2009/2235(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. OPoints out that cohesion policy is an instrument for the development of EU policies, given that transfers are conditional upon specific investments being made; observes that in the programme allocations for 2007-2013 approx. €228 billion over the 7-year period has been earmarked to the Lisbon priorities; highlights that the overall allocations, also in the EU12, went beyond the percentages required;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Observes that in the programme allocations for 2007-2013 approx. €228 billion over the 7-year period has been earmarked to the Lisbon priorities; highlights that the overall allocations, also in the EU12, went beyond the percentages ~~requir~~suggested;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that the allocations vary significantly across Member States and among Objectives; stresses that there is no one-size-fits-all policy for all areas and that such an attempt would lead to a lack of identification with any strategy for growth and result in its poor implementation; therefore the approach to establish strategies for macroregions should be considered;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that the allocations vary significantly across Member States and among Objectives; stresses that there is no one-size-fits-all policy for all areas and that such an attempt would lead to a lack of ownership and identification with any strategy for growth and result in its poor implementation;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3a (new)

3a. Takes the view that the original Lisbon Strategy, based solely on the open method of coordination, was structurally unable to obtain its stated goals and that it was only when it was linked to the Cohesion policy that true results were reached; stresses that this error should be avoided in the proposed EU2020 strategy

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Regrets that due to the delayed start-up of the programmes and the subsequent lack of data on expenditure, the correspondence between programme allocations and actual expenditure cannot be verified at this stage, nor is it possible to assess the soundness of the Lisbon investments, particularly as regards programming in less advanced countries; eagerly awaits the publication of the Commission's strategic report and asks that a high level inter-institutional debate is carried out on this basis to analyse the contribution of the cohesion policy to the Lisbon objectives and to assess the future interrelations;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Criticises the lack of an overall assessment of the impact of cohesion expenditure on regional development; calls upon the Commission to assess the territorial impact of earmarking Structural Funds to the Lisbon Strategy and to evaluate whether this system is actually contributing to balanced and coherent ~~territori~~regional development;

Amendment 17 #

László SURJÁN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recognises that an effective evaluation must be based on indicators allowing data comparison and aggregation among regions; urges the Commission to come up with a proposal for evaluation indicators before 2012 in order to provide the means to measure the impact produced with regard quantity and quality as well and to make the necessary adjustments for the next programming period;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Regrets that, while the main objectives of the Lisbon Agenda initially included economic growth, employment and social cohesion, the re-launch of the Strategy in 2005 presented a less ambitious programme ~~with a minor role for the social pillar~~;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Considers ~~weak~~ multi-level governance ~~one of the main limits of the Lisbon Strategy, with the insufficient involvement of~~to be a strategic asset of cohesion policy, but stresses that regional and local authorities and civil society are still insufficiently involved in the design, implementation, communication and evaluation of th~~e strateg~~at policy; recommends their stronger integration in the future at all stages; points out that one of the governance-related problems that has arisen stems from the supervision and control system established by the Commission, and accordingly stresses the need for major changes to management and control procedures in order to make the policy more flexible and efficient; points out, at the same time, that the strategies cannot be made subject to extremely complicated rules;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas, bearing in mind that the ultimate aim of cohesion policy is to reduce the gap between the levels of development of the various regions and the extent to which the least-favoured regions and islands (including rural areas) are lagging behind, since 2007 the Structural Funds regulations include obligatory earmarking to the Lisbon objectives for the EU15, targeting cohesion policy resources at the attractiveness of Member States and regions, growth and jobs,

