### d. whereas the challenges the eu and its member states are faced with today , including climate change , various forms of extremism and populism , and the covid-19 pandemic , require appropriate educational answers and concerted european action; ### d. whereas the challenges the eu and its member states are currently faced with , including climate change , exacerbation of existing inequalities as a result of the covid-19 pandemic , and the rise of far-right extremism , neo-facism and authoritarianism require appropriate educational answers and concerted european action;


### e. whereas the realities of educational infrastructure , expertise and resources vary within and across member states , and whereas those differences have become further pronounced during the covid-19 pandemic; ### e. whereas the realities of educational infrastructure , expertise and access to resources vary within and across member states , with those differences having become further pronounced during the covid-19 pandemic primarily as a result of increased inequality , including lack of access to it infrastructure for people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds , negatively impacting access to education; whereas in person education remains essential in both the intellectual and personal development of the student.


### 1. emphasises the importance of quality education and that the european education area (eea) initiative should provide more and better opportunities for every single european citizen to study , train and work abroad , and cultivate an environment where skills and diplomas are recognised throughout europe; ### 1. emphasises the importance of quality education founded upon the principle of inclusiveness and accessibility for all and that the european education area (eea) initiative should provide more and better opportunities for everyone in europe to study , train and work abroad , and cultivate the environment where skills and diplomas are recognised throughout europe;


### 2. stresses the role of the eea in fostering a sense of european belonging and in providing economic opportunities by addressing existing educational challenges; ### 2. stresses the role of the eea in fostering a sense of european community and in providing fair and equal opportunities by addressing existing educational challenges;


### 6. appreciates the commission’s efforts to foster an eea , while noting the need for a more holistic approach , requiring meaningful cooperation and coordination between all actors and stakeholders; ### 6. appreciates the commission’s efforts to foster an eea , while noting the need for a more holistic approach , requiring meaningful cooperation and coordination between all actors and stakeholders across national , regional &; local authorities;


### 9. emphasises the urgent need to develop a common implementation strategy and roadmap that includes the european institutions , member states and all relevant stakeholders , and defines their respective responsibilities; ### 9. emphasises the urgent need to develop a common implementation strategy and roadmap that includes the european institutions , member states and all relevant stakeholders including local and regional authorities and civil society , and defines their respective responsibilities;


### turning vision into reality: common strategic priorities and eu-level targets ### turning vision into reality: common strategic priorities , funding and eu-level targets


### 12. highlights inclusiveness as a central dimension of an eea and a prerequisite for achieving quality education for all , ensuring that no talent is left behind; ### 12. highlights inclusiveness of the most marginalised communities including women in all their diversity , racial and ethnic minorities , lgbtiq+ people , persons with disabilities , refugees and migrants , as a central dimension of an eea and a prerequisite for achieving quality education for all , ensuring that no learner is left behind;


### 15. aims to foster media literacy and critical thinking at all stages of learning as a central means to empower responsible european citizens; ### 15. aims to foster inclusion , equality , media literacy and critical thinking at all stages of learning as a central means to empower responsible members of society and counter the increasing tide of disinformation;


### 17. stresses the importance of enhancing competences and motivation in the education profession , especially supported through the improved recognition of educators’ value to society and by bolstering pedagogical autonomy; ### 17. stresses the importance of improving working conditions and enhancing competences and motivation in the education profession , especially supported through the greater societal valuation of educators and by bolstering pedagogical autonomy;


### 19. stresses the importance of commission and member state action in higher education , such as reinforcing the bologna process , strengthening the international dimension of the eea and furthering the european student card , including through embracing the synergies offered by existing eu programmes; ### 19. stresses the importance of commission and member state action in higher education , such as reinforcing the bologna process , strengthening the international dimension of the eea , including partners from the global south , and furthering the european student card , including through embracing the synergies offered by existing eu programmes;


### 23. seeks clarity on the level of involvement expected from stakeholders , education sectors that have been underrepresented so far , and relevant civil society actors; ### 23. seeks clarity on the level of involvement expected from stakeholders , education sectors that have been underrepresented so far , and relevant civil society actors; stresses that the governance framework should involve all relevant stakeholders working in all arenas of learning. this also includes the involvement of youth workers and youth organisations specifically;


### 23. seeks clarity on the level of involvement expected from stakeholders , education sectors that have been underrepresented so far , and relevant civil society actors; ### 23. seeks to increase the level of involvement expected from stakeholders , education sectors that have been underrepresented so far , and relevant civil society actors;


### 25. underlines the need for a european dimension in education by strengthening a distinct european perspective in students’ curricula and teachers’ training , including with support from jean monnet actions and teacher academies; proposes that these teacher academies be called ‘comenius teacher academies’; ### 25. underlines the need for a european dimension in education by strengthening a distinct european perspective in students’ curricula and teachers’ training , with regards to all teachers , trainers & learners from both formal & non-formal organisations including with support from jean monnet actions and teacher academies; proposes that these teacher academies be called ‘comenius teacher academies’;


### 26. emphasises the need to provide learners with knowledge about european history and cultural heritage , both tangible and intangible , and to foster a critical european memory and historical consciousness; ### 26. emphasises the need to provide learners with knowledge about european history and cultural heritage , both tangible and intangible , and to foster a critical european memory and historical consciousness , taking into account the legacy of colonialism and its continued influence throughout european society and beyond;


### strengthening visibility , cooperation and mainstreaming in eu policies ### strengthening visibility , cooperation and mainstreaming sport in eu policies;


### 1. calls on the eu to adopt a more holistic approach to sports policy and step up efforts to mainstream it into other eu policies; ### 1. calls on the eu to adopt a more holistic approach to sports policy and step up efforts to mainstream it into other eu policies , such as the eu cohesion policy;


### 3. calls on the commission to set up regular high-level structured cooperation with all sports stakeholders and other institutions to deliver more targeted and accountable recommendations for action on the challenges facing the sport sector; ### 3. calls on the commission to set up regular high-level structured cooperation with all sports stakeholders and other institutions to deliver more targeted and accountable recommendations for action on the challenges facing the sport sector , including the challenges imposed by covid-19 , the lack of financial resources , doping , hate speech , gender gap , corruption , governance and accessibility challenges , so that no one is left behind;


### 4. calls on the commission to present a communication on the future of sport linked to the eu’s strategic goals; ### 4. calls on the commission to present a communication on the future of sport linked to the eu’s strategic goals , including the green and the digital transition , as well as social inclusion;


### 8. calls for a european sports model that recognises the need for a strong commitment to integrating the principles of solidarity , sustainability , inclusiveness , open competition and sporting merit; ### 8. calls for a european sports model that recognises the need for a strong commitment to integrating the principles of solidarity , sustainability , inclusiveness for all , open competition , mobility and sporting merit , and fair play; strongly opposes breakaway competitions that undermine such principles and endanger the stability of the overall sports ecosystem;


### 8. calls for a european sports model that recognises the need for a strong commitment to integrating the principles of solidarity , sustainability , inclusiveness , open competition and sporting merit; ### 8. calls for a european sports model that recognises the need for a strong commitment to integrating the principles of solidarity , sustainability , inclusiveness , open competition , sporting merit , fairness and accordingly strongly opposes breakaway competitions that undermine such principles and endanger the stability of the overall sports ecosystem;


### 9. recognises the role of federations in governing their sport and encourages closer coordination with authorities and all relevant stakeholders; ### 9. recognises the role of federations in governing their sport and encourages closer coordination , cooperation and exchange of views with authorities and all relevant stakeholders;


### 10. highlights the need for increased solidarity and financial redistribution , especially between professional and grassroots sport; ### 10. highlights the need for increased solidarity and financial redistribution , especially between professional and grassroots sport; calls on member states and sports federations to implement a mandatory solidarity mechanism based on a fair and binding distribution key that ensures a redistribution of revenues in favour of the amateur and grassroots level;


### 10. highlights the need for increased solidarity and financial redistribution , especially between professional and grassroots sport; ### 10. highlights the need for increased solidarity , more targeted funding and financial redistribution , especially between professional and grassroots sport;


### 10. highlights the need for increased solidarity and financial redistribution , especially between professional and grassroots sport; ### 10. highlights the need for more targeted and increased solidarity and financial redistribution , especially between professional and grassroots sport;


### 12. urges public authorities , sports federations and organisations to uphold values such as human rights , democracy and the rule of law when awarding host status for major sporting events; ### 12. urges public authorities , sports federations and organisations to uphold values such as human rights , equality , inclusiveness , democracy and the rule of law when awarding host status for major sporting events;


