European Parliament resolution of 12 November 2020 on the Council position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021 (11072/1/2020 – C9-0314/2020 – 2020/1998(BUD))

P9_TA(2020)0302 A9-0206/2020

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–  having regard to Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

–  having regard to Council Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom of 26 May 2014 on the system of own resources of the European Union(1),

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014 and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012(2),

–  having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 of 2 December 2013 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020(3) ,

–  having regard to Commission Amended proposal of 28 May 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 (COM(2020)0443);

–  having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management(4),

–  having regard to its interim report of 14 November 2018 on the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 – Parliament’s position with a view to an agreement(5) and to its resolution of 23 July 2020 on the conclusions of the extraordinary European Council meeting of 17-21 July 2020;

–  having regard to its resolution of 19 June 2020 on general guidelines for the preparation of the 2021 budget Section III - Commission(6),

–  having regard to its resolution of 14 May 2020 on Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2021(7),

–  having regard to the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021, which the Commission adopted on 27 July 2020 (COM(2020)0300) (the “DB”),

–  having regard to the position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021, which the Council adopted on 28 September 2020 and forwarded to Parliament on 1 October 2020 (11072/1/2020 – C9‑0314/2020),

–  having regard to its legislative resolution of 16 September 2020 on the draft Council decision on the system of own resources of the European Union(8),

–  having regard to Rule 94 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the opinions of the committees concerned,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A9-0206/2020),

Section III

General overview

1.  Recalls that 2021 should be the first year of the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF); regrets that because of the delays in the MFF/Own Resources (MFF/OR) negotiations, for which Parliament has been ready since November 2018 and which could not start before the European Council’s 21 July 2020 conclusions, as well as because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the budgetary procedure for 2021 could not build so far on a solid and ambitious MFF agreement;

2.  Notes that the Commission presented a draft budget (DB) for 2021 based on its own MFF proposals which were updated in May 2020, while the Council limited its reading, with the exception of Heading 7, to an arithmetic translation of the European Council’s conclusions, awaiting the Amending letter which the Commission will use to update its proposal after a political agreement has been reached on the MFF/OR ;

3.  Takes note of the Council’s position on the DB, including the importance it attaches to the Amending letter; concurs with the Council on the Amending letter, while wanting to present a reading which follows Parliament’s priorities on the MFF/OR and the 2021 Budget in a coordinated manner; notes that this approach is also motivated by the limited time that will be left following the presentation of the Amending letter;

4.  Recalls that in its abovementioned resolution of 19 June 2020 on general guidelines for the preparation of the 2021 Budget, Parliament stressed that the primary focus of the 2021 Budget should be to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and support a recovery built on the European Green Deal and digital transformation, in order to promote fair, inclusive and sustainable growth, high-quality job creation and its long-term goal of socioeconomic convergence;

5.  Welcomes the EU Recovery Plan; insists, however, on the need to clearly enshrine the role of the budgetary authority in authorising external assigned revenue, notably of the Next Generation EU (NGEU) recovery instrument, under the annual budgetary procedure;

6.  Recalls its position that the 2021-2027 MFF climate and biodiversity mainstreaming targets must go beyond the levels of targeted spending shares set out in its interim report; aims, therefore, to achieve a biodiversity spending level of at least 10 % and a climate mainstreaming spending level of at least 30 % for 2021; reiterates its demand for a gender mainstreaming concept that draws together gender-specific information on objectives, inputs, outputs, results, including financing commitments for gender equality and the methodology for tracking and reporting gender equality expenditure;

7.  Reiterates its call on the Commission to lay down clear eligibility criteria for a new stringent and comprehensive methodology for both climate and biodiversity related expenditure, in the form of Framework Regulations ensuring that only projects meeting the relevant technical screening criteria developed under Regulation (EU) 2020/852(9) shall be accounted for when contributing to those spending targets, together with the corresponding corrective measures, where relevant, and the full implementation of the principle of "do no significant harm" referred to in Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/852 to ensure that the Union fulfils its commitments under the Paris Agreement and its call for phase-out of indirect fossil fuel subsidies and a ban on direct ones in the entire Union budget;

8.  Decides to increase to the levels set out in the MFF interim report of 14 November 2018 the fifteen flagship programmes identified in its resolution of 23 July 2020 on the conclusions of the extraordinary European Council meeting of 17-21 July 2020(10) (Horizon Europe, InvestEU, Erasmus+, the Child Guarantee, the Just Transition Fund, Digital Europe, the Connecting Europe Facility, LIFE, EU4health, the Integrated Border Management Fund, Creative Europe, the Right and Values programme, the European Defence Fund, the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) and humanitarian aid, as well as relevant EU agencies and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office); decides further to base its reading on the MFF ceilings proposed by the Commission in the DB; considers that any increase for the flagship programmes should be accompanied by a corresponding rise in the ceiling of the relevant MFF heading; decides to reinforce funding for Parliament’s priorities inter alia in the fields of climate change, energy, digital and transport interconnectivity, space, SMEs, tourism, security, migration, fundamental rights and external action;

9.  Accepts the Council’s increases in Headings 1, 2a and 3, with the exception of the lines where it decides on a higher amount of appropriations; accepts further the moving of the Resilience cluster from Heading 5 to Heading 2b;

10.  Reaffirms its previous commitments to make full use of the possibility to re-use de-commitments for research laid down in Article 15(3) of the Financial Regulation;

11.  Insists on the need of a more detailed budgetary nomenclature allowing the budgetary authority to fully exercise its decision-making role in the annual budgetary procedure and scrutiny over the implementation of the budget in Headings 2b, 4 and 6;

12.  As a general rule, decides to restore DB levels on all lines cut by the Council and not reinforced in its reading, with the exception of Heading 7;

