103 Amendments of Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL related to 2017/2052(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
– having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 70/1, entitled ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 19 January 2017 on ‘A European Pillar of Social Rights’[1]
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
– having regard to the ‘Challenges facing civil society organisations working on human rights in the EU’ report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights,
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Urges the Commission and the Member States to introduce a fundamental reform of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) to prevent Brexit from having any negative effects on the level of funding earmarked for EU-wide cooperation programmes, in the fields of culture, education, youth and research, that have clearly demonstrated their European added value and enjoy lasting popularity among beneficiaries;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 b (new)
Citation 7 b (new)
– having regard to the EESC own- imitative opinion on the Financing of civil society organisations by the EU,
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the role of civil society in promoting transparency and uncovering corruption concerning EU funds is essential; whereas the same civil society organisations and their essential work in the field of fundamental values of the European Union enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, as well as their crucial investigative work in the financial interest of the European Union are threatened in several Member States;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the Commission willas obliged to present its proposal for the future post-2020 MFF before 1 January2018 as stipulated in the Article 25 of the Council Regulation No 1311/2013laying down the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the years 2014-2020 and whereas the Commission will now present its package of proposals on the post-2020 MFF, including future own resources, only in May 2018, which is expected to be followed shortly afterwards by draft legislative proposals for the financial programmes and instruments;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises the long-term challenges posed by the integration of refugees and migrants into European society for new arrivals and host societies, underlines the importance of cultural and educational programmes in this regard, and calls for long-term and coordinated investments through current and future Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens programmes to support Member States in their efforts, while mainstreaming this support for cultural and educational programmes in other EU funds for integration such as the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF);
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the discussion about the next MFF as an opportunity to prepare the ground for a stronger and more sustainable Europe through one of its most tangible instruments, the Union budget; strongly insists that the new MFF does not reproduce the current insufficient financing for the main political priorities of the EU, thus being in contradiction with the Treaty provision requiring the Union to pursue its objectives as defined in art 3 TUE by appropriate means; in contrast, calls for a new quality of the MFF and for adequate resources providing for sustainable development, social progress and better life for citizens; believes that the next MFF should be embedded in a broader strategy and narrative for the future of Europe;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls for continuous investment in the current and future ET2020 framework, Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens programmes to provide space for youth organisations to continue reaching out to young people and providing them with valuable competences and life-skills through lifelong learning, learner-centred and non-formal education and informal learning opportunities, particularly volunteering and youth work;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls for investing ten times more in the Erasmus+ Successor Programme for the next Multiannual Financial Framework cycle in order to reach out to many more young people and learners across Europe and achieve the full potential of the programme, supporting the call made by President Juncker in the State of the Union Speech, by several European leaders and by the Erasmusx10 campaign of a coalition of civil society organisations. The current Erasmus+ programme accounts for only 1,36% of the overall EU Budget 2014-2020 and will only benefit 4 million Europeans by the end of its implementation in 2020;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is convinced that the next MFF should build on the Union’s well- established policies and priorities, which aim at promoting peace, the fundamental values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, including democracy, the rule of law democracy and human rights, gender equality, at boosting welfare, long- term and sustainable economic growth, high-quality jobs, sustainable development and innovation, and at safeguarding equal opportunities and non-discrimination, at fostering economic, social and territorial cohesion, intercultural understanding as well as solidarity between Member States and citizens as set out in art 3 TUE; considers that these pillars are prerequisites for a properly functioning single market and Economic and Monetary Union as well as for reinforcing Europe’s position in the world; trusts that they are more relevant than ever for Europe’s future endeavours;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. recalls that adequate financing is essential for the realisation of the principles of the recently agreed European Pillar of Social Rights;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that the next MFF should enable the Union to provide solutions and emerge strengthened from the crises of the decade: the economic and financial downturn, the phenomenon of migration and refugees, climate change and natural disasters, terrorism and instability, persistent poverty, increasing inequality, to name but a few; underlines that these global, cross-border challenges with domestic implications reveal the interdependency of our economies and societies, and point to the need for joint actions; stresses in this context the obligation to align the EU’s budgetary framework with the Sustainable Development Goals which provide a global roadmap for more sustainable, equitable and prosperous societies within planetary boundaries; recalls that all EU member states and the European Commission itself had signed up the SDG Declaration in November 2015
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that the next MFF should enable the Union to provide solutions and emerge strengthened from the crises of the decade: the economic and financial downturn, rising inequalities, the phenomenon of migration and refugees, climate change and natural disasters, terrorism and instability, to name but a few; underlines that these global, cross-border challenges with domestic implications reveal the interdependency of our economies and societies, and point to the need for joint actions;believes that the next MFF should address the challenge of the digital transformation of European society and economy and help citizens, businesses and public administrations to benefit from it; underlines that these global, cross-border challenges with domestic implications reveal the interdependency of our economies and societies, and point to the need for joint actions; believes in this context that the newt MFF should develop new tools aiming to anticipate and accompany structural mutations, namely in branches undergoing industrial restructuring.
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that the next MFF should enable the Union to provide solutions and emerge strengthened from the crises of the decade: the economic and financial downturn, youth unemployment, raising poverty and inequalities, the phenomenon of migration and refugees, climate change and natural disasters, terrorism and instability, to name but a few; underlines that these global, cross-border challenges with domestic implications reveal the interdependency of our economies and societies, and point to the need for joint actions;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Emphasises that the elimination of inequality between women and men is vital for the creation of a more inclusive Europe, as well as a more sustainable and economically secure European Union; underlines that closing the gender gaps prevalent in our societies would see an increase in the number of jobs benefiting both women and men, and have a positive knock on effect on GDP per capita;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Highlights that the proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the commitment from EU institutions and Member States to ensure a more Social Europe should be supported by adequate financial resources, including through EU funding instruments.