### 13. considers that a renewed commitment to good governance is needed in order to rebalance the social and economic elements in sport and to ensure that stakeholder representation in decision-making bodies is respected; ### 13. considers that a renewed commitment to good governance is needed in order to rebalance the social and economic elements in sport and to ensure that stakeholder representation in decision-making bodies is respected and fairly balanced;


### 14. calls on international , european and national sports organisations and stakeholder representative organisations to implement the highest governance standards; ### 14. calls on international , european and national sports organisations and stakeholder representative organisations to implement the highest governance standards , which must be clearly defined and equally applied and harmonized throughout the eu;


### 15. urges sports governing bodies to implement measures on diversity and inclusion , in particular to address the low numbers of women and ethnic minorities in leadership positions; ### 15. urges sports governing bodies to implement measures on diversity and inclusion , especially regarding people with disabilities and lgbtiq+ in particular to address the low numbers of women , lgbtiq+ , people with disabilities , and ethnic minorities and all people from vulnerable groups in decision-making and leadership positions , leaving no one behind;


### 16. calls for the eu institutions to promote the fundamental rights of athletes , including freedom of association , collective bargaining and non-discrimination; ### 16. calls for the eu institutions to promote and protect the fundamental rights of athletes , including freedom of association , collective bargaining and non-discrimination; to this goal , strongly suggest to promote and ensure athlete representation in decision-making bodies;


### 16. calls for the eu institutions to promote the fundamental rights of athletes , including freedom of association , collective bargaining and non-discrimination; ### 16. calls for the eu institutions to promote the fundamental rights of athletes , including athlete representation in decision-making , freedom of association , collective bargaining and non-discrimination;


### 17. calls on member states , sports governing bodies and clubs to acknowledge the status of fans in sport by involving them in governance and decision-making bodies; ### 17. calls on member states , sports governing bodies and clubs to acknowledge the status of fans in sport by involving them their representation in governance and decision-making bodies;


### 18. calls on the commission to build on its existing work on social dialogue and to extend its scope to all professional sports; ### 18. calls on the commission to build on its existing work on social dialogue and to extend its scope to all sports;


### 23. calls on the commission and the member states to ensure that sports policy and legislation support gender equality , with particular attention to media coverage , remuneration gaps , award disparities and harassment; ### 23. calls on the commission and the member states to ensure that sports policy and legislation , include grassroots sports and professional sports as well as adaptive and disability sports and support gender equality with particular attention to media coverage , remuneration gaps , award disparities and harassment;


### 23. calls on the commission and the member states to ensure that sports policy and legislation support gender equality , with particular attention to media coverage , remuneration gaps , award disparities and harassment; ### 23. calls on the commission and the member states to ensure that sports policy and legislation support gender equality , with particular attention to gender based violence such as harassment and sexual assault , media coverage , wage disparities and premium pay disparities;


### 24. calls on the commission to recognise the importance and support the social inclusion of refugees , ethnic minorities and the lgbtqi+ community in sport; ### 24. calls on the commission to recognise the importance and support the social inclusion of refugees , ethnic minorities and the lgbtqi+ community and all vulnerable groups in sport;


### 25. urges sports bodies and public authorities to effectively tackle discrimination , violence and hate speech and to guarantee safe , inclusive sport for all athletes , spectators and staff in sport venues and online; ### 25. urges sports bodies and public authorities to effectively tackle discrimination , violence and hate speech and to guarantee safe , inclusive sport for all athletes , spectators and staff in sport venues and online , while safeguarding that personal freedoms will not be hindered by no means;


### 26. calls on the member states to step up efforts towards the inclusion in sports activities and programmes of persons with disabilities; ### 26. calls on the member states to step up efforts towards the inclusion in sport activities and programmes of persons with mental and physical disabilities , and to increase visibility in the media of competitions involving athletes with disabilities;


### 26. calls on the member states to step up efforts towards the inclusion in sports activities and programmes of persons with disabilities; ### 26. calls on the member states to step up efforts towards the inclusion in sports activities and programmes of persons with disabilities , improving as well visibility and media coverage;


### 27. calls for the eu institutions , the member states and sports organisations to prioritise policies that safeguard children from any form of abuse and provide access to remedies; ### 27. calls for the eu institutions , the member states and sports organisations to prioritise policies that safeguard children from any form of abuse and provide access to remedies , including legal advice and their timely protection;


### 28. calls on the member states and public authorities to develop sports infrastructure and to increase the amount of physical education and extracurricular physical activities in schools; ### 28. calls on the member states and public authorities to develop sports infrastructure and to increase the amount of physical education and extracurricular physical activities in schools , including during weekends and holidays; insists that sports should be provided to children in schools for free;


### 31. highlights the role of coaches and sport staff in developing the skills of and in educating young people; ### 31. highlights the role of coaches and sport staff in developing the skills of and in educating children and young people and stresses that the adequate training plays a key role in encouraging participation in sport and in ensuring a safe environment for all;


### 33. calls on the commission and the member states to create a system for the recognition of qualifications gained by volunteers; ### 33. recognises the valuable contributions that sports volunteers bring to a society and calls on the commission and the member states to create a system for the recognition of qualifications gained by volunteers , including coaches working as volunteers;


### 33. calls on the commission and the member states to create a system for the recognition of qualifications gained by volunteers; ### 33. calls on the commission and the member states to create a system for the recognition of qualifications gained by volunteers , safeguarding at the same time quality jobs and descent working and remuneration conditions;


### 34. insists on the need for support mechanisms to get the sport sector back on track in the wake of covid-19; ### 34. insists on the need for support and funding mechanisms to get the sport sector back on track in the wake of covid-19; , including through national support funds , the recovery and resilience facility and the structural funds;


### 34. insists on the need for support mechanisms to get the sport sector back on track in the wake of covid-19; ### 34. insists on the need for support mechanisms to get the sport sector back on track in the wake of covid-19 , including through national support funds , the recovery and resilience facility and the structural funds;


### 35. stresses the need to further increase funding for sport; ### 35. stresses the need to further increase funding for sport , including grassroots sport , which has restrained resources , while it involves the majority of people participating in sport activities and , therefore , plays fundamental role for society’s physical and mental well-being;


### 35. stresses the need to further increase funding for sport; ### 35. stresses the need to further increase funding for sport , especially in grassroots sport , women’s sport , para-sport and the field of education;


### 36. welcomes the higher budget for sport under the new erasmus+ programme and supports further synergies between programmes and funds; ### 36. welcomes the higher budget for sport under the new erasmus+ programme and supports further synergies between programmes and funds , and make a better use of this tool to support recovery in sport , keeping in mind the key goal of promoting social inclusion;


### 36. welcomes the higher budget for sport under the new erasmus+ programme and supports further synergies between programmes and funds; ### 36. welcomes the higher budget for sport under the new erasmus+ programme and supports further synergies between programmes and funds and make a better use of this tool to support recovery in sport;


### 38. calls on national , regional and local authorities to recognise the key role of sport and physical activity in fields such as urban regeneration , tourism and territorial cohesion and to prioritise them in cohesion policy and investments under the recovery and resilience facility; ### 38. calls on national , regional and local authorities to recognise the key role of sport and physical activity in fields such as urban regeneration , tourism and territorial cohesion and to prioritise them in cohesion policy , specifically on european social fund plus and on european regional and development fund investments and under the recovery and resilience facility;


### 41. underlines the need to ensure environmental sustainability when promoting the development of sport and the organisation of sporting events; ### 41. underlines the need to ensure environmental sustainability , by providing relevant additional funds , when promoting the development of sport and the organisation of sporting events;


### 42. insists on the alignment of sport with the principles of the european green deal and its contribution to environmental education and behaviour change; ### 42. insists on the alignment of sport with the principles of the european green deal and its contribution to environmental education and behaviour change; calls on the commission and member states to support the sports sector with special funding and support schemes facilitating the green transition of the sector;


### 43. calls on the commission to establish minimum accessibility criteria , safety standards and sustainability benchmarks for sports infrastructure; ### 43. calls on the commission to establish minimum accessibility criteria , safety standards and sustainability benchmarks , for sports infrastructure , harmonized throughout the eu , supporting inclusion , as well as mobility of athletes and sport-related workers;