13.  Points to the importance of ensuring that sufficient financial resources and adequate human resources capacities are allocated to Union agencies enabling them to fulfil their mandate, execute their tasks and respond optimally to the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak; underlines the fact that proper coordination and synergies between agencies are needed to increase the effectiveness of their work, especially where there is convergence towards specific policy objectives, in order to allow for the fair and efficient use of public money; insists that the Commission ensure optimal allocation of personnel among its Directorates-General reflecting urgent needs and long-term priorities related to the response to the COVID-19 crisis and the European Green Deal in particular;

14.  Notes that the updated pragmatic calendar of the budgetary procedure does not allow for a timely agreement on a possible second DB proposal; deems it crucial, therefore, to fully exploit the whole period of the budgetary conciliation in order to achieve an ambitious agreement;

15.  Sets the overall level of appropriations for the 2021 Budget (all sections) at EUR 181 762 377 716 in commitment appropriations, representing an increase of EUR 15 016 195 740 compared to the DB; decides in addition to make available an amount of EUR 1 631 420 001 in commitment appropriations further to de-commitments under Article 15(3) of the Financial Regulation; recalls however that that level should be adjusted after the publication of the Amending letter and as the negotiations and conciliation advance;

16.  Recalls that, as expressed in its abovementioned legislative resolution of 16 September 2020, in order to finance 2021 Budget, the new categories of own resources should be introduced as of 2021 and that any amounts generated by new own resources beyond the level necessary to cover the repayment obligations of the NGEU in a given year should remain in the Union budget as general revenue notably to top-up the 15 EU flagship programmes as of 2021 accompanied by the corresponding rise of the MFF ceilings;

Heading 1

17.  Highlights that Horizon Europe provides very strong European added value and stresses the importance of the programme for significant areas of European research essential to making the European Green Deal a success, and contributing to the transition towards a climate-neutral economy and society by 2050, and in supporting the digital transformation, which is vital for the Union’s future prosperity; stresses also that the COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated the need to invest in health research; proposes therefore to significantly increase Horizon Europe, in line with its long-held position calling for an overall budget of EUR 120 billion over the 2021-2027 MFF period; considers, furthermore, that the full amount of decommitments made over the whole of the current MFF should be made available, in accordance with Article 15(3) of the Financial Regulation, to support the climate and digital transitions and health research;

18.  Is convinced that the fight against cancer should be a priority for the Union, and that efforts need to be significantly stepped up in that regard; underlines the fact that cancer research is an important pillar in that fight; stresses that research intensifies in this field without any delay;

19.  Calls for the 2021 Union budget to ensure that the InvestEU Programme is sufficiently funded and delivers on both its long-term objectives and participates in the rebuilding of European long-term competitiveness by providing more investment capacity aimed at supporting sustainable infrastructure, research, innovation, digitalisation, SMEs, and social investments and its new short term objective of supporting a sustainable economic recovery via strategic sustainable investments; notes with deep regret that the European Council has rejected the Commission proposal on a Solvency Support Instrument (SSI); supports the line envisaged in Parliament’s preparatory works on the SSI to transfer the appropriations foreseen for the SSI to the InvestEU Programme to the benefit of companies established in Member States and operating in the Union;

20.  Stresses the crucial role of the Connecting Europe Facility in fostering the development of a high-performance trans-European network and interconnectivity across Member States in particular those Member States that support a sustainable and cross-border mobility as well as modal shift, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60 % by 2030, supporting energy and transport projects in the shift towards a climate-neutral economy with security of supply taking into consideration the special situation of European insular and peripheral regions, and stressing the need for a digital transition, including the up-skilling and re-skilling of workers in the Union; proposes therefore major increases;

21.  Underlines that the COVID-19 crisis has showed the increasing importance of digitalisation for the daily functioning of the economy; recognises the importance of the Digital Europe Programme in shaping and supporting the digital transition; proposes increases that go beyond its interim position on the MFF, to take account of needs revealed by the pandemic;

22.  Recalls the fundamental value of the European Space programme, in particular the contribution of Copernicus and Galileo to the European Green Deal and consequently requests targeted reinforcements to ensure the programmes can support the Union’s environmental goals; stresses the importance of independence of the European space industry in the global competition and highlights the added-value of these programmes for job growth, competitiveness, and the development of SMEs;

23.  Considers that it is also necessary to strengthen further important priorities in the heading; calls, inter alia, for a substantial increase in the amount dedicated to SME objectives which are a cornerstone of the Union economy and play a crucial role in delivering excellent quality investment and job creation in all Member States, also with the aim of supporting and increasing the participation of women in SMEs and their access to markets; furthermore, strengthens key programmes of the Space Cluster; recalls the important role that Union agencies play in helping to achieve Union policy objectives; calls therefore for sufficient funding and staffing for the EU-Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the European Union Agency for Railway (ERA), the European Banking Authority (EBA), the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the European Union for the Space Programme and the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) in line with their tasks and responsibilities;

24.  Reiterates its demand for support to SMEs, in particular in the tourism sector, the creative industry and the transport sector so as to build up their capacity to recover from the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak; moreover, reiterates Parliament’s request, stemming from the 2018 interim report on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027(11), for the creation of a new specific budget line in order to take into consideration the tourism sector, which is of paramount importance for the whole Union economy, competitiveness, employment (it ensures 23 million direct and indirect jobs in the Union, especially for young people) and social development, has been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis and is experiencing a rapid and sharp drop in demand and a surge in job losses, putting many European SMEs at risk;

25.  Regrets that the Commission did not propose the creation of a dedicated line for tourism due to the current situation; calls for quick direct and indirect support for that sector, in particular for SMEs;

26.  Increases therefore the level of commitment appropriations for Heading 1 by EUR 6 313 980 774 above the DB (excluding pilot projects and preparatory actions), of which EUR 5 996 664 225 for flagship programmes; in addition, makes available to the heading an amount of EUR 1 631 420 001 in commitment appropriations further to de-commitments under Article 15(3) of the Financial Regulation;

