Preparation of the Commission Work Programme 2012

The European Parliament,

–    having regard to the Commission Work Programme 2011 (COM (2010) 623),

–    having regard to the Framework Agreement between the European Parliament and the Commission adopted on 20 October 2010, in particular Annex IV thereof,

-     having regard to the outcome of the regular dialogue with the parliamentary committees,

–    having regard to Rule 35(3) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the current economic, social and environmental crisis more than ever demands strong European leadership and enhanced cooperation at EU level,

B.   whereas there cannot be any sustainable exit from this crisis in resorting to the policies that led to it; whereas it would be timely to rethink our model towards a broader political concept, putting people and the protection of the environment at the centre of policy-making and aiming at creating wellbeing and the best opportunities for all,

C.  whereas the European Commission’s performance must be measured against the challenges of overcoming this triple crisis, as well as defining the role of the European Union on global level through policy action in the fields of human rights, development, trade and foreign policy, and in making the European Union a more democratic area, accessible to its inhabitants and guaranteeing their civil rights, assuring transparency and democratic scrutiny, all of which necessitates new ideas and firm action,

D.  whereas President Barroso in his first State of the Union Address before the European Parliament outlined five priorities, namely "dealing with the economic crisis and building the momentum of recovery", "restoring growth for jobs by accelerating the Europe 2020 reform agenda", "building an area of freedom justice and security", "launching negotiations for a modern budget" and "pulling the EU's weight on the global stage",

E.   whereas in the first half of 2011 European citizens have been affected by the unfolding Eurozone debt crisis and persistently high unemployment levels, notably for youth;  whereas Europe’s global and regional environment is at the same time particularly dynamic and uncertain especially following the developments brought by the Arab spring  and the consequences of the combined natural and nuclear catastrophe in Japan; whereas new challenges arise as a result for each of the five priorities of the Commission Work Programme both in terms of initiatives to be taken and for the Commission as guardian of the Treaties; 

Dealing with the crisis

1.   Regrets that the current approach in the framework of the economic governance package remains unbalanced;  points out that the economic governance package should strengthen surveillance of economic policies and ensure effective compliance with a sustainable fiscal consolidation as well as allow macro financial imbalances  to be tackled properly and in a symmetrical rationale; insists that this package needs to be accompanied at the same time by a significantly stronger coordination and  harmonisation of taxation policies as well as additional rules and measures to generate new revenues and preserve and encourage well targeted public long term investment within a tightened regulatory framework so that new rules will not be carried on at the expense of future generations and the most vulnerable and so as to achieve a sustainable economy; Deems that Eurobonds are a necessary element of balanced and reinforced European economic governance;

2.   Holds that the Commission did not show leadership in addressing the social crisis and demands that economic governance is accompanied by a social dimension, inter alia by rebalancing the current one sided fiscal approach of the Annual Growth Survey and the recommendations to the national reform programmes, so as to apply the horizontal clauses of the Lisbon Treaty which aim at achieving social progress and well-being of people;

3.   Believes that the crisis should be used as an opportunity to transform our development model of society towards a highly efficient, renewables based and climate resilient economy; Underlines the need for policy coherence to that end in forthcoming roadmaps, sector reforms, legislation and budgets, such as the Energy Efficiency Plan and the Energy Roadmap 2050, the agriculture, cohesion and fisheries reforms, the White Paper on Transport, development policy, trade rules, etc;

Restoring growth for jobs by accelerating the Europe 2020 reform agenda

Financial regulation

4.         Points out that as regards financial regulation measures for the resilience of the financial system and the capacity to absorb losses need to be accompanied by measures to stop the build up of risk as well as measures to reduce the costs of failure; underlines in this respect the need for better monitoring of risk accumulation by banks, the separation of banking activities and utility functions, as well as robust proposals to handle bank failures in a more orderly way; Underlines furthermore in this context the need for regulating entities intimately linked to banking systems and providing similar functions but not subjected to same regulation (shadow banking);

5.         Stresses that the euro area crisis needs a comprehensive and resolute response; deems that such a response requires appropriate participation of private creditors and in particular an orderly debt restructuring of Greek sovereign debt along the lines of a well designed Euro area bond exchange plan; underlines that such a framework is inseparable from an ambitious European banking resolution framework based on fair burden sharing of costs and risks;

