Sittings · Document
OPINION (COM(2023)0335 – C90209/2023 – 2023/0199(COD)) 2023-10-03
On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’) and amending Directive 2003/87/EC, Regulations (EU) 2021/1058, (EU) 2021/1056, (EU) 2021/1057, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) 2021/1060, (EU) 2021/523, (EU) 2021/695, (EU) 2021/697 and (EU) 2021/241
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs · Rapporteur: MariePierre Vedrenne
AMENDMENTS
The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, as the committees responsible, to take the following into account:
Amendment 1
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (2) The EU industry has proven its inbuilt resilience but is being challenged. High inflation, labour shortages, post-COVID supply chains disruptions, rising interest rates, and spikes in energy costs and input prices are weighing on the competitiveness of the EU industry. This is paired with strong, but not always fair, competition on the fragmented global market. The EU has already put forward several initiatives to support its industry, such as the Green Deal Industrial Plan,40 the Critical Raw Materials Act41 , the Net Zero Industry Act42 , the new Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework for State aid,43 and REPowerEU.44 While these solutions provide fast and targeted support, the EU needs a more structural answer to the investment needs of its industries, safeguarding cohesion and the level playing field in the Single Market and to reduce the EU’s strategic dependencies. | (2) The EU industry has proven its inbuilt resilience but is being challenged. High inflation, labour shortages and skills mismatches, post-COVID supply chains disruptions, rising interest rates, and spikes in energy costs and input prices are weighing on the competitiveness of the EU industry. This is paired with strong, but not always fair, competition on the fragmented global market. The EU has already put forward several initiatives to support its industry, such as the Green Deal Industrial Plan,40 the Critical Raw Materials Act41 , the Net Zero Industry Act42 , the new Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework for State aid,43 and REPowerEU.44 While these solutions provide fast and targeted support, the EU needs a more structural answer to the investment needs of its industries, safeguarding cohesion and the level playing field in the Single Market and to reduce the EU’s strategic dependencies. The Union should promote a global economic system based on open and rules-based trade, respecting and advancing social, environmental and economic sustainability, including the promotion of quality jobs. |
| __________________ | __________________ |
| 40 Communication on A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age, COM(2023) 62 final. | 40 Communication on A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age, COM(2023) 62 final. |
| 41 COM(2023) 160 final | 41 COM(2023) 160 final |
| 42 COM(2023) 161 final | 42 COM(2023) 161 final |
| 43 Communication on a Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework for State Aid measures (OJ C 101, 17.3.2023, p. 3). | 43 Communication on a Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework for State Aid measures (OJ C 101, 17.3.2023, p. 3). |
| 44 Regulation (EU) 2023/435 as regards REPowerEU (OJ L 63, 28.2.2023, p. 1). | 44 Regulation (EU) 2023/435 as regards REPowerEU (OJ L 63, 28.2.2023, p. 1). |
Amendment 2
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (3) The uptake and scaling up in the Union of deep and digital technologies, clean technologies, and biotechnologies will be essential to seize the opportunities and meet the objectives of the green and digital transitions, thus promoting the competitiveness of the European industry and its sustainability. Therefore, immediate action is required to support the development or manufacturing in the Union of such technologies, safeguarding and strengthening their value chains thereby reducing the Union’s strategic dependencies, and addressing existing labour and skills shortages in those sectors through trainings and apprenticeships and the creation of attractive, quality jobs accessible to all. | (3) The uptake and scaling up in the Union of deep and digital technologies, clean technologies, and biotechnologies will be essential to seize the opportunities and meet the objectives of the green and digital transitions, thus promoting the competitiveness of the European industry and its sustainability. Therefore, immediate action is required to support the development or manufacturing in the Union of such technologies, safeguarding and strengthening their value chains thereby reducing the Union’s strategic dependencies, especially on undemocratic regimes, and addressing existing labour and skills shortages in those sectors through training and apprenticeships, the cooperation with education and training providers and the creation of attractive, quality jobs accessible to all. Such measures could help overcome structural differences between regions and help address the issue of brain drain, as well as social inequalities, including inequalities between women and men. |
Amendment 3
