32 Amendments of Maria da Graça CARVALHO related to 2021/0206(COD)
Amendment 34 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The increase in the price for fossil fuels may disproportionally affect vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterprises, vulnerable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and vulnerable transport users who spend a larger part of their incomes on energy and transport, who, in certain regions, do not have access to alternative, affordable mobility and transport solutions and who may lack the financial capacity to invest into the reduction of fossil fuel consumption.
Amendment 45 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) This is even more relevant in view of the existing levels of energy poverty. Energy poverty is a situation in which households are unable to access essential energy services such as cooling, as temperatures rise, and heaheating or lighting. About 34 million Europeans reported an inability to keep their homes adequately warm in 2018, and 6.9% of the Union population have said that they cannot afford to heat their home sufficiently in a 2019 EU-wide survey32 . Overall, the Energy Poverty Observatory estimates that more than 50 million households in the European Union experience energy poverty. Energy poverty is therefore a major challenge for the Union. Establishing a common Union- level definition will allow to further compare data across the EU and consequently to better target policy actions. While social tariffs or direct income support can provide immediate relief to households facing energy poverty, only targeted structural measures, in particular energy renovations, can provide lasting solutions. _________________ 32 Data from 2018. Eurostat, SILC [ilc_mdes01]).
Amendment 54 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) A Social Climate Fund (‘the Fund’) should therefore be established to provide funds to the Member States to support their policies to address the social impacts of the emissions trading for buildings and road transport on vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users. This should be achieved notably through temporary income support and measures and investments intended to reduce reliance on fossil fuels through increased energy efficiency of buildings, decarbonisation of heating and cooling of buildings, including the integration of energy from renewable sources, and granting improved access to zero- and low- emission mobility and transport to the benefit of vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users.
Amendment 63 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) For that purpose, each Member State shouldmust submit to the Commission a Social Climate Plan (‘the Plan’). Those Plans should pursue two objectives. Firstly, they should provide vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users the necessary resources to finance and carry out investments in energy efficiency, decarbonisation of heating and cooling, in zero- and low-emission vehicles and mobility. Secondly, they should mitigate the impact of the increase in the cost of fossil fuels on the most vulnerable and thereby prevent energy and transport poverty during the transition period until such investments have been implemented. The Plans shouldmust have an investment component promoting the long-term solution of reduce fossil fuels reliance and could envisage other measures, including temporary direct income support to mitigate adverse income effects in the shorter term. The Plans should set concrete objectives, an implementation timeline and periodically report on progress towards the attainment of the objectives.
Amendment 76 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) Ensuring that the measures and investments are particularly targeted towards energy poor or vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users is key for a just transition towards climate neutrality. Support measures to promote reductions in greenhouse gas emissions should also help Member States to address the social impacts arising from the emissions trading for the sectors of buildings and road transport.
Amendment 85 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) Pending the impact of those investments on reducing costs and emissions, well targeted direct income support for the most vulnerable would help the just transition. Such support should be understood to be a temporary measure accompanying the decarbonisation of the housing and transport sectors and should not exceed 25% of the total expenditure of the national plans. It would not be permanent as it does not address the root causes of energy and transport poverty. Such support should only concern direct impacts of the inclusion of building and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC, not electricity or heating costs related to the inclusion of power and heat production in the scope of that Directive. Eligibility for such direct income support should be limited in time.
Amendment 99 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) The Union should support Member States with financial means to implement their Plans through the Social Climate Fund. Payments from the Social Climate Fund should be made conditional on achievement of the milestones and targets included in the Plans. This would allow efficiently taking into account national circumstances and priorities while simplifying financing and facilitating its integration with other national spending programmes while guaranteeing the impact and the integrity of EU spending. To ensure that vulnerable, households, vulnerable microenterprises and vulnerable SMEs can receive support from the Fund as soon as possible, the Plans should be effectively implemented from the entry into force of the Social Climate Fund, consequently the Commission should pre-finance an amount of up to 15% of the financial contribution of Member States.