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls, therefore, for continuous support for existing policies, in particular the long-standing EU policies enshrined in the Treaties, namely the common agricultural and fisheries policies, and the cohesion policy because they bring the tangible benefits of the European project to EU citizens; rejects any attempt to renationalise these policies, as this would neither reduce the financial burden on taxpayers and consumers, nor achieve better results, but would instead hamper growth and the functioning of the single market while widening the disparities between territories and economic sectors; intends to secure the same level of funding for the EU-27 for these policies in the next programming period while further improving their added valueeffectiveness and simplifying the procedures associated with them;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses that the policies for combating poverty and social exclusion have been significantly weakened by the policy of budgetary constraints, urges for continuation of these policies with adequate resources under the next MFF in order to achieve their targets and to lead to tangible results;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Believes that Europe should offer prospects to the younger generation as well as to the future-oriented undertakings that make the EU more successful in the global arena ; emphasizes in this context the importance of Creative Europe; is determined to substantially scale up twohree of its flagship programmes, namely the Research Framework Programme and, Erasmus+ and the programme Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), which cannot satisfy the very high demand involving top quality applications with their current means and which fundamentally contribute to EU socioeconomic and territorial cohesion, as well as to sustainable mobility; calls also for progress to be made in the fight against youth unemployment and in support for social economy enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises by equipping the successor programmes of the Youth Employment Initiative and the programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) with greater financial means;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Believes that Europe should offer prospects to the younger generation as well as to the future-oriented undertakings that make the EU more successful in the global arena in a non-discriminatory way; is determined to substantially scale up two of its flagship programmes, namely the Research Framework Programme and Erasmus+, which cannot satisfy the very high demand involving top quality applications with their current means; calls also for progress to be made in the fight against youth unemployment and in support for small and medium-sized enterprises by equipping the successor programmes of the Youth Employment Initiative and the programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) with greater financial means; and by ensuring that young people coming from a disadvantaged socio-economic background will be provided non- discriminatory access to these funding opportunities;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Union to assume its role in twohree emerging policy areas with internal and external dimensions, which have appeared in the course of the current MFF: on the one hand, by develop– by developing and funding a comprehensive asylum, migration and integration policy and addressing the root causes of migration and displacement in third countries and on the other hand, by providing security to European citizens and promoting stability abroad, notably by pooling research efforts and capabilities in the area of defence; on the other hand, promoting stability and safeguarding human rights abroad notably by building capacity in conflict prevention and mediation; – by promoting stability and safeguarding human rights abroad notably by building capacity in conflict prevention and mediation, and development of the adequate infrastructures and logistic capacities which guarantee the needed mobility – by pooling research efforts and capabilities in the area of defence, stresses that actions taken in this areas should not come at the expense of EU’s development policies, preventing diversion of ODA from its main objective of poverty eradication
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Highlights that the future framework is expected to integrate two new types of financial support featuring prominently on the Union’s economic agenda, namely the continuation of the investment support schemes, such as the European Fund for Strategic Investment, which should be continued and not financed to the expense of other EU programmes and the development of a fiscal capacity for the euro area and of financial stabilisation functions, including possibly through the proposed European Monetary Fund;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Underlines that, as a first step, the specific euro-area budgetary capacity should be part of the Union budget, counted over and above the ceilings of the multiannual financial framework, without prejudice of the other MFF programmes, and should be financed by euro-area and other participating members via a source of revenue to be agreed between participating Member States and considered to be assigned revenue and guarantees; once in a steady state, the fiscal capacity could be financed through genuine own resources, following the recommendations of the Monti report on the future financing of the EU
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is convinced that, unless the Council agrees to significantly increase the level of its national contributions to the EU budget, the introduction of new genuine EU own resources remains the only option for adequately financing the next MFF;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Points out, in this context, that the full implementation of political decisions and initiatives taken by the European Council is possible only if the necessary funding is ensured, and underlines that any other approach undermines the sincerity of the Union budget and the citizen´s trust;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Acknowledges, however, that the timing of the next European Parliament elections in spring 2019, given that the current MFF runs until December 2020, does not allow for a 5+5 solution to be implemented immediately, as no satisfactory alignment of the different cycles would be achieved; takes the view, therefore, that the next MFF should be set for a period of seven years (2021-2027), including a mandatory revision, by way of a transitional solution to be applied for one last timemid-term revision which will allow for a swift and efficient review and update of EU support;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Considers that the use of the EGF, providing EU solidarity and support to workers losing their jobs as a result of major structural changes in world trade patterns arising from globalisation or as a result of the global economic and financial crisis, has not lived up to expectations and needs to be improved in order to refocus on the purpose it was originally intended, to improve its coordination with the structural funds, and to integrate its activation within a structuring, long-term strategy ; points out, inter alia, that the procedures for implementing support from the EGF are too time- consuming and cumbersome; believes that a revised EGF should be endowed with at least an identical annual allocation under the new MFF; is moreover convinced that the scope of the EGF should be widened to encompass workers losing their jobs as a result of structural changes in the production patterns due to the need to fight against climate changes and to implement the COP21 objectives
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Notes that different rules currently apply in relation to the time span for the carrying over of unspent appropriations for each MFF special instrument; considers that these should be harmonised, so as to enable a single N+1 rule to apply to all of these instruments; after N+1, the unspent appropriations should feed a special reserve for the MFF special instruments
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Calls, to this end, for a special reserve to be established on the revenue and on the expenditure side of the EU budget, which will be progressively filled up by all types of unforeseen other revenue; considers that this reserve should be deployed in order to cover additional payment needs, especially those linked to the mobilisation of the Global Margin for Commitments or the MFF special instruments;to respond to additional financial needs in the EU budget
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Agrecknowledges that the search for European added value should be one of the main principles guiding the EU institutions when deciding about the type of spending in the next MFF; poinis a fundamental question to be addressed, and agrees that the Union budget should serve, inter alia, as a tool for achieving the Treaty objectives and providing for European public goods; points out, however, the multi-faceted character of the concept of European added value and its multiple interpretations, and warns against any attempt to use its definition to call into question the relevance of EU policies and programmes on purely quantitative or short-term economic considerations; believes that there is a clear added value when an action at European level: – goes further than national, regional or local efforts cout, however, the existence of multiple interpretations of the concept and calls for a clear definition of the criteria thereof that should take territorial specificities into account; ld (spillover effect); – incentivises actions at national, regional or local level to fulfil EU Treaty objectives which would not otherwise be realised; – supports actions that can only be financed by pooling resources at EU level because of their very high financing requirements; or – contributes to the establishment and support of peace and stability in the EU’s neighbourhood and beyond; encourages the Commission to further develop the concept of European added value, while taking into account territorial specificities such as geographical insularity and remoteness;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Notes the reference to the notion of European added value presented in several Commission documents; reiterates the list of parameters identified by Parliament in its resolution6 in this context; recalls that the EU’s resources should be used to finance European public goods as well as to act as a catalyst in providing incentives for Member States at all administrative levels to take action in order to fulfil Treaty objectives and to attain common EU goals which would not be realised otherwise; agrees that the EU budget should be used to finance actions that can benefit the EU as a whole, which cannot be ensured efficiently by any single Member State alone and that can offer better value for money compared to actions taken solely at national, regional or local level; __________________ 6against this background, expects Member states to refrain from following a “juste retour” logic that takes into account only national interests in the negotiations on the next MFF; __________________ 6 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2017)0401. Texts adopted, P8_TA(2017)0401.