Heading 2a

27.  Decides to take over the Council’s reading of Heading 2a;

Heading 2b

28.  Emphasises the urgent need to allocate additional resources to the EU4Health Programme, contributing in particular to address the significant structural needs identified during the COVID-19 crisis, setting out key action areas such as the improvement of national health systems and reduction of health inequalities, ensuring the availability and affordability of medicines and other crisis-relevant products, to ensure continued and timely provision of accessible and safe sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services and to strengthen inter alia the Union fight against cancer;

29.  Emphasises the importance of Erasmus+ as a key flagship programme and one of the most successful Union programmes with strategic investment in the future of the Union and of its citizens; recalls that insufficient funding for the Erasmus+ programme would endanger the continued creation of new opportunities for and the increased employability of young people, as well as the capacity of the programme to reach its new objectives and to uphold the challenges of becoming more inclusive and ecological; decides therefore to substantially increase the funding for Erasmus+ in line with its position to triple its budget;

30.  Recalls that the cultural and creative sector is one of the most hit by the COVID-19 outbreak and calls for adequate answers and financing to reduce continuing substantive losses of the sector due to the unforeseeable closure of venues during the COVID-19 crisis; proposes therefore to substantially increase the respective budget lines of Creative Europe to support the sectors affected by the crisis;

31.  Insists on the need for more transparency in the allocation of funds under the various programme components and sub-programmes of Erasmus+, by restoring its previous nomenclature, and of Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme by creating a new budget line for the Union values strand; reiterates its request to the Commission to increase transparency in its use of the budget assigned to multimedia activities, in particular by creating a series of new budget lines in connection with the measures;

32.  Decides to create new budget line 07 06 04 “Protect and promote Union values” in order to reinforce the funding focus on protecting and promoting democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights including supporting activities by civil society organisations in this area;

33.  Echoes the Commission prediction that, in the context of recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak, fighting against extreme poverty, and especially tackling child poverty will become even more important in the coming years; consequently, insists that a separate budget line under ESF+ needs to be created for the European Child Guarantee with an allocation of EUR 1 billion for the year 2021; recalls the importance of a sufficient Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD), especially in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak;

34.  Recalls that the COVID-19 crisis affects women, groups of people who are subject to systematic gender-based discrimination and other vulnerable groups disproportionately and calls for the reinforcement of the Employment and Social Innovation strand to support programmes and trainings targeted at advancing their participation and tackling their precarity on the labour market;

35.  Stresses the crucial role of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme to protect and promote the rights and values enshrined in the Treaties and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and insists that additional appropriations are required for each stand and notably for the Daphne strand to fight violence against women and for the strand promoting citizens engagement and participation in the life of the Union;

36.  Emphasises the importance of the Justice Programme in contributing to the further development of a European area of justice based on rule of law, mutual recognition and mutual trust and decides to reinforces that programme;

37.  Calls for an increase in appropriations in the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society Cluster to better integrate a gender perspective in each of the programmes, as well as to support and promote gender studies and research in the Union;

38.  Deems it necessary to increase appropriations for the Turkish Cypriot Community budget line for the purpose of contributing decisively to the continuation and intensification of the mission of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus and supporting the bi-communal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, thereby promoting trust and reconciliation between the two communities;

39.  Deeply regrets that the Commission still has not responded to Parliament's call for a comprehensive review of the budget line for multimedia measures, particularly with regard to the framework contract with Euronews; decides to put its budgetary allocation in reserve until the Commission has answered the concerns raised by the Court of Auditors; notes however that the Court of Auditors does not point to any shortcomings on Euronews’ part in its contractual reporting duties under the current framework;

40.  Recalls the important role played by the decentralised agencies active under this heading; demands to provide the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) with sufficient financial and human resources to perform its tasks, considering the additional projects which have been identified through the agency’s consultation process with stakeholders; asks to provide the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and the European Labour Authority (ELA) with adequate budgetary resources, taking into account the relevance of their mission, as well as the expected role of ELA in ensuring fair labour mobility in the context of the COVID-19 crisis; calls in addition for sufficient funding and staffing, for further important priorities, to be allocated to the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA);

41.  Decides to apply targeted reinforcements to the European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO) to allow the body to take up its duties without delay and in line with the requirements to fulfil its mandate; believes that its nature requires a stronger guarantee of independence, and its budget should therefore be presented under Heading 7, as an independent entity organism rather than assimilated to an agency; underlines that the establishment of the EPPO must not result in a deterioration of capacity of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) to function properly;

42.  Rejects the Commission proposal to merge different budget lines linked to social policy objectives; believes that separate budget lines as was the case in the past would guarantee the necessary transparency and resources for each of those key areas;

43.  Decides to transfer the budget line 06 04 01 (EU Recovery Instrument - Payment of periodic coupon and redemption at maturity) to Chapter 17, as all financing costs of NGEU-related spending should be counted over and over the MFF ceilings;

44.  Reinforces Heading 2b overall by EUR +5 894 270 074 above the DB in commitment appropriations (excluding pilot projects and preparatory actions), EUR 6 041 509 293 of which is for flagship programmes;

Heading 3

45.  Reminds that the European Council, in its position on the European Recovery Instrument, did not retain the level of support for the Just Transition Fund as foreseen by the Commission proposal; expresses its concerns that these cuts will seriously undermine the recovery efforts; re-iterates that the Just Transition Fund is a vital and indispensable building block in the architecture of the European Green Deal; proposes therefore an increase of EUR 500 million in commitment appropriations for that flagship programme in 2021;

46.  In line with the overall priority to tackle climate change and prevent biodiversity loss, focuses substantial increases worth EUR 237 million in commitment appropriations on budget lines pertaining to LIFE programme; notes that that increase is intended to contribute to the main objectives such as preservation of nature and biodiversity, the circular economy and quality of life, climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as the clean energy transition; expects the Commission to warrant the necessary absorption capacity for an effective use of these additional means;

47.  Reminds that a number of agricultural sectors have been hard hit by the COVID-19 outbreak and therefore supports targeted reinforcements on budget lines for market support measures under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) which aim at mitigating the effects of the crisis caused by that outbreak, notably for organic farms and small-scale farmers; expects the Amending letter to adjust further the level of appropriations of EAGF by taking into account the assigned revenue expected to be available in 2021 and other parameters such as the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on agricultural sectors;

48.  Considers that any appropriations, especially from the Common Agricultural Policy, shall not be used for supporting breeding or rearing of bulls used for lethal bull fighting activities.