Smart, sustainable and inclusive growth

 6.   Underlines that clear commitment to objectives and targets in the different policy areas as well as appropriate budgetary allocations are needed to enable the mainstreaming of resource efficiency in society;

7.   Calls for the publication in 2011 of the long awaited Eco-Innovation Action Plan; urges the Commission to make it ambitious and comprehensive and to concentrate in particular on supporting SMEs in taking up the resource efficiency challenge;

8.   Calls for the development of a Common Strategic Framework for Research and Innovation that focuses on the transition to a resource efficient society, improving the multidisciplinary approach, increased participation of smaller players and more open systems of innovation;

9.   Urges the Commission to reject any attempt to integrate the idea of defence research and a role for the European Defence Agency (EDA) in the context of the future Framework Program for Research (Horizon 2020);

10. Calls on the Commission to work out at least one scenario for a nearly 100% renewables based energy efficient economy as part of the 2050 energy roadmap; Is dissatisfied with the Commission proposal on the Energy Efficiency Directive which will not permit that overall energy consumption is reduced by at least 20% compared to today's consumption and recalls in that context its demand for binding 2020 energy efficiency targets.

11. Remains firmly convinced that nuclear energy has no place in  a sustainable energy future, whilst underlining the need to ensure  the  highest safety standards during the period of nuclear phase-out; urges the Commission, against the background of the EU action on radioactively contaminated food after the Fukushima accident, to present a proposal to review the regulation on maximum levels in case of nuclear accidents as well as a review of the maximum permitted levels of radioactive contamination;

12. Regrets the lack of legislative action by the Commission to protect human health and the environment, despite obvious evidence of the need to urgently take action on identified challenges in the field of air quality, biodiversity protection, climate change or safety of nano-materials; points e.g. to the delayed reviews or commitments for proposals on National Emission Ceilings, F-gases, noise legislation, the climate impact of NOx emissions of aviation, consumer information on car fuel economy and CO2 emissions, emission limit values for non-road mobile machinery and legislation on indoor air quality.

13. Urges the Commission to step up its legislative activity and fully use its right of legislative initiative, and not let individual Member States obstruct its exercise of this prerogative, in particular expects the Commission to finalise the move to a 30% Greenhouse gas reduction target for 2020 so as to complete the necessary adjustments in time for the next ETS commitment period;

14. Regrets the delays in a number of initiatives foreseen for 2011 or even before and consequently urges these to be taken up in the Work Programme for 2012, notably on Green Jobs and skills and Job Creation, on a European Quality Internship Charter, the revision of the Working Time directive, legislation relating to the single Market act and the Social impact assessment; furthermore asks for a revision of the Posted workers Directive as such, next to the already promised revision on the directive on implementing the posted workers directive;

15. Underlines the urgent need to tackle unemployment, in particular youth employment and in that framework calls upon the Commission, inter alia, to ensure that Member States properly implement the youth guarantee initiative; Furthermore calls on the Commission to initiate a framework directive on minimum income, defining common standards and indicators on the adequacy and accessibility conditions of minimum income schemes and common indicators and benchmarks for the assessment of the effectiveness of policies designed to prevent and combat poverty to deliver on everyone's right to a dignified life;

16. Regrets the lack of coherence between principles contained in the Commission White Paper on Transport and the legislation following from it, which can be observed e.g. as regards "passenger rights where the many loopholes will make it difficult for passenger to enforce their rights or the Eurovignette directive, where the lack of sufficient criteria will do little to improve environmental performance;

Next Multiannual financial framework and reform packages

17. Recalls that EU budget needs to reflect the EU policy priorities for a transformation to a sustainable economy; Reiterates the need to end rebates and to introduce new own resources, such as a Financial Transaction Tax, to free budget debates from the short sighted perception of (net) national contributions and to increase investments on EU level to help achieve the EU 2020 strategy and EU 2050 energy and climate targets,

18. Insists that the Common Agricultural Policy reform should be geared towards sustainable farming and food systems and warns the Commission not to continue business as usual in direct payments and not to abandon an integrated rural development policy;

19. Looks forward to working with the Commission and the Council on a profound and radical Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, and encourages the Commission to maintain its objective of maintaining fish stocks at abundant levels, above those capable of producing Maximum Sustainable Yield; is concerned about the consequences for fish stocks and fishing communities in case of the privatisation of the right to fish; recalls that recovery plans are a crucial component of a sustainable fisheries policy and regrets Council's reluctance to apply the ordinary procedure for the adoption of them, as a result of which such plans are currently blocked;

