The European Parliament adopted by 572 votes to 54,
with 36 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a
Council regulation amending the Council Regulation (EU) No 560/2014
of 6 May 2014 establishing the Bio-based Industries Joint
Undertaking.
Parliament approved the Commission proposal subject to
the following amendments to stipulate the following issues in the
recitals:
- the Bio-based Industries (BBI) joint undertaking
should aim to contribute to the implementation of the Framework
Programme for Research and Innovation (‘Horizon
2020’) through increased investment in the development of a
sustainable bio-based industry sector in Europe and to make the
Union a champion of research, demonstration, and deployment in
the bio-based products and biofuels marketplace;
- the financial contribution by the members of the BBI
Joint Undertaking other than the Union to operational costs is to
be at least EUR 182 500 000 over the ten-year period, that
is to say from the establishment of the BBI Joint Undertaking until
31 December 2024;
- the proposed amending regulation allows the
bio-industries consortium and its constituent entities to deliver
the financial contribution not only as payments to the BBI Joint
Undertaking. Members stated that this new delivery mode is
to
- ensure that the financial contributions become more
commercially viable for BIC and its
constituent entities. The Commission will examine how that
alternative mode of financing could apply to other joint
undertakings, and, in particular, to the Innovative
Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking;
- the Commission should submit a report to the
European Parliament and to the Council assessing the
effectiveness of this Regulation, in light of the BIC’s
obligation to deliver its financial contribution by 31 December
2024;
- in future cases, the Commission should always carry
out a public consultation in order to ensure that any
proposed changes are accepted by all interested parties, in
particular SMEs, and are developed in the most transparent and open
manner possible. Similarly, the Commission should conduct impact
assessments of the measures proposed measures.