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Considers that better spending, i.e. the efficient and non-discriminatory use of every single euro of the EU budget, can be achieved not only by directing EU resources towards actions with the highest European added value and the greatest increase in the performance of the EU’s policies and programmes, but also by achieving greater synergies between the EU budget and the national budgets, and by ensuring the tangible improvement of the spending architecture;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Calls for a genuine simplification of the EU budgetary system in the next MFF with the aim to ease absorption by possible recipients; underlines, in particular, the need to reduce overlaps between instruments that serve similar types of actions, for example in the areas of innovation, SMEs or transport, and the necessity of eliminating the competition which exists between different forms and sources of funding, in order to ensure maximum complementarity and to provide for a coherent financial framework;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Stresses the need to improve the strategic coherence of the EU budget which should be achieved by reviewing the existing instruments in order to identify the best ways of delivering the European objectives and thus eliminate unnecessary overlaps; this will facilitate clearer communication of the EU priorities to the citizens, ensure better spending of EU resources and create a sound basis for a genuine simplification and harmonisation of rules;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 b (new)
Paragraph 47 b (new)
47b. Stresses the need to improve the strategic coherence of the EU budget which should be achieved by reviewing the existing instruments in order to identify the best ways of delivering the European objectives in line with European Added Value and thus eliminate unnecessary overlaps; this will facilitate clearer communication of the EU priorities to the citizens, ensure better spending of EU resources and create a sound basis fora genuine simplification and harmonisation of rules
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Questions the justification and added value of establishing instruments outside the Union budget; considers that decisions to set up or maintain such instruments are in reality driven by attempts to conceal the real financial needs and to bypass the constraints of the MFF and own resources ceilings; deplores that they often also result in bypassing Parliament in its triple responsibility as legislative, budgetary and control authority and lead to less transparency towards the general public and beneficiaries;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Considers also that, when a certain share of off-budget operations is deemed necessary to achieve certain specific objectives, for example through the use of financial instruments or trust funds, these should be kept at a limited level and duration, be fully transparent, and backed by strong decision- making and accountability provisions;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. Recalls the build-up of a backlog of unpaid bills at the end of the previous MFF that spilled over into the current one, reaching an unprecedented peak of EUR 24.7 billion at the end of 2014, mostly in the field of cohesion policy, due to the late take-off of the previous programmes, under-budgeting and insufficient payment ceilings; regrets that the focus on the absorption of this backlog linked to the 2007-2013 period resulted in deliberate efforts to delay the start of some of the 2014-2020 programmes and has contributed to the opposite trend of under- execution in the 2016 and 2017 budgets; asks the Commission and the Member States to come up with concrete measures to accelerate the implementation of the 2014-2020 programmes, and warns against a repetition of the payment crisis in the transition between two MFFs; invites national finance ministers of all Member states to attend the format of regular payments meetings between the three EU institutions, in order to have a fruitful discussion on possible measures to improve the implementation of programs under shared management;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60
Paragraph 60
60. Recognises the potential of financial instruments to increase the economic and political impact of the Union budget; highlights, however, that they can be applied only for revenue-generating projects and thein case of suboptimal investment condition or market failure fore constitute only a complementary rather than an alternative form of funding as compared to grants, as some projects can be financed only through subsidies financially viable investment; recalls that they should not aim at replacing already existing public schemes or private funding;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62
Paragraph 62
62. Calls on the Commission to simplify and harmonise the rules governing the use of financial instruments in the next MFF in order to maximise their efficient application; considers the option oftakes note that the Commission may propose a single fund that would integrate financial instruments at EU level that are centrally managed under such programmes as the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), Horizon 2020, COSME, Creative Europe and the Employment and Social Innovation programme (EaSI) on the one hand and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) on the other, a proposal to be discussed further; is of the opinion that such an umbrella solution should provide for a clear structure for the choice of different types of financial instruments for different policy areas and types of act; warns that such a proposal would need thorough discussions; underlines, however, that such a fund could never integrate financial instruments managed by Member States under cohesion policy;
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65
Paragraph 65
65. Believes, therefore, that the current presentation of the headings requires some improvements, but is against any unjustified radical changes; proposes, as a result, the following structure for the MFF post-2020; Heading 1: A stronger and sustainable economy Including programmes and instruments supporting: under direct management: - research and innovation - -digital transformation of European society and economy industry, entrepreneurship and - small and medium-sized enterprises - large-infrastructure projects - - transport, digitalisation, energy - -energy, space environment and climate change -mitigation and adaptation - agriculture and rural development - - maritime affairs and fisheries - - horizontal (financial) instruments - supporting investments in Europe (possible umbrella financial instrument at EU level, incl. EFSI) Heading 2: Stronger cohesion and solidarity in Europe Including programmes and instruments supporting: - economic, social and territorial - cohesion (under shared management): investments in innovation, research, digitalisation, reindustrialisa transition, SMEs, transport, climate change adaptation and mitigation, energy and environment employment, education, social affairs and social inclusion -, capacity building education, youth and life-long learning - -democracy, rule of law, fundamental rights culture, citizenship and - communication - health and food safety - - asylum, migration and integration, - justice and consumers - support to and coordination with national administrations - gender equality Heading 3: Stronger responsibility in the world Including programmes and instruments supporting: - human rights, democracy and the rule of law - international cooperation and development - neighbourhood - enlargement - humanitarian aid - trade - gender equality - contribution to EU trust funds and external relations facilities Heading 4: Security, peace and stability for all Including programmes and instruments supporting: - security - cybersecurity - crisis response and stability - common foreign and security policy - defence Heading 5: An efficient administration at the service of Europeans - financing EU staff - financing the buildings and equipment of EU institutions
Amendment 341 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
Paragraph 68
68. Believes that the next MFF should see a greater concentration of budgetary resources in areas that demonstrate a clear European added value and as much as possible stimulate an even economic growth, competitiveness and employment across all the regions of the EU; stresses, in this context, the importance of research and innovation in creating a sustainable, world-leading, knowledge-based economy, and regrets that, due to the lack of adequate financing, only a small proportion of high- quality projects in this field has received EU funding under the current MFF;
Amendment 342 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
Paragraph 68