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Considers weak multi-level governance one of the main limits of the Lisbon Strategy, with the insufficient involvement of regional and local authorities and civil society in the design, implementation, communication and evaluation of the strategy; ~~recommends~~calls, in accordance with the subsidiarity principle enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty and with due regard for the importance of municipal self-governance, for their stronger integration in the future at all stages;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Highlights that when the partnership principle has been applied in the Lisbon Strategy, it has increased the sense of ownership of the objectives by the local and regional authorities, as well as by the economic and social stakeholders, and ensured higher sustainability of the interventions; calls on the Commission to monitor the implementation of the partnership principle in the Member States more effectively;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Notes that Europe's regions and cities play a fundamental part in implementing the Lisbon Strategy, being key players in the field of innovation, research and education policy; points out that they implement more than one third of all public investment in the EU and are increasingly focusing Structural Fund spending on growth- and job-related objectives;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. PStresses that regional and local authorities can create an environment that fosters business growth in their local areas, but takes the view that Europe's future territorial development cannot be purely competition-based; points out that the regional level in particular has a crucial role to play as the vehicle to reach the countless economic and social actors living and producing in Europe, especially SMEs, and to foster education and vocational training, research, innovation and development;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Points out that the regional and local level in particular has a crucial role to play as the vehicle to reach the countless economic and social actors living and producing in Europe, especially SMEs, and to foster education and vocational training, research, innovation and development;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. points out that the regional and local level in particular has a crucial role to play as the vehicle to reach the countless economic and social actors living and producing in Europe, especially SMEs, and to foster education and vocational training, research, innovation and development;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Re~~commends enhancing synergies~~grets the weak synergies that existed between National Strategic Reference Frameworks and the National Reform Programmes ~~through stronger and~~under the strategy, which lacked a strong regular dialogue ~~fostered~~ at all levels, including the Community level, among administrations responsible for the cohesion policy and the Lisbon Strategy;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recommends enhancing synergies between National Strategic Reference Frameworks and the National Reform Programmes through stronger and regular dialogue fostered at all levels, including the Community level, ~~among~~between administrations responsible for the cohesion policy and the Lisbon Strategy and the thematically relevant partners;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Appreciates the results produced so far through the financial engineering instruments and the cooperation with the EIB in fostering innovation and research through renewable forms of funding and stresses the need to strengthen the links between EU financing instruments and EIB financing instruments; recognises their leverage potential for investments and asks for their strengthening especially as regards JEREMIE and JESSICA to ensure better support to business and SMEs; recommends that the rules governing these instruments be simplified to allow their greater use by beneficiaries;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Welcomes the adoption of the Commission proposal on the future EU2020 strategy; stresses the long-term nature of this strategy that aims to create framework conditions for stable growth in Europe, and agrees with the priorities identified; points out, however, that instruments such as the Lisbon and EU2020 strategies are the product of a consensus among Member States with widely differing levels of development;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas since 2007 the Structural Funds regulations include obligatory earmarking to the Lisbon objectives for the EU15 and a similar non-obligatory earmarking mechanism has been voluntarily applied by the EU12, targeting cohesion policy resources at the attractiveness of Member States and regions, growth and jobs,

Amendment 30 #

Danuta Maria HÜBNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Welcomes the ~~adoption of the Commission proposal on the future~~debate on EU2020 strategy; stresses its nature of long-term strategy aiming to create framework conditions for stable growth in Europe and agrees with the identified priorities;

Amendment 31 #

Lena KOLARSKA-BOBIŃSKA, Danuta JAZŁOWIECKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Welcomes the adoption of the Commission proposal on the future EU2020 strategy; stresses ~~the long-term nature of this strategy that~~its nature of long-term vision aimsing to create framework ~~conditions for stable growth in~~for coordinating national economic policies in order to strengthen the competitiveness of Europe, and agrees with the ~~priorities identified~~identified priorities;

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. ~~Welcom~~Notes the adoption of the Commission proposal on the future EU2020 strategy; stresses the long-term nature of this strategy that aims to create framework conditions for stable growth and jobs creation in Europe, and agrees with the priorities identified;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. ~~Welcom~~Notes the adoption of the Commission proposal on the future EU2020 strategy; stresses the long-term nature of this strategy that aims to create framework conditions for stable growth in Europe, and agrees with the priorities identified;

Amendment 34 #

Salvatore CARONNA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Welcomes the adoption of the Commission proposal on the future EU2020 strategy; stresses the long-term nature of this strategy that aims to create framework conditions for stable growth in Europe, and agrees with the priorities identified; stresses the importance of subsequently developing a multi-level territorial approach;

