ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
(7) in Article 49, the following paragraph 9 is added: ‘In respect of gas pipelines to and from third countries completed before [PO: date of entry into force of this Directive], Member States may decide to derogate from Articles 9, 10, 11 and 32 and Article 41(6), (8) and (10) for the sections of such pipelines between the border of Union jurisdiction and the first interconnection point, provided that the derogation would not be detrimental to competition on or the effective functioning of the internal market in natural gas in the Union, or the security of supply in the Union. The derogation shall be limited in time and may be subject to conditions which contribute to the achievement of the above conditions. Where the gas pipeline in question is located in the jurisdiction of more than one Member State, the Member State in the jurisdiction of which the first interconnection point is located shall decide on a derogation for the pipeline. Member States shall publish any decision on a derogation in accordance with this paragraph within one year after the entry into force of this Directive.’

(7) in Article 49, the following paragraph 9 is added: ‘In respect of gas pipelines to and from third countries completed before [PO: date of entry into force of this Directive], Member States may decide to derogate from Articles 9, 10, 11 and 32 and Article 41(6), (8) and (10) for the sections of such pipelines between the border of Union jurisdiction and the first interconnection point, provided that the derogation would not be detrimental to competition on or the effective functioning of the internal market in natural gas in the Union, or the security of supply in the Union. The derogation shall be limited in time , shall cease to apply by … [3 years after the date of entry into force of this amending Directive] at the latest] and shall be subject to conditions which contribute to the achievement of the above conditions. Where the gas pipeline in question is located in the jurisdiction of more than one Member State, the Member State in the jurisdiction of which the first interconnection point is located shall decide on a derogation for the pipeline. The decision shall be notified, without delay, by the competent authority to the Commission, together with all the relevant information with respect to the decision. Within a period of 2 months from notification, the Commission may take a decision requiring the Member State to amend or withdraw the decision to grant a derogation . Member States shall publish any decision on a derogation in accordance with this paragraph within one year after the entry into force of this Directive.’
2.

The Committee of the Regions hopes that the European Commission will continue its efforts to pursue the consistent development of the media literacy policy launched in 2007. It urges the Commission, while in so doing, to incorporate the CoR's opinion with due regard for the subsidiarity principle and the specific remits of local and regional authorities. The CoR also calls on the Commission to continue to develop the media literacy action plan in cooperation with the other EU institutions, UNESCO, and the local and regional authorities. In so doing, it should take the following factors into account. a) From the perspective of cultural policy, active participation of the EU public, and user awareness, the attainment of media literacy as a key policy objective must be vigorously pursued by all relevant parties and is primarily contingent on the promotion of innovations in education by all regions and Member States. b) According to the EC treaty, responsibility for education and training policy lies exclusively with Member States, while the EU’s role is to support the improvement of national systems where necessary through complementary EU-level tools, and exchange of information and good practice. This is something the European Commission also stresses in its 2008 communication entitled An updated strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (3). c) The strategic framework for education and training (4) considers – questionably – media literacy to be a branch of digital competence, whereas it can play a crucial role in the implementation of many objectives and priorities mentioned in the strategic framework (such as basic reading skills, learning-to-learn, active citizenship, fostering intercultural dialogue, and lifelong learning). d) The strategic framework identifies the following immediate priorities (5): — the development of transversal key competences; — measures facilitating the development of an innovation and creativity-friendly institutional environment underpinned by a critical and reasoned use of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) and improving the quality of teacher training; — the establishment of partnerships between institutions and businesses that provide education and training, research institutions, cultural actors and creative industries. These priorities are closely interlinked with considerations about media literacy development. e) In many cases, local and regional authorities are responsible for introducing media teaching at all levels of formal education. An appropriate procedure should therefore be sought to support local and regional authorities in backing media literacy projects, programmes and charters, including the different partnerships between the large number of public- and private sector stakeholders involved and between cultural and educational institutions and professional content producers, all within the context of both formal and non-formal education and in strict compliance with legal provisions.
81.