49.  Highlights the particularly difficult socio-economic circumstances in the Union’s outermost regions, compounded by the impact of the COVID-19 crisis; against that background, proposes a top-up for the budget line covering the POSEI programme for the maintenance of the agricultural activity and for the supply of food and agricultural products in the outermost regions, which must be provided with adequate resources; furthermore, underlines the importance of taking into account the special characteristics and constraints of the outermost regions when designing Union programmes and funds in the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021- 2027 and in the NGEU.

50.  Reinforces the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund by EUR 19,6 million; recognises that 2021 will be a key year for the fisheries sector, which will have to face simultaneously the challenges of the adaptation to European Green Deal objectives, the risks associated with the COVID 19-crisis and Brexit;

51.  Stresses the importance of ensuring sufficient financial resources for the collection, management, use and exchange of data in the fisheries sector;

52.  Intends to support the European Environment Agency (EEA) with additional financial and human resources, considering that the agency is expected to play a fundamental role in supporting Green Deal related actions, by monitoring and reporting on the Union biodiversity strategy, circular economy, climate change adaptation and zero pollution initiatives.

53.  Overall, reinforces Heading 3 by EUR 867 937 490 above DB in commitment appropriations (excluding pilot projects and preparatory actions), EUR 739 100 000 of which is for flagship programmes;

Heading 4

54.  Increases funding for Parliament’s priorities in the fields of migration and border management, most prominently the Integrated Border Management Fund and the Asylum and Migration Fund; at the same time, aims to enhance budgetary transparency by reflecting both Funds’ specific objectives into the budget structure, so that the budgetary authority can track expenditure more closely;

55.  Underlines that it is of paramount importance to invest in adequate funding and staffing levels for all agencies operating in the fields of migration, asylum and border management; requests additional staff resources for the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), which will be necessary for the agency to properly implement its field operations, training development, analytical activities and governance framework, as well as for the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT-Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-Lisa); requests additional financial and staff resources for the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex);

56.  Is deeply concerned by the continuing loss of lives in the Mediterranean; is of the opinion that a more long-term approach to search and rescue (SAR) operations is necessary as SAR cannot be exclusively left to non-state actors; considers that the Commission should present a legislative proposal to set up a Search and Rescue Fund to support SAR missions in the Mediterranean; proposes, therefore, the creation of a new budget line for that fund to encourage the saving of lives and to show solidarity among Member States in the carrying out of SAR operations in accordance with international law and fundamental rights, including the right to life and the principle of non-refoulement;

57.  In sum, reinforces Heading 4 by EUR 710 251 000 in commitment appropriations above DB levels, EUR 500 251 000 of which is for flagship programmes;

Heading 5

58.  Stresses the importance of a progressive framing of the Union’s common security and defence policy; underlines the importance of enhancing European cooperation in defence matters since it not only makes Europe and its citizens safer, but also leads to a cost reduction; calls for increased funding for the European Defence Fund in order to fully foster an innovative and competitive defence industrial base that will contribute to the much-needed strategic autonomy of the Union;

59.  Calls for increased funding for military mobility with the aim of helping Member States act faster and more effectively; notes that sufficient funding is needed to support missions and operations under the common security and defence policy, including by measures such as funding dual-use transport infrastructure and simplifying diplomatic clearances and customs rules;

60.  Recalls that the important role played by decentralised agencies operating in the field of security and law enforcement, in particular with regard to European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), to ensure its important activity in the areas of fight against terrorism and organised crime, and proposes targeted increases to allow them to properly perform their tasks;

61.  Reinforces Heading 5 overall by EUR 372 320 760 above the DB (excluding pilot projects and preparatory actions), EUR 312 829 132 of which is for flagship programmes;

Heading 6

62.  Emphasises that at a time when external challenges and matters of international relations are gaining importance and are dominating international politics, the external dimension of the Union budget must be appropriately funded and prepared to respond without delay to current, emerging, as well as future challenges; notes that the bulk of external action spending is concentrated in NDICI, on which inter-institutional legislative negotiations are still ongoing;

63.  Regrets that the new nomenclature for external action as proposed by the Commission is much less detailed than the previous one, reducing transparency, predictability, accountability, scrutiny, and limiting the budgetary authority’s capacity to make choices reflecting political priorities; insists, therefore, that a more differentiated budget structure, with dedicated lines for the most important beneficiaries, policy areas and sub-regions, is needed, in order to enhance the clarity and readability of the budget; proposes therefore a revised nomenclature for NDICI, adapted to the new instruments, while introducing a higher level of detail;

64.  Calls for increased funding levels for all geographic and thematic programmes under the NDICI, in line with its first-reading position on the latter; reiterates its position that the thematic programmes within the NDICI should be reinforced in order to allow the Union to maintain its strong role in these priority areas; underlines that its position on the allocations for the NDICI is fully aligned with the amounts laid down in Parliament's first-reading position on the NDICI;

65.  Proposes the creation of a dedicated budget line for "the support to the political process in Libya" with the objective of contributing to a peaceful resolution to the Libyan conflict;

66.  Points to the persistent challenges in the Union’s Eastern and Southern neighbourhood, the dedicated budget for which should therefore be reinforced, as well as the importance of endowing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East with increased financial support to fulfil its mandate, in view of the growing needs of Palestinian refugees and as an investment towards stability and development in the region; recalls the importance of developing stable relations and strong cooperation between the Union and Africa and considers it appropriate that sufficient financial resources be dedicated to the development of that continent, which would contribute inter alia to mitigating the root causes of forced migration;