68. Believes that the next MFF should see a greater concentration of budgetary resources in areas to promote sustainable development and decent jobs that demonstrate a clear European added value and stimulate economic growth, competitiveness and employment; stresses, in this context, the importance of research and innovation in creating a sustainable, world-leading, knowledge-based economy, and regrets that, due to the lack of adequate financing, only a small proportion of high- quality projects in this field has received EU funding under the current MFF;
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
69. Calls, therefore, for a substantial increase in the overall budget earmarked for the FP9 programme in the next MFF that should be set at a level of at least EUR 120 billion; considers this level to be appropriate for securing Europe’s global competitiveness, scientific and industrial leadership, for responding to societal challenges, and for helping to achieve the EU’s climate goals and the Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
Paragraph 70
70. Calls, furthermore, for a greater focus on implementing research and innovation through joint undertakings and for supporting investment in key technologies to close the investment gap in innovation; emphasises that the increase in funds must be coupled with a simplification of funding procedures; welcomes the Commission’s efforts in this respect and insists that these should continue under the next programming period; together with efforts to introduce mechanisms ensuring balanced participation of stakeholders from all Member States;
Amendment 365 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
71. Stresses that SMEs and micro- enterprises, including social economy enterprises, are key drivers of economic growth, innovation and employment and recognises their important role in ensuring the recovery and boosting of a sustainable EU economy; recalls that there are more than 20 million SMEs in the EU and that they account for 99 % of all businesses; considers that improving access to finance for SMEs should continue to remain an important policy objective for the next MFF and calls, therefore, for a doubling of the COSME programme’s financial envelope in order for it to correspond to the actual needs of the EU economy and the significant demand for participation;
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72
Paragraph 72
72. Reiterates its strong commitment to EFSI that aims at mobilising EUR 500 billion in new investment in the real economy under the current MFF; believinvites, that EFSI has already delivered a powerful and targeted boost to economic sectors that are conducive to sustainable growth and jobs; welcomes, therefore, the Commission’s intention to puterefore, the Commission to overcome the shortcomings of EFSI implementation in its first stage and to improve it when putting forward a legislative proposal for the continuation and improvement of this investment scheme under the new MFF in order to boost its role as an important instrument for decreasing structural inequalities and enhancing convergence and cohesion; stresses that any legislative proposal should be based on the conclusions of a Commission review and independent evaluation;
Amendment 377 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 a (new)
Paragraph 72 a (new)
72a. Is of the view that the next MFF should better reflect the political priority given to the digital transformation of the European society and economy; calls for investment in essential technologies and infrastructures, in innovation and research as well as in digital skills with a view to maintain and further enhance EU’s competitiveness and to improve the quality of life of our citizens; believes that more support should be directed to cross- border initiatives of critical importance for Europe such as cybersecurity capacity, development and access to Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and High Performance Computing technologies;
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 73
Paragraph 73
73. Insists on the importance of the MFF for sectors relying on long-term investment, such as the transport sector; highlights that the transport infrastructures are the backbone of the single market and the basis for sustainable growth and job creation; notes that accomplishing a single European transport area connected to neighbouring countries requires major transport infrastructure especially in peripheral and less developed regions and must be treated as a key priority in terms of thefor EU’s competitiveness and for economic, social and territorial cohesion, including for peripheral and insular areas; considers, therefore, that the next MFF should provide for sufficient funding for projects that contribute in particular to the completion of the TEN-T core network and its corridors, which should be further extended; recognizes the importance of the Cohesion Fund in this regard and insists on its continuation in the new MFF; stresses that an updated and more effective CEF programme should cover all modes of transport and focus on interconnections and the completion of the network in peripheral areas while using common standards;
Amendment 405 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
75. Considers it essential to secure a sustainable and affordable energy supply in Europe; calls, therefore, for continuous support for investments ensuring the diversification of energy sources, increasing energy security and enhancing energy efficiency, including by CEF Energy; stresses in particular the importance of providing for comprehensive support, especially for carbon-intensive regions, energy transition, transition to a low-carbon economy, the modernisation of power generation and, improvement of cross- border interconnections and deployment of smart grids, carbon capture storage and utilisation technologies, and the modernisation of district heating; considers that the transformation of the energy sector in the light of the climate objectives should be supported by the creation of an Energy Transition Fund under the next MFF that would facilitate the structural changes in energy-intensive industries and carbon- intensive electricity production plants, and create incentives for low-carbon investments and innovative solutions;
Amendment 409 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 a (new)
Paragraph 75 a (new)
75a. Emphasises the need for a European wide investment plan in favour of energy efficiency in light of the ambitious objectives the EU has set itself for 2030; is convinced that such an investment program would have a very positive effect in terms of job creation, affordable housing and fight against energy poverty ; is therefore convinced that the next MFF should encompass a visible and "easy to access" Energy Efficiency EU wide investment program that would enable local public authorities to get administrative and financial support to carry out energy efficiency plans in the housing and building sector;
Amendment 411 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 b (new)
Paragraph 75 b (new)
75b. Considers that under the next MFF, the transition of the energy sector in the light of the climate objectives should be supported by the creation of a Just Transition Fund with the aim of supporting workers and communities adversely affected by this transition to a sustainable low-carbon economy; in this respect urges the Commission to set up a financing platform at Union level for this initiative, drawing lessons from the current experiences and ensuring sufficient additional resources to cover needs in the affected areas; furthermore stresses that this fund should focus on the creation of decent and sustainable jobs together with retraining and new skills in clean processes and technologies, and on enhancing social protection schemes, including active labour market policies;
Amendment 428 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77
Paragraph 77
77. Affirms that the common agricultural policy is fundamental for food security and autonomy, the preservation of rural populations and environmental resources, sustainable development and the provision of high-quality and affordable food products for Europeans; points out that food requirements have increased, as has the need to develop environmentally friendly farming practices and the need to tackle climate change; underlines that the CAP is one of the most integrated policies and is mainly financed at EU level and, therefore, replaces national spending; adds that a higher priority to small-scale farmers should be established;
Amendment 451 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78
Paragraph 78
78. Expects the global amount of direct payments to be kept intact under the next MFF, as they generate clear EU added value and strengthen the single market by avoiding distortions of competition between Member States; opposes any renationalisation and anyextension of national co- financing in that respect; stresses the fact that the new challenges need a sound financial allocation; stresses the need to increase funding in line with responses to the various cyclical crises in sensitive sectors, to create new instruments that can mitigate price volatility and to increase funding for Programmes of Options Specifically Relating to Remoteness and Insularity (POSEI); concludes, therefore, that the CAP budget in the next MFF should be at least maintained at its current level for the EU-27;
