18 Amendments of Jana TOOM related to 2017/2114(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas in March 2017 the youth unemployment rate in the euro area was 19.4 %, compared with 21.3 % in March 2016; whereas youth unemployment remains unacceptably high; whereas in 2015 the share NEET's remains high and represents 14,8 % of 15-29 year olds, namely 14 million NEETs; whereas NEETs are estimated to cost the Union €153bn (1.21% of GDP) a year – in benefits and foregone earnings and taxes[1] while the total estimated cost of establishing Youth Guarantee schemes in the Eurozone is €21bn a year, or 0.22% of GDP; whereas € 1bn are currently allocated to the Youth Employment Initiative which is to be matched by €1 billion from the European Social Fund for the period 2017 - 2020; _________________ [1] Eurofound report on youth unemployment;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes the view that furthercontinuous efforts are needed to achieve a balance between the economic and social dimensions of the European Semester process and to promote socially and economically balanced structural reforms that reduce inequalities and promote decent jobs leading to quality employment, sustainable growth and social investment; supports that the Social Scoreboard is used in the framework of the European Semester; calls for a greater focus on structural imbalances on the labour market in the CSRs;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Reiterates the call for the three new headline employment indicators to be placed on an equal footing with existing economic indicators, thereby guaranteeing that internal imbalances are better assessed and making structural reforms more effective; proposes introducing a non-punitive social imbalances procedure in the design of the CSRs so as to prevent a race to the bottom in terms of social standards, building on effective use of the social and employment indicators in macroeconomic surveillance; notes that inequality has intensified in around ten Member States and is one of the main socio-economic challenges in the EU1c; _________________ 1cEmployment and Social Developments in Europe, Annual Review 2017(ESDE),P47
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Highlights that socially and economically responsible reforms must be based on solidarity, integration and social justice; stresses that reforms should also take into account sustained support to social and economic recovery, create quality employment and boost social and territorial cohesion, protect vulnerable groups and improve living standards for all citizens;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to secure adequate funding for fighting youth unemployment which remains unacceptably high in the EU and to continue the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) up tobeyond the end of the current MFF, while at the same time improving its functioning and implementation and taking into account the latest findings of the European Court of Auditors' special report on youth employment and the use of YEI; calls on Member States to implement the recommendations of the European Court of Auditors and to ensure that the Youth Guarantee is fully accessible; regrets budget shifts out of the ESF including YEI towards the European Solidarity Corps which should instead be financed by the use of all financial means available under the existing MFF- Regulation; stresses the need for a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the jobs created; stresses that EU funding should not be used to replace national social welfare payments;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that the scope, efficiency and effectiveness of active and sustainable labour market policies should be increased with proper and adequate funding with focus on environmental, employer, worker, health and consumer protection; takes the view that the phenomenon of in- work poverty shall be addressed; stresses the importance of increasing public investment and enhancing private-sector involvement in economic and social development;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls the need to support and enhance social dialogue, collective bargaining and workers' position in wage- setting systems which play a critical role in achieving high-level working conditions; emphasises that labour law and high social standards have a crucial role to play in the social market economy, supporting incomes and encouraging investment in capacity; stresses that EU law must respect trade union rights and freedoms, comply with collective agreements in line with Member States practices and uphold equal treatment in employment and occupation;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the fact that insufficient and inadequately focused investment in digital skills and programmingskills development and lifelong learning, particularly digital skills and programming and other skills needed in growing sectors such as the green economy may undermine the Union’'s competitive position; calls on the Member States for better exchange of knowledge and best practices as well as co-operation at EU level so as to help foster skills development through the updating of qualifications and corresponding education, training programme and curricula; notes the importance of skills and competences acquired in non-formal and informal learning environments; stresses, therefore, the importance of creating a validation system for non- formal and informal forms of knowledge, especially those acquired via voluntary activities;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Urges the Commission to put in place all suitable mechanisms for greater mobility among young people, apprenticeships included; calls on the Member states to support apprenticeship and to fully use the Erasmus+ funds available for apprentices in order to guarantee the quality and attractiveness of this kind of training; calls for better implementation of the EURES regulation; highlights that a better collaboration of public administrations and stakeholders at the local level and better synergies among levels of governments would increase the outreach and the impact of the programmes;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Takes the view that access to and quality of education should be improved; recalls that the role of Member States is to ensure an access to quality education and training at affordable cost notwithstanding the labour market need across the EU; notes that an increased effort is required in many Member States to educate the workforce, including adult education and vocational training opportunities; puts emphasis on life-long learning, including for women, as it gives the opportunity to re-skill in the ever- changing labour market; calls for an increase in the promotion of STEM subjects aimed at girls to address existing education stereotypes and combat long- term gender employment, pay and pensions gaps;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Stresses the need to invest in people as early as possible in the life cycle to reduce inequality and foster social inclusion at a young age; calls therefore for access to quality, inclusive and affordable early childhood education and care services for all children in all member states; stresses also the need to fight against stereotypes from the youngest age at school by promoting gender equality at all level of education; Encourages the Commission and Member States to fully implement the Recommendation on Investing in Children and closely monitor its progress; calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop and introduce initiatives, placing children in the centre of existing poverty alleviation policies;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Points to the continuous need for better coordination at European level of social security systems, for which the Member States are responsible; stresses the absolute priority of ensuring the sustainability and fairness of social security systems, this being a central pillar of a European social model; highlights that adequate, sustainable pensions are a universal right; calls on Member States to ensure adequate and sustainable pensions in light of continued demographic change; underlines that pension systems should ensure an adequate retirement income above the poverty threshold and allow pensioners to maintain a proper standard of living; believes that the best way to ensure sustainable, safe and adequate pensions for women and men is to increase the overall employment rate and decent jobs across all ages, improving working and employment conditions; points out that gender pension gaps remain significant and this has negative social and economic consequences; in this regard, highlights the importance of women’s integration into the labour market and other adequate measures to combat gender-pay gap and old age poverty; believes that reforms of pension systems and in particular retirement age should also reflect labour market trends, birth rates, health and wealth situation, working conditions and the economic dependency ratio;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes the view that further efforts are needed to achieve a balance between the economic and social dimensions of the European Semester process; supports that the Social Scoreboard accompanying the European Pillar of Social Rights be used in the framework of the European Semester;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to secure adequate funding for fighting youth unemployment which remains unacceptably high in the EU and to continue the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) up to the end of the current MFF, while at the same time improving its functioning and implementation; and taking into account the latest findings of the European Court of Auditors' special report on youth employment and the use of YEI; calls on Member States to ensure that the Youth Guarantee is fully accessible;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that the scope, efficiency and effectiveness of active and sustainable labour market policies should be increased; takes the view that the phenomenon of in- work poverty shall be addressed;
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. HTakes the view that access to and quality of education should be improved; highlights the fact that insufficient and inadequately focused investment in digital skills and programming may undermine the Union’'s competitive position; calls on the Commission to develop a pan-European skills need forecasting tool; urges the Commission to put in place all suitable mechanisms for greater mobility among young people, apprenticeships included; calls for better coordination between national employment services;
Amendment 122 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Member States to set minimum social standards;