20. Welcomes the Communication on the contribution of Cohesion policy to sustainable growth which contains clear wording on realigning funding programmes towards resource efficiency without delay; Insists that the legislative package for Cohesion Policy should include measures for greening cohesion policy at all stages, inter alia by ex-ante conditionality for environmental and climate legislation,  by gearing spending priorities towards sustainable development and green economy, by clear definitions of expenditure and climate proofing instruments for project selection;

21. Calls on the Commission to overcome the blockade by Council on the Solidarity Fund by making a new proposal;

22. Believes a follow up is needed to the quality products package to for the identification and background of products, linking quality products to the general objective of preserving biodiversity; is also of the opinion that the Commission must do more to as regards the milk package so as to avoid a next crisis and must thus propose measures for small farmers, disadvantaged and non arable regions

23. Urges the Commission to present a legislative proposal to prohibit the placing on the market of foods derived from cloned animals and their descendants and to present a fresh legislative proposal on Novel Foods, taking account of the EP positions expressed in the context of the previous (failed) legislative procedure; urges the Commission furthermore, in line with the conclusions of the Environmental Council of 4 December 2008,  to ensure the proper implementation of the provisions of the directive on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms, particularly the requirements of the environmental risk assessment;

24. Considers that the poor quality of many registration dossiers under REACH and the very limited action by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) as regards compliance of registration dossiers risk to seriously undermine REACH as a whole; therefore calls on the Commission and ECHA to take all necessary action to ensure that registration dossiers are of good quality as a prerequisite for REACH to become a success; 

25. In the field of internal market, services, free movement of good and consumer protections, underlines in particular the importance of a review of public procurement rules to facilitate the use of sustainability criteria, legislative proposals on access to basic banking services, the recognition of professional qualifications and, last but not least, effective market surveillance systems, which bear direct relation also to the revision of the General Product Safety Directive and Customs;

26. Is generally satisfied with the Commission performance as regards the information society and signals as priorities for 2012 inter alia the Digital single Market and roaming;

27. Urges the Commission to propose without delay the promised reform of the collective societies for the management of intellectual property rights and a legislative proposal on collective redress; furthermore expects the Commission to deliver on the list of proposals for civil, commercial, commercial and procedural law, as well as on intellectual and industrial property, as identified in the structured dialogue;

 Pursuing the Citizens agenda

28.       Is concerned by the failure to correctly implement the existing acquis in the field of asylum (Dublin, Eurodac, reception procedure and qualification directive for protection of asylum seekers), meaning that common European standards are not guaranteed, therewith also undermining the sense of solidarity; recalls that the Common European Asylum system is to be in place by 2012;

29.       Regrets current attempts by a couple of Member States to undermine the Schengen system by pursuing nationalistic agendas; Asks the Commission to vigorously defend the Schengen acquis and Schengen Border Code and stick to the procedures of the Lisbon Treaty; furthermore calls for a strengthening of the protection dimension of migration as a result of the Arab Spring with Member States showing solidarity within the EU and towards Arab countries;

30.       Is concerned with the Commission's approach on fundamental rights impact assessments, which is based on a narrow interpretation of article 51 , paragraph 1 of the Charter, and is focussed on limiting as much as possible the scope of the Charter as well as the Commission’s legal and political responsibility in its implementation;. Emphasises the universality and indivisibility of the principles and rights enshrined in the now legally binding Charter and thus calls for a holistic, compulsory assessment of compliance with the Charter for the entire legislative process;

31.       Calls for a swift alignment with the Lisbon Treaty as regards Europol and Eurojust to guarantee democratic oversight; Points to the need for swift adoption of all measures relating to the rights of suspects in criminal proceedings to balance mutual recognition of judicial decisions; furthermore calls for a uniform framework for data protection to provide safeguards for police and judicial cooperation and ensure that fundamental rights are also respected in the smart border system and in the fight against terrorism;

