 654 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point iii a (new)
Annex I – paragraph 1 – point a – point iii a (new)
(iiia) proportion of NUTS level 2 regions considered less developed for the purposes of cohesion policy (weighting 10%),