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (5) Strengthening the manufacturing capacity of key technologies in the Union will not be possible without a sizeable skilled workforce. However, labour and skills shortages have increased in all sectors including those considered key for the green and digital transition and endanger the rise of key technologies, also in the context of demographic change. Therefore, it is necessary to boost the activation of more people to the labour market relevant for strategic sectors, in particular through the creation of jobs and apprenticeships for young, disadvantaged persons, in particular, young people not in employment, education or training. Such support will complement a number of other actions aimed at meeting the skills needs stemming from the transition, outlined in the EU Skills Agenda.45 | (5) Strengthening the manufacturing capacity of key technologies in the Union will not be possible without a sizeable skilled workforce. However, labour and skills shortages and skills mismatches have increased in all sectors including those considered key for the green and digital transition and endanger the rise of key technologies, also in the context of demographic change. Therefore, it is necessary to address the root causes of such shortages and mismatches, close the gap between workers´ skills and labour market needs and boost the integration of more people into the labour market relevant for strategic sectors, in particular through the promotion of social dialogue, the creation of quality jobs and paid or remunerated apprenticeships for young, and disadvantaged persons in particular, young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) and young people with disabilities. At the same time, it is necessary to increase the attractiveness of technical careers, especially among women. It is therefore essential to support the integration of women in line with the European Strategy for Gender Equality and to address educational and occupational gender stereotypes. Such support will complement a number of other actions aimed at meeting the skills needs stemming from the transition, outlined in the EU Skills Agenda.45 In this regard, the European Year of Skills 2023 has an important role to play to further promote a mind-set of reskilling and upskilling, boost the competitiveness of Union undertakings, in particular SMEs, and contribute to the creation of quality jobs with a view to realising the full potential of the green and digital transition in a socially fair, inclusive and just manner. |
| __________________ | __________________ |
| 45 Communication on a European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, COM(2020) 274 final. | 45 Communication on a European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, COM(2020) 274 final. |
Amendment 4
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (5a) The Commission communication entitled ‘Long-term competitiveness of the EU: looking beyond 2030’ aims to rationalise and simplify reporting requirements by 25 % for each of the green, digital and economic thematic areas, and the Commission plans to present a proposal for achieving this by autumn 2023. The Commission should demonstrate this commitment swiftly, thereby improving the competitiveness of all undertakings in the EU, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and enhancing the basic conditions for social justice and prosperity. It should be recalled that SMEs are the backbone of social cohesion. |
Amendment 5
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (6) The scale of investments needed for the transition require a full mobilisation of funding available under existing EU programmes and funds, inclusive those granting a budgetary guarantee for financing and investment operations and implementation of financial instruments and blending operations. Such funding should be deployed in a more flexible manner, to provide timely and targeted support for critical technologies in strategic sectors. Therefore, a Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’) should give a structural answer to the Union investment needs by helping to better channel the existing EU funds towards critical investments aimed at supporting the development or manufacturing of critical technologies, while preserving a level playing field in the Single Market, thereby preserving cohesion and aiming at a geographically balanced distribution of projects financed under the STEP in accordance with the respective programme mandates. | (6) The scale of investments needed for the transition require a full mobilisation and effective use of funding available under existing EU programmes and funds, inclusive those granting a budgetary guarantee for financing and investment operations and implementation of financial instruments and blending operations. Such funding should be deployed without unnecessary administrative burden and contribute to the Commission Better Regulation agenda by reducing the regulatory burden on EU undertakings. It should be deployed in a more flexible manner, to provide timely and targeted support for critical technologies in strategic sectors. Therefore, a Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’) should give a structural answer to the Union investment needs by helping to better channel the existing EU funds towards critical investments aimed at supporting the development or manufacturing of critical technologies, while preserving a level playing field in the Single Market, thereby preserving cohesion and aiming at a geographically balanced distribution of projects financed under the STEP in accordance with the respective programme mandates. Any project financing under the STEP should be in line with the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights. |