32.       Regrets that the Commission did not respond to the request by Parliament for a comprehensive strategy on violence against women; Urges the Commission to withstand pressure by Member States on the issue of maternity leave; furthermore calls on the Commission to follow up on the initiatives identified in the structured dialogue relating to reconciling work, family and private life, women in decision making and the integration of migrant women with children in health schemes and to make progress as regards the revision of legislation regarding the application of the principle of equal pay and a new legislative proposal on paternity, adoption and filial leave,

 33.       Prioritises work on the next generation of distinct and separate programmes for Life long Learning, Youth Culture and Media which have all proven added value; expects the Commission to uphold its commitment to safeguard cultural and linguistic diversity; Calls on the Commission to further support the development of Europeana both as regards the regulatory framework and financing, as well as to pursue its search for good and sustainable solutions for artists and creators of on line content in all copy rights issues,

34.       Recalls a demand made long ago, namely to give the European political parties and foundations a legal statute, enabling them to acquire legal personality under EU law rather than the law of the State where they are established or recognised; considers that such a statute could at the same time lay down minimum requirements as to their functioning and structure; states its intention to draw up a legislative proposal with this aim, to be submitted to the Commission in accordance with Article 225 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

 Europe in the World

35.       Insists that in the framework of the future generation of external financial instruments the High Representative/Vice-President of the Commission should create a genuine Foreign Affairs Instrument which takes account of the creation of the EEAS, as well as the changed global situation, particularly in view of the emerging economies; furthermore believes that a solution should be found  in order to close the existing financing gap in the transition from emergency to development aid by creating a facility for a limited but rapid disbursement of funds;

 36.       Underlines that the change of approach towards European Neighbourhood Countries resulting from the developments in North Africa and the Middle-East will need to be followed by the negotiation of a new generation of ENP Actions plans for democratic transformation and reform which needs a clearer methodology of benchmarking for their evaluation; in this context recalls that legally binding human rights clauses of international agreements must be made more effective through the inclusion of an enforcement mechanism and that civil society must directly contribute to the processes of good governance and take part in the elaboration and evaluation process of the implementation of the agreements through the setting up of a civil society monitoring mechanism

 37.       Stresses the need to preserve the unique features of the EIDHR in the revision of the EIDHR instrument, notably the fact that it can operate without the consent of the host country and its capacity to support human rights and democracy projects in countries with a poor human rights record, including special measures for human rights defenders; takes the view that the future European Endowment for Democracy and a possible Civil Society facility should neither substitute nor duplicate the work of the EIDHR;

 38.       Requests a follow up to Parliament's reports on" innovative financing instruments" and "tax and development"; furthermore asks for legislative proposals to address further tax havens, illicit flows of capital and misuse of price transfer as a follow up to the Communication on "Promoting Good Governance in Tax Matters" as well as proposals regarding commodity income stabilisation;  furthermore calls for a legislative initiative to bring transparency to the extractive industries in a legally binding way;

39.       Calls on the Commission to follow up on Parliament's requests as identified in the structured dialogue as regards humanitarian aid, disaster risk reduction, Linking Relief Rehabilitation and Development and Food assistance 

40.       Calls on the High Representative/Vice-President of the Commission to make a thorough analysis of the existing structure of EU and Member States representations in third countries and to propose ways to rationalise and unify the European diplomatic and consular services in the interest of a more concerted political agenda, budget savings, and a more unified perception of the EU for its citizens as those of third countries alike.     

 41.       Regrets the delays in the alignment with the Lisbon Treaty in the area of Trade; Points out that the review of the Generalised System of Preferences should respect the principle of Policy Coherence for Development and reflect the interests and concern of developing countries; Underlines the need to draw the consequences of the financial, economic, climate, food, energy crisis  for a reform of global trade rules, including a reform of Trade Defence Instruments  to tackle social and environmental dumping;

Delivery

42.       Urges the Commission to exercise its power and duty to bring infringement proceedings against Member States that have failed to fulfil an obligation under EU law; reminds that the discretionary power conferred by the Treaties upon the Commission in dealing with the infringement process must respect the rule of law, the requirement of transparency and openness and the principle of proportionality and must never endanger the very first aim of that power, which is to guarantee timely and correct application of EU law; Urges the Commission to guarantee that citizens/complainants are not excluded when dealing with the compliance of EU law  and asks the Commission to propose a procedural code in the form of a regulation under the new legal basis of article 289 TFEU which calls for an "open, efficient and independent European administration";  

43.       Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission.