The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the report drafted by Georgios KOUMOUTSAKOS (EPP, EL) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Programme to support the further development of an Integrated Maritime Policy.
It recommends that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading, under the ordinary legislative procedure, amends the Commission proposal as follows:
Programme objectives: Members consider that the primary objective of which is to maximise the sustainable development, economic growth and social cohesion of EU coastal, island and outermost regions through coherent and coordinated maritime-related policies and relevant international cooperation. The Programme shall support the sustainable use of the seas and oceans, and the expansion of scientific knowledge.
Further objectives include: (i) supporting the development and implementation of sea-basin strategies; (ii) promoting the protection of the marine environment, in particular its biodiversity; (iii) supporting sustainable "blue" economic growth, employment, innovation and new technologies in maritime sectors and in coastal, island and outermost regions in the EU; (iv) enhancing the visibility of maritime Europe.
Operational objectives: the structure of the objectives should allow a clear attribution of operational objectives to a general objective. According to Members the operational objectives should be detailed and specific, but a measure of flexibility is needed. Therefore there should be the possibility to modify them during the implementation period. As the operational objectives are non-essential elements of this legislative act which are of general application, Article 290 of the TFEU on delegated acts must be applied.
Eligible actions and beneficiaries: the Programme may provide financial assistance for the following types of actions: (i) studies, research and operational cooperative programmes, including education, professional training and re-training programmes; (ii) public information and best practice sharing, awareness raising and associated communication and dissemination activities, including publicity campaigns, and events and the development and maintenance of websites and relevant social networks and databases; (iii) conferences, seminars, workshops, stakeholders fora and training activities for relevant professional groups.
Third countries and stakeholders in third countries should not be excluded from the list of possible beneficiaries.
Work programmes: as a framework for the implementation of the Programme, the Commission shall adopt one or several work programmes for appropriate periods by means of delegated acts.
Financing: the committee recalls that in its resolution of 21 October 2010 on Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP), the Parliament supported the Commission's stated intention to finance the IMP with EUR 50 million over the next two years in order to build upon previous projects in the areas of policy, governance, sustainability and surveillance.
The amendments proposed by the Members stipulate that the available annual appropriations and the appropriate nomenclature shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the current financial framework, without jeopardising the implementation of current programmes and activities, thus avoiding redeployment within the relevant heading of the current financial framework. Members state that the budgetary resources allocated to the Programme shall be taken from the margin available in heading 2 of the multiannual financial framework for 2007-2013, without prejudice to the decision of the budgetary authority.
Areas of expenditure for various objectives: the financial envelope shall be earmarked for the following areas:
Reporting, evaluation and extension: Members call on the European Parliament and the Council shall be regularly and promptly informed about the Commission's work.
The Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council:
The Commission shall submit, if appropriate, a legislative proposal on the extension of the Programme beyond 2013 with an appropriate financial envelope.
Delegated acts: Members aim to see more involve of the Legislators in further decision-making through delegated acts and reporting. They introduce amendments laying down the conditions of the delegation of powers.