### 44. highlights the importance of innovation and cross-sectoral cooperation in sport , especially of developing digital tools to increase participation in physical activity; ### 44. highlights the importance of innovation and cross-sectoral cooperation in sport , especially of developing digital tools to increase participation in physical activity , especially targeting young people , with the aim of establishing sport as a healthy habit;


### 45. calls on the commission and the european institute for technology to create a knowledge and innovation community (kic) in the field of sport to boost innovation and resilience; ### 45. calls on the commission and the european institute for technology to create a knowledge and innovation community (kic) in the field of sport to boost innovation and resilience , as well as monitoring , transnational collaboration , mobility and solidarity;


### 46. calls for the eu institutions to launch a debate on the future of e-sport and to present a study on its social and economic impact; ### 46. calls for the eu institutions to launch a debate on the future and possibilities of e-sport and to collect data in order to present a study on its social and economic impact; highlights that e-sports should not be considered as replacing actual sports by any means;


### 100. the july 2021 revelations by the pegasus project showed a large number of targets in spain. however , they seem to have been targeted by different actors and for different reasons. it is widely believed that the moroccan authorities targeted prime minister pedro sanchez , minister for defence margarita robles and minister of the interior fernando grande-marlaska , similarly to the case of the french president and government ministers185 . the targeting of a second group of victims is referred to as ‘catalangate’186 . it includes catalan parliamentarians , members of the european parliament , lawyers , civil society organisation members and some family and staff connected to those victims187 . the ‘catalangate’ surveillance scandal was first reported on in 2020 , but it was not until april 2022 that citizen lab completed their in-depth investigation that the scale of the scandal was revealed. the results of that probe showed that at least 65 persons were targeted188 . in may 2020 , the spanish authorities admitted to targeting 18 of those 65 victims with court authorisation189 . ### 100. the july 2021 revelations by the pegasus project showed a large number of targets in spain. however , they seem to have been targeted by different actors and for different reasons. it is widely believed that the moroccan authorities targeted prime minister pedro sanchez , minister for defence margarita robles and minister of the interior fernando grande-marlaska , similarly to the case of the french president and government ministers185 . the targeting of a second group of victims is referred to as ‘catalangate’186 . it includes catalan parliamentarians , members of the european parliament , lawyers , civil society organisation members and some family and staff connected to those victims187 . the ‘catalangate’ surveillance scandal was first reported on in 2020 , but it was not until april 2022 that citizen lab completed their in-depth investigation that the scale of the scandal was revealed. the results of that probe showed that at least 65 persons were targeted188 . in may 2020 , the spanish authorities admitted to targeting 18 of those 65 victims with court authorisation189 . in practice that means that 47 of them were spied illegally by spanish authorities , some of them being just family members of catalan politicians.


### 106. the official secrets committee is required to submit an annual report on the activities of the intelligence services , however when it was convened as a result of the surveillance by the cni , it was the first meeting of the body in more than two years. head of the cni paz esteban appeared before the committee on 5 may 2022 to present the court authorisations for the 18 victims that the authorities have taken responsibility for targeting.211 the hearing was not public and those present were not allowed to enter with any electronic on them whatsoever212 . ### 106. the official secrets committee is required to submit an annual report on the activities of the intelligence services , however when it was convened as a result of the surveillance by the cni , it was the first meeting of the body in more than two years. head of the cni paz esteban appeared before the committee on 5 may 2022 to present the court authorisations for the 18 victims that the authorities have taken responsibility for targeting.211 the hearing was not public and those present were not allowed to enter with any electronic on them whatsoever212 . moreover , on april-may 2022 the spanish congress voted down a proposal to establish a committee of investigation on the pegasus scandal and the ‘catalangate’ which could have been an opportunity for the public scrutiny of pegasus use in spain. a pegasus committee has been established in the catalan parliament.


### 112. the targeting of catalan citizens with spyware reportedly began as early as 2015 , and has been carried out on a large scale since 2017227 . after initial media coverage in 2020 , the full scandal broke across europe in april 2022 with the publication of the university of toronto citizenlab report. given the significant passage of time since the beginning of the hacking and these revelations , a number of targets were unable to be identified or further investigated owing to various factors that occurred , including a number of targets who disposed of the phone in question228 . ### 112. the targeting of catalan citizens with spyware reportedly began as early as 2015 , when the then president of the catalan national assembly (anc) , jordi sánchez , was targeted shortly after a large demonstration in barcelona , and has been carried out on a large scale since 2017 , including so the term in office of both partido popular and partido socialista obrero español. after initial media coverage in 2020 , the full scandal broke across europe in april 2022 with the publication of the university of toronto citizenlab report. given the significant passage of time since the beginning of the hacking and these revelations , a number of targets were unable to be identified or further investigated owing to various factors that occurred , including a number of targets who disposed of the phone in question228 .


### 113. spanish prime minister pedro sánchez , minister for defence margarita robles and minister of the interior fernando grande-marlaska were targeted with pegasus between may and june 2021229 . there is little information available so far on details of this hacking , as they were announced by the government and were not the result of an investigation of citizenlab or any other such research service or investigative journalists. sánchez and robles are the heads of the two government branches that oversee the cni , the body responsible for conducting surveillance in spain. the infected devices of sánchez and robles were government-issued and were being scanned for spyware occasionally230 . grande-marlaska was infected on his personal device231 . minister for agriculture luis planas , who formerly served as a diplomat in morocco , was also targeted with spyware but there was no successful infection. it has been reported that the moroccan government could potentially be responsible for this targeting , however that information has not been confirmed232 . ### 113. spanish prime minister pedro sánchez , minister for defence margarita robles and minister of the interior fernando grande-marlaska were targeted with pegasus between may and june 2021229 . there is little information available so far on details of this hacking , as they were announced by the government and were not the result of an investigation of citizenlab or any other such research service or investigative journalists. sánchez and robles are the heads of the two government branches that oversee the cni , the body responsible for conducting surveillance in spain. the infected devices of sánchez and robles were government-issued and were being scanned for spyware occasionally230 . grande-marlaska was infected on his personal device231 . minister for agriculture luis planas , who formerly served as a diplomat in morocco , was also targeted with spyware but there was no successful infection. it has been reported that the moroccan government could potentially be responsible for this targeting , however that information has not been confirmed232 . it should be noted that this year the spanish government has made a turn in its policy regarding western sahara supporting the moroccan claim to sovereignty in a u-turn from its position in the conflict.


### 114. in total , 65 catalonians were confirmed to have been targeted with mercenary spyware , 63 with pegasus , four with candiru and at least two people were targeted by both233 . at least 51 individuals were successfully infected234 . the spanish government have refused to comment as to whether or not they were responsible for the surveillance any of the other victims outside of the 18 they admit to having targeted235 . the majority of those 18 persons were never charged with a crime , and yet were included on this list. minister for defence robles has relied heavily on the official secrets act rather than expand on what were the reasons for the surveillance of those specific targets236 . all 65 catalan targets have at some point in time been in contact with the catalan separatists living outside spain. ### 114. in total , 65 catalonians were confirmed to have been targeted with mercenary spyware , 63 with pegasus , four with candiru and at least two people were targeted by both233 . at least 51 individuals were successfully infected234 . the spanish government have refused to comment as to whether or not they were responsible for the surveillance any of the other victims outside of the 18 they admit to having targeted235 . the majority of those 18 persons were never charged with a crime , and yet were included on this list. minister for defence robles has relied heavily on the official secrets act rather than expand on what were the reasons for the surveillance of those specific targets236 . all 65 catalan targets have at some point in time been in contact with the catalan separatists living outside spain. most of these 65 catalan targets have at some point in time been in contact with the catalan separatists living outside spain.


### 115. one of the key groups revealed to have been targeted is the pro-independence catalan members of the european parliament. each of them were hacked with spyware either directly or indirectly through what citizenlab refer to as relational targeting237 : diana riba i giner , antoni comín i oliveres , jordi solé , carles puigdemont , and clara ponsati. ### 115. one of the key groups revealed to have been targeted is the pro-independence catalan members of the european parliament. each of them were hacked with spyware either directly or indirectly through what citizenlab refer to as relational targeting237 : diana riba i giner , antoni comín i oliveres , jordi solé , carles puigdemont , and clara ponsati. moreover , the mobile phone of one former accredited parliamentary assistant of mrs ponsatí was successfully infected with pegasus.


### 116. former president of the catalonian parliament and current minister of business and work roger torrent was among the first persons to come forward as a victim of the 2019 whatsapp pegasus infections238 . shortly after , leader of the pro-independence republican left of catalonia party , ernest maragall and anna gabriel who was previously a regional member of parliament for the popular unity candidacy party also came forward as victims of pegasus239 . all of the presidents of catalonia since 2010 have been targeted with spyware either during or after their term in office240 . as many as 12 erc members were among the 65 targets , including the secretary general of the party marta rovira who was hacked at least twice in june 2020 according to citizenlab. it is highly significant that both gabriel and rovira were living in switzerland at the time of their surveillance following the fall out after the 2017 referendum. ### 116. former president of the catalonian parliament and current minister of business and work roger torrent was among the first persons to come forward as a victim of the 2019 whatsapp pegasus infections238 . shortly after , leader of the pro-independence republican left of catalonia party , ernest maragall and anna gabriel who was previously a regional member of parliament for the popular unity candidacy party also came forward as victims of pegasus239 . all of the presidents of catalonia since 2010 have been targeted with spyware either during or after their term in office240 . as many as 15 junts and 12 erc members were among the 65 targets , including the secretary general of the party marta rovira who was hacked at least twice in june 2020 according to citizenlab. it is highly significant that both gabriel and rovira were living in switzerland at the time of their surveillance following the fall out after the 2017 referendum. from junts , its heads of delegation in the spanish congress , the catalan parliament and in the townhall of barcelona were spied upon using pegasus.


### 167. governments have targeted eu citizens with powerful spyware. this poses threats to democracy and individual citizens’ rights. the eu has powers to act on these threats , albeit very few. when member states , however , invoke ‘national security’ , the eu is basically out of the game. member states define national security unilaterally , and can shut the door at any time. in addition to these legal constraints , there are political reasons that amount to eu-passiveness. the european commission , as guardian of the eu treaties , has grown reticent when it comes to enforcing eu law331 . this is not because there are legal constraints , but rather because it is a political choice. the commission tends to interpret its powers in the narrowest possible way. when faced with flagrant violations of the rule of law and fundamental rights , this stance becomes very problematic. subsidiarity and respect for the exclusive national competences risks turning in to impunity. below we will examine the powers that the eu institutions have at their disposal. the parliament , commission and council have the power and the duty to legislate , regulate and enforce and they have to do so with vigour and ambition , putting defence of our democracy over short-term political considerations. ### 167. governments have targeted eu citizens with powerful spyware. this poses threats to democracy and individual citizens’ rights. the eu has powers to act on these threats , albeit very few. when member states , however , invoke ‘national security’ , the eu is basically out of the game. member states define national security unilaterally , and can shut the door at any time. in addition to these legal constraints , there are political reasons that amount to eu-passiveness. the european commission , as guardian of the eu treaties , has grown reticent when it comes to enforcing eu law331 . this is not because there are legal constraints , but rather because it is a political choice. the commission tends to interpret its powers in the narrowest possible way. when faced with flagrant violations of the rule of law and fundamental rights , this stance becomes very problematic. subsidiarity and respect for the exclusive national competences risks turning in to impunity. below we will examine the powers that the eu institutions have at their disposal. the parliament , commission and council have the power and the duty to legislate , regulate and enforce and they have to do so with vigour and ambition , putting defence of our democracy over short-term political considerations. programs like pegasus , which structurally violate fundamental rights through the lack of control on its use , should be banned from the eu , and the commission should make a legislative proposal to achieve such a goal.


### 168. the european commission , in its response to the spyware scandal , has so far limited itself to writing letters requesting clarification from the governments of poland , hungary , spain and greece. however , it would seem that this timid admonition by the commission will not be followed by further action. it is true that strictly speaking the commission has no powers to act in the area of national security. however , as the commission itself points out in those letters , ‘national security’ should not be interpreted as an unlimited carve out from european laws and treaties , and become an area of lawlessness. ### 168. the european commission , in its response to the spyware scandal , has so far limited itself to writing letters requesting clarification from the governments of poland , hungary , spain and greece. however , it would seem that this timid admonition by the commission will not be followed by further action. it is true that strictly speaking the commission has no powers to act in the area of national security. however , as the commission itself points out in those letters , ‘national security’ should not be interpreted as an unlimited carve out from european laws and treaties , and become an area of lawlessness , but it does have powers over the defence of the rule of law in the european union.


### 173. to date , the european council has not responded publicly or substantively to the scandal. some of its members have a stake in the matter , as they themselves may be complicit in the illegitimate hacks , or they simply wish to keep the eu weak and powerless in this area. the omertà and lack of cooperation of the council does not bode well for any future regulatory initiatives. the council is a legislator , but it may well be reluctant to regulate its own members. ### 173. to date , the european council has not responded publicly or substantively to the scandal. some of its members have a stake in the matter , as they themselves may be complicit in the illegitimate hacks , or they simply wish to keep the eu weak and powerless in this area. the omertà , the unanimity rule and lack of cooperation of the council does not bode well for any future regulatory initiatives and calls for an extra effort by the european commission to ensure that member states do not violate fundamental rights and to take measures when they do , as it already happened.


### 174. even if illegal or criminal behaviour was ultimately to be proven , members of national governments cannot be impeached or made to resign from their eu jobs. this means that persons who are guilty of such acts may well continue with impunity to sit on eu bodies and take decisions affecting all european citizens. ### 174. members of national governments responsible for these violations of fundamental rights should resign from their posts. those who are guilty of such acts should not continue with impunity to sit on eu bodies and take decisions affecting all european citizens. moreover , they should not be invited to the european parliament.


### 178. on 28 september 2022 , pega wrote a letter to europol335 , urging it to make use of its new powers under article 6 of the europol regulation336 . in a letter of reply dated 13 october 2022337 , europol stated that it has ‘contacted five member states to ascertain whether there is relevant information available at the national level for europol and whether there is an ongoing or envisaged criminal investigation (or , instead , another inquiry under the applicable provisions of national law). one of the five member states has meanwhile confirmed to europol the initiation of criminal investigations under the oversight of the competent judicial authorities , and this has also been verified by eurojust’. it is not known which countries the letter refers to , nor whether the aforementioned criminal inquiry by one member state concerns the abuse of spyware by eu member state governments or by third countries. ### 178. on 28 september 2022 , pega wrote a letter to europol335 , urging it to make use of its new powers under article 6 of the europol regulation336 . in a letter of reply dated 13 october 2022337 , europol stated that it has ‘contacted five member states to ascertain whether there is relevant information available at the national level for europol and whether there is an ongoing or envisaged criminal investigation (or , instead , another inquiry under the applicable provisions of national law). one of the five member states has meanwhile confirmed to europol the initiation of criminal investigations under the oversight of the competent judicial authorities , and this has also been verified by eurojust’. it is not known which countries the letter refers to , nor whether the aforementioned criminal inquiry by one member state concerns the abuse of spyware by eu member state governments or by third countries. moreover , eurojust should clarify if it was informed of the spying on citizens in third countries inside the european union.


### h. whereas it results from the testimonies of victims that even if legal remedy and civil rights may exist on paper , they mostly become void in the face of obstruction by government bodies , the absence of implementation of the right to be informed for victims and the administrative burden to prove the status as victim; ### h. whereas it results from the testimonies of victims that even if legal remedy and civil rights may exist on paper , they mostly become void in the face of obstruction by government bodies , the absence of implementation of the right to be informed for victims and the administrative burden to prove the status as victim; moreover , in the use of pegasus spyware there cannot be a real remedy as personal privacy has been completely violated and the gathered information can be used by the spying authorities;


### l. whereas revelations showed two categories of spyware targets in spain; whereas the first includes the prime minister and the minister of defence that are believed to be spied upon by morocco; whereas the second concerns some 65 victims referred to as ‘catalangate’ including catalan parliamentarians , members of parliament , lawyers and civil society actors; whereas the spanish authorities admitted in may 2020 to targeting 18 of those 65 victims with court authorisation , however , they have refrained from providing further information , invoking national security; ### l. whereas revelations showed two categories of spyware targets in spain; whereas the first includes the prime minister and the minister of defence that are believed to be spied upon by morocco; whereas the second concerns at least 65 victims referred to as ‘catalangate’ including catalan parliamentarians , members of parliament , lawyers and civil society actors , all of them supportive of the right to self-determination of catalonia; whereas the spanish authorities admitted in may 2020 to targeting 18 of those 65 victims with court authorisation , however , they have refrained from providing further information , invoking national security;