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Welcomes the adoption of the Commission proposal on the future EU2020 strategy; stresses the long-term nature of this strategy that aims to ~~create framework conditions for stable growth in Europe, and agrees with the priorities identified~~make the transition to a sustainable economy now by decoupling economic growth from the consumption of resources and energy;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13a (new)

13a. Recommends strongly that the Commission prepares a straight-out evaluation of the weaknesses in the Lisbon strategy implementation in order to prevent making the same mistakes with EU2020;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13a (new)

13a. Regrets, however, the manner in which this strategy has been proposed even before the completion of the review of the current Lisbon Strategy and without properly consulting the European Parliament;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13a (new)

13a. Calls for the development of a strategy, in line with the Lisbon Strategy, for the alignment of infrastructure with European standards by modernising road, rail and air transport systems, introducing non-polluting transport arrangements, qualitatively improving access to drinking water and drainage and waste management systems, introducing more effective environmental management, and ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources and renewable energies, in a perspective of economic development and improved social cohesion;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Considers that the new strategy should encompass, beyond GDP, a set of indicators for wellbeing, as well as indicators taking into account broad economic externalities and environmental pressure, and that these indicators should be defined, adopted and assessed through democratic and innovative procedures;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas - particularly during the current recession - the cohesion policy is one of the main instruments to foster growth, competitiveness and jobs in the EU due, among other things, to its stable amount of funding ~~and~~, the decentralised management system applied and the inclusion of Community sustainable development priorities among its fundamental objectives,

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Stresses the need to bring this EU policy into line with the strategic objectives pursued by the EU, while not causing any disruption in Member States by requiring them to make investments that may not be a priority, or even necessary, for the development of individual States; calls for Member States to be allowed greater flexibility in implementing cohesion policy, with a view to ensuring that it expedites the achievement of priority objectives in general;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13b. Urges the EU to adopt specific provisions and take appropriate action to meet the special needs of coastal regions, islands, upland regions and outermost regions, in the light of the legal basis for territorial cohesion that the new Lisbon Treaty provides;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Appreciates that the social dimension is taken into account in the proposal~~, but regrets that it still does not have a central role in the strategy~~; stresses that the recent crisis has demonstrated that no strategy for growth can neglect the objectives of social protection, access to services, the fight against poverty and social exclusion and the creation of quality jobs;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Appreciates that the social dimension is taken into account in the proposal, but ~~regrets that it still does not have a central role in the strategy~~stresses that the economic pillar has the central role in terms of job creation and therefore it is vital to complete the free, open and functional Internal Market enabling businesses to react with flexibility to the macro-economic trends; stresses that the recent crisis has demonstrated that no strategy for growth can neglect the objectives of social protection, access to services, the fight against poverty and social exclusion and the creation of quality jobs;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Appreciates that the social dimension is taken into account in the proposal, but regrets that it still does not have a central role in the strategy; stresses that the recent crisis has demonstrated that ~~no strategy for growth can neglect~~ the objectives of social protection, access to services, the fight against poverty and social exclusion and the creation of quality jobs are of fundamental importance for the social cohesion of Europe and must consequently be assigned higher priority in the EU2020 Strategy;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

Amendment 47 #

László SURJÁN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Welcomes the call for more sustainable, smart jobs, but acknowledges that a new economic model might lead to an uneven distribution of costs and benefits among individual Member States and regions, and thus ~~may require action at Union level to prevent this happening~~in order to prevent this happening, calls up the Union to take the responsibility and identify key areas of action where according to the principle of subsidiarity the European level intervention is the most appropriate to achieve the best results for all;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Welcomes the call for more sustainable, smart jobs, but acknowledges that a new economic model might lead to an uneven distribution of costs and benefits among individual Member States and regions, and thus may require action at Union level to prevent this happening; calls on the Commission to draw up a European strategy for green jobs in order to tap the valuable employment potential of a sustainable economy in disadvantaged regions and regions affected by the crisis;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15a (new)

15a. Stresses the need to use human capital more efficiently in line with the EU-2020 strategy; believes this should be done by increasing investment in education, bringing course content into line with labour market needs, attracting and retaining as large a workforce as possible, creating more jobs in order to satisfy demand, encouraging adaptability and business spirit, and promoting equality and social inclusion;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas - particularly during the current recession - the cohesion policy is the main instrument to foster growth and jobs in the EU due to its stable amount of funding for long-term development programmes and policies and the decentralised management system applied,

