Activities of Evelyn REGNER related to 2023/0138(COD)
Legal basis opinions (0)
Amendments (53)
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The involvement ofIn order to increase the democratic accountability of the fiscal governance framework, the effective involvement of the European Parliament is key as well as the structured involvement of national parliaments, local and regional authorities, social partners, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders in the European Semester is keyand in the economic governance process as a whole to ensure ownership and transparent and inclusive policy-making.
Amendment 158 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The economic governance framework of the Union should be adapted to better take into account the growing heterogeneity and challenges of fiscal positions, and public debt challenges and other vulnerabilities acrossacross the Member States, national public investment gaps and needs to achieve the priorities of the Union, together with other vulnerabilities. The framework should also provide enough flexibility and be capable of quickly adapt to unexpected and structural shocks with asymmetric impact on Member States. The strong and coordinated policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic, supported by bold, innovative and common instruments at EU level, proved highly effective in mitigating the economic and social damage of the crisis, but tturning the EU economy more resilient and credible to financial markets. The crisis resulted in a significant increase in public- and private-sector debt ratios, underscoring the importance of reducing debt ratios to prudent levels in a gradual, sustained, and growth-friendly and inclusive manner and addressing macroeconomic imbalances, while paying due attention to employment and social objectives and upward social convergence. At the same time, the economic governance framework of the Union should be adapted, to helpprovide, with a level playing field, the necessary fiscal space - at EU and Member State level to address the medium- and long-term challenges facing the Union including achieving a fair digital and green transition, including the Climate Law22 , ensuring energy security, open strategic autonomy, addressing demographic change, strengthening social and economic resilience and implementing the strategic compass for security and defence, all of which requires reforms and sustained high levels of investment in the years to come. _________________ 22 The European Climate Law sets a Union-wide climate neutrality objective by 2050 and requires Union institutions and Member States to progress in enhancing adaptive capacity, requiring significant public investment to reduce the negative socio-economic impacts of climate change on the EU and its Member States, including negative impacts on growth and fiscal sustainabilitystrengthening social and economic resilience, including the implementation of the Pillar of Social Rights, ensuring energy security, open strategic autonomy, addressing demographic.
Amendment 171 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The economic governance framework of the Union should put debt sustainability, investment and reforms, the common priorities of the Union and sustainable and inclusive growth at its core on equal footing and therefore differentiate between Member States by taking into account their public debt challenges and allowing country-specific fiscal trajectories, and ensure consistency among the Union as a whole, including the euro area.
Amendment 180 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6 a) To achieve the central objective of the reform of this framework - to strengthen public debt sustainability while promoting sustainable and inclusive growth in all Member States and respond fully to the sustained high levels of investment needed to finance EU public goods to address the current and future strategic priorities of the EU - , this framework would be better equipped, if supported by a central and permanent investment instrument. The lessons learned from the implementation of EU instruments, such as SURE or NextGenerationEU, could serve as constructive models for forthcoming investment and macroeconomic stabilisation mechanisms aimed at strengthening the fiscal governance framework.
Amendment 181 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 b (new)
Recital 6 b (new)
(6 b) In order to increase the legitimacy of the European semester, in order to account for the far-reaching consequences of measures adopted in the context of the European semester on the economic and fiscal course of action and the social fabric of the Member States and in order to ensure appropriate public scrutiny, the European semester should only be launched by a legislative act in the form of a decision on a proposal made by the Commission, based on Article 121(6) TFEU, and promptly adopted jointly by the European Parliament and the Council. In this decision, the European Parliament and the Council define, in the recitals, their benchmarks for the outcome of the European semester that is to be launched. The European Commission has to take due account of this decision and its recitals when adopting its communication on the Annual Sustainability Growth Survey. By the same token, the Commission takes due account of the Annual Sustainability Growth Survey, the Council’s conclusions and the European Parliament’s resolutions thereon when drafting the recommendations for the draft broad guidelines of the economic policies of the Member States and the Union pursuant to Article 121(2) TFEU and the proposal for the guidelines for employment pursuant to Article 148(2) TFEU. The European Parliament evaluates the Commission's role in the previous European semester against the benchmark of launching decision, the Annual Sustainability Growth Survey and the Parliament’s resolution thereon when adopting the decision to launch the subsequent European semester.