Amendment 6
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (8) A Sovereignty Seal should be awarded to projects contributing to the STEP objectives, provided that the project has been assessed and complies with the minimum quality requirements, in particular eligibility, exclusion and award criteria, provided by a call for proposals under Horizon Europe, the Digital Europe programme,50 the EU4Health programme,51 the European Defence Fund or the Innovation Fund, and regardless of whether the project has received funding under those instruments. These minimum quality requirements will be established with a view to identify high quality projects. This Seal should be used as a quality label, to help projects attract public and private investments by certifying its contribution to the STEP objectives. Moreover, the Seal will promote better access to EU funding, notably by facilitating cumulative or combined funding from several Union instruments. | (8) A Sovereignty Seal should be awarded to projects contributing to the two STEP objectives, provided that the project has been assessed and complies with the minimum quality requirements, in particular eligibility, exclusion and award criteria, provided by a call for proposals under Horizon Europe, the Digital Europe programme,50 the EU4Health programme,51 the European Defence Fund or the Innovation Fund, and regardless of whether the project has received funding under those instruments. These minimum quality requirements will be established with a view to identify high quality projects. This Seal should be used as a quality label, to help projects attract public and private investments by certifying its contribution to the STEP objectives. Moreover, the Seal will promote better access to EU funding, notably by facilitating cumulative or combined funding from several Union instruments. |
| __________________ | __________________ |
| 50 Regulation (EU) 2021/694 establishing the Digital Europe Programme (OJ L 166, 11.5.2021, p. 1). | 50 Regulation (EU) 2021/694 establishing the Digital Europe Programme (OJ L 166, 11.5.2021, p. 1). |
| 51 Regulation (EU) 2021/522 establishing a Programme for the Union’s action in the field of health, EU4Health Programme (OJ L 107, 26.3.2021, p. 1). | 51 Regulation (EU) 2021/522 establishing a Programme for the Union’s action in the field of health, EU4Health Programme (OJ L 107, 26.3.2021, p. 1). |
Amendment 7
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (15) The ESF+,58 being the main EU Fund for investment in people, provides a key contribution to promote the development of skills. In order to facilitate the use of that Fund for the STEP objectives, it should be possible to use the ESF+ to cover investments aimed at achieving a skilled and resilient workforce ready for the future world of work. | (15) The ESF+,58 being the main EU Fund for investment in people, provides a key contribution to promote the development of skills. In order to facilitate the use of that Fund for the STEP objectives, it should be possible to use the ESF+ to cover investments aimed at achieving a skilled and resilient workforce ready for the future world of work while supporting individual growth and choices of workers. |
| __________________ | __________________ |
| 58 Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 establishing the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) (OJ L 231 30.6.2021, p.21). | 58 Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 establishing the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) (OJ L 231 30.6.2021, p.21). |
Amendment 8
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (16) In order to help accelerate investments and provide immediate liquidity for investments supporting the STEP objectives under the ERDF, the ESF+59 and the JTF, an additional amount of exceptional pre-financing should be provided in the form of a one-off payment with respect to the priorities dedicated to investments supporting the STEP objectives. The additional pre-financing should apply to the whole of the JTF allocation given the need to accelerate its implementation and the strong links of the JTF to support Member States towards the STEP objectives. The rules applying for those amounts of exceptional pre-financing should be consistent with the rules applicable to pre-financing set out in Regulation (EU) 2021/1060. Moreover, to further incentivise the uptake of such investments and ensure its faster implementation, the possibility for an increased EU financing rate of 100% for the STEP priorities should be available. When implementing the new STEP objectives, managing authorities are encouraged to apply certain social criteria or promote social positive outcomes, such as creating apprenticeships and jobs for young disadvantaged persons, in particular young persons not in employment, education or training, applying the social award criteria in the Directives on public procurement when a project is implemented by a body subject to public procurement, and paying the applicable wages as agreed through collective bargaining. | (16) In order to help accelerate investments and provide immediate liquidity for investments supporting the STEP objectives under the ERDF, the ESF+59 and the JTF, an