### y. whereas member states claim that matters relating to national security fall outside of the treaties as article 4 (2) teu provides that national security remains the sole responsibility of the member states; ### y. whereas member states claim that matters relating to national security fall outside of the treaties as article 4 (2) teu provides that national security remains the sole responsibility of the member states; however , eu institutions do have instruments to protect the rule of law inside the union;


### 3. strongly condemns the use of spyware by member state governments or members of government for the purpose of monitoring , blackmailing , intimidating , manipulating and discrediting opposition and critics , eliminating democratic scrutiny and free press , and manipulating elections; ### 3. strongly condemns the use of spyware by member state governments or members of government for the purpose of monitoring , blackmailing , intimidating , manipulating and discrediting opposition , critics , and national minorities , eliminating democratic scrutiny and free press , and manipulating elections;


### (2) the commission proposed to link the cap to the delivery of performance (‘delivery model’). under the new legal framework , the union is to set the basic policy parameters , such as objectives of the cap and basic requirements , while member states are to bear greater responsibility as to how they meet the objectives and achieve targets. accordingly , member states are to draw up cap strategic plans , which are to be approved by the commission and implemented by member states. ### (2) the commission proposed to link the cap to the delivery of performance (‘delivery model’). under the new legal framework , the union is to set the basic policy parameters , such as objectives of the cap and basic requirements , while member states are to bear greater responsibility as to how they meet the objectives and achieve targets. accordingly , member states are to draw up , and then implement , cap strategic plans , which should first be approved by the commission. the strategic plans should be drawn up while taking into consideration , where appropriate , the role that national constitutions assign to the regions , in the form of delegations of responsibility for agriculture.


### (21) in order to ensure continuity in the transitional period , the reserve for crises in the agricultural sector should be maintained for 2021 and the relevant amount of the reserve for 2021 should be included. ### (21) in order to ensure continuity in the transitional period , the reserve for crises in the agricultural sector should be maintained for 2021 and the relevant amount of the reserve for 2021 should be included. after the end of the transitional period , the crisis reserve fund should be removed from the financial discipline mechanism and be funded as an independent expenditure item within the eu budget.


### where the commission considers that an extension of the period under the first subparagraph is not justified , it shall inform the member state thereof within 6 weeks after receipt of the notification referred to in the second subparagraph. ### deleted


### 1. payment entitlements allocated to farmers before 1 january 2020 shall be considered legal and regular as from 1 january 2021. the value of those entitlements to be considered legal and regular shall be the value for calendar year 2020 valid on 31 december 2020. this is without prejudice to the relevant articles of union law concerning the value of payment entitlements for calendar years 2021 onwards , in particular article 22(5) and 25(12) of regulation (eu) no 1307/2013. ### 1. payment entitlements allocated to farmers before 1 january 2020 shall be considered legal and regular as from 1 january 2021 and the amount of those entitlements to be considered legal and regular shall be equal to the value and amount for calendar year 2020 valid on 31 december 2020. this is without prejudice to the relevant articles of union law concerning the value of payment entitlements for calendar years 2021 onwards , in particular article 22(5) and 25(12) of regulation (eu) no 1307/2013.


### for new commitments to be undertaken as from 2021 member states shall determine a shorter period of one to three years in their rural development programmes. if member states provide for an annual extension of commitments after the termination of the initial period in accordance with the first subparagraph , from 2021 the extension shall not go beyond one year. as from 2021 , for new commitments directly following a commitment performed in the initial period , member states shall determine a period of one year in their rural development programmes.; ### for new commitments to be undertaken as from 2021 member states shall determine a period of one to seven years in their rural development programmes. if member states provide for an annual extension of commitments after the termination of the initial period in accordance with the first subparagraph , from 2021 the extension shall not go beyond one year. as from 2021 , for new commitments directly following a commitment performed in the initial period , member states shall determine a period of one year in their rural development programmes.;


### for new commitments to be undertaken from 2021 member states shall determine a shorter period of one to three in their rural development programmes. if member states provide for an annual extension of commitments after the termination of the initial period in accordance with the first subparagraph , from 2021 the extension shall not go beyond one year. as from 2021 , for new commitments directly following a commitment performed in the initial period , member states shall determine a period of one year in their rural development programmes. ### for new commitments to be undertaken from 2021 member states shall determine a shorter period of one to five in their rural development programmes. if member states provide for an annual extension of commitments after the termination of the initial period in accordance with the first subparagraph , from 2021 the extension shall not go beyond one year. as from 2021 , for new commitments directly following a commitment performed in the initial period , member states shall determine a period of one year in their rural development programmes.


### for new commitments to be undertaken as from 2021 member states shall determine a shorter period of one to three years in their rural development programmes. if member states provide for an annual extension for the maintenance of organic farming after the termination of the initial period in accordance with the first subparagraph , from 2021 the extension shall not go beyond one year. as from 2021 , for new commitments concerning maintenance that directly follow the commitment performed in the initial period , member states shall determine a period of one year in their rural development programmes. ### for new commitments to be undertaken as from 2021 member states shall determine a period of one to seven years in their rural development programmes. if member states provide for an annual extension for the maintenance of organic farming after the termination of the initial period in accordance with the first subparagraph , from 2021 the extension shall not go beyond one year. as from 2021 , for new commitments concerning maintenance that directly follow the commitment performed in the initial period , member states shall determine a period of one year in their rural development programmes.


### for new commitments to be undertaken from 2021 , member states shall determine a shorter period of one to three years in their rural development programmes. if member states provide for an annual extension for the maintenance of organic farming after the termination of the initial period in accordance with the first subparagraph , from 2021 the extension shall not go beyond one year. as from 2021 , for new commitments concerning maintenance that directly follow the commitment performed in the initial period , member states shall determine a period of one year in their rural development programmes. ### for new commitments to be undertaken from 2021 , member states shall determine a shorter period of one to five years in their rural development programmes. if member states provide for an annual extension for the maintenance of organic farming after the termination of the initial period in accordance with the first subparagraph , from 2021 the extension shall not go beyond one year. as from 2021 , for new commitments concerning maintenance that directly follow the commitment performed in the initial period , member states shall determine a period of one year in their rural development programmes.


### for new commitments to be undertaken as from 2021 member states shall determine a shorter period of one to three years in their rural development programmes. if member states provide for an annual renewal of commitments after the termination of the initial period in accordance with the first subparagraph , as from 2021 the renewal shall not go beyond one year. ### for new commitments to be undertaken as from 2021 member states shall determine a period of one to seven years in their rural development programmes. if member states provide for an annual renewal of commitments after the termination of the initial period in accordance with the first subparagraph , as from 2021 the renewal shall not go beyond one year.


### d. whereas the involvement of local and regional authorities , gender equality institutions and non-governmental organisations in partnership agreements and monitoring committees is still insufficient; ### d. whereas the involvement of local and regional authorities in partnership agreements and monitoring committees is still insufficient;


### g. whereas preliminary studies suggest that the covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities , by disproportionately impacting women and marginalised groups; ### g. whereas preliminary studies suggest that the covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities , by disproportionately impacting women , not only because they are often in precarious jobs , but also because they often make up the majority in sectors exposed to the pandemic , such as education and health;


### 3. believes that eu rules should be written in a clear and explicit way , and be binding in relation to gender equality; ### 3. believes that eu rules should be written in a clear and explicit way , and act as an incentive in relation to gender equality;


### 5. considers regrettable the downgrading of gender equality in the public debate and policy agenda at eu and national level in post-2020 cohesion policy; ### deleted


### 6. emphasises the importance of a coordinated governance framework on gender equality , national guidelines and technical support , and stronger scrutiny at eu level after the adoption of operational programmes; ### 6. emphasises the importance of coordinated monitoring on gender equality , national guidelines and technical support , in particular to compensate for the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on precarious jobs and on the most exposed activities;


### 7. points out the insufficient training and capacity-building of managing authorities and implementing partners as regards the gender dimension of the european structural and investment funds (esi funds) , as well as insufficient gender-oriented monitoring and evaluation systems; ### 7. points out the insufficient gender equality-oriented monitoring and evaluation systems;


### 8. stresses the lack of a binding gender equality strategy at national and regional level and a lack of awareness as regards the benefits of pursuing gender equality for socio-economic growth and sustainable development; ### 8. stresses the lack of awareness as regards the benefits of pursuing gender equality for socio-economic growth and sustainable development;


### 9. encourages the member states to coordinate closely with local and regional authorities and civil society partners , in particular in the framework of the partnership agreement and when drafting the partnership principle , to take into account challenges related to effective equality policies at local and regional level; ### 9. encourages the member states to coordinate closely with local and regional authorities , in particular in the framework of the partnership agreement and when drafting the partnership principle , to take into account challenges related to effective equality policies at local and regional level;


### 10. considers that programme stakeholders and monitoring committees still lack expertise on the implementation of a gender perspective in concrete projects , especially in european regional development fund (erdf) interventions; considers there to be a lack of guidelines , training programmes and concrete examples of good practice to address this; ### 10. considers that programme stakeholders and monitoring committees still lack expertise on the implementation of gender equality in concrete projects , especially in european regional development fund (erdf) interventions; considers there to be a lack of guidelines , training programmes and concrete examples of good practice to address this;


### 11. believes that all programmes implemented under cohesion policy should ensure gender equality throughout their preparation , implementation , monitoring and evaluation , as well as equal opportunities for all , without discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation; ### 11. believes that all programmes implemented under cohesion policy should take into account gender equality throughout their preparation , monitoring and evaluation , as well as equal opportunities for all , without discrimination;


### 16. calls for compulsory requirements on gender equality objectives to be introduced in all post-2020 operational programmes , with specific and interdisciplinary measures to be translated into all operations; ### 16. calls for incentive-based evaluation criteria on gender equality objectives to be introduced in all post-2020 operational programmes;


### 18. stresses the importance of partnerships with gender equality bodies and their involvement in all programme phases; believes that all bodies created in the area of cohesion policy should be gender balanced; ### deleted


### 20. recalls that gender mainstreaming must be applied in all stages of the budgetary process; stresses the need to track spending on gender equality in all budget lines , not just in targeted measures , and to assess the final impact of the budgetary lines on gender equality; requests that the commission , in cooperation with the european court of auditors , propose a methodology to that end; recommends the use of criteria such as the national median wage and the median annual gross income in purchasing power parity; ### 20. recalls that gender equality must be applied in all stages of the budgetary process; stresses the need to track spending on gender equality; requests that the commission , in cooperation with the european court of auditors , propose a methodology to that end; recommends the use of criteria such as the national median wage and the median annual gross income in purchasing power parity;


### 21. calls on all institutions to provide guidance documents and training sessions , so as to disseminate concrete examples of good practices on gender mainstreaming; stresses , moreover , that at the project selection stage the criteria for gender mainstreaming should be strengthened through higher scoring and requirements for more practical actions; recommends making use of the existing tools developed by the european institute for gender equality (eige) such as its toolkit for gender budgeting in the esi funds; ### 21. calls on all institutions to disseminate concrete examples of good practices in mainstreaming gender equality; stresses , moreover , that at the project selection stage the criteria for mainstreaming gender equality should be strengthened through higher scoring;


### 22. calls on the commission to include the necessary recommendations on promoting the gender dimension and gender-related issues in its communication on the launch of the new cohesion policy 2021-2027; ### 22. calls on the commission to include the necessary recommendations on promoting the gender dimension and gender equality-related issues in its communication on the launch of the new cohesion policy 2021-2027;


### (1) the commission adopted a communication on the european green deal on 11 december 20199 , drawing its roadmap towards a new growth policy for europe and setting ambitious objectives to counter climate change and for environmental protection. in line with the objective to achieve climate neutrality in the union by 2050 in an effective and fair manner , the european green deal announced a just transition mechanism to provide means for facing the climate challenge while leaving no one behind. the most vulnerable regions and people are the most exposed to the harmful effects of climate change and environmental degradation. at the same time , managing the transition requires significant structural changes. ### (1) the commission adopted a communication on the european green deal on 11 december 20199 , drawing its roadmap towards a new growth policy for europe and setting ambitious objectives to counter climate change and for environmental protection. in line with the objective to achieve climate neutrality in the union by 2050 in an effective and fair manner , the european green deal announced a just transition mechanism to provide means for facing the climate challenge while leaving no one behind. the most vulnerable regions and people are the most exposed to the harmful effects of climate change and environmental degradation. at the same time , managing the transition requires significant structural changes. effective support should be dedicated towards providing sustainable employment for the most affected by the transition.


### (1) the commission adopted a communication on the european green deal on 11 december 20199 , drawing its roadmap towards a new growth policy for europe and setting ambitious objectives to counter climate change and for environmental protection. in line with the objective to achieve climate neutrality in the union by 2050 in an effective and fair manner , the european green deal announced a just transition mechanism to provide means for facing the climate challenge while leaving no one behind. the most vulnerable regions and people are the most exposed to the harmful effects of climate change and environmental degradation. at the same time , managing the transition requires significant structural changes. ### (1) the commission adopted a communication on the european green deal on 11 december 20199 , drawing its roadmap towards an allegedly new growth policy for europe and setting ambitious objectives to counter climate change and for environmental protection. in line with the objective to achieve climate neutrality in the union by 2050 in an effective and fair manner , the european green deal announced a just transition mechanism to provide means for facing the transition towards a climate-neutral economy while leaving no one behind. the most vulnerable regions and people are the most exposed to the harmful effects of climate change and environmental degradation. at the same time , managing the transition requires significant structural changes.


### (5) in order to enhance the economic diversification of territories impacted by the transition , the facility should cover a wide range of investments , on condition that they contribute to meet the development needs in the transition towards a climate neutral economy , as described in the territorial just transition plans. the investments supported may cover energy and transport infrastructure , district heating networks , green mobility , smart waste management , clean energy and energy efficiency measures including renovations and conversions of buildings , support to transition to a circular economy , land restoration and decontamination , as well as up- and re-skilling , training and social infrastructure , including social housing. infrastructure developments may also include solutions leading to their enhanced resilience to withstand disasters. comprehensive investment approach should be favoured in particular for territories with important transition needs. investments in other sectors could also be supported if they are consistent with the adopted territorial just transition plans. by supporting investments that do not generate sufficient revenues , the facility aims at providing public sector entities with additional resources necessary to address the social , economic and environmental challenges resulting from the adjustment to climate transition. in order to help identify investments with a high positive environmental impact eligible under the facility , the eu taxonomy on environmentally sustainable economic activities may be used. ### (5) in order to enhance the economic diversification of territories impacted by the transition , the facility should cover a wide range of investments , on condition that they contribute to meet the development needs in the transition towards a climate neutral economy , as described in the territorial just transition plans. the investments supported may cover energy and transport infrastructure , district heating networks , green mobility , smart waste and water management , clean energy and energy efficiency measures including renovations and conversions of buildings , support to transition to a circular economy , land restoration and decontamination , as well as up- and re-skilling , training and social infrastructure , including social housing. infrastructure developments may also include solutions leading to their enhanced resilience to withstand disasters. comprehensive investment approach should be favoured in particular for territories with important transition needs. investments in other sectors could also be supported if they are consistent with the adopted territorial just transition plans. by supporting investments that do not generate sufficient revenues , the facility aims at providing public sector entities with additional resources necessary to address the social , economic and environmental challenges resulting from the adjustment to climate transition.


### (5) in order to enhance the economic diversification of territories impacted by the transition , the facility should cover a wide range of investments , on condition that they contribute to meet the development needs in the transition towards a climate neutral economy , as described in the territorial just transition plans. the investments supported may cover energy and transport infrastructure , district heating networks , green mobility , smart waste management , clean energy and energy efficiency measures including renovations and conversions of buildings , support to transition to a circular economy , land restoration and decontamination , as well as up- and re-skilling , training and social infrastructure , including social housing. infrastructure developments may also include solutions leading to their enhanced resilience to withstand disasters. comprehensive investment approach should be favoured in particular for territories with important transition needs. investments in other sectors could also be supported if they are consistent with the adopted territorial just transition plans. by supporting investments that do not generate sufficient revenues , the facility aims at providing public sector entities with additional resources necessary to address the social , economic and environmental challenges resulting from the adjustment to climate transition. in order to help identify investments with a high positive environmental impact eligible under the facility , the eu taxonomy on environmentally sustainable economic activities may be used. ### (5) in order to enhance the economic diversification of territories impacted by the transition , the facility should cover a wide range of investments , on condition that they contribute to meet the development needs in the transition towards a climate neutral economy , as described in the territorial just transition plans. the investments supported may cover energy and transport infrastructure , district heating networks , local public transport , waste management , clean energy and energy efficiency measures including renovations and conversions of buildings , support to transition to a circular economy , land restoration and decontamination , as well as up- and re-skilling , training and social infrastructure , including social housing. infrastructure developments may also include solutions leading to their enhanced resilience to withstand disasters. comprehensive investment approach should be favoured in particular for territories with important transition needs. investments in other sectors could also be supported if they are consistent with the adopted territorial just transition plans. by supporting investments that do not generate sufficient revenues , the facility aims at providing public sector entities with additional resources necessary to address the social , economic and environmental challenges resulting from the adjustment to the transition towards a climate-neutral economy.