Amendment 126 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 3
Article 1 – paragraph 3
The measures and investments supported by the Fund shall benefit households, micro-enterprises, SMEs and transport users, which are vulnerable and particularly affected by the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC, especially households in energy poverty and citizens without public transport alternative to individual cars (in remote and rural areas).
Amendment 133 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 4
Article 1 – paragraph 4
The general objective of the Fund is to contribute to the transition towards climate neutrality by addressing the social impacts of the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC. The specific objective of the Fund is to support vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users through temporary direct income support and, to a larger extent, through measures and investments intended to increase energy efficiency of buildings, decarbonisation of heating and cooling of buildings, including the integration of energy from renewable sources, and granting improved access to zero- and low- emission mobility and transport.
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) ‘building renovation’ means all kinds of energy-related building renovation, including the insulation of the building envelope, that is to say walls, roof, floor, the replacement of windows, the replacement of heating, cooling and cooking appliances, the upgrading of electrical installations and the installation of on-site production of energy from renewable sources;
Amendment 150 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
(2) ‘energy poverty’ means energy poverty as defined in point [(49)] of Article 2 of Directive (EU) [yyyy/nnn] of the of the European Parliament and of the Council50 ; _________________ 50[Directive (EU) [yyyy/nnn] of the of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ C […], […], p. […]).] [Proposal for recast of Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency]ffecting households in the lowest income deciles whose energy costs exceed twice the median ratio between energy costs and disposable income after deduction of housing costs;
Amendment 155 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9 a (new)
(9 a) ‘small or medium-sized enterprise’ or ‘SME’ means a small or medium-sized enterprise as defined in Article 2 of the Annex to Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC;
Amendment 159 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10
(10) ‘transport users’ means households or, micro-enterprises or SMEs that use various transport and mobility options;
Amendment 165 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12
(12) ‘vulnerable micro-enterprises’ means micro-enterprises that are significantly affected by the price impacts of the inclusion of buildings into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC and lack the means to renovate the building they occupy or to upgrade road vehicles on which they rely in the course of business;
Amendment 172 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12 a (new)
(12 a) ‘vulnerable SMEs’ means SMEs that are significantly affected by the price impacts of the inclusion of buildings and road transport into the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC and lack the means to renovate the building they occupy or to upgrade road vehicles on which they rely in the course of business;
Amendment 187 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. Each Member State shall submit to the Commission a Social Climate Plan (‘the Plan’) together with the update to the integrated national energy and climate plan referred to in Article 14(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 in accordance with the procedure and timeline laid down in that Article. The Plan shall contain a coherent set of measures and investments to address the impact of carbon pricing on vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users in order to ensure affordable heating, cooling and mobility while accompanying and accelerating necessary measures to meet the climate targets of the Union.
Amendment 201 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point a
(a) finance measures and investments to increase energy efficiency of buildings, to implement energy efficiency improvement measures, to carry out building renovation, including addressing seismic, fire and electrical safety renovations, and to decarbonise heating and cooling of buildings, including the integration of energy production from renewable energy sources;
Amendment 214 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) detailed figures on the number of vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users, specific reduction goals of these figures and concrete measures and investments in accordance with Article 3 to reduce the negative effects referred to in point (c) of this paragraph together with an explanation of how they would contribute effectively to the achievement of the objectives set out in Article 1 within the overall setting of a Member State’s relevant policies;
Amendment 227 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) an estimate of the likely effects of that increase in prices on households, and in particular on incidence of energy poverty, on micro-enterprises, SMEs and on transport users, comprising in particular an estimate and the identification of vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users; these impacts are to be analysed with a sufficient level of regional disaggregation, taking into account elements such as access to public transport and basic services and identifying the areas mostly affected, particularly territories which are remote and rural;
Amendment 232 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) where the Plan provides for measures referred to in Article 3(2), the criteria for the identification of eligible final recipients, the indication of the envisaged time limit for the measures in question and their justification on the basis of a quantitative estimate and a qualitative explanation of how the measures in the Plan are expected to reduce energy and transport poverty and the vulnerability of households, micro-enterprises, SMEs and transport users to an increase of road transport and heating fuel prices;
Amendment 264 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) reductions in the number of vulnerable households, especially households in energy poverty, of vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and of vulnerable transport users, including in rural and remote areas.
