Activities of Tamás MESZERICS related to 2015/2223(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Meeting the antipoverty target in the light of increasing household costs (debate)
Meeting the antipoverty target in the light of increasing household costs (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on meeting the antipoverty target in the light of increasing household costs PDF (473 KB) DOC (188 KB)
Amendments (41)
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)
Citation 20 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 11 June 2013 on Social housing in the European Union1 a __________________ 1 a Textes adoptés, P7_TA(2013)0246
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Aa (new)
Recital Aa (new)
Aa. whereas bad or inadequate housing greatly reduces chances to lead a normal life; whereas quality of housing (including appropriate insulation, etc.) of groups in vulnerable situations has decreased during the crisis, because of inability to fund maintenance;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas not having adequate housing and heating hasve a negative impact on a person’'s health, in particular for children and older persons;, older and weaker persons; whereas people are suffering from not being able to heat their houses both in the Northern and Southern Member States; whereas EU- SILC figures show that housing cost overburden (by tenure status) is higher for tenants housed in the private rented sector, which may be explained by low housing quality and high prices
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas Eurofound's forthcoming report Housing in Europe will include a model estimating that due to existing levels of housing (dwelling) inadequacies (as per 2011 data), total cost of the medical expenditure is over EUR170 billion per annum to the economies of EU28; whereas if all the repair work was undertaken, there would be medical cost savings of some EUR8 billion in the first year, which will continue to accrue benefits in the future;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas 22,348,834 households (approximately 11% of the EU population) spend more than 40 % of disposable income on housing ; whereas the European Semester has identified housing cost overburden as a 'social trend to watch'; and whereas 21,942,491 households (approximately 10.8% of the EU population) experience difficulty maintaining adequate household temperature, whereas the EU and the Member States should urgently identify, implement and maintain policy measures that enable households to meet housing costs, including housing allowances.
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas the distribution of population in different dwelling types shows a high diversity across Europe with 50% or more share of detached houses in most of the central and eastern European and Balkan countries and significantly larger portion of flats and semi-detached houses in other regions of Europe;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas the social rental stock as a percentage of total housing stock indicates that Western and Northern countries have a higher share of public social housing compared to the EU average, while Mediterranean and Eastern countries maintain minimal (around 5%) social housing stock or lacking social housing sector completely; housing deprivation and energy poverty are higher in countries with a lower share of social rental housing i.e. Eastern and Mediterranean countries;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
D c. whereas Eurofound research argues that for many people with low incomes, 'utility arrears' are a principal type of debts which is sometimes overlooked;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)
Recital D d (new)
Dd. whereas Eurofound report on "Access to benefits: reducing non-take- up" clearly highlights the problem that social benefits and minimum income schemes do not always reach those who are entitled to it, so it's not enough to establish such systems, but take-up should be ensured by those who are entitled; whereas the savings realised in the longer term as a result of benefits reaching their target populations promptly, effectively and efficiently, must also be taken into account;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Member States to ensure a more efficient and targeted use of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) by national, regional and local authorities in order to tackle energy poverty and housing deprivation especially amongst poor households;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – indent 2 a (new)
Paragraph 5 – indent 2 a (new)
- taking measures to address extreme forms of poverty that currently fall beyond the scope of the target, i.e. homelessness;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – indent 3
Paragraph 5 – indent 3
- ensuring that the Member States provide everyone with accessible adequate income support, including minimum income above the poverty threshold throughout the life cycle, especially addressing non-take up ;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – indent 4
Paragraph 5 – indent 4
- targeting household expenditure so that disproportionately higher costs such as housing and energy spending can be reduced in a sustainable manner;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop, adopt and implement an EU framework to reduce poverty and social exclusion in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy, consisting of concrete measures and actions, including housing exclusion and energy poverty;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that a decent income is a fundamental element for being able to live your life in dignity; recalls that 16.7 % of the population in the EU 28 in 2013 were at-risk-of-poverty after social transfers, meaning that their disposable income was below their national at-risk-of-poverty threshold; invites the Commission to present in 2016 in the context of the announced social pillar an EU framework directive on adequate minimum income;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Recommends that an EU framework directive on minimum income should specify which