67.  Emphasises the urgent need to step up development cooperation on health, remote and inclusive high-quality learning programmes, and climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as on biodiversity, nutrition, sustainable agriculture and food security, as the COVID-19 crisis worsens the upward trend in global hunger; points out that in that regard support to institution building and strengthening and education to enlarge the skilled labour force are of great importance; affirms that a much higher sum is essential for the people, planet, prosperity and partnership lines than the figure set out for the Global Challenges line in the DB;

68.  Underlines the need for meaningful financing of the Western Balkans with a view to the accession process as well as numerous challenges that the Union and the candidate countries need to face; deems it essential that the new nomenclature for the IPA III instrument comprises separate budget lines for the Western Balkans and Turkey, in view of the highly sensitive nature of Union funding for Turkey;

69.  Denounces Turkey’s continuous violations of international and Union law, and Union principles and values; demands that the funding for political reforms in Turkey be exclusively dedicated to fostering dialogue and providing support to civil society, non-state actors and people-to-people contacts, as long as the country does not make any progress with regard to democracy, rule of law and human rights; strongly condemns Turkey’s repeated provocations and violations of Greek and Cypriot sovereignty;

70.  Insists, even more so in the current COVID-19 climate and following the unfortunate decision of the European Council to discard the external pillar of NGEU, on the need to increase the humanitarian aid chapter and the need for safeguards against the crowding out of internal or external use of the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve; underlines the need to ensure the continuing financing of the EU Aid Volunteers initiative, in the event of a possible impasse in the ongoing negotiations on the European Solidarity Corps programme;

71.  Following the recent worrying developments in Belarus, calls for Union support through the European External Action Service and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP), as well as through the creation of a new Special Representative for Belarus, to support the process for a peaceful transition of power in accordance with a UN- or alternatively an OSCE-led dialogue based on the protection of human rights and the will of the Belarusian people;

72.  In light of threats related to cybersecurity as well as the spreading of fake news, highlights the need for the Union budget to better address and respond to them on a horizontal level, both at the headquarters and at Union delegations around the world; deems it necessary therefore to reinforce lines dedicated to strategic communication for external action;

73.  Reinforces Heading 5 overall by EUR 698 781 256 above the DB (excluding pilot projects and preparatory actions), EUR 583 041 792 of which is for flagship programmes;

Heading 7

74.  Decides not to restore, at this stage, the Council’s cuts in Heading 7;

75.  Deeply regrets that the Commission still has not responded to Parliament's call for full access to contracts and information regarding the COVID-19 vaccines-related contract covered by Draft amending budget No 8/2020; demands that the Commission grant the budgetary authority access to the COVID-19 vaccines-related contract before the end of 2020;

Pilot projects and preparatory actions (PP-PAs)

76.  Recalls the importance of pilot projects and preparatory actions (PP-PAs) as tools for the formulation of political priorities and the introduction of new initiatives that have the potential to turn into standing Union activities and programmes; having carried out a careful analysis of all the proposals submitted adopts a balanced package of PP-PAs that reflects Parliament’s political priorities; calls on the Commission to swiftly implement PP-PAs, in close cooperation with Members, and provide feedback on their performance and results delivered on the ground;

Payments

77.  Underlines the necessity to provide a sufficient level of payment appropriations in the 2021 Budget that will take into account the volume of outstanding commitments at the end of 2020 in order to avoid the accumulation of unpaid claims from MFF 2014-2020 and to finance the frontloading of expenditure related to the COVID-19 crisis; notes that, due to delays in the implementation of the 2014-2020 programming period, most of the relevant payments will be settled in 2021 and 2022; underlines the increased accuracy of the Member State forecasts which need to be fully taken into account in the 2021 Budget; stresses therefore that a credible payments plan for the whole MFF 2021-2027 is needed, providing for sufficient payments in its first years with a possibility to carry unused payments forward to the next years with the help of special instruments over and above the MFF payments ceilings;

78.  Recalls that several legislative measures have been adopted in the course of 2020 aimed at facilitating absorption, cutting red tape and accelerating the actual disbursement of funds under several programmes in order to provide cash-flow and liquidity in a context of severe economic depression; judges that this approach would be severely and unjustifiably compromised if not underpinned by a sufficient level of payment appropriations in 2021; calls therefore for adequate means to be made available as of the adoption of the 2021 Budget; commits to take any steps necessary to adjusting of payment appropriations in the course of execution throughout 2021;

79.  Reiterates Parliament's position of 4 April 2019 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of the Union's budget in the case of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law in Member States(12); underlines the importance of having a mechanism in place to protect the Union budget where there is a systemic threat to values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, and where the financial interests of the Union are at stake; stresses that Parliament will not accept an agreement on a mechanism which does not protect the Union budget against general deficiencies in the rule of law;

Other Sections

Section I – European Parliament

80.  Expresses its surprise and deep concern at the Commission’s proposed cuts to Parliament’s budget, which break once more the tradition of good cooperation between the two institutions; restores the appropriations established in the estimates on the basis of a careful and responsible analysis of the needs of Parliament for 2021 and adopted by plenary in its abovementioned resolution on 14 May 2020 with a large majority. and adjusts those to take into account the setting-up of five new parliamentary committees when restoring the appropriations; highlights that, in the course of 2021, the 2021 Budget might need to be adjusted in order to take account of the evolution of the COVID-19 crisis;

81.  Notes the ongoing negotiations on the new Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 and the uncertainty regarding the funding level of the new Heading 7 - European Public Administration; stresses that Parliament has fulfilled the 5 % staff reduction objective and actually saw an overall cut of 6 %; highlights the fact that, since the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, Parliament has had to cope with an increased amount of tasks; notes that synergies and re-prioritisation were achieved in the last legislative term; stresses that the functioning of Parliament depends on the fulfilment of its political, legislative and administrative tasks, which require adequate staffing levels; is deeply concerned by the serious and structural understaffing in many committees’ secretariats in contradiction with the important increase of their workload and invites the Bureau and the Secretary-General to urgently provide solutions to adequately staff the committees’ secretariats;