Amendment 464 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79
Paragraph 79
79. Stresses the socioeconomic and ecological importance of the fisheries sector, the ‘blue economy’ and their contribution to the sustainable food autonomy of the EU; points out that the common fisheries policy is an exclusive EU competence; emphasises, in this respect, the need to keep a specific, substantial, independent and accessible fisheries fund to implement this policy; calls, at least, for the level of financial appropriations dedicated to the fisheries sector under the current MFF to be maintained and, if new needs arise, to increase the financial appropriations for maritime affairs; warns about the possible negative impacts of a hard Brexit on this sector; notes that other financial instruments, in addition to non-repayable aid, could provide complementary financing possibilities;
Amendment 469 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 80
Paragraph 80
80. Stresses the importance of the EU’s leading role in tackling climate change and its internal and external biodiversity commitments and goals; asks for appropriate financial resources to be provided to implement the Paris agreement and thorough climate mainstreaming of future EU spending; recalls that the next MFF should help the Union to achieve its 2030 climate and energy framework objectives; underlines that the EU should not finance projects and investments that are contrary to the achievement of these goals; especially asks to properly fund programmes safeguarding nature conservation, biodiversity and protecting the environment such as LIFE+ to be continued and strengthened;
Amendment 475 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 80 a (new)
Paragraph 80 a (new)
80a. Calls for measures to improve the protection of the EU’s traditional own revenue sources from fraud; calls to propose an EU action programme within the new Multiannual Financial Framework to contribute to the completion and financial sustainability of the customs European Information Systems;
Amendment 481 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81
Paragraph 81
81. Stresses that cohesion policy post- 2020 should remain the main investment policy of the European Union in order to tackle complex socio-economic challenges covering all EU regions while concentrating the majority of the resources on the most vulnerable ones; believes that, beyond the goal of reducing the disparities between levels of development and enhancing convergence as enshrined in the Treaty, it should focus on the achievement of the broad EU political objectives and proposes, therefore, that under the next MFF, the three cohesion policy funds – the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund – should concentrate mainly on providing support for innovation, digitalisation, reindustrialisa transition, SMEs, transport, climate change adaptation, employment and social inclusionand mitigation, environment, energy, infrastructuring, employment, education, including vocational education and training, social inclusion and capacity building, social inclusion and gender equality; recalls, in this context, the need for further integrated synergies in order to foster comprehensive, trans-sectorial strategies; calls, moreover, for a reinforced territorial cooperation component and an urban dimension for the policy and dedicated provisions for area with geographic specificities, such as rural, mountainous and remote areas;
Amendment 495 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81 a (new)
Paragraph 81 a (new)
81a. Points out that Article 349 TFEU provides for specific access to structural funds for the outermost regions (ORs); calls, in this regard for ORs to be considered, under the next programming period, as 'least developed regions'; calls therefore, in the context of the next programming period, for the continuation of budget allocations to the ORs, of compensation of excess costs, and of all duly justified derogations intended to compensate them for their structural disadvantages;
Amendment 504 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82
Paragraph 82
82. Considers maintaining the financing of cohesion policy post-2020 for the EU-27 at least at the level of the 2014- 2020 budget to be of the utmost importance; stresses that GDP should remain one of the parameters for the allocation of cohesion policy funds, but believes that it should be complemented by an additional set of social, environmental and demographic indicators to better take into account new types of inequalities between and within EU regions; supports, in addition, the continuation under the new programming period of the elements that rendered cohesion policy more modern and performance-oriented under the current MFF; calls for more synergies and complementarity between public investment policies by the Member States budgets and the Union budget and invites the Commission to assess ways to achieve that;
Amendment 520 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82 a (new)
Paragraph 82 a (new)
82a. Considers maintaining the designation of ´roma people´ as beneficiaries of both the ESF and the ERDF fund as vital, due to the lack of tangible progress in their socio-economic situation; emphasises the importance of clearly describing and explicitly excluding segregational practices from funding;
Amendment 522 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82 b (new)
Paragraph 82 b (new)
82b. Stresses the importance of ESF in providing funding opportunities to combat discrimination and promote gender equality at work;
Amendment 523 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83
Paragraph 83
83. Is strongly committed to the commitment arising from art 9 TFEU for the delivery of a Social Europe and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and points to the existing instruments contributing to these goals, notably the ESF, the Youth Employment Initiative, the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, the EGF and EaSI; believes that they should be safeguarded in the next MFF; highlights that such implementation requires that social policies are properly financed, bearing in mind that, at present, expenditure on social matters is insufficient. Underlines the consequent need of increased funding of existing instruments contributing to these goals, notably the ESF, the Youth Employment Initiative, the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, the EGF and EaSI; believes that they should be safeguarded and reinforced in the next MFF available to all Member States and reinforced as needed, including as regards education, training and life-long learning, active support to employment, protection from child poverty and socio- economic integration of refugees; reiterates its view that the social impact of economic adjustment within the euro area could be alleviated and upward economic and social convergence strengthened through adequate financing so as to avoid a further deterioration as regards inequalities and the growth potential of Member States and to cope with severe macroeconomic shocks while increasing the competitiveness and stability of Member States’ economies;
Amendment 528 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83
Paragraph 83
83. Is strongly committed to the delivery of Social Europe and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, into the secondary legislation through binding sectorial measures and points to the existing instruments contributing to these goals, notably the ESF, the Youth Employment Initiative, the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, the EGF and EaSI; believes that they should be safeguarded in the next MFF;
Amendment 529 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83
Paragraph 83
83. Is strongly committed to the delivery of Social Europe and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and points to the existing instruments contributing to these goals, notably the ESF, the Youth Employment Initiative, the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, the EGF and EaSI; believes that they should be safeguardtrengthened in the next MFF;
Amendment 530 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83 a (new)
Paragraph 83 a (new)
83a. Is deeply concerned regarding the particularly acute problem of child poverty afflicting up to 25 million children in the EU (over 26.4 % of the population aged 0 to 17 reaching almost 50 % in some Member States) belonging to families that suffer daily from lack of sufficient income and basic services, such as food supplies, housing, education and healthcare; reiterates its call on the Commission and all Member States for the establishment of a special fund dedicated to the Child Guarantee, placing children at the centre of expanding poverty alleviation policies and ensuring the corresponding resources for full implementation of the necessary policy measures, including helping parents to get out of social exclusion and unemployment through targeted interventions;
Amendment 536 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83 b (new)
Paragraph 83 b (new)
83b. Highlights that the ESF in particular should expand its support to the development of social dialogue, namely by improving the capacity building of social partners including European sectoral and intersectoral levels and that this commitment should become compulsory for Member States in all the regions of the EU;
Amendment 537 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83 c (new)
Paragraph 83 c (new)
83c. Considers that the allocation for the European Social Fund should be sufficiently increased so that it is able both to successfully meet the new challenges such as those connected with the timely implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, as well as to continue promoting the creation of decent jobs, skills development and gender equality, encouraging social investments in quality social services and the social economy, combating poverty, inequalities, discrimination and demographic change; insists that the autonomy of the ESF be maintained in order for it to further contribute to economic and social cohesion;
Amendment 546 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Emphasises in particular the continuous need to fight unemployment and exclusion, especially among young people, and calls, therefore, for a doublingfull implementation of the EU Youth Guarantee, multiplying by six of the Youth Employment Initiative envelope in the next programming period; considers that and, making it accessible to all unemployed young people; underlines the need of an improved regulation in order to safeguard non-discriminatory participation in the programme for young people coming from a disadvantaged socio-economic background; expects Member states to do their utmost to implement corresponding policies; considers that alongside continued support for internal demand, investment to boost education and training, especially the development of digital skills, remains one of the top priorities of the EU;
Amendment 548 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Emphasises in particular the continuous need to fight unemployment, especially among young people, and calls, therefore, for a doubling of the Youth Employment Initiative envelope in the next programming period; the Youth Employment Initiative should continue to target young people directly and should be transformed from a crisis instrument into a more permanent EU financing instrument for tackling youth unemployment, taking into account the financial commitment required to comprehensively tackle youth unemployment in the EU; considers that investment to boost education and training, especially the development of digital skills, remains one of the top priorities of the EU;
Amendment 552 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Emphasises in particular the continuous need to fight unemployment, especially among young people, and calls, therefore, for a doubling of the Youth Employment Initiative envelope to be multiplied by six in the next programming period; considers that investment to boost education and training, especially the development of digital skills, remains one of the top priorities of the EU;
Amendment 553 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84 a (new)
Paragraph 84 a (new)
84a. Recognises the European added value of having a comprehensive approach to youth policies at EU level; emphasises that a holistic approach to young people is conducive to social justice and competitiveness; notes that cooperation in the field of youth is a prerequisite for achieving other goals set by the EU and that therefore a youth perspective should be mainstreamed in programmes and instruments such as those for cohesion policy, external action, development cooperation and investment recognising the importance of monitoring spending on youth and of assessing the impact on youth when planning the spending of the budget in other fields;
Amendment 557 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85
Paragraph 85
85. Expresses support for programmes in the areas of democracy, rule of law, fundamental rights, culture, education, media, youth, sports and, citizenship and civil society that have clearly demonstrated their European added value and enjoy lasting popularity among beneficiaries and without which it is not possible to develop a common European conscience; advocates, therefore, continuous investment in the Education and Training 2020 framework through the Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens programmes in order to pursue reaching out people of all ages, and especially young people, to young people and providing them with valuable competences and life skills through lifelong learning, learner-centred and non-formal and informal education, as well as informal learning opportunities; calls in particular for at least tripling of the Erasmus+ envelope in the next MFF with the aim of reaching many more young people and learners across Europe,primarily those coming from a disadvantaged socio-economic background, and learners across Europe, beyond university students, with a particular attention to people with disabilities, enabling them to participate in the programme without their own resources and achieving the full potential of the programme; recommends, moreover, the continuation of the European Solidarity Corps and reiterates its support for strengthening the external dimension of the Erasmus+ and Creative Europe programmes; recommends setting up an internal European Democracy Fund for the strengthened support of civil society and NGOs working in the fields of democracy and human rights;
Amendment 559 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85
Paragraph 85
85. Expresses support for programmes in the areas of culture, education, media, youth, sports and citizenship that have clearly demonstrated their European added value and enjoy lasting popularity among beneficiaries; advocates, therefore, continuous investment in the Education and Training 2020 framework through the Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens programmes in order to pursue reaching out to young people and providing them with valuable competences and life skills through lifelong learning, learner-centred and non-formal education, as well as informal learning opportunities; calls in particular for a tripling of the Erasmus+ envelope in the next MFF with the aim of reaching many more young people, youth organisations and learners across Europe, and achieving the full potential of the programme; recommends, moreover, the continuation of the European Solidarity Corpsprogramme to continue reaching out to young people and providing them with valuable competences and life skills through lifelong learning, learner-centred and non-formal and informal learning opportunities, particularly volunteering and youth work; recommends, moreover, the continuing support to youth participation and youth mobility, volunteering, solidarity and youth work and reiterates its support for strengthening the external dimension of the Erasmus+ and Creative Europe programmes;
Amendment 567 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85
Paragraph 85
85. Expresses support for programmes in the areas of culture, education, media, youth, sports and citizenship that have clearly demonstrated their European added value and enjoy lasting popularity among beneficiaries; advocates, therefore, continuous investment in the Education and Training 2020 framework through the Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens programmes in order to pursue reaching out to young people and providing them with valuable competences and life skills through lifelong learning, learner-centred and non-formal education, as well as informal learning opportunities; calls in particular for a tripling ofto multiply the Erasmus+ envelope tenfold in the next MFF with the aim of reaching many more young people and learners across Europe, and achieving the full potential of the programme; recommends, moreover, the continuation of the European Solidarity Corps and reiterates its support for strengthening the external dimension of the Erasmus+ and Creative Europe programmes;
Amendment 572 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85 a (new)
Paragraph 85 a (new)
85a. Stresses that gender equality is listed as Number 5 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, to be achieved by 2030; notes, however, that according to the 2015 Gender Equality Index published by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), the goal of gender equality in Europe is still far from being achieved; calls, therefore, for EU-funded programmes to include targeted actions with specific budget allocations on gender equality;
Amendment 575 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85 b (new)
Paragraph 85 b (new)
85b. Believes that the next MFF should provide dedicated funding for non-formal education, volunteer-based activities in the field of European citizenship education for young people in primary and secondary schools, in vocational education and training schools, and any other learning centres, as this kind of activities plays a major role in ensuring that the EU is "taught" in numerous schools across Europe, raising the quality of European citizenship education overall, as well as indirectly fostering European identity and active civic engagement among young citizens;
Amendment 581 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86
Paragraph 86
86. Expects that in the post-2020 period, the European Union will move from crisis-management mode to a permanent, European policy in the field of asylum and migration; stresses that the actions in this field should be covered by a dedicated instrument, i.e. the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund; emphasises that the future fund, as well as the relevant Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) agencies, must be equipped with an adequate level of funding for the whole of the next MFF to address the comprehensive challenges in this area; believes, furthermore, that the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) should be complemented by additional components tackling this issue under other policies, in particular by the cohesion funds and the instruments financing external actions, as no single tool could hope to address the magnitude and complexity of needs in this field; recognises, moreover, the importance of cultural, educational and sports programmes in integrating refugees and migrants into European society; asks the Commission to assess whether the role of European cities within the European asylum policy could be strengthened by introducing an incentive scheme that offers financial support for refugee accommodation and economic development directly to cities in return for receiving refugees and asylum seekers;
Amendment 585 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 86
Paragraph 86
86. Expects that in the post-2020 period, the European Union will move from crisis-management mode to a permanent, European policy in the field of asylum and migration; stresses that the actions in this field should be covered by a dedicated instrument, i.e. the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund; emphasises that the future fund, as well as the relevant Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) agencies, must be equipped with an adequate level of funding for the whole of the next MFF to address the comprehensive challenges in this area; believes, furthermore, that the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) should be complemented by additional components tackling this issue under other policies, in particular by the cohesion funds and the instruments financing external actions, as no single tool could hope to address the magnitude and complexity of needs in this field; recognises, moreover, the importance of cultural, educational, youth and sports programmes in integrating refugees and migrants into European society;
Amendment 589 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87
Paragraph 87
87. Recognises the European added value of collaboration in addressing common public health threats; notes that no single Member State can tackle cross- border health challenges alone, and calls for the next MFF to reflect the EU’s responsibility to support Member States in reduceliminating growing health inequalities and discrimination in the field of healthcare; considers that, on the basis of the positive outcome of the ongoing actions in this field, the next MFF should include a robust next generation Health programme that addresses these issues on a cross-border basis; recalls that good health is a prerequisite for achieving other goals set by the EU and that policies in such fields as agriculture, environment, employment, social issues or inclusion also have an impact on the health of Europeans; calls, therefore, for the strengthening of health impact assessments and for cross- sectoral cooperation in the next MFF in this field;
Amendment 591 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87 a (new)
Paragraph 87 a (new)
87a. Stresses that gender mainstreaming is among the founding principles of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF); deplores, however, the absence of targeted actions on gender equality with specific budget lines despite reiterated calls from Member States to take into account the gender dimension within migration and asylum policies; stresses, therefore, the need to ensure that women have access to sexual and reproductive services and that special attention be paid to the specific needs of vulnerable persons including unaccompanied minors and other groups at risk, including the LGBTI community; who have suffered violence during times of conflict and migration;
Amendment 594 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87 b (new)
Paragraph 87 b (new)
87b. Believes that the internal aspect of the security of European citizens/residents, such as the right to live free from gender-based and interpersonal violence, has been neglected by the EU; therefore, is convinced that the next MFF should show the commitment of the union and provide solutions to safeguard the protection of all individuals from gender- based and interpersonal violence;
Amendment 603 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88
Paragraph 88
88. Stresses that the world is confronted with multiple challenges including conflicts, cyber-attacks, terrorism, radicalization, disinformation, natural disasters, climate change, increasing human rights violations, rising threats to democracy and the rule of law, poverty, and protracted crises; believes that the Union has a particular political and financial responsibility which is founded on rulehuman rights-based foreign policy, cooperation with partner countries, poverty eradication and crisis responseguided by the objectives set out in art 21 TEU, and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the Agenda 2030;
Amendment 604 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88
Paragraph 88
88. Stresses that the world is confronted with multiple challenges including conflicts, cyber-attacks, terrorism, disinformation, natural disasters, climate change and environmental degradation, human rights violations and protracted crises; believes that the Union has a particular political and financial responsibility which is founded on rules- based foreign policy, cooperation with partner countries, poverty eradication and crisis response; believes, therefore, that it is necessary for the Union to increase funding to UNRWA;
Amendment 611 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88 a (new)
Paragraph 88 a (new)
88a. Recognises the European added value of collaboration in addressing gender inequality; and calls for the next MFF to reflect the EU’s responsibility to reduce inequality between the sexes; deplores that most EU-funded programmes do not have specific targeted actions with specific budget allocations on gender equality; notes that gender equality should be recognised as a policy objective in the EU budget titles;
Amendment 613 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88 b (new)
Paragraph 88 b (new)
88b. Recalls that the EU budget dedicated to EU external action has been constantly mobilised and reinforced, exhausting all available margins to tackle the multiplication of humanitarian and other emergencies around Europe; underlines the need for more flexible procedure to allow funding to be deployed more rapidly in reaction to unforeseen developments and crises; stresses however that greater flexibility should not come at the expense of aid effectiveness and aid predictability, or short-cutting parliamentary scrutiny and consultations with partner countries and civil society;
Amendment 614 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 88 c (new)
Paragraph 88 c (new)
88c. Recalls the importance of human rights defenders in securing human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the world; supports the continued provision of dedicated funding without decrease in this field, such as the EIDHR; insists that the promotion and protection of human rights and democracy, including support for civil society and human rights defenders, is a central strategic goal of the European Union, which is crucial to addressing these multiple interlinked global challenges;
Amendment 618 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89
Paragraph 89
89. Emphasises that substantial additional funding is necessary for the Union to play its role in the framework of its global strategy and of its neighbourhood, development and enlargement policies; draws attention to the commitment by the EU and its Member States to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to increase their official development assistance (ODA) to 0.7 % of GDP by 2030; expects the next MFF to reflect the unprecedented needs of neighbourhood countries struggling with conflicts and the consequences of the challenges presented by migration and refugees, as well as the needs for humanitarian aid as a result of natural and manmade disasters;
Amendment 620 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89 a (new)
Paragraph 89 a (new)
89a. Recognises the need to provide extra resources to the most vulnerable who are disproportionately affected by said crises, including special attention be paid to the specific needs of women and girls, who are disproportionately more at risk of suffering from sexual violence and exploitation during times of conflict and crisis, and of unaccompanied minors and other groups at risk, including the LGBTI community;
Amendment 621 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89 b (new)
Paragraph 89 b (new)
89b. Recalls that EU Development Cooperation has as its primary objective the eradication of poverty as enshrined in article 208TFEU; calls for the next MFF to maintain the integrity of dedicated instruments for development and humanitarian aid in order to serve the interests of developing countries in line with internationally agreed development effectiveness principles; recalls EU commitments to allocate 20% of its ODA to social inclusion and human development, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, to reach 0,20 % of ODA to Least Developed Countries, to gender mainstreaming and to ensure that Policy Coherence for Development is respected throughout all EU policies;
Amendment 622 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89 c (new)
Paragraph 89 c (new)
89c. Calls for the next MFF to reflect the unprecedented needs for humanitarian aid, caused by natural and man-made disasters driven, inter alia, by climate change, through an increased allocation; underlines that humanitarian aid must be delivered according to the humanitarian principles enshrined in the Treaty and the European Consensus, and in a predictable, timely and flexible manner; calls for a separate instrument and an own budget line for humanitarian aid; draws the attention to the need to avoid any gap between commitment and payment appropriations for humanitarian aid;
Amendment 624 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90
Paragraph 90
90. Is ready to consider a streamlined architecture of the external financing instruments, as long as the Commission and the High Representative clearly demonstrate the expected advantages of such changes such as enhanced coherence and democratic scrutiny, and provided that the specificities autonomy and objectives of the underlying Union policies, in particular EU Development Cooperation and Humanitarian aid are respected; notes that such architecture should include a budgetised EDF, a more transparent incorporation of trust funds and facilities guided by the key principles of democratic ownership and development effectiveness, as well as a possible continuation of the External Investment Plan based on its evaluation demonstrating its development additionality and human rights, social and environmental impact; could consider, as part of an overall increase in the external financing instruments, a larger unallocated reserve aimed at increasing in-built flexibility, but stresses that this should not be achieved at the expense of long-term geographic and thematic priorities; in addition, considers that the streamlined architecture calls for proper check and balances and transparency, including an enhanced strategic policy input and scrutiny of implementation by the EP.
Amendment 627 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90 a (new)
Paragraph 90 a (new)
90a. Notes that development assistance can play an important role in the area of migration tackling the causes of forced displacement and enhancing the benefits of migration and mobility for development; considers, however, that ODA should not be used to cover in-donor refugee costs, the externalisation of migration policies outside EU borders or the costs of returns and readmission to countries of origin; rejects the idea of conditionality of aid based on border control, management of migratory flows or readmission agreements as the basis of cooperation with third countries;
Amendment 634 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90 b (new)
Paragraph 90 b (new)
90b. Notes the potential role of ODA to facilitate the mobilisation of financing for development from other sources, private and public, domestic and international; supports the EU’s effort at stimulating private investment through blending grants and loans and providing guarantees; stresses, however, that private sector engagement shall abide by strong transparency and accountability standards, bringing in measurable and additional development impact with solid social, environmental and human rights safeguards in place;
Amendment 635 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90 c (new)
Paragraph 90 c (new)
90c. Reiterates its unequivocal call for continued and increased EU support and funding for CSOs as development actors in their own right, and for their full and free involvement in political dialogue as well as in programming and implementation across EU cooperation instruments;[
Amendment 638 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91
Paragraph 91
91. Believes that a new heading dedicated to ‘Security, peace and stability for all’ would be a demonstration of the priority given by the Union to this emerging policy responsibility, acknowledge its specificity, and achieve consistency between its internal including the protection of individuals from gender- based and interpersonal violence and external dimensions;
Amendment 643 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 92
Paragraph 92
92. Stresses that the level and mechanisms of funding in the field of internal security should be stepped up from the outset and for the entire duration of the next MFF in order to avoid systematic recourse to the flexibility provisions of the MFF every year; calls for sufficient resources to be provided to law enforcement agencies (Europol, Eurojust and Cepol) and for the European Agency for the operational management of large- scale IT systems (eu-LISA) to be endowed with the means to implement and manage its new responsibilities; underlines the role of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights in understanding and responding to the phenomena of radicalisation, marginalisation, hate speech and hate crime and stresses the importance of social cohesion and social justice as well as the social inclusion of all people in Europe - also stipulated in the European Pillar of Social Rights - to counteract these phenomena;
Amendment 644 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 92
Paragraph 92
92. Stresses that the level and mechanisms of funding in the field of internal security, including cybersecurity, should be stepped up from the outset and for the entire duration of the next MFF in order to avoid systematic recourse to the flexibility provisions of the MFF every year; calls for sufficient resources to be provided to law enforcement agencies (Europol, Eurojust and Cepol) and for the European Agency for the operational management of large- scale IT systems (eu- LISA) to be endowed with the means to implement and manage its new responsibilities; underlines the role of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights in understanding and responding to the phenomena of radicalisation, marginalisation, hate speech and hate crime and fighting xenophobia, religious integrism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia;
Amendment 668 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 95
Paragraph 95
95. Considers that a strong, efficient and high quality public administration is indispensable to the delivery of Union policies and to rebuild trust and strengthen dialogue with citizenvil society organisations and citizens at all levels; underlines the role of the institutions made up by democratically elected members in that respect; recalls that, according to the Court of Auditors, the EU institutions, bodies and agencies have implemented the 5 % reduction in staff as set out in their establishment plans; takes the view that they should not be subject to a further horizontal reduction approach of this kind; expresses its fierce opposition towards a repetition of the so-called redeployment pool for agencies;
Amendment 678 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 97
Paragraph 97
97. Recalls that the adoption of the MFF Regulation requires Parliament’s consent; stresses, moreover, that Parliament and Council are two equal arms of the budgetary authority in the adoption of the annual EU budget, while the sectoral legislation setting up the vast majority of EU programmes, including their financial envelopes, is decided under the ordinary legislative procedure; expects, therefore, a decision-making procedure on the next MFF that safeguards Parliament’s role and prerogatives as set out in the Treaties; points to the possibility of switching from unanimity to qualified majority voting for the adoption of the forthcoming MFF Regulation, by using the provisions of Article 312(2) of the TFEU;
Amendment 681 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 99 a (new)
Paragraph 99 a (new)
99a. Considers that the timetable proposed by the Commission, whereby the legislative proposals for the sectoral regulations will be presented after the MFF proposal is issued, will distort the political debate as the negotiations will address the amounts first, and the policy priorities for the EU only at a later stage;