criteria Member States’ minimum income schemes would need to meet so as to lift people out of poverty; considers that such a framework would need to be rights-based, address the level of income, the non-discriminatory, efficient and easy access and the take-up, targeting especially those groups, who currently are excluded from or at risk of exclusion from minimum income schemes; points out that reference budgets reflecting household expenditure could be used to construct cash benefits and to test their adequacy; considers such an instrument to be of crucial value to revive the EU's social cohesion, reduce inequalities and achieve the Europe 2020 Poverty and Social Exclusion Target;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Calls on Member States to ensure that dissemination of information is reaching the most vulnerable groups which are often left untouched by relying on client-based dissemination; recalls that dissemination of information is often restricted to people who are al-ready receiving some sort of social support but that it is important to reach beyond them;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Recalls that housing cost are a large share of household expenditure; reminds the Commission, the Member States and local and regional authorities that spending on social and affordable housing is in keeping with fundamental rights, enables urgent social needs to be met and, as strategic social investment, helps in a sustainable way to provide local jobs that cannot be 'off-shored', to stabilise the economy by reducing the risk of property bubbles and household over- indebtedness; points out that acknowledging and implementing the right to housing affect the implementation of other fundamental rights, including political and social rights;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Stresses that lowering the housing costs for the vulnerable cannot only be achieved with stricter rent controls or higher housing benefits but should be accompanied by long-term housing and community programmes to increase the housing stock for different socially disadvantaged target groups and middle income households;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Recalls that, in combating child poverty, social housing policies play an important role through the eradication of family poverty and the prevention of the intergenerational transmission of socio- economical disadvantages; and that rising housing and energy costs are aggravating the risks of disease, poverty and social exclusion; notes the increase in several Member States in the number of evictions and properties seized by banks; urges that measures be taken in response to these challenges
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that there is a lock-in effect as regards energy poverty, as poor households cannot afford the initial upfront investment needed to combat energy poverty; points out that this creates a vicious circle of continuously spending a larger share of household income than needed on the utilities bill while the root of the problem - energy inefficiency or lack of energy - can't be tackled;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Calls on the Member States and the EU to provide microcredits or loans free of interest or at low rates via e.g. the EIB to low-income households to support them in the upfront investment in renewables or energy efficiency, such as insulation, solar energy and energy efficient appliances;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16 b. Calls on the Member States and regional authorities to provide targeted energy advice, and train energy advisors to work with poor households on how to save energy and how to use renewable energies;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16 c. Emphasises that there are a range of barriers to ensuring that the EU Structural and In-vestment Funds available for energy efficiency reach those living in the poorest quality and most energy inefficient housing, including limited household savings for those living in cold homes and the split incentive between landlords and tenants ; Calls therefore on the Com-mission, national, regional and local authorities, and the European Investment Bank to develop innovative funding mechanisms which overcome these barriers, working with stake-holders and building on existing good practice;
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recalls that targeting Union funding towards reducing energy costs of poor households by investing in renewables or energy efficiency has multiple positive effects: at household level, it improves living conditions and the health of those concerned as well as decreasing household costs and therefore provides budgetary relief for poor families; at regional and local level, funding will provide for local investment; supporting the local labour market, the economy and progressing towards energy sustainability; at Union level it helps to both decrease poverty, improve energy efficiency and decrease energy emissions thereby delivering towards the EU 2020 targets on climate change and energy sustainability and on fighting poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Calls on the Commission to assess in its midterm review of the ESIF 2014-2020 the use of funds for energy poverty- related measures and make full use of the relevant ex-ante conditionalities relating to poverty, housing and energy efficiency; recalls that so far the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) have not been used to their full potential when tackling energy poverty;
Amendment 329 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21 b. Stresses that the housing quality of low income households in rural regions tends to be very poor, be it for tenants or owners; recalls that this adds to the so- called lock-in effect of high utility cost with no room for investment in lowering energy cost; calls on the Commission and the Member States to improve targeting of LEADER and EAFRD towards tackling energy poverty in rural areas, by directing the Operational Programs and the funding towards especially generating diversified renewable energy within local networks that includes energy efficiency measures for buildings targeted at energy poor households;