82.  Reiterates Parliament’s priorities for the forthcoming financial year, namely, focusing Parliament’s budget on its core functions of legislating, acting as one arm of the budgetary authority, representing citizens and scrutinising the work of other institutions, as well as providing the resources for priority projects on engaging with citizens, green Parliament promoting the saving of resources, accessible Parliament, fully respecting gender issues, building security, cyber-security and IT development, and multiannual building projects;

83.  In line with the estimates adopted by Parliament:

Other sections (Sections IV-X)

84.  Notes that, in the main, the DB reflects the estimates of the various institutions falling within the other sections of the budget and therefore matches, with some exceptions, their financial requirements; considers that the horizontal and systematic cuts proposed by the Council would therefore have a deleterious effect on the working of the institutions concerned and consequently on the vital contribution they make to the functioning of the Union; on that account, proposes to restore the levels of the DB in almost all cases, including with regard to the establishment plans of the Court of Justice, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions (CoR), the Ombudsman and the EEAS; in line with the gentlemen’s agreement, does not modify the Council’s reading concerning the Council and the European Council;

85.  Considers that, in a limited number of cases and taking into account the institutions’ estimates, it is necessary to increase lines above the DB; proposes therefore:

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86.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution, together with the amendments to the draft general budget, to the Council, the Commission, the other institutions and bodies concerned and the national parliaments.

(1) OJ L 168, 7.6.2014, p. 105. (2) OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1. (3) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 884. (4) OJ C 373, 20.12.2013, p. 1. (5) Texts adopted, P8_TA(2018)0449. (6) Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0166. (7) Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0123. (8) Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0220. (9) Regulation (EU) 2020/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2020 on the establishment of a framework to facilitate sustainable investment, and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 (OJ L 198, 22.6.2020, p. 13). (10) Text adopted, P9_TA(2020)0206. (11) Texts adopted, P8_TA(2018)0449. (12) Texts adopted, P9_TA(2019)0349. (13) Texts adopted, P8_TA(2017)0417. (14) Texts adopted, P8_TA(2018)0331. (15) Texts adopted, P8_TA(2019)0010.

European Parliament non-legislative resolution of 12 November 2020 on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles and its implementing protocol (2020-2026) (05243/2020 – C9-0073/2020 – 2020/0002M(NLE))

P9_TA(2020)0303 A9-0184/2020

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the draft Council decision (05243/2020),

–  having regard to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles (05246/2020),

–  having regard to the Protocol on the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles (2020-2026),

–  having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 43, Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v), and Article 218(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) (C9-0073/2020),

–  having regard to its legislative resolution of 11 November 2020(1) on the draft Council decision,

–   having regard to Article 208 of the TFEU on policy coherence for development,

–  having regard to Article 31(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)(2),

–  having regard to its resolution of 12 April 2016 on common rules in respect of application of the external dimension of the CFP, including fisheries agreements(3),

–  having regard to the report of 29 April 2019 entitled ‘Ex-post and ex-ante evaluation study of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles and of its Implementing Protocol’,

–   having regard to the Seychelles Blue Economy Strategic Policy Framework and Roadmap: Charting the Future (2018-2030),

–  having regard to the report of the 18th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Scientific Committee of November 2015, in particular its recommendation regarding yellowfin tuna,

–  having regard to the report of the 21st Session of the IOTC Scientific Committee of December 2018, in particular its assessment of stocks in the Indian Ocean,

–   having regard to the report of the 21st Session of the IOTC Working Party on Tropical Tuna, held in Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain, from 21 to 26 October 2019,

–  having regard to Rule 105(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the letter of the Committee on Development,

–  having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A9-0184/2020),

A.  whereas the Commission and the Government of Seychelles have negotiated a new sustainable fisheries partnership agreement (EU-Seychelles SFPA), together with an implementing protocol, for a six-year period; whereas the SFPA with Seychelles is the most important tuna agreement for the Union in terms of catch volume, as it grants access to Seychelles waters to 40 purse seiners, 8 surface longliners, and support vessels, in accordance with the relevant Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) resolutions;

B.  whereas the overall aim of the EU-Seychelles SFPA is to promote sustainable fishing and to define the rules that govern access for Union fishing vessels to the fishing zone of Seychelles;

C.   whereas the new protocol grants fishing opportunities to EU vessels in the Seychelles fishing zone, giving them access to an appropriate share of the surplus of living marine resources, in accordance with the best available scientific advice and the resolutions and recommendations of the IOTC, within the limits of the available surplus;

D.  whereas the EU’s commitments under international agreements, notably the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), have overall been supported and should still be supported under the SFPA, in particular SDGs 14 and 10; whereas all EU actions, including the conclusion of the SFPA, must contribute to those objectives;

E.  whereas SFPAs are among the most transparent and sustainable fisheries agreements in the world and provide a sophisticated and robust legal framework and promote high social, environmental and compliance standards;

F.  whereas the agreement promotes the stepping up of economic, financial and scientific cooperation between the EU and Seychelles with the aim of achieving sustainable fisheries;

G.  whereas when the EU is not present in a third country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the surplus of stocks are exploited by other fleets that often have lower social or environmental sustainability standards, whose low-cost and unsustainable products end up on the EU market;

H.  whereas the principle of non-discrimination between the different fleets fishing in the waters of the third country with which the EU has concluded an agreement is a fundamental principle contributing to sustainable fishing;

I.  whereas SFPAs also ensure consistency between the principles governing the common fisheries policy and commitments made under other European policies (sustainable use of third-country resources, combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, integration of partner countries into the global economy, contribution to sustainable development in all its dimensions, and better political and financial governance of fisheries);

J.  whereas the aim is also to enhance cooperation between the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles in order to promote a sustainable fisheries policy and sound exploitation of fisheries resources in the Seychelles fishing zone and in the Indian Ocean, in the interest of both parties; whereas, in addition, this cooperation will also help to promote decent working conditions in fisheries activities;

K.  whereas the renewal of the protocol would help strengthen monitoring, control and surveillance and would contribute to improved governance of the fisheries in the region;

L.  whereas Seychelles is the operational and logistical centre for tuna fishing activity in the Indian Ocean, and whereas it is important for the EU to maintain an instrument allowing deep sectoral cooperation with a major player in ocean governance at the sub-regional level because of the extent of its fishing area under its jurisdiction; whereas strengthening the relationship with Seychelles also serves to build alliances within the framework of the IOTC.