stresses that the North Sea Commission (NSC), one of the geographical commissions of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), is an important partner that works for better cooperation in the North Sea area and has already come up with ideas for a strategy for the North Sea-Channel area. The North Sea-English Channel Intergroup in the Committee of the Regions and the NSC have been in close contact on this issue for some time now. Other networks of local and regional organisations in this area should have the opportunity to contribute to this work;
28.

recalls that by 2060, it is believed that the population of young people throughout the EU-27 will decrease by 9 % (4) and the working-age population (15-64) by 15 %. Furthermore, the number of elderly people is expected to increase by a huge 79 %. These demographic changes are the result of a variety of phenomena such as the lower levels of fertility, the increase in life expectancy, total net migration, and the ageing of those being born during the „baby boom” after World War II. It is obvious that these demographic trends will have significant economic, social and budgetary impact at national and regional/local levels. The CoR study on Active Ageing: local and regional solutions (5) explains the repercussions quite well when it states that „labour supply and employment will shrink, challenging economic growth, while the demand for services by the ageing population will rise”. Moreover, public expenditures are expected to increase in order to deliver quality service to their ageing population whilst also having to finance health care and pensions for an increasing number of older people. However, most LRAs have suffered drastic budgetary restrictions that are already making it extremely difficult for them to provide dynamic and modern social services of an adequate standard;
49.

notes that many of Europe's towns and cities have on their own initiative launched ambitious programmes and practical projects to slow climate change. International examples of local projects include Agenda 21, launched at the 1992 Earth Summit, which over the last two decades has enabled nearly ten thousand local authorities to implement policies and initiatives focusing on sustainable development and, in particular, on improving the environment, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change, the Climate Alliance and the ICLEI's Cities for Climate Protection. The Energy Cities group is doing useful work on energy issues. The ‘European Energy Award’ programme for energy efficient local authorities takes a comprehensive approach to encouraging them to greater energy efficiency, climate protection and use of renewable energies. More than a thousand local authorities are already signed up. The CEMR has produced a publication for local decision-makers entitled ‘Save energy, save the climate, save money’. One example of many local initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality might be that of Växjö municipality in Sweden, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. And in Finland, 14 carbon-neutral (‘HINKU’) municipalities are collaborating with local businesses, policy-makers and residents with the aim of achieving an 80% reduction in emissions while promoting the green economy. The municipal climate protection campaign (CCP Finland) includes 53 local authorities, and 115 local authorities have a climate strategy. The Covenant of Mayors initiative comprises thousands of towns and cities that have sustainable energy action plans and emissions reduction programmes. Many local and regional energy agencies set up with EU funding are now helping to provide energy advice;
29.

misses in this context a reference to the fact that especially people with disabilities sometimes have limited access to health-care services and reminds the European Commission against the backdrop of Article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of its commitment [COM(2010) 636 final] to pay special attention to people with disabilities when implementing strategies to fight health inequalities;
29.

is thus duly committed to monitoring developments in this matter closely, with revision of the proposed regulation as an absolute priority, pointing out, meanwhile, with reference to the content of this proposal, the evident and important need to support small and medium-sized producers and users of old, rare and traditional varieties and ‘niche’ varieties, which make up a significant share of the genetic diversity of cultivated plant species, the producers of which are not adequately protected by the provision of cumbersome recognition procedures and for which use in suitable local conditions does not receive sufficient support, in view of the fact that it is in the direct interest of local and regional authorities that these producers, who are best placed to secure biodiversity and who operate within limited geographical areas, do not encounter excessive operational difficulties;
21.

doubts that the content of reprogramming and associated arrangements will systematically deliver positive outcomes, contribute to improving the country's long-term competitiveness and redirect its economic development towards the sectors of the future. An analysis of what has been accomplished since 2009 reveals that the urgency of the situation led the Commission and the Member States to give preference to ongoing projects in order to boost the uptake of appropriations and generate cash flows. These decisions made it generally possible to increase allocations for R&D and innovation, generic support for businesses, renewable energies, roads and the labour market along with measures that were more specifically geared to youth employment. However, they may also have led to the neglect of growth driving sectors such as ICT services, environmental investments, railways, education and training, and capacity building;
1.