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Stresses that ~~education, training,~~ research and innovation are key instruments ~~to foste~~for the development of the EU and can make it more competitive in the face of global challenges; is convinced that education and training are the fundamental precondition for achieving these ends; is of the opinion that there must be regular investment in these fields and that innovation in particular should be measured by its results;

Amendment 52 #

Markus PIEPER, Sabine VERHEYEN, Sophie AUCONIE, Joachim ZELLER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Stresses that education, training, research and innovation are key instruments to foster the development of the EU and make it more competitive in the face of global challenges; is of the opinion that there must be regular investment in these fields a~~nd that innovation in particular should be measured by its results~~s well as a regular assessment of the progress made on the basis of the results achieved;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Stresses that education, training, research and innovation are key instruments to foster the development of the EU and make it more competitive in the face of global challenges; is of the opinion that there must be regular investment in these fields and that innovation in particular should be measured by its results; calls in this regard for a better coordination of the structural funds and the Framework program to maximise the benefits of the funding for research and innovation in the future;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Stresses that education, training, research and innovation are key instruments to foster the development of the EU and make it more competitive in the face of global challenges; is of the opinion that there must be regular investment in these fields and that innovation in particular should be measured by its results; notes that an European competitive advantage could be enhanced through the development of "smart specialisation" in regional clusters within Member States and regions;

Amendment 55 #

Markus PIEPER, Sabine VERHEYEN, Joachim ZELLER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Sstresses that education, training, research and innovation are key instruments to foster the development of the EU and make it more competitive ~~in the face of~~against the global challenges; is of the opinion that there must be regular and reasonable investment in these fields and that innovation in particular should be measured by its results, for example the successful transfer to and real use by services and industry;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16a (new)

16a. Stresses the major importance in terms of long-term growth of economic competitiveness in the new Member States; believes this will necessitate increased expenditure on R & D, greater competitiveness on the part of local economies and an improved support infrastructure for business, to enable the new Member States to adapt to the 'knowledge economy';

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16a (new)

16a. Acknowledges that the established structure of objectives in the structural policies has proven a success during its first years; calls for the sake of planning reliability for the perpetuation of this structure as well as for the perpetuation of the principle of shared management; acknowledges that an adjustment of the objective contents might be necessary for an adaption to the 2020 goals;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Considers that the territorial dimension of the Lisbon Treaty will only be fulfilled once it has been ensured that people in disadvantaged regions likewise have access to high-quality basic amenities in the fields of transport infrastructure, telecommunications and energy (including networks) at acceptable prices;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Notes that infrastructural deficiencies still vary considerably across Europe, blocking its growth potential; believes that a true level playing field in transport, energy, telecommunications and IT infrastructure needs to be created, should be included in the strategy and continue to be a vital part of the cohesion policy;deleted

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas two-thirds of public sector investment across the EU comes from the regional and local levels, regional and local authorities often concentrate substantial policy competences and are key actors in ~~implement~~delivering both the current Lisbon Strategy and the future EU2020 Strategy,

Amendment 60 #

Danuta JAZŁOWIECKA, Lena KOLARSKA-BOBIŃSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Notes that infrastructural deficiencies still vary considerably across Europe, blocking its growth potential and the smooth functioning of the Internal Market; believes that a true level playing field in transport, energy, telecommunications and IT infrastructure needs to be created, should be included in the strategy and continue to be a vital part of the cohesion policy;

Amendment 62 #

Sabine VERHEYEN, Hermann WINKLER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Notes that infrastructural deficiencies, particularly in rural regions, still vary considerably across Europe, blocking its growth potential; believes that a true level playing field in transport, energy, telecommunications and IT infrastructure needs to be created, should be included in the strategy and continue to be a vital part of the cohesion policy;

Amendment 63 #

László SURJÁN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Notes that infrastructural deficiencies still vary considerably across Europe, blocking its growth potential; stresses the importance of cross-border cooperation with this regard and believes that a true level playing field in transport, energy, telecommunications and IT infrastructure needs to be created, should be included in the strategy and continue to be a vital part of the cohesion policy;