### (6) horizontal financial rules adopted by the european parliament and the council on the basis of article 322 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union apply to this regulation. these rules are laid down in the financial regulation and determine in particular the procedure for establishing and implementing the budget through grants , procurement , prizes , indirect implementation , and provide for checks on the responsibility of financial actors. rules adopted on the basis of article 322 tfeu also concern the protection of the union's budget in case of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law in the member states , as the respect for the rule of law is an essential precondition for sound financial management and effective eu funding. ### (6) horizontal financial rules adopted by the european parliament and the council on the basis of article 322 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union apply to this regulation. these rules are laid down in the financial regulation and determine in particular the procedure for establishing and implementing the budget through grants , procurement , prizes , indirect implementation , and provide for checks on the responsibility of financial actors.


### (19) in accordance with the financial regulation and regulation (eu , euratom) no 883/2013 of the european parliament and of the council and council regulations (euratom , ec) no 2988/95 , (euratom , ec) no 2185/96 and (eu) 2017/1939 , the financial interests of the union are to be protected through proportionate measures , including the prevention , detection , correction and investigation of irregularities , including fraud , the recovery of funds lost , wrongly paid or incorrectly used , and , where appropriate , the imposition of administrative penalties. in particular , in accordance with regulations (euratom , ec) no 2185/96 and (eu , euratom) no 883/2013 , the european anti-fraud office (olaf) may carry out administrative investigations , including on-the-spot checks and inspections , with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud , corruption or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the union. in accordance with regulation (eu) 2017/1939 , the european public prosecutor's office (eppo) may investigate and prosecute offences against the financial interests of the union , as provided for in directive (eu) 2017/1371 of the european parliament and of the council. in accordance with the financial regulation , any person or entity receiving union funds is to fully cooperate in the protection of the financial interests of the union , grant the necessary rights and access to the commission , olaf , the eppo in respect of those member states participating in enhanced cooperation pursuant to regulation (eu) 2017/1939 , and the european court of auditors (eca) , and ensure that any third parties involved in the implementation of union funds grant equivalent rights. ### (19) in accordance with the financial regulation and regulation (eu , euratom) no 883/2013 of the european parliament and of the council and council regulations (euratom , ec) no 2988/95 , (euratom , ec) no 2185/96 and (eu) 2017/1939 , the financial interests of the union are to be protected through proportionate measures , including the prevention , detection , correction and investigation of irregularities , including fraud , the recovery of funds lost , wrongly paid or incorrectly used , and , where appropriate , the imposition of administrative penalties. in particular , in accordance with regulations (euratom , ec) no 2185/96 and (eu , euratom) no 883/2013 , the european anti-fraud office (olaf) may carry out administrative investigations , including on-the-spot checks and inspections , with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud , corruption or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the union. in accordance with the financial regulation , any person or entity receiving union funds is to fully cooperate in the protection of the financial interests of the union , grant the necessary rights and access to the commission and olaf , in respect of those member states participating in enhanced cooperation pursuant to regulation (eu) 2017/1939 , and the european court of auditors (eca) , and ensure that any third parties involved in the implementation of union funds grant equivalent rights.


### (20) in order to supplement and amend certain non-essential elements of this regulation , the power to adopt acts in accordance with article 290 tfeu should be delegated to the commission in respect of delegating further certain implementation tasks to executive agencies as well as of the amendment of the elements contained in annex ii of this regulation regarding the key performance indicators. it is of particular importance that the commission can carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level , and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the inter-institutional agreement of 13 april 2016 on better law-making. in particular , to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts , the european parliament and the council receive all documents at the same time as member states' experts , and their experts systematically have access to meetings of commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts. ### deleted


### (21) in order to set out an appropriate financial framework for the grant component of this facility until 31 december 2024 , implementing powers should be conferred on the commission to set out the available national allocations expressed as shares of the overall financial envelope of the facility for each member state in accordance with the methodology set out in annex i of regulation [the jtf regulation]. the implementing powers should be conferred without comitology procedures given that the shares derive directly from the application of a pre-defined calculation methodology. ### (21) in order to set out an appropriate financial framework for the grant component of this facility until 31 december 2024 , implementing powers should be conferred on the commission to set out the available national allocations expressed as shares of the overall financial envelope of the facility for each member state in accordance with the methodology set out in annex i of regulation [the jtf regulation].


### the facility shall provide support benefitting union territories facing serious social , environmental and economic challenges deriving from the transition process towards a climate-neutral economy of the union by 2050. ### the facility shall provide support benefitting union territories facing serious social , environmental and economic challenges deriving from the transition process towards a climate-neutral economy of the union starting from 2050.


### 3. the commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with article 17 to amend annex ii by modifying the indicators referred to in paragraph 1. ### deleted


### article 17 ### deleted


### (22) the objective of this regulation , namely to leverage public investment in territories , most impacted by the transition towards climate neutrality by addressing the corresponding development needs , cannot be sufficiently achieved by the member states alone. the main reasons in this regard are the difficulties for public entities to support investments , which do not generate sufficient streams of own revenues and benefit the territories most negatively impacted by climate transition , without eu grant support and the need for a coherent implementation framework under direct management. since those objectives can be better achieved at union level , the union may adopt measures , in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in article 5 teu. in accordance with the principle of proportionality as set out in that article , this regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective , ### (22) the objective of this regulation , namely to leverage public investment in territories , most impacted by the transition towards climate neutrality by addressing the corresponding development needs , cannot be sufficiently achieved by the member states alone. the main reasons in this regard are the difficulties for public entities to support investments , which do not generate sufficient streams of own revenues and benefit the territories most negatively impacted by the transition towards a climate-neutral economy , due to the eu's restrictive economic and budgetary policies and the need for a coherent implementation framework under direct management. since those objectives can be better achieved at union level , the union may adopt measures , in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in article 5 teu. in accordance with the principle of proportionality as set out in that article , this regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective ,


### 6.1 transport ### 6.1 transport infrastructure


### 6.3 public utilities (water , wastewater , district heating , energy , waste management) ### 6.3 public utilities (water , wastewater , district heating , energy , waste management , local transport)


### 7. greenhouse gas emission reduced ### 7. polluting and greenhouse gas emission reduced


### proposal for a regulation of the european parliament and of the council amending council regulation (ec) no 2012/2002 in order to provide financial assistance to member states to cover serious financial burden inflicted on them following a withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union without an agreement ### proposal for a regulation of the european parliament and of the council amending council regulation (ec) no 2012/2002 and regulation (eu) no 1309/2013 in order to provide financial assistance to member states to cover serious financial burden inflicted on them following a withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union without an agreement


### (1) the european union solidarity fund (‘the fund’) was established by council regulation (ec) no 2012/20028 . the fund was created to provide financial assistance to member states following emergency situations as a concrete sign of european solidarity in situations of distress. ### (1) the european union solidarity fund was established by council regulation (ec) no 2012/20028 . the fund was created to provide financial assistance to member states , to respond to major natural disasters , and to express european solidarity with disaster-stricken regions within europe.


### (2) on 29 march 2017 , the united kingdom submitted the notification of its intention to withdraw from the union pursuant to article 50 of the treaty on european union (teu). the treaties cease to apply to the united kingdom from the date of entry into force of a withdrawal agreement or failing that , two years after that notification , unless the european council , in agreement with the united kingdom , unanimously decides to extend that period. ### deleted


### (3) on 11 april 2019 , following a request by the united kingdom , the european council agreed9 to extend further10 the period provided for in article 50(3) teu until 31 october 2019. unless the united kingdom ratifies the withdrawal agreement11 by 31 october 2019 or requests a third extension , to which the european council agrees by unanimity , the united kingdom will leave the union without an agreement and will become a third country as of 1 november 2019. ### deleted


### (4) to mitigate the economic impact of the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union without an agreement and to show solidarity with the most affected member states in such exceptional circumstances , regulation (ec) no 2012/2002 should be amended to support related public expenditure. ### deleted


### (5) as this is an exceptional use of the fund , its assistance to mitigate serious financial burden , inflicted on the member states as a direct consequence of the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union without an agreement , should be targeted and limited in time to safeguard the fund’s original rationale and its capacity to respond to natural disasters. ### deleted


### (6) for the purposes of this exceptional use of the fund , it is appropriate to establish a minimum amount of estimated damage above which a member state may apply for assistance from the fund due to the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union without an agreement. in addition , the eligibility rules need to be amended to include support for public expenditure incurred as a result of the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union without an agreement. ### deleted


### (7) to ensure equal treatment among the member states , there should be one single deadline applicable to all member states for the submission of applications for a financial contribution from the fund , without possibility to extend an application after that deadline to cover additional expenditure. ### deleted


### (8) to maintain the availability of the fund for natural disasters , its original purpose , a budgetary ceiling for support related to the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union without an agreement should be established. ### deleted


### (8) to maintain the availability of the fund for natural disasters , its original purpose , a budgetary ceiling for support related to the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union without an agreement should be established. ### (8) to maintain the availability of the european union solidarity fund and of the egf for their original purposes , a budgetary ceiling for support related to the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union without an agreement should be established.


### (9) assistance from the fund to mitigate serious financial burden inflicted on the member states as a consequence of the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union without an agreement should be subject to the same rules for implementation , monitoring , reporting , control and audit as any other interventions of the fund. in addition , given the broad scope of public expenditure potentially eligible for support , it is important to ensure that other provisions of eu law , in particular the state aid rules , are respected. ### deleted


### (10) the commission should be able to take a rapid decision to commit specific financial resources and to mobilise them as quickly as possible. the existing provisions for making advance payments should therefore be strengthened by increasing their amounts. ### deleted


### (11) this regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency on the day following that of its publication in the official journal of the european union and should apply from the day following that on which the treaties cease to apply to the united kingdom pursuant to article 50(3) teu unless a withdrawal agreement concluded with the united kingdom has entered into force by that date. ### deleted


### (12) regulation (ec) no 2012/2002 should therefore be amended accordingly , ### deleted


### (12) regulation (ec) no 2012/2002 should therefore be amended accordingly , ### (12) regulation (ec) no 2012/2002 and regulation (eu) no 1309/2013 should therefore be amended accordingly ,


### “for the purpose of this regulation , the notion of “major disasters” covers natural disasters as well as situations where serious financial burden is inflicted on a member state as a direct consequence of the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union without an agreement.”. ### “for the purpose of this regulation , the notion of “major disasters” covers natural disasters.”.


### for the purpose of this regulation , the notion of “major disasters” covers natural disasters as well as situations where serious financial burden is inflicted on a member state as a direct consequence of the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union without an agreement.. ### for the purpose of this regulation , for expenditures related to the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework , the notion of “major disasters” covers natural disasters as well as situations where serious financial burden is inflicted on a member state as a direct consequence of the withdrawal of the united kingdom from the union without an agreement..


### [...] ### deleted


### 1) at the request of a member state , assistance from the fund may also be mobilised when serious financial burden is inflicted on this member state as a direct consequence of the united kingdom leaving the union without an agreement in accordance with article 50(2) teu (“withdrawal without an agreement”). the assistance shall take the form of a financial contribution from the fund. ### deleted


### (1) at the request of a member state , assistance from the fund may also be mobilised when serious financial burden is inflicted on this member state as a direct consequence of the united kingdom leaving the union without an agreement in accordance with article 50(2) teu (“withdrawal without an agreement”). the assistance shall take the form of a financial contribution from the fund. ### (1) at the request of a member state , assistance from the european union solidarity fund may also be mobilised when serious financial burden is inflicted on this member state as a direct consequence of the united kingdom leaving the union without an agreement in accordance with article 50(2) teu (“withdrawal without an agreement”). the assistance shall take the form of a financial contribution from the fund.


### 2) the available appropriations for this goal shall be limited to half of the maximum available amount for the fund intervention for the years 2019 and 2020. ### deleted


### (2) the available appropriations for this goal shall be limited to half of the maximum available amount for the fund intervention for the years 2019 and 2020. ### (2) the available appropriations solely for this goal shall be limited to 5 % of the maximum available amount for the fund intervention for the years 2019 and 2020.


### 3) such assistance shall cover a part of the additional public expenditure caused directly by the withdrawal without an agreement and incurred exclusively between the date of the withdrawal without an agreement and 31 december 2020 ("financial burden"). ### deleted


### 4) a member state shall be eligible to apply for assistance under this article , if the financial burden it has suffered is estimated to be either over eur 1 500 000 000 in 2011 prices , or more than 0.3 % of its gni. ### deleted


### 5) only member states may apply for assistance from the fund under this article. ### deleted


### article 4a ### deleted


### 1) the responsible national authorities of a member state may submit a single application to the commission for a financial contribution from the fund in accordance with article 3a by 30 april 2020 at the latest. the application shall include , as a minimum , all relevant information on the financial burden inflicted on that member state. it shall describe the public measures taken in response to the withdrawal without an agreement specifying their net cost until 31 december 2020 and the reasons why they could not have been avoided through preparedness measures. it should also include the justification concerning direct effect of the withdrawal without an agreement. ### deleted


### 2) the commission shall prepare guidance on how to access and implement the fund effectively. the guidance shall provide detailed information on the preparation of the application , and the information to be submitted to the commission , including on the evidence to be provided concerning the financial burden inflicted. the guidance shall be made public on the websites of the relevant directorate generals of the commission and the commission shall ensure its wider dissemination to the member states. ### deleted


### (2) the commission shall prepare guidance on how to access and implement the fund effectively. the guidance shall provide detailed information on the preparation of the application , and the information to be submitted to the commission , including on the evidence to be provided concerning the financial burden inflicted. the guidance shall be made public on the websites of the relevant directorate generals of the commission and the commission shall ensure its wider dissemination to the member states. ### (2) the commission shall prepare guidance by 31 december 2019 on how to access and implement the fund effectively. the guidance shall provide detailed information on the preparation of the application , and the information to be submitted to the commission , including on the evidence to be provided concerning the financial burden inflicted. the guidance shall be made public on the websites of the relevant directorate generals of the commission and the commission shall ensure its wider dissemination to the member states.


### 3) after 30 april 2020 , the commission shall assess on the basis of the information referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 , for all applications received , whether the conditions for mobilising the fund are met in each case and shall determine the amounts of any possible financial contribution from the fund within the limits of the financial resources available. ### deleted


### 4) assistance from the fund shall be awarded to the member states meeting the eligibility criteria , taking into account the thresholds specified in article 3a(4) , at a rate of up to 5 % of the inflicted financial burden , and within the limits of the budget available. in the event that the budget available should prove insufficient , the aid rate shall be proportionately reduced. ### deleted


### 2 ### 2 article 2entry into force


### 3. emphasises that the challenges border regions face vary from one region to the next depending on the legal , administrative , economic and geographical circumstances pertaining in the region concerned; calls for bespoke approaches to be taken , to a certain extent , that are integrated and region-specific; ### 3. emphasises that the challenges border regions face vary from one region to the next depending on the legal , administrative , economic , demographic and geographical circumstances pertaining in the region concerned; emphasises the need for an effective use and greater coordination of eu funds to ensure a more comprehensive approach to before mentioned challenges; calls for bespoke approaches to be taken , to a certain extent , that are integrated and region-specific;


### 17. points out that there is already an important eu legal framework – including in particular the birds , habitats and water framework directives – that must be fully , systematically and jointly implemented by the member states in cross-border regions; points out that nature , the climate , natural disasters and diseases do not stop at national borders; ### 17. points out that there is already an important eu legal framework – including in particular the birds , habitats and water framework directives , as well as the eu’s biodiversity strategy for 2030 – that must be fully , systematically and jointly implemented by the member states in cross-border regions; points out that nature , the climate , natural disasters and diseases do not stop at national borders and calls for coordinated and coherent protection of natura 2000 sites to ensure more integrated implementation measures;


### 18. notes that border regions reap too few benefits from the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures; ### 18. notes that border regions reap too few benefits from the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures and underlinesthe need to build on regulatory advances; highlights the potential of the european cross-border mechanism in this context;


### 19. emphasises that cooperation among neighbouring member states will be a central element in achieving the objectives of the european green deal; ### 19. emphasises that cooperation among neighbouring member states will be a central element in achieving the objectives of the european green deal and calls on the member states to make the most of existing opportunities for cooperation under the applicable eu legal framework;