additional amount of exceptional pre-financing should be provided in the form of a one-off payment with respect to the priorities dedicated to investments supporting the STEP objectives. The additional pre-financing should apply to the whole of the JTF allocation given the need to accelerate its implementation and the strong links of the JTF to support Member States towards the STEP objectives. The rules applying for those amounts of exceptional pre-financing should be consistent with the rules applicable to pre-financing set out in Regulation (EU) 2021/1060. Moreover, to further incentivise the uptake of such investments and ensure its faster implementation, the possibility for an increased EU financing rate of 100% for the STEP priorities should be available. When implementing the new STEP objectives, managing authorities should apply social award criteria and promote social positive outcomes, such as creating paid or remunerated apprenticeships and quality jobs for young disadvantaged persons, in particular young persons not in employment, education or training, applying the social award criteria in the Directives on public procurement when a project is implemented by a body subject to public procurement, and paying the applicable wages as agreed through collective bargaining. |
| __________________ | __________________ |
| 59 Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 establishing the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) (OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 21). | 59 Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 establishing the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) (OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 21). |
Amendment 9
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| 1. To strengthen European sovereignty and security, accelerate the Union’s green and digital transitions and enhance its competitiveness, reduce its strategic dependencies, favour a level playing field in the Single Market for investments throughout the Union, and promote inclusive access to attractive, quality jobs, the Platform shall pursue the following objectives: | 1. To strengthen European sovereignty and security, accelerate the Union’s green and digital transitions and enhance its competitiveness, reduce its strategic dependencies, favour a level playing field in the Single Market for investments throughout the Union, and promote inclusive access to training and attractive, quality jobs for all, the Platform shall: |
Amendment 10
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a – introductory part
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (a) supporting the development or manufacturing throughout the Union, or safeguarding and strengthening the respective value chains, of critical technologies in the following fields: | (a) support the development or manufacturing throughout the Union, or safeguard and strengthen the respective value chains, of critical technologies in the following fields: |
Amendment 11
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (ii) clean technologies | (ii) clean technologies, including those listed in [Regulation 2023/0081] |
Amendment 12
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point b
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (b) addressing shortages of labour and skills critical to all kinds of quality jobs in support of the objective under point (a). | deleted |
Amendment 13
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| While pursuing this objective, the Platform shall contribute, including through training and lifelong learning activities, to addressing shortages of labour and skills critical to all kinds of quality jobs related to technologies listed under points (i), (ii) and (iii) and apply social award criteria in order to contribute to the achievement of social positive outcomes. Addressing the skills shortages in these technologies shall be made, where applicable, in close cooperation with the social partners and with existing education and training initiatives, in particular the European Net Zero Industry Academies, not least by using the learning programmes developed by them. |
Amendment 14
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 4 a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| 4 a. The social award criteria referred to in paragraph 1 shall include compliance with Union and national labour and social law as well as with applicable collective agreements. They shall also include well-defined objectives in terms of skilling, upskilling and reskilling workers, and the promotion of inclusive labour markets through measures aiming to improve gender equality and diversity at work, such as via the inclusion of people with disabilities or young people not in education, training or employment (NEETs), or at developing quality and remunerated or paid apprenticeships. Notwithstanding Directive 2014/24/EU, the social award criteria shall also be part of any public procurement assessment and selection procedures where a project supported by the Platform is implemented. |
Amendment 15
