17 Amendments of Luís Paulo ALVES related to 2011/2035(INI)
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)
Citation 19 a (new)
- having regard to the Communication from the Commission of 26 May 2004 on ‘A stronger partnership for the outermost regions’ (COM (2004) 343) and the Communication from the Commission of 17 October 2008 on ‘The outermost regions: an asset for Europe’ (COM(2008) 642),
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the external dimension of cohesion policy remains underexploited, particularly with regard to the remote and outermost regions; whereas the weak budgetary capacity of certain third countries can limit their ability to cofinance certain projects;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Considers that cohesion policy should promote the EU's economic, social and territorial cohesion, which is essential for the future of European integration, granting equal opportunities to its regions by mitigating their main handicaps and promoting their development potential, which is the only way of reducing structural imbalances and competitive asymmetries in the EU;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Sees, in the sphere of territorial cohesion, the achievement of European objectives in accordance with the principle of multi-level governance as one of the major advantages of cohesion policy and thus as a form of added value in itself as well as a recognition of the importance of regional authorities in the process of drawing up and implementing cohesion policy; calls for this partnership principle to be further strengthened;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that, despite the trend towards a narrowing of inter-regional disparities, major imbalances still exist – and in some Member States are actually growing – so cohesion policy must continue to concentrate on evening out differences between regions’ levels of development and promoting the development potential of European regions, thereby contributing to the Europe 2020 Strategy goals in the area of economic, social and territorial cohesion objectives;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises the special needs of regions particularly disadvantaged by virtue of their geographical situation or natural environment, paying particular attention to their permanent handicaps but also to their potential; reiterates its call for special forms of preference to continue to apply in respect of those types of region, mentioned in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which are particularly disadvantaged (outermost regions, northernmost regions with very low population density and island, mountain and cross-border regions);
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises the special needs of regions particularly disadvantaged by virtue of their geographical situation or natural environment; reiterates its call for special forms of preference to continue to apply in respect of those types of region, mentioned in Articles 349 and 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which are particularly disadvantaged (outermost regions, and northernmost regions with very low population density and island, mountain and cross-border regions);
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses, however, the need to ensure that regions cannot be penalised, when developing their cohesion policies, by Member States' non-compliance with macroeconomic and financial objectives, particularly since these policies are essential to help reduce disparities between the regions of Europe and such penalties, which in many cases they have done nothing to incur, would serve only to exacerbate these disparities;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Points out that there are regions in Europe, such as some of the outermost regions, whose remoteness means that they have maritime borders that are not covered by the distance-related criterion for maritime borders for the purposes of cross-border cooperation; considers, however, that the integration of such regions with and their opening-up to geographical areas outside the EU is not and cannot be simply a function of their geographical remoteness, as the wealth of historical, linguistic and cultural bonds linking them to various parts of the world gives them a key role to play in the deepening of such relations, to the benefit of the EU's global presence, and they should therefore be able to participate in the cross-border cooperation programmes;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Stresses, likewise, that cohesion policy cannot become a vehicle or instrument serving sectoral issues such as policies on research and development, industrial innovation and the fight against climate change, among others, as this would mean diluting its primary objective and placing constraints on its use to promote regions' development potential, which is essential in order to bring the most disadvantaged regions closer to the most developed regions;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Emphasises that the trans-European transport networks play a decisive role in European regional cohesion and that development of TEN infrastructure and designated E-roads must therefore be stepped up and access to them improved, especially in border regions; suggests that ‘infrastructure’ be accorded more importance as a category of project eligible for support in connection with the third objective of European Territorial Cooperationcalls with insistence for the full integration and participation of the Outermost Regions in the Trans-European Transport Network, as well as for priority programs;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Emphasises that the trans-European transport networks play a decisive role in European regional cohesion and that development of TEN infrastructure and designated E-roads must therefore be stepped up and, access to them improved and their extension to all Europe's regions promoted, especially in border regions; suggests that ‘infrastructure’ be accorded more importance as a category of project eligible for support in connection with the third objective of European Territorial Cooperation;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Takes the view that a general new funding category based onCalls for the creation of a new intermediate category for regions with a GDP/PE between the 75% and 90% rates would be at odds with the tried and tested principles of EU cohesion policy (to support the weakest and pool the inherent potential of the wealthier regions, taking a cross- of the EU average; the purpose of this system would be to limit the threshold effect observed at 75% of Community GDP (the current eligibility threshold between the Convergence Objective and the Regional Competitiveness and Employment objectives) and to guarantee equal treatment between these regions; it would seek to take account of the difficulties faced both by the regions which in 2013 will for the first time no longer be covered by the Convergence Objective, and by those which, while eligible for the Regional Competitiveness and Employment Objective during the current programming period, are still facing structural socio-economic difficutlting approach), and therefore rejects this intermediate categoryes owing to the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy and are affected by internal regional disparities; the creation of this category should not penalise regions currently benefiting from the Convergence Objective or the Regional Competitiveness and Employment Objective, or which are currently in the phasing in or phasing out stage;
Amendment 467 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 a (new)
Paragraph 45 a (new)
45a. Believes that account should be taken, in the context of cohesion policy, of the need for flexibility in relation to the outermost regions, and the use of cohesion policy instruments should be adapted to their fragile economies, with due regard for the importance of their small and medium-sized undertakings and the need for competitiveness and equal opportunities so that their economies can be a part of the EU internal market;
Amendment 552 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Emphasises the importance in terms of cohesion policy of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) promoting cross-border cooperation with states outside the EU; sees infrastructure (transport and energy) links with neighbouring countries as having particularly positive effects on the European border regions; calls for ENPI funding to focus more closely on strategic needs in relation to energy and to transport infrastructure; urges the Commission to open the European wider neighbourhood policy up to the outermost regions, as was intended prior to the policy’s introduction, so that those regions are not denied the opportunity to take advantage of the ENPI that is afforded to other European regions;
Amendment 556 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57 a (new)
Paragraph 57 a (new)
57a. Deplores the failure to make use of synergies between cohesion policy and cooperation funds such as the DCI and the EDF; calls for the opportunities for cross-financing with such funds to be increased;