M.  whereas Seychelles benefits from dedicated sectoral support that provides for multi-year funding opportunities;

N.  whereas the fisheries sector, including tuna fishing and EU vessels under this agreement, is of great importance to the Seychelles economy, as it is essential for the country’s economic development, job creation and food security, and whereas sustainable fish stocks are key to its long-term stability;

O.  whereas the SFPA has contributed overall to the sustainable development of the Seychelles fisheries sector, and should continue to do so, in particular as regards artisanal fisheries, with the aim of ensuring long-term food security and food sovereignty for the country’s population;

P.  whereas it is important that the SFPA contributes to improving working conditions in the fisheries sector;

Q.  whereas, under the previous agreement, the overall utilisation rate was 7 % for surface longliners and 69 % for tuna purse seiners, meaning that an average of 27 EU seiners drew authorisation, when up to 40 could have done so;

R.  whereas EU tuna vessels operating under the agreement in the period between 2014 and 2017 landed approximately 22 % of their regional tuna catch at the Indian Ocean tuna cannery (at the international market price);

S.  whereas one of the basic preconditions for achieving sustainable fisheries is having access to accurate and reliable data;

T.  whereas the IOTC stock assessments indicate that skipjack and bigeye tuna are exploited at sustainable levels but that yellowfin tuna stocks are overfished and are subject to excessive fishing effort in the region;

U.  whereas climate change is expected to have a negative impact on the different populations of tuna in the Indian Ocean;

V.  whereas in 2015 the Scientific Committee of the IOTC recommended reducing yellowfin tuna catches by 20 %, but this recommendation was not adequately followed up; whereas in 2018 the Scientific Committee reiterated its recommendation to reduce yellowfin tuna catches in order to allow the recovery of the biomass to sustainable levels;

W.  whereas the Seychelles 2018-2030 Blue Economy Strategic Policy Framework highlights the country’s priorities on food security, professional training, marine protected areas and strengthening regional partnerships;

X.  whereas combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is one of the basic preconditions for achieving sustainable fisheries;

Y.  whereas the Union’s financial contribution to Seychelles under the SFPA is EUR 5.3 million per year; including EUR 2.8 million for sectoral support; whereas the total contribution of the EU budget is EUR 31.8 million over six years; whereas the fee to be paid by ship-owners per tonne of tuna caught was increased from EUR 55 to EUR 75 under the previous protocol, and whereas the new protocol provides for an increase from EUR 80 per tonne in 2020 to EUR 85 per tonne for the six years; whereas the total contribution by ship-owners is estimated to be EUR 26.4 million over the full duration of the protocol; whereas this amounts to a total financial contribution from the European Union over the entire duration of the protocol of EUR 58.2 million, or EUR 9.7 million per year;

Z.  whereas since 2018 the EU has, via the European Investment Bank, invested EUR 17.5 million in loans and grants for the alteration and extension of Port Victoria, the largest commercial harbour in Seychelles; whereas that investment has been beneficial in terms of the economic competitiveness of Seychelles, job creation and the sustainable growth of all sectors of the local economy;

AA.  whereas a number of Seychelles-flagged vessels are owned by EU citizens or companies;

AB.  whereas Parliament must be immediately and fully informed, at all stages, of the procedures relating to the SFPA, its protocol and, if applicable, their renewal;

1.  Stresses that the EU-Seychelles SFPA, while providing fishing opportunities for EU vessels and promoting scientific cooperation, has overall ensured that the fishing activity of the EU fleet adheres to sustainability objectives and should keep ensuring that it adheres to environmental protection objectives and does not harm marine biodiversity, meaning that EU vessels fish an appropriate share of the surplus of living marine resources, as calculated on the basis of the best available scientific knowledge and advice;

2.  Stresses the need to foster scientific cooperation and to exchange biological conservation and environmental statistical data necessary for the management and conservation of living marine resources so that both Union and other fishing vessels fishing in Seychelles waters can operate in line with sustainability criteria;

3.  Stresses that the fisheries sector is an important sector for the Seychelles economy and is essential to the country’s economic development, employment and food security;

4.  Stresses the importance for the SFPA to be fully in line with and contribute to the conservation and management measures introduced on the basis of the resolutions and recommendations adopted by the regional organisations to which the Republic of Seychelles belongs, notably the IOTC;

5.  Welcomes the fact that Seychelles and the EU intend to strengthen their cooperation in the IOTC and to contribute to its resolutions and recommendations; encourages the Commission to put forward joint proposals on strengthening monitoring and controls, as well as on the impact of climate change on tuna populations in the Indian Ocean, including by promoting scientific cooperation;

6.  Considers that the EU-Seychelles SFPA should continue to promote further economic, financial, technical and scientific cooperation between the EU and Seychelles in the field of sustainable fisheries and sound exploitation of fishery resources in the Seychelles fishing zone, including support for the control, surveillance and inspection of fishing activities;

7.  Takes note of the fact that the Seychelles fisheries sector, including its artisanal component, has not been sufficiently involved throughout the negotiations; calls for the participation of and dialogue with local communities and fisheries stakeholders to be improved, as much as possible, by keeping them informed and through their systematic inclusion in the implementation of the SFPA, its protocol and future renewal, with a view to ensuring that the interests and the development of the Seychelles fisheries sector are not undermined by the EU-Seychelles SFPA and to avoid a disruption in the activities of artisanal local fisheries;