Amendment 64 #

Danuta Maria HÜBNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17a (new)

17a. Recognises that the EU Budget must play a central role in achieving the EU 2020 targets. Considers that cohesion policy due to its strategic focus, strong and binding conditionality, tailor made interventions, and monitoring and technical assistance, is an efficient and effective mechanism for EU2020 strategy delivery;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Notes that, particularly with regard to access to broadband, major deficits exist in rural areas, which must be overcome, in accordance with the objective stated in the Digital Agenda, in order to support the sustainable economic development of these regions;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Welcomes the recognition of the role of the Structural Funds in the delivery of the EU2020 goals; stresses, however, that the cohesion policy is not just the source of stable financial allocations. Its main goals - overcoming the disparities between regions and introducing real economic, social and territorial cohesion in Europe, and principles - an integrated approach, multi- level governance and real partnership - are key complementary elements for the success of the Sstrategy and should be ~~fully integr~~coordinated ~~into~~with it;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Welcomes the recognition of the role of the Structural Funds in the delivery of the EU2020 goals; stresses, however, that the cohesion policy is not just the source of stable financial allocations but is also a powerful instrument for the economic development of all of Europe's regions. Its main principles – an integrated approach, multi- level governance and real partnership – are key elements for the success of the strategy and should be fully integrated into it;

Amendment 68 #

Maurice PONGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Welcomes the recognition of the potential role of the Structural Funds in the delivery of the EU2020 goals; stresses, however, that the cohesion policy is not just the source of stable financial allocations. Its main principles – an integrated approach, multi- level governance and real partnership – are key elements for the success of the strategy and should be fully integrated into it;

Amendment 69 #

Petru Constantin LUHAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18a (new)

18a. Believes it is necessary to ensure an efficient and extensive infrastructure if a high level of competitiveness is to be achieved; in this context, the creation of suitable financial instruments for the modernisation and interconnection of infrastructures throughout the EU must remain a priority for the future of the EU- 2020 Strategy;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas cohesion policy ~~must be an integral part of the EU2020 Strategy because it is included in the Lisbon Treaty as an instrument to achieve the Treaty's goals,~~ , in line with the earlier decision to include among its priorities a contribution to meeting the objectives laid down in the Lisbon and Gothenburg strategies, must be an integral part of the EU2020 Strategy because it helps to foster growth, competitiveness and employment, which are strategic objectives for the EU,

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18a. Calls for expenditure from the EU Structural Funds to be reviewed for its positive impact on the environment, sparing use of resources and energy efficiency in order to attain the objective of the EU2020 Strategy, namely a transition to a low-resource and environmentally benign economy;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Emphasises that a strong and well- financed cohesion policy~~, embracing all European regions, must be a ke~~ must be a key complementary element of the EU2020 Strategy; believes that this policy, with its horizontal approach, is a ~~pre-condition for a successful delivery of the EU2020 goals, as well as for achieving social, economic and territorial cohesion in the EU~~n unique tool for economic, social and territorial cohesion in the EU and as such is an important precondition for successful delivery of the EU2020 goals; rejects all attempts to renationalise the cohesion policy and asks for the regional dimension to be fully supported in the review of the EU budget;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19a (new)

19a. Stresses that the timely definition of delivery mechanisms is of pivotal importance for the success of the EU 2020 Strategy;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Stresses that the cohesion policy is not subordinated to the EU2020 Strategy; highlights that whilst the cohesion policy's priorities should be resulting from the foreseen Single European Strategic Reference Framework and aligned with the EU2020 objectives, sufficient flexibility should be allowed to accommodate regional and national specificities and support the weaker regions to overcome their socio- economic difficulties and reduce disparities; since not the process but the results matter, common approach must not super ordinate the substance of the EU2020 strategy nor the future generation Cohesion Policy;

Amendment 74 #

Salvatore CARONNA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Stresses that the cohesion policy is not subordinated to the EU2020 Strategy; highlights that whilst the cohesion policy's priorities should be aligned with the EU2020 objectives, sufficient flexibility should be allowed to accommodate regional specificities and support the weaker regions so as to overcome their socio- economic difficulties and reduce disparities, while at the sane time ensuring the subsequent development of innovation capacities by the more competitive regions;