Amendment 330 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21 c. Reminds that tenants have limited access to energy efficiency funding as they are not the property owners; recalls that tenants may have a lower incentive to invest as they move out more easily and frequently than homeowners; welcomes the Commission Pilot project on "Fuel/Energy poverty - assessment of the impact of the crisis and review of existing and possible new measures in the Member States "which is meant to tackle this issue; based on the outcomes of this pilot project calls on the Commission to develop provisions to open EU funding for energy efficiency measures taken by tenants;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
21 d. Reminds Member States that at least 20% of the total ESF resources in each Member State shall be allocated to the thematic objective "promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and any discrimination" and that the European Fund for European Aid for the most deprived can also be used for social inclusion measures;
Amendment 332 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 e (new)
Paragraph 21 e (new)
21 e. Stresses the immediate relief and the improved living conditions for the most deprived households when those households are provided with small-scale low cost renewable energy resources such as solar panels for houses not connected to the energy grid;
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes the fact that European energy policy legislation recognises social aims in energy efficiency policies, notably in Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency and Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings; finds regrettable that the relevant provisions of Directive 2012/27/EU to target households affected by energy poverty and social housing (Article 7(7)) are not used to their full potential by the Member States; calls on the Commission in its review and impact assessment of the energy efficiency package to evaluate the implementation and use of Articles 7(7) and 5(7); calls also on the Commission based on this evaluation to consider strengthening Article (7), in particular paragraph 7 thereof, so that the Member States in their energy efficiency obligation schemes are obliged to include requirements containing social aims;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Calls on the Commission to assess in its energy and cost report the distributionary aspects as regards social aims and meeting the EU antipoverty target; calls on the Commission to ensure that the Member States must invest a minimum share of 30% of energy efficiency measures to be implemented as a priority in households affected by energy poverty or in social housing;
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Calls on the Member States to use among others the Funds for capacity- building under the Structural Funds to organise seminars and programmes in schools and lifelong-learning infrastructures on energy efficiency/saving in the private sphere, including on how to save household and transport costs;
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Stresses that, while such a moratorium is an important emergency tool to support the poorest in a crisis situation, it has to be complemented by an appropriate action plan to lift people out of poverty or social exclusion, including the provision of adequate income support throughout the life-cycle; points out that reference budgets reflecting household expenditure can be used to construct cash benefits and to test their adequacy;
Amendment 363 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Calls on the Commission to develop an Observatory on Energy Poverty with the following duties: 1) assess and monitor the causes and consequences of energy poverty, 2) record the energy consumption of households, 3) provide reliable socio-economic indicators 4) ensure coordinated action plans are developed, and implemented with progress monitored;
Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 c (new)
Paragraph 24 c (new)
24 c. Points out that the "split incentive" problem may hinder investment in energy efficiency in rented housing; considers that gross lease schemes, where the rent includes the cost of the utility bills, could be considered one effective tool to incentivise the landlord to decrease utility household costs through renewable and energy efficiency retrofits;
Amendment 365 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 d (new)
Paragraph 24 d (new)
24 d. Highlights that effective consumer alliances can ensure that rental costs will not increase after successful energy efficiency investments and improvements;
Amendment 366 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 e (new)
Paragraph 24 e (new)
24 e. Highlights that public support and facilitation of agreements between tenants and landlords associations can ensure that total housing costs will not increase after successful energy efficiency investments and improvements;
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 f (new)
Paragraph 24 f (new)
24 f. Calls on the European Commission to prioritise energy efficiency investment in social rental housing through EFSI spending in the next three years;
Amendment 368 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 g (new)
Paragraph 24 g (new)
24g. Calls on the Commission and the Council to acknowledge all EU citizens' universal right of access to energy as an essential commodity;
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 h (new)
Paragraph 24 h (new)
24 h. Calls on the Commission to map the problem of fuel poverty in the EU, and in particular winter deaths amongst people living in cold homes; and to support the Member States in developing solutions; Calls on the Commission to ensure that Eurostat collects relevant data from Member States on the different forms of energy poverty (energy deprivation, severe energy poverty, constraining energy poverty) and that Eurostat monitors regularly the development of SILC energy poverty indicators the framework of Energy Efficiency Directive Review;