8.  Takes note that the protocol to the EU-Seychelles SFPA could potentially lead to an increase in fishing capacity, with a stable number of authorised purse seiners and an increased number of longliners, as all the possibilities were not used under the previous agreement, despite scientific recommendations to reduce the catch of yellowfin tuna, and despite calls from the Seychelles fishers’ union to reduce fishing effort in the region;

9.  Calls for the implementation of the measures recommended by the IOTC, particularly those concerning the restoration of yellowfin tuna stocks; urges the Commission, together with the Seychelles authorities, to take all necessary measures, in line with the IOTC, to stop the overfishing of yellowfin tuna by the EU fleet, including introducing catch limits for yellowfin tuna and stepping up the fight against IUU fishing; asks the Commission and the Seychelles authorities to promote among other contracting parties the implementation of such measures by all fleets operating in Seychelles waters;

10.  Emphasises the need to improve selectivity with a view to strongly reducing bycatch and the unwanted catch of all species, in particular of sensitive species and juveniles, in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of stocks;

11.  Welcomes the fact that the protocol requirement for EU tuna seiners to undertake to supply tuna canning plants and/or the Seychelles local processing industry has been met;

12.  Welcomes the introduction of measures to limit the number of support vessels and the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) in order to reduce their negative impact on juveniles and marine litter; welcomes the obligation to use biodegradable FADs, which must be recovered when they are no longer operational; stresses that these measures should be closely monitored and evaluated; considers, however, that these measures are not sufficient to limit the negative impact of FADS on biodiversity and marine litter and that their use must be quickly and drastically cut back;

13.  Welcomes the fact that, for the purposes of environmental management and the observation of marine ecosystems, the Seychelles authorities are envisaging the establishment of a specific fund to which the owners of EU purse seiners will contribute;

14.  Stresses the importance of strengthening measures for the prevention and collection of plastic waste in order to reduce marine litter;

15.  Welcomes the establishment of marine protected areas by Seychelles in its waters over recent years; expresses concern over the lack of effective management; recalls that they must be managed in line with environment protection objectives, and warns of the negative effects that allowing other economic activities such as oil exploration and exploitation or maritime transport could have on these protected areas; recalls the importance of surveillance and monitoring of these areas so as to have the best scientific knowledge for supporting their management;

16.  Stresses that the collection of accurate and reliable data, the exchange and processing of data and effective surveillance, monitoring and control of fisheries are key to ensuring sustainable fish stocks in the long term, and that the EU-Seychelles SFPA must reinforce cooperation in these fields; welcomes the possibility of carrying out risk-based joint inspection programmes on EU vessels, monitoring, control and surveillance programmes and the transition to an electronic reporting system (ERS) as soon as possible, once agreed by the Joint Committee.

17.  Stresses the need to strengthen EU-Seychelles cooperation in the fight against IUU fishing, including through training Seychelles officials in monitoring and inspection;

18.  Welcomes the fact that the Seychelles Government undertakes to make public and to exchange information relating to any agreement authorising foreign vessels in its fishing zone and the resulting fishing effort, in particular the number of fishing authorisations issued and the catches reported, as foreign fleets are currently fishing under unpublished agreements in Seychelles waters; reiterates the importance for the Seychelles authorities to only sign fisheries agreements with countries that are committed to combating IUU fishing and with fleets that follow strict sustainable fisheries management rules;

19.  Warmly welcomes the Seychelles authorities’ undertaking not to agree to conditions more favourable than those set out in the agreement for other foreign fleets fishing in the Seychelles fishing zone that have the same characteristics and catch the same species as those covered by this agreement and its implementing protocol;

20.  Invites the Commission to ensure that the reflagging of EU vessels is in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 on the sustainable management of external fishing fleets, including by promoting a mandatory International Maritime Organization (IMO) number that would be attached to a vessel for its entire lifetime;

21.  Stresses the importance for sectoral support to be targeted more precisely so as to finance measures that actually support the sustainable development of the local fishing sector, in particular its artisanal segment, and that contribute to efficient fisheries management, paying special attention to crew safety training, the improvement of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) and training for women and young people, building on the positive aspects of sectoral support under the previous agreement; calls for the publication of the detailed list of projects being funded by the sectoral support provided under this SFPA and for improved communication on the outcomes of the programmes;

22.  Welcomes the fact that the parties have undertaken to promote economic, trade, scientific and technical cooperation in the fisheries sector and in activities relating thereto, and to encourage human and institutional capacity-building in the fisheries sector to improve skills development and enhance training capacities so as to contribute to sustainable fishing activities in Seychelles and the development of the blue economy;

23.  Calls on the Commission to ensure the necessary oversight of the contribution made by EU ship-owners to the fund created by the Seychelles authorities, for the purpose of environmental management and observation of marine ecosystems in their waters, including in the Joint Committee;

24.  Calls for a detailed evaluation of the effects of the SFPA on local economies in terms of employment, infrastructure development and social and labour conditions;

25.  Calls on the Commission to send to Parliament and make publicly available the minutes and conclusions of the meetings of the Joint Committee provided for in Article 12 of the SFPA and the findings of the annual evaluations; calls on the Commission to enable representatives of Parliament to attend Joint Committee meetings, including via teleconference, and to encourage the systematic participation of Seychelles fishing communities and associated stakeholders;

26.  Calls on the Commission and the Council, acting within the limits of their powers, to keep Parliament immediately and fully informed at every stage of the procedures relating to the agreement and its protocol and, if applicable, of its renewal, pursuant to Article 13(2) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and Article 218(10) of the TFEU;

27.  Draws the attention of the Commission and the Council to the fact that persistently proceeding with the provisional application of international agreements before Parliament has given its consent is not compatible with the guiding principles of the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making, and that this practice damages the democratic credentials of the EU as a whole, and calls therefore for the procedure to be improved;

28.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Seychelles.

(1) Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0296. (2) OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 22. (3) OJ C 58, 15.2.2018, p. 93.