Amendment 279 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. Member States may include the costs of measures providing temporary direct income support to vulnerable households and vulnerable households that are transport users to absorb the increase in road transport and heating fuel prices. Such supportdirect income support shall not exceed 25% of the costs of Member States national plans and shall decrease over time and be limited to the direct impact of the emission trading for buildings and road transport. Eligibility for such direct income support shall cease within the time limits identified under Article 4(1) point (d).
Amendment 283 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. After requesting guidance to the Commission on investments in the context of this paragraph, Member States may include the costs of the following measures and investments in the estimated total costs of the Plans, provided they principally benefit vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterprises, vulnerable SMEs or vulnerable transport users and intend to:
Amendment 296 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) contribute to the decarbonisation, including the electrification, of heating and cooling of, powering appliances and cooking in, buildings and the integration of energy from renewable sources that contribute to the achievements of energy savings;
Amendment 306 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) support public and private entities in developing and providing affordable and energy efficiency renovation solutions and appropriate funding instruments in line with the social goals of the Fund;
Amendment 336 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Member States may include into the estimated total costs financial support provided to public or private entities other than vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport uses, if those entities carry out measures and investments ultimately benefitting vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users.
Amendment 362 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. To ensure that vulnerable, households, vulnerable microenterprises and vulnerable SMEs can receive support from the Fund as soon as possible, the Plans should be effectively implemented from the entry into force of the Social Climate Fund the Commission should be able to pre-finance an amount of up to 15% of the financial contribution of Member States.
Amendment 378 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point a – point i
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point a – point i
(i) whether the Plan represents a response to the social impact on and challenges faced by vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users in the Member State concerned from establishing the emission trading system for buildings and road transport established pursuant to Chapter IVa of Directive 2003/87/EC, especially households in energy poverty, duly taking into account the challenges identified in the assessments of the Commission of the update of the concerned Member State’s integrated national energy and climate plan and of its progress pursuant to Article 9(3), and Articles 13 and 29 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, as well as in the Commission recommendations to Member States issued pursuant to Article 34 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 in view of the long-term objective of climate neutrality in the Union by 2050. This shall take into account the specific challenges and the financial allocation of the Member State concerned;
Amendment 386 #
(i) whether the Plan is expected to have a lasting impact on the challenges addressed by that Plan and in particular on vulnerable households, vulnerable micro- enterprises, vulnerable SMEs and vulnerable transport users, especially households in energy poverty, in the Member State concerned;
Amendment 396 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 2
Article 17 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall assess the amended Plan in accordance with Article 15 and independently of the positive or negative assessment the Commission shall provide guidance on the most efficient mesures and investments foreseen in Article 6, paragraph 2.
Amendment 408 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 2
Article 22 – paragraph 2
2. The recipients of Union funding shallMember States shall ensure that the recipients of Union funding, including for temporary direct income support, acknowledge the origin of those funds and ensure the visibility of the Union funding, in particular when promoting the actions and their results, by providing coherent, effective and proportionate targeted information to multiple audiences, including the media and the public.
Amendment 409 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 3
Article 22 – paragraph 3
3. The Commission shall implement information and communication actions relating to the Fund, to actions taken pursuant to this Regulation and to the results obtained, including, where appropriate and with the agreement of the national authorities, through joint communication activities with the national authorities and the representation offices of the European Parliament and of the Commission in the Member State concerned. In case of non-compliance with paragraphs 1 and 2 the Commission should be empowered to defer the allocation of funds until the Member State concerned complies with the visibility provisions.