Schriftelijke stemverklaringen David CASA

The national protection of embryos is outside the competence of the European Union. I cannot support a file that threatens the rigorous framework in place in Malta and our unqualified sovereignty to decide on such vital ethical issues.

I voted in favour of C9-0101/2020 to provide, in commitment appropriations: EUR 350 million to meet the needs resulting from the increased migration pressure in Greece; EUR 115 million to provide an urgent response to prevent a further deterioration of the COVID-19 outbreak; EUR 100 million to support post-earthquake reconstruction in Albania.

I voted in favour of Draft Amending Budget (DAB) 2/2020 to provide the necessary financing for the ESI package (EUR 3 billion in commitments, EUR 1.53 billion in payments) under heading 3 Security and Citizenship. The bulk of these appropriations (EUR 2.7 billion) will finance actions intended to effectively address the public health—related humanitarian consequences of the outbreak within the Union, while the remaining amount (EUR 300 million) will be used to help Member States to buy some of the equipment that they need.

I voted in favour of C9-0092/2020, as separate decision was required to mobilise the amount of EUR 73.3 million in relation to draft amending budget No 1.

I voted in favour of C9-0096/2020 as the separate decision is technically required to mobilise the amount of EUR 243 million in relation to Draft amending budget No 2.

Also linked to DAB 2/2020, I voted in favour of the separate decision to mobilise the Contingency Margin for 2020 for an amount of EUR 714.6 million. The Contingency Margin is a last resort instrument, which is mobilised only after all other special instruments are fully exhausted.

. ‒ I voted in favour of C9-0095/2020 as it provides for the amendment of two Regulations, the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), ensuring additional extraordinary flexibility under cohesion policy and introducing new options which allow for a bigger mobilisation of non-utilised support from the ESI Funds. For example: under the new regulation, 100% EU co-financing rate for cohesion policy programmes for the accounting year 2020-2021 is allowing Members States to benefit from full EU financing for crisis-related measures.

I voted in favour of C9-0094/2020, as the specific measures aim to protect the most deprived from falling victim to COVID-19 and ensure that the FEAD assistance still reaches them. Further, the possibility to deliver food aid and basic material assistance through vouchers in any form is created, thus improving the possibilities for the final beneficiaries.

The European fishing and aquaculture sector has been significantly hit by COVID-19 pandemic. The sector is encountering a dramatic and unprecedented socio-economic crisis that is inevitably leading to forced temporary cessation of many fisheries activities in many Member States in particular in certain areas and local communities’ dependent on fisheries. I voted in favour of the C9-0093/2020 in order to provide necessary support for the sector.

I voted in favour of C9-0098/2020 as this proposal minimises any disturbance to the supply of essential equipment during the current COVID-19 pandemic.