notes that an updated and functional Europe-wide information system catering to drivers and travellers and covering all transport modes is a key instrument for exercising one of the EU’s fundamental freedoms, namely the free circulation of people. To make this a reality, it is not enough merely to do away with any obstacles: it must be made as easy as possible for the public. It should be mandatory, therefore, to publish timetables and other travel information and make it accessible — fully and without distinction — to all the EU’s citizens in such a way that they can all use it as easily and effectively as possible. The EU and all its Member States should also make sure that no public transport operator is favoured in this system at the cost of others. They should also guarantee all travel and transport operators equal access to such systems. European legislation — later transposed into national legislation — should therefore also be drafted with the broader picture in mind. This approach should be taken not only to ‘static’ transport information — i.e., fixed timetables —, but also to ‘dynamic’ information, such as the real-time location of public transport vehicles en route. This requirement to gather data on real-time location of vehicles will also encourage the use of the Galileo space segment;
41.

calls for earlier presentation and adoption of key legislative proposals for the next programming period (post-2020). In fact, delays in adoption of the multiannual financial framework as well as the Common Provisions Regulation and other ESIF-specific regulations, resulting from lengthy negotiations, have caused the 2014-20 programming period to get off to a slow start and are one of the main reasons for the rise in outstanding commitments (RAL). The Committee will strive to actively contribute to an early debate on the future of cohesion policy post-2020 and will submit its contribution to the discussions in due course;
50.

is concerned that the audit regime will de facto be more burdensome this time round and believes that, to prevent this, managing and audit authorities need to get together from the early stage of design of the schemes, so as to avoid contradictions later on and the need to perform multiple audit checks by different bodies on the same activity. Considering the slow pace of the launch of the CAP schemes this exercise is still possible in many countries and regions;
5.

welcomes the importance attached to the social economy in EU legislation such as Regulation (EU) No 1304/2013 on the European Social Fund, Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013 on the European Regional Development Fund or Regulation (EU) No 1296/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on a European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (‘EaSI’) and amending Decision No 283/2010/EU establishing a European Progress Microfinance Facility for employment and social inclusion. Also welcomes the new regulations for the ESIF programming period 2014-2020, which place social enterprise among the possible investment priorities of the ESF and the ERDF, strengthen the partnership approach and provide opportunities to promote partnership-based initiatives between the social economy and local/regional authorities through the use of instruments such as Community-Led Local Development;
42.

observes that the EU is currently facing more crises than ever before, in particular the refugee crisis, natural disasters and armed conflicts, which have created a risk to key values. These crises were not yet anticipated at the time the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) was finalised, and the Commission is asked to present a proposal for a revision of the MFF with a view to raising the ceilings under this heading 4 as well as heading 3, so as to substantially increase ENP resources, inter alia, in order to address the migration and refugee crises and ensure the reception and integration of migrants, for which regional and local authorities are mainly responsible. The new MFF provides an opportunity to step up the resources earmarked for implementing the priorities of the European Agenda on Migration also in its external dimension;
Where information society service providers store and provide access to the public to copyright protected works or other subject-matter uploaded by their users, thereby going beyond the mere provision of physical facilities and performing an act of communication to the public, they are obliged to conclude licensing agreements with rightholders, unless they are eligible for the liability exemption provided in Article 14 of Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (1). In respect of Article 14, it is necessary to verify whether the service provider plays an active role, including by optimising the presentation of the uploaded works or subject-matter or promoting them, irrespective of the nature of the means used therefor. In order to ensure the functioning of any licensing agreement, information society service providers storing and providing access to the public to large amounts of copyright protected works or other subject-matter uploaded by their users should take appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure protection of works or other subject-matter, such as implementing effective technologies. This obligation should also apply when the information society service providers are eligible for the liability exemption provided in Article 14 of Directive 2000/31/EC.