Amendment 75 #

Filiz HYUSMENOVA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Stresses that the cohesion policy is not subordinated to the EU2020 Strategy; highlights that whilst the cohesion policy's priorities should be aligned with the EU2020 objectives, sufficient flexibility should be allowed to accommodate regional specificities and support the weaker and neediest regions to overcome their socio- economic difficulties and reduce disparities;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Stresses that the cohesion policy is not subordinated to the EU2020 Strategy; highlights that whilst the cohesion policy's priorities should be aligned with the EU2020 objectives, sufficient flexibility should be allowed to accommodate regional specificities and support the weaker regions to overcome their socio- economic difficulties, natural handicaps and reduce disparities;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Asks for an improved governance system in the EU2020 Strategy compared to the Lisbon Strategy; recommends its design and implementation according to the multi-level governance principle so as to ensure ~~the greater~~an obligatory involvement of local and regional authorities ~~and~~voluntary consultations with civil society stakeholders;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Asks for an improved governance system in the EU2020 Strategy compared to the Lisbon Strategy; recommends its design and implementation according to the multi-level governance principle, inter alia using cohesion policy instruments, so as to ensure the greater involvement of local and regional authorities and civil society stakeholders;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Asks for an improved governance system in the EU2020 Strategy compared to the Lisbon Strategy; recommends its design and implementation according to the multi-level governance principle so as to ensure the greater involvement of local and regional authorities and civil society stakeholders; Stresses that this involvement should include the adopting of multi-level governance agreements;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas cohesion policy must be ~~an integral part of~~considered in relation to the EU2020 Strategy because it is included in the Lisbon Treaty as an instrument to achieve the Treaty's goals,

Amendment 80 #

Rodi KRATSA-TSAGAROPOULOU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Considers that ~~territorial cohesion, included as a new objective in the Lisbon Treaty, must be an integral part of the strategy, as a pre-requisite for the achievement of its goals~~EU2020 strategy must be an integral part in the achievement of the goal of territorial cohesion, included as a new objective in the Lisbon Treaty;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Considers that territorial cohesion, included as a new objective in the Lisbon Treaty, must be an integral part of the strategy, as a pre-requisite for the achievement of its goals; calls for particular attention to be paid to regions characterised by natural or demographic handicaps of a serious and permanent nature, such as island, crossborder and mountain regions;

Amendment 82 #

Marie-Thérèse SANCHEZ-SCHMID

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Considers that territorial cohesion, included as a new objective in the Lisbon Treaty, must be an integral part of the strategy, as a pre-requisite for the achievement of its goals; believes that local initiatives for crossborder cooperation offer a potential for territorial cohesion which has as yet not been sufficiently exploited;

Amendment 83 #

Filiz HYUSMENOVA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Considers that territorial cohesion, included as a new objective in the Lisbon Treaty, must be an integral part of the strategy, as a pre-requisite for the achievement of its goals; invites the Commission to set out the role of the macro-regions and thematic strategies in greater detail in its proposals for the future territorial cooperation arrangements;

Amendment 84 #

Lena KOLARSKA-BOBIŃSKA, Danuta JAZŁOWIECKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Points out that a stronger territorial dimension of the strategy, considering the specificities of the European regions, with the direct involvement of regional and local authorities and partners as referred to in the Regulation on the Structural Funds in the planning and implementation of the relevant programmes, will lead to a greater sense of ownership of its goals at all levels and ensure a better awareness of objectives and outputs on the ground;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Points out that a stronger territorial dimension of the strategy, considering the specificities and different development levels of the European regions, with the direct involvement of regional and local authorities in the planning and implementation of the relevant programmes, will lead to a greater sense of ownership of its goals at all levels and ensure a better awareness of objectives and outputs on the ground;

