The European Parliament, at its extraordinary plenary session in Brussels on Thursday 26 March, approved almost unanimously the urgency procedure for the various measures proposed by the European Commission to deal with COVID-19, from the CRII, the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative (686 votes in favour, one abstention) or the changes to the EU Solidarity Fund (684 votes in favour, one against, 2 abstentions).
"I have sent a message to the members to say that the best is the enemy of the good", as Younous Omarjee (GUE/NGL, France), the Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and rapporteur for both texts in the European Parliament, explained to EUROPE. "We have to meet the challenge of the urgency that this crisis demands", he emphasised, hoping that the vote will be taken without amendment, as was the case on the part of the EU Council the previous week (see EUROPE 12449/7). As a reminder, the MEP immediately requested the emergency measure on the basis of Rule 163 of the European Parliament's Rules of Procedure (see EUROPE 12448/13).
At time of writing, the results of the vote on the amendments tabled by the far-right group Identity and Democracy were not yet known, but the instruction given in the other political groups was to reject them en bloc to avoid slowing down the procedure.
As a reminder, the Commission's proposals (see EUROPE 12446/2) aim to rapidly direct 37 billion euros of public investment. The institution will waive the repayment of unspent pre-financing for 2020 for European structural and investment funds, i.e. EUR 8 billion, which would make it possible to obtain an additional EUR 29 billion through European co-financing.
The regulation on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is being amended to allow the mobilisation of 'mutual funds' for fishermen and fish farmers affected by the crisis (see other news).
As regards the EU Solidarity Fund, the Commission proposes to amend the Regulation to extend the scope of EUSF support to health emergencies and to modify certain specific eligible operations (such as providing assistance to the affected population and protecting the population against the risk of contamination). The proposal allows for an increase in advances up to 25% of the EU contribution, instead of the 10% currently planned, as well as the inclusion of additional resources of up to €50 million in the 2020 budget.
Many MEPs believe that the European Commission's proposals are good, but do not go far enough. Discussions are currently under way on the idea of calling for further measures, along the lines of what some Member States have expressed in the vote in the Committee of Permanent Representatives (see EUROPE 12449/7).
"If the Commission were to come up with additional measures to amend the Common Provisions Regulation, this would require the greatest possible consultation with the REGI Committee, which is on standby", Omarjee informed us. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)