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| 1. The Commission shall award a Sovereignty Seal to any action contributing to any of the Platform objectives, provided the action has been assessed and complies with the minimum quality requirements, in particular eligibility, exclusion and award criteria, provided by a call for proposals under Regulation (EU) 2021/695, Regulation (EU) 2021/694, Regulation (EU) 2021/697, Regulation (EU) 2021/522, or Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/856. | 1. The Commission shall award a Sovereignty Seal to any action contributing to the Platform objectives and requirements defined in Article 2, provided the action has been assessed and complies with the minimum quality requirements, in particular eligibility, exclusion and award criteria, provided by a call for proposals under Regulation (EU) 2021/695, Regulation (EU) 2021/694, Regulation (EU) 2021/697, Regulation (EU) 2021/522, or Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/856. |
Amendment 16
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 6
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| 6. Strategic projects identified in accordance with the [Net Zero Industry Act] and the [Critical Raw Materials Act] within the scope of Article 2 that receive a contribution under the Programmes refered to in Article 3 may also receive a contribution from any other Union programme, including Funds under shared management, provided that the contributions do not cover the same costs. The rules of the relevant Union programme shall apply to the corresponding contribution to the strategic project. The cumulative funding shall not exceed the total eligible costs of the strategic project. The support from the different Union programmes may be calculated on a pro-rata basis in accordance with the documents setting out the conditions for support. | 6. Strategic projects complying with the objectives and requirements referred to Article 2 and identified in accordance with the [Net Zero Industry Act] and the [Critical Raw Materials Act] that receive a contribution under the Programmes refered to in Article 3 may also receive a contribution from any other Union programme, including Funds under shared management, provided that the contributions do not cover the same costs. The rules of the relevant Union programme shall apply to the corresponding contribution to the strategic project. The cumulative funding shall not exceed the total eligible costs of the strategic project. The support from the different Union programmes may be calculated on a pro-rata basis in accordance with the documents setting out the conditions for support. |
Amendment 17
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| 1. The Commission shall establish a dedicated publicly available website (the ‘Sovereignty portal’), providing investors with information about funding opportunities for projects linked to the Platform objectives and grant visibility to those projects, in particular by displaying the following information: | 1. The Commission shall establish a dedicated publicly available website (the ‘Sovereignty portal’) accessible to all users including users with disabilities, providing investors with information about funding opportunities for projects linked to the Platform objectives and grant visibility to those projects, in particular by displaying the following information: |
Amendment 18
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| (c a) ongoing and upcoming calls for proposals and calls for tender linked to the European Net Zero Academies, the deployment of their learning programmes and other training initiatives in net-zero technologies; |
Amendment 19
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point 1
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
| In addition to the pre-financing for the programme provided for in Article 90(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, where the Commission approves an amendment of a programme including one or more priorities dedicated to operations supported by the ESF+ contributing to the STEP objectives referred to in Article 2 of Regulation .../...66 [STEP Regulation], it shall make an exceptional pre-financing of 30% on the basis of the allocation to those priorities. The exceptional pre-financing shall be paid by 31 December 2024, provided the Commission has adopted the decision approving the programme amendment by 31 October 2024. | In addition to the pre-financing for the programme provided for in Article 90(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, where the Commission approves an amendment of a programme including one or more priorities dedicated to operations supported by the ESF+ contributing to the STEP objectives referred to in Article 2 of Regulation .../...66 [STEP Regulation], it shall make an exceptional pre-financing of 30% on the basis of the allocation to those priorities. This exceptional pre-financing shall also benefit operations which contribute to the deployment of the learning programmes of the European Net Zero Academies as well as the training of young people and the skilling, upskilling and reskilling of workers in net-zero technologies. The exceptional pre-financing shall be paid by 31 December 2024, provided the Commission has adopted the decision approving the programme amendment by 31 October 2024. |
| __________________ | __________________ |
| 66 Regulation …/… of the European Parliament and of the Council … [insert full title and OJ reference]. | 66 Regulation …/… of the European Parliament and of the Council … [insert full title and OJ reference]. |
| (This amendment applies throughout the text. Adopting it will necessitate corresponding changes throughout.) |