Amendment 86 #

Petru Constantin LUHAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Points out that a stronger territorial dimension of the strategy, considering the specificities of the European regions, with the direct involvement of regional and local authorities in the planning and implementation of the relevant programmes, will lead to a greater sense of ownership of its goals at all levels and ensure a better awareness of objectives and outputs on the ground; believes, in addition, that the regions need to be continuously supported by developing innovative financial instruments so that their role in achieving the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy can be maintained;

Amendment 87 #

Salvatore CARONNA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23a (new)

23a. Stresses the importance of ground- level knowledge, both locally and regionally, for the objectives of the EU2020 Strategy; to this end, considers it essential to ensure the provision of joint statistics, as well as reading capacity in respect of the indicators, at both local and regional level;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. points out the key role of cities in achieving the EU2020 goals; believes that only a balanced and smart development of urban areas based on technological advancements can ensure that the growth is sustainable; highlights that future Cohesion Policy must pay more significant respect to cities and adjusting agglomerations in order to enable them to be more instrumented, interconnected and intelligent in all areas of public life; urges that their experience and contribution be taken into account in implementing the EU2020 priorities, especially as regards climate and demographic change and ~~green~~ investments in energy, transport, water management, health care, public safety etc;

Amendment 89 #

Lambert van NISTELROOIJ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Points out the key role of cities in achieving the EU2020 goals; urges that their experience and contribution be taken into account in implementing the EU2020 priorities, especially as regards climate and demographic change and green investments; agrees with the Council's draft conclusions that regions are to be involved in the future growth and jobs strategy; states that since the execution of any strategy in this field is to be executed in cooperation with regions and cities, therefore suggests that the Commission and Council should take into account the advice of the Committee of the Regions on the EU 2020 Strategy; refers in this also to the Committee of the Regions Innovation Monitor;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Da (new)

Da. whereas the proposed EU2020 strategy, similar to the Lisbon Strategy, does not sufficiently reflect the different development levels of regions and Member States and therefore do not put enough stress to the economic cohesion in the enlarged EU,

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. ~~Recognises that, although highly significant, the Structural Funds are not the only instrument to implement the EU2020 Strategy; e~~Expects the Commission to present concrete proposals for creating synergies between the cohesion policy and existing sectoral policies according to an integrated approach; recommends rationalisation of the objectives, instruments and administrative procedures of the programmes and alignment of the programme duration of these policies;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Recognises that, although highly significant, the Structural Funds are not the only instrument to implement the EU2020 Strategy; expects the Commission to present - without anticipating the debate on future Financial Framework - concrete proposals for creating synergies between the cohesion policy and existing sectoral policies according to an integrated approach; recommends rationalisation of the that objectives, instruments and administrative procedures of programmes and alignment of the programme duration of these policies;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25a (new)

25a. Believes, however, that the Union should continue to use as its main financing mechanisms, the Cohesion Fund and structural funds, which have well-established and operational delivery methods; considers it is unnecessary to create new separate thematic funds to address the EU2020 goals and instead deems that they should be included into cohesion and rural development policies;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Recommends the adoption of a simplified approach to the use of the Structural Funds in the future regulatory framework; ~~highlights that the harmonisation of rules and procedures may lead to simplified~~recommends taking account of best practice models for the development of new delivery systems ~~and~~in order to encourage participation by potential beneficiaries in EU co-funded programmes more effectively than hitherto;

Amendment 96 #

Danuta JAZŁOWIECKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Recommends the adoption of a simplified approach to the use of the Structural Funds in the future regulatory framework; highlights that the harmonisation of rules and procedures may lead to simplified delivery systems and encourage participation by potential beneficiaries in EU co-funded programmes; recommends sticking to existing financing mechanisms such as Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund, which have well- well-established and operational delivery mechanisms;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26a (new)

26a. Recommends that the Commission undertake an annual review of the priorities of the EU-2020 Strategy, on the basis of the results obtained in implementing it and taking account of any alterations in the conditions as initially envisaged and the identification of new priorities as closely bound up with changes of a permanent nature at local, regional and global level;

Amendment 98 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26a (new)

26a. Calls on the Commission to present to the Parliament as soon as possible a structured working programme for the implementation of the Strategy and, in the future, clear implementation assessments; moreover calls for a clear working document setting out the relationship between the Strategy and the Cohesion policy;

Amendment 99 #