European Parliament : Amendments 006-008 - Annual Report on Competition Policy - A8-0474/2018(006-008)

23.1.2019 A8-0474/6

Amendment 6

Paloma López Bermejo, Patrick Le Hyaric on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group

Report A8-0474/2018 Michel Reimon

Annual report on competition policy (2018/2102(INI))

Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

32. Considers that it is a priority to ensure that State aid rules are strictly and impartially adhered to when dealing with future banking crises, so that taxpayers are protected against the burden of bank rescues;

AM1174809EN.docx

32. Considers that it is a priority to ensure that State aid rules are strictly and impartially adhered to when dealing with future banking crises, so that taxpayers are protected against the burden of bank rescues; stresses that this public aid to the financial sector has led to significant cuts in public resources allocated to universal services such as education and health; denounces the fact that these cuts have had a significant negative impact on the quality and scope of these public services; asks the Commission to present a study on the impact of public aid in the financial sector; considers that this study should be discussed in Parliament;

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PE631.672v01-00

United in diversity

23.1.2019 A8-0474/7

Paloma López Bermejo, Patrick Le Hyaric on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group

Report A8-0474/2018 Michel Reimon

Annual report on competition policy (2018/2102(INI))

Motion for a resolution Paragraph 38

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

38. Underlines the distortive effect State aid can have on the functioning of the internal market; recalls the strict requirements for the application of Article 107(3)(b) of the TFEU; notes that most decisions concerning antitrust issues and State aid are taken at national level; believes therefore that the Commission should monitor and take measures to ensure consistent policy within the internal market; calls on Commission to launch a roadmap for better targeted State aid; welcomes the constant efforts of the Commission to clarify the different aspects of the definition of State aid, as demonstrated in its Notice on the notion of State aid as referred to in Article 107(1) of the TFEU; notes in particular the efforts to clarify the notions of 'undertaking' and 'economic activity'; observes nonetheless that it remains difficult to draw the line between economic and non-economic activities; further points out that it is the role of the European Court of Justice to ensure the proper interpretation of the Treaty; calls on the Commission to continue giving particular attention to the delivery of services of general economic interest (SGEI) including energy, transport and telecommunication, when applying EU State aid rules, in particular in the context

38. Recalls the strict requirements for the application of Article 107(3)(b) of the TFEU; also considers that the economic context is unequal among the different Member States; considers that the Member States do not all have the same capacity to defend themselves against the consequences of economic crises and that State aid can therefore be a useful and balanced instrument to deal with market distortions; believes that State aid can also be a mechanism to protect jobs and essential social benefits to ensure social cohesion; notes that most decisions concerning antitrust issues and State aid are taken at national level; believes therefore that the Commission should monitor and take measures to ensure consistent policy within the internal market; calls on Commission to launch a roadmap for better targeted State aid, aimed at helping the Member States affected by significant social cuts to make use of this instrument in order to limit the social impact of the economic crisis; welcomes the constant efforts of the Commission to clarify the different aspects of the definition of State aid, as demonstrated in its Notice on the notion of State aid as referred to in Article 107(1) of the TFEU; notes in particular the efforts to

of state support dedicated to isolated, remote or peripheral regions in the Union; underlines that when applying State aid in order to promote services of general interest the aim should be to benefit consumers and citizens rather than to strengthen vested interests;

clarify the notions of 'undertaking' and 'economic activity'; observes nonetheless that it remains difficult to draw the line between economic and non-economic activities; further points out that it is the role of the European Court of Justice to ensure the proper interpretation of the Treaty; calls on the Commission to continue giving particular attention to the delivery of services of general economic interest (SGEI) including energy, transport and telecommunication, when applying EU State aid rules, in particular in the context of state support dedicated to isolated, remote or peripheral regions in the Union; underlines that when applying State aid in order to promote services of general interest the aim should be to benefit consumers and citizens rather than to strengthen vested interests;

Or. en

23.1.2019 A8-0474/8

Paloma López Bermejo, Patrick Le Hyaric on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group

Report A8-0474/2018 Michel Reimon

Annual report on competition policy (2018/2102(INI))

Motion for a resolution Paragraph 49

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

49. Highlights the commonly agreed aims and targets of the energy union and points specifically to the dimension of security, decarbonisation of the economy, solidarity and trust; underlines the importance of ensuring that European energy markets are built on the rule of law, competition, diversity of energy sources and suppliers, predictability and transparency and to prevent any market operator, established in the union or in a third country, from leveraging a dominant position to the detriment of competitors and consumers; calls, in this regard, for increased scrutiny of, and, where necessary, measures and imposed obligations against, such market operators; notes, in particular, that the strategy employed by certain energy companies of partitioning the EU gas market and by extension potentially breaking EU antitrust rules, needs to be properly addressed; further, recognises that the legally binding commitments undertaken by the Member States as part of the Paris Climate Agreement will not be realised without concrete state measures to promote and create incentives for and enable the production and use of renewable energy; takes note of the forthcoming revision of the guidelines on State aid and

49. Expresses serious concern about the increase in energy poverty in the European Union; considers that the rise in energy prices has seriously harmed family budgets and has had a direct impact on the rise of energy poverty; asks the Commission to analyse as soon as possible how prices are fixed in the electricity sector, and to act in order to safeguard the interests of consumers and ensure energy supply to all citizens; asks the Commission to exercise its legal prerogatives and sanction companies that are responsible for these bad practices; notes, in particular, that the strategy employed by certain energy companies of partitioning the EU gas market and by extension potentially breaking EU antitrust rules, needs to be properly addressed; further, recognises that the legally binding commitments undertaken by the Member States as part of the Paris Climate Agreement will not be realised without concrete state measures to promote and create incentives for and enable the production and use of renewable energy; takes note of the forthcoming revision of the guidelines on State aid and energy, which shall no longer exclude two of the sectors that benefit the most from state subsidies, namely nuclear energy and fossil

energy, which shall no longer exclude two of the sectors that benefit the most from state subsidies, namely nuclear energy and fossil fuel extraction, and provide for greater flexibility for consumer-generated renewable energy; highlights the importance of completing the energy union through the integration of markets, notably by investing in interconnectors where needed and based on market conditions and commercial potential, and by increasing the tradable capacity in existing interconnections; emphasises, therefore, that any State aid approval for capacity mechanisms must be subject to a strict necessity test including an examination of alternative measures, notably more efficient use of existing interconnectors; underlines that capacity mechanisms often represent considerable costs for consumers and function as a 'hidden subsidy', supporting unprofitable and polluting power stations, which makes it necessary to ensure that these schemes are not open to the most polluting assets when approving any State aid granted to them;

fuel extraction, and provide for greater flexibility for consumer-generated renewable energy; highlights the importance of completing the energy union through the integration of markets, notably by investing in interconnectors where needed and based on market conditions and commercial potential, and by increasing the tradable capacity in existing interconnections; emphasises, therefore, that any State aid approval for capacity mechanisms must be subject to a strict necessity test including an examination of alternative measures, notably more efficient use of existing interconnectors; underlines that capacity mechanisms often represent considerable costs for consumers and function as a 'hidden subsidy', supporting unprofitable and polluting power stations, which makes it necessary to ensure that these schemes are not open to the most polluting assets when approving any State aid granted to them;

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