Amendment 182 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 c (new)
Recital 6 c (new)
(6 c) In order to set out the detailed arrangements of the interinstitutional relationship between the European Parliament and the European Commission in the context of the European semester, both institutions should conclude an interninstitutional agreement between each other on the involvement of the European Parliament in the drafting and approval of the Annual Sustainability Growth Survey, of the broad economic policy and employment guidelines, of the reference trajectory, of the medium-term fiscal- structural plans, of the country-specific recommendations. In order to increase the personal accountability of the Commissioner responsible for the implementation of the European semester, the President of the Commission should commit itself, as a rule, to request that Commissioner to resign, in accordance with Article 17(6) TEU and Point 5 of the Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the Commission, if Parliament asks the President of the Commission to withdraw confidence in that Commissioner on the basis of a negative assessment of the outcome of the European semester. If the President refuses exceptionally to require resignation, she/he explains his/her refusal to do so before Parliament in the following part-session.
Amendment 183 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 d (new)
Recital 6 d (new)
(6 d) In order to promote upward social convergence, the multilateral surveillance procedure set out in Article 148(4) TFEU is complemented with an early warning system within the European Semester (Social Convergence Framework). Within the Social Convergence Framework, the Commission - pursuant to Article 148 TFEU - first identifies risks to upward convergence for Member States in the Joint Employment Report based on the Social Scoreboard headline indicators. In the second stage, the Commission identifies Member States requiring further examination and publishes the ‘Social Convergence Reports’ for those Member States identified as facing risks to upward social convergence. The country-specific conclusions of the multilateral surveillance activities under the new framework should provide input to the Commission’s reflection on CSR proposals.
Amendment 198 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9 a (new)
Recital 9 a (new)
(9 a) A Member State's debt level is only sustainable if this Member State is sufficiently protected from the risk of climate change. As such green debt in the form of European Green Bonds issued in accordance with the Regulation on European Green Bonds should be encouraged by excluding such debt from net expenditure calculation in the control account.
Amendment 199 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) Cohesion policy funds are also synchronised with the European Semester process. As the long-term investment policy of the EU budget, strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion, cohesion policy investments and reforms should also be duly taken into account in the drawing of the national medium-term fiscal-structural plans. Each Member State should also explain how its national medium-term fiscal-structural plan will ensure consistency with the expenditure on EU programmes fully matched by EU funds revenue and the relevant national co- financing.
Amendment 267 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24 a (new)
Recital 24 a (new)
(24 a) Government budgets can be brought in line either by spending reductions or revenue increases. As such this regulation should be neutral in the way governments seek to reduce their levels of debt and deficit, and should not prioritise cuts in public expenditures over increases in tax revenue;
Amendment 276 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) Independent fiscal institutions have proven their capacity to foster fiscal discipline and strengthen the credibility of Member States’ public finances. In order to enhance national ownership, the role of independent fiscal institutions, traditionally mandated to monitor compliance with the national framework, should be expanded to the economic governance framework of the Union with an appropriate balance with the role of the European Parliament in order to increase the overall democratic accountability of the framework.
Amendment 312 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 2
It lays down detailed rules concerning the content, submission, assessment and monitoring of national medium-term fiscal- structural plans as part of multilateral budgetary surveillance by the Council and the Commission so as to promote debt sustainability, with involvement of the European Parliament, so as to promote debt sustainability, investments and reforms, common priorities of the Union, and sustainable and inclusive growth and upward social convergence in the Member States and prevent the occurrence of excessive government deficits, by medium- term planning ensuring consistency among the Union, including the euro area.
Amendment 318 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
(2) ‘net expenditure’ means government expenditure net of total tax revenues, interest expenditure, discretionary revenue measures and other budgetary variables outside the control of the government as set out in Annex II, point (a);
Amendment 403 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 a (new)
Article 3 a (new)
Article3a Launching the European Semester 1. The European Semester is launched by a decision of the European Parliament and Council, on a proposal by the Commission, based on Article 121(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union adopted in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure. 2. Following the adoption of the decision pursuant to paragraph 1, the European Commission shall adopt a communication on the Annual Sustainability Growth Survey taking due account of the decision referred to in paragraph 1. 3. When drafting the recommendations for the draft broad guidelines of the economic policies of the Member States and the Union pursuant to Article 121(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and when drafting the proposal for the guidelines for employment pursuant to Article 148(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union the European Commission shall take due account of Annual Sustainability Growth Survey referred to in paragraph 2.
Amendment 452 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) the government deficit is brought and maintained below, on average, the 3% of GDP reference value;
Amendment 460 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) the fiscal adjustment effort over the period of the national medium-term fiscal- structural plan is at least proportional to the total effort over the entire adjustment period; If a Member State plans to implement, within a defined timeframe, justifiable and strategically significant investments addressing the common priorities of the Union as outlined in Article 12, that year will be exempted from this rule, meaning that the year will be taken out of the proportionality calculations;
Amendment 483 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(d a) the plan has sufficient investments in climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation;
Amendment 495 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point e
Amendment 504 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 a (new)
If a Member States deficit is above 3% while the public debt is below the 60% of GDP reference value, the rules in Article 6(1), points (c) and (d), shall not apply.
Amendment 534 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 b (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Following the negotiations, in case of no agreement between the Member State and the Commission on the reference trajectory, the Council may recommend the Member State concerned that the technical trajectory proposed by the Commission be the net expenditure path of the Member State or request a new proposal.
Amendment 535 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 c (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. In case a Member State does not submit its proposal for a reference trajectory by [1 March] of the same year referred to in paragraph 1, the Commission shall put forward a reference trajectory meeting the requirements set out in Article 6 in its own motion.
Amendment 555 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
To assess plausibility and sustainability that the projected public debt ratio of the Member State concerned is on a downward path or remains at a prudent level, the Commission shall use thea methodology referred to in Annex V. The Commission shall make public its analysis of plausibility and the underlying data. based on the following conditions: (a) public debt ratio should be declining, or stay at prudent levels, under the deterministic scenarios of the Commission’s medium-term public debt projection framework based on the debt sustainability analysis methodology; (b) the risk of the public debt ratio not decreasing in the 5 years following the adjustment period of the national medium-term fiscal-structural plan is sufficiently low, according to the Commission's analysis.
Amendment 584 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Prior to submission, Member States shall discuss its draft national medium-term fiscal-structural plan with its respective parliaments. The Member State shall make its national medium-term fiscal- structural plan public, including all the data and documents related to the negotiations and assumptions used for the reference trajectory.
Amendment 644 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) explain how it will eEnsure the delivery of investment and reforms responding to the main challenges identified within the European Semester, in the country-specific recommendations, correct the identified macroeconomic imbalances under the Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure if applicable, and address the common priorities of the Union referred to in Annex VI of this Regulation, including the European Green Deal, European Pillar of Social Rights and the Digital Decade while being consistent with the updated National Energy and Climate Plans and the National Digital Decade Roadmaps;the social convergence reports under the Social Convergence Framework and correct, if applicable, the identified macroeconomic imbalances under the Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure, the warnings by the Commission, or the recommendations by the Council, made pursuant to Article 121(4) TFEU.
Amendment 671 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) explain how it will ensure consistencEnsure consistency and where appropriate complementarity with the Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Member State concerned during the period of availability of the Recovery and Resilience Facility in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/241 and with any EU investment instruments that address the EU common priorities or serve the same purpose as the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Amendment 680 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point d b (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point d b (new)
(d b) ensure progress in addressing national public investment gaps in alignment with each of the priorities of the Union as stated in Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 1466/97, recognising that these investments play a pivotal role in supporting the fulfilment of Union objectives and ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth, upward social convergence and fiscal stability;
Amendment 685 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point d c (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point d c (new)
(d c) ensure consistency and, where appropriate, complementarity with the EU funds, namely cohesion policy funds the Member State concerned benefits from;
Amendment 686 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point d d (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point d d (new)
(d d) ensure consistency with the broad guidelines for the economic policies of the Member States and with the employment guidelines in accordance with Article 121(2) and Article 148(2) TFEU;
Amendment 687 #
When calculating the budget balance, Member States shall be allowed to use alternative accounting views on public investments replacing gross investment expenditure with depreciation on investments in calculating public deficit. This shall apply particularly for those member states whose budget position exceeds the 3% of deficit/GDP reference value.
Amendment 707 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point i
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point i
(i) be growth enhancing and boost resilience and upward social convergence;
Amendment 730 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point iv
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point iv
(iv) address relevant country-specific recommendations addressed to the Member State concerned, under Article 121(4) and Article 148(4) TFEU including, where applicable, recommendations issued under the Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure as well as under the Social Convergence Framework;
Amendment 751 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 4
Article 13 – paragraph 4
4. DCommitments included in the approved Recovery and Resilience Plan during the lifetime of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/241, commitments included in the approved Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Partnership Agreement in Multiannual Financial Framework of the Member State concerned canshould be taken into account and be consistent with the overall set of reforms an d investments for an extension of the adjustment period.
Amendment 817 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) whether the government deficit is maintained below, on average, the 3% of GDP reference value throughout the duration of the plan or whether the government deficit returns swiftly below the 3% of GDP reference value at the latest by the end of the adjustment period when the deficit is above this reference value at the time of submission of the national medium-term fiscal-structural plan;
Amendment 937 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 2
Article 21 – paragraph 2
The Commission shall set up a control account, functioning in accordance with Annex IV, and shall keep track of cumulative upward and downward deviations of actual net expenditures from the net expenditure path. Debt issued in the form of European Green Bonds according to [the Green Bonds Regulation] shall not be counted in the calculation of deviations from the net expenditure path.
Amendment 943 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 21 – paragraph 2 a (new)
The years where Member States implement, within a defined timeframe, justifiable and strategically significant investments addressing the common priorities of the Union as outlined in Article 12, with a combined size of at least ]x%] of GDP, that lead to a deviation from the net expenditure path, shall not be recorded as deviation from the control account and shall be included among the relevant factors to be assessed when opening an Excessive Deficit Procedure as specified in the Article 126(3)
Amendment 944 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 21 – paragraph 2 b (new)
The same procedure applies for the years where a Member State suffers exceptional circumstances outside its control that lead to a major impact on the public finances of the Member State concerned, as specified in article 25.
Amendment 945 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 2 c (new)
Article 21 – paragraph 2 c (new)
If the structural primary balance remains above X% during the adjustment period, the Member State would be exempt from the debt-based EDP triggered by deviations on control account.
Amendment 952 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 1
Article 22 – paragraph 1
Each national independent fiscal institution referred to in Article 8 of Council Directive […]32 [on the national budgetary frameworks] shall provide an assessment of compliance of the budgetary outturns data reported in the progress report referred to in Article 20 with the net expenditure path, including of non quantifiable targets and an assessment of the social impact of fiscal adjustment policy choices involving social experts in the process. Where applicable, each national independent fiscal institution shall also analyse the factors underlying a deviation from the net expenditure path. _________________ 32 Council Directive […] of […] [amending Council Directive 2011/85/EU on requirements for budgetary frameworks of the Member States] (OJ …., …, p,…)
Amendment 955 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 22 – paragraph 1 a (new)
The Commission shall establish the European Advisory Fiscal Board (EFB), an independent expert group, which shall have an advisory role in respect of the Union’s economic policy coordination. The Commission shall have no voting rights. European social partners should be invited as observer members.
Amendment 973 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 23 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. The Commission shall orally inform the Chair and Vice-Chairs of the competent committee of the European Parliament of the progress made in the preparation of the draft Commission recommendation referred to in paragraph 2. That information shall be treated as confidential.
Amendment 1008 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 25 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Where Member States face a negative GDP growth or must implement, within a defined timeframe, justifiable and strategically significant investments addressing the common priorities of the Union as outlined in Article 12, with a combined size of at least (X)% of GDP, shall be considered as exceptional circumstances and shall allow Member States to deviate from its net expenditure path.
Amendment 1023 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 28 a (new)
Article 28 a (new)
Article28a European Parliament and the European Semester An agreement shall be concluded between the European Parliament and Commission on the detailed arrangements for organising the Parliamentary scrutiny of the European Semester and the involvement of the European Parliament in the drafting and approval of the Annual Sustainability Growth Survey, of the broad economic policy and employment guidelines, of the reference trajectory, of the medium-term fiscal- structural plans, of the country-specific recommendations, and for organising the accountability of the Commission and the responsible Commissioner for their activities in implementing this Regulation.
Amendment 1055 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 35 – paragraph 1
Article 35 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission may undertake in- depth surveillancemonitoring missions in Member States which are the subject of recommendations issued pursuant to Article 23 for the purposes of on-site monitoring.
Amendment 1057 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 35 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 35 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. European Commission may invite social partners or other relevant stakeholders to offer their views on the socio-economic situation in the Member State and the identification of any risks or difficulties in complying with the objectives of this Regulation.
Amendment 1062 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 36 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 36 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. The report referred to in paragraph 1 shall assess and review:
Amendment 1070 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 36 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 36 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. The Commission shall submit the report to the European Parliament and to the Council, together with, where appropriate, a legislative proposal for an EU investment instrument to ensure that the central objective of the reform of this framework - to strengthen public debt sustainability while promoting sustainable and inclusive growth and upward social convergence in all Member States and respond fully to the sustained high levels of investment needed to address the current and future strategic priorities of the EU - can be met, or if the framework needs to be complemented by the establishment of a central and permanent investment instrument
Amendment 1107 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) Progress in addressing national public investment gaps in alignment with each of the priorities of the Union as stated in Article 12;
Amendment 1135 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point q
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point q
(q) Information on the public consultations of social partners, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders in view of the preparation of the plan and a summary of their contributions to the plan.
Amendment 1136 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
(q a) Challenges identified in the social convergence reports under the Social Convergence Framework and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Amendment 1137 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point q b (new)
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point q b (new)
(q b) A quantification, as much as possible, of the expected impacts of reforms and investment referred to under point (k) on fiscal sustainability, sustainable and inclusive growth and quality employment as well as upward social convergence, where applicable in line with commonly agreed methodologies;
Amendment 1151 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex III – paragraph 1 – point m a (new)
Annex III – paragraph 1 – point m a (new)
(m a) Progress in addressing national public investment gaps in alignment with each of the priorities of the Union as stated in Article 12;
Amendment 1153 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex III – paragraph 1 – point n
Annex III – paragraph 1 – point n
(n) Information on labour market, skills and social policy developments, and on the implementation of policy measures taken that foster upward social convergence among Member States towards better working and living conditions, in line with the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the Employment Guidelines under Article 148 TFEU. That includes the expected impact of measures, in relation to progress on the national targets on employment, skills and poverty reduction by 2030 and if applicable the expected impact of measures to address the challenges identified under the Social Convergence Framework.
Amendment 1154 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex III – paragraph 1 – point n a (new)
Annex III – paragraph 1 – point n a (new)
(n a) A quantification, as much as possible, of the expected impacts of reforms and investment referred to under point (k) on fiscal sustainability, sustainable and inclusive growth and quality employment as well as upward social convergence, where applicable in line with commonly agreed methodologies