It-tmien leġiżlatura Therese COMODINI CACHIA

The EU should not draw up a list of Conflict-Affected and High Risk Areas, but rather provide companies with the tools they need in a handbook.
I generally support the proposal for Regulation of the Commission towards more effective level of the EU supply chain for these minerals.
Like the rapporteur I welcome the accompanying measures foreseen in the accompanying communication to promote high levels of participation and hope that not only these measures can be implemented in parallel with the Regulation, but that Parliament will also be kept informed of their implementation.
I believe the SMEs should be put in a position to participate in the EU system if they want to be part of the avant-garde, but let’s not force them. I support the view that also in this respect the Commission is right to choose for the voluntary approach. With the right incentives and assistance, as foreseen in the accompanying measures, SMEs can be convinced to participate out of their free will and in line with their business logic.

. ‒ I agree that the Member States should determine the way they collect data, but in order to be able to combine data on a regional level in a meaningful way, minimum requirements for data quality, coverage and compatibility should be agreed by Member States, taking into account the fact that, in some regions, sea areas are managed jointly with third countries which have sovereignty or jurisdiction over waters in those regions.
Strengthening regional cooperation, in line with the regionalisation of the CFP, is one of the objectives and in that respect it is necessary to harmonise procedures for data collection, analysis and availability to end-users in the various marine regions. For the sake of simplification and rationalisation, and to avoid duplication of data collection, the information to be collected should be selected on the basis of its value, the demand for it and the impact analysing it could have.

I agree that CSDP should be an effective, structured common policy that generates an added value, and not a mere sum of the national policies of the Member States or their lowest common denominator. Two thirds of EU citizens surveyed would like to see more EU engagement through Member States’ commitment in matters of security and defence policy. Member States should seek how to adopt the decision on common defence in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements. To support this, the report advocates the establishment of a standing ‘defence matters’ working group of members of the Commission, to be chaired by the VP/HR.