P7_TA(2013)0484

European Regional Development Fund and the ‘Investment for growth and jobs’ goal ***I

European Parliament legislative resolution of 20 November 2013 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on specific provisions concerning the European Regional Development Fund and the Investment for growth and jobs goal and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 (COM(2011)0614 — C7-0328/2011 — 2011/0275(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

(2016/C 436/39)

The European Parliament,

having regard to Article 294(2) and Articles 178 and 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C7-0328/2011),

having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 3 May 2012 (2) ,

having regard to the undertaking given by the Council representative by letter of 18 November 2013 to approve Parliament's position, in accordance with Article 294(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Development and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A7-0268/2013),

Approves the joint statement of the European Parliament and of the Council annexed to this resolution;

Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it intends to amend its proposal substantially or replace it with another text;

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

(1) OJ C 191, 29.6.2012, p. 44.

(2) OJ C 225, 27.7.2012, p. 114.

(As an agreement was reached between Parliament and Council, Parliament's position corresponds to the final legislative act, Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013.)

Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 20 November 2013 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) No …/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund and on specific provisions concerning the Investment for growth and jobs goal and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006

ANNEX TO THE LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

Joint statement of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the application of Article 6 of the ERDF Regulation, Article 15 of the ETC Regulation and Article 4 of the Cohesion Fund Regulation

The European Parliament and the Council note the assurance provided by the Commission to the EU legislature that the common output indicators for the ERDF Regulation, the ETC Regulation and the Cohesion Fund Regulation to be included in an annex to, respectively, each regulation, are the outcome of a lengthy preparatory process involving the evaluation experts of both the Commission and the Member States and, in principle, are expected to remain stable.

Statement of the Commission

The Commission shares the objective expressed by the European Parliament of simplifying state aid procedures as regards operating aid granted to undertakings established in the outermost regions which are linked to the offsetting of the additional costs incurred in such regions as a result of their specific economic and social situation.

According to the proposal for the future General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) as recently published by the Commission services (1), operating aid intended to compensate certain additional costs incurred by beneficiaries established in these regions (2) would be considered compatible with the internal market, under the conditions stipulated therein, and would thus be exempted from notification under Article 108(3) TFEU. The Commission considers that this will provide a sound basis for achieving the simplification which is sought, and will take full account of all observations received from Member States in the on-going consultation process in view of the adoption of the Regulation in 2014.

(1) http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consultations/2013_gber/index_en.html

(2) Transport costs of goods produced in the outermost regions, additional production and operating costs other than transport costs.