Where information society service providers store and provide access to the public to copyright protected works or other subject-matter uploaded by their users, thereby going beyond the mere provision of physical facilities and performing an act of communication to the public, they are obliged to conclude licensing agreements with rightholders, unless they are eligible for the liability exemption provided in Article 14 of Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (1). In respect of Article 14, it is necessary to verify whether the service provider plays an active role, including by optimising the presentation of the uploaded works or subject-matter or promoting them, irrespective of the nature of the means used therefor. In order to ensure the functioning of any licensing agreement, information society service providers storing and providing access to the public to large amounts of copyright protected works or other subject-matter uploaded by their users should take appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure protection of works or other subject-matter, such as implementing effective technologies for the fair redistribution of value towards rightholders . This obligation should also apply when the information society service providers are eligible for the liability exemption provided in Article 14 of Directive 2000/31/EC.
61.

is pleased to note the relative progress made by Albania on key reform priorities. However, Albania must go further in implementing the reforms, particularly in sectors covered by the five key priorities, in a sustainable, comprehensive and inclusive way, focusing especially on the sector containing the rule of law and protection of human rights, including the rights of minorities. The judicial reforms unanimously adopted by Parliament on 22 July 2016 were of particular importance in this respect, as they open up new opportunities to better protect human rights (including anti-discrimination policy, the rights of minorities and economic rights throughout Albania), to clarify property rights, to improve the business and investment environment and to combat the shadow economy; also welcomes the anti-corruption strategy and action plan; calls for further progress in policy and legislative measures and proper implementation, together with measures to combat organised crime, including the production and trafficking of drugs, especially cannabis, and stresses how important it is for Albania to achieve tangible and sustainable results in these areas;
36.

supports banning both the blocking of access to websites and other online interfaces on the basis of the customer’s place of residence, and the redirecting of customers from one national site to another, given that both consumers and businesses, the end users of goods or services, are harmed by such practices. Clients should only be redirected if they have consented to this, and businesses must give clients the option of continued easy access to the online interface that they were using before being redirected;
32.

calls, in this context, for coal regions to be identified as assisted areas in accordance with Article 107(3)(a) and (c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and for the EU aid rules for these special regions to be adapted so as to enable measures to be taken to deal with structural change, in order to offset the absence of added value from politically overarching objectives. In addition, consideration should be given to whether such support measures could be based on Article 107(3)(b) TFEU, given the high-profile and exemplary importance of the climate-resilient transformation of coal regions for EU energy and climate policy. In order to resolve these issues in a timely manner, it is proposed that a joint working group of representatives of interested coal regions and Member States, the Directorates-General for Competition and Regional Policy and the CoR be set up as soon as possible.
25.

considers it important to involve civil society actors including at local and regional level, in building networks of fact-checkers, thereby increasing transparency and providing knowledge about local circumstances. The so-called credibility principle which means that fact-checkers could be compensated according to the intensity and accuracy of their activity – could be borrowed from the collaborative economy in order to increase the number of people involved. In such a system, the fact-checking community would be regulating its own work and would also ensure its own standards through peer review. Furthermore, it is crucial to further develop institutional networks and tools at national and European level;
15.

argues in this context that public procurement in places subject to local state capture serves primarily to strengthen those in power or patronage networks. This often plays out in the following way: calls for tender are circumvented and contracts are awarded directly; calls for tender are announced in publications that few people read, at unusual times and with exceptionally short deadlines; or conditions for tenders are targeted at specific bidders. The preferred tenderer in a call for tender, after being awarded the contract, demonstrates their gratitude to those in power locally, or their representatives, by paying a basic commission in the form of a percentage of the contract value, which is usually already earmarked for this purpose when submitting the tender so that it does not reduce the profit of the successful tenderer;