461 Amendments of Maria João RODRIGUES
Amendment 65 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Structural reforms can contribute to achieving a high degree of resilience of domestic economies and sustainable convergence among Member States, which is crucial for successful and smooth participation in the Economic and Monetary Union. Within the Eurozone, despite of the recent signs of divergences being reduced, a strong process of upward social and economic convergence is still not visible. That high degree of sustainable convergence is also particularly important for Member States, whose currency is not the euro, in their process of preparation to join the euro area.
Amendment 83 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) In order to allow for the provision of the different types of support needed and to cater for the specificity of each component, three separate but complementary instruments should be set out within the framework of the Programme, namely a reform deliveryand convergence tool, a technical support instrument, and a dedicated convergence facility for supporting preparation for euro- area membership.
Amendment 89 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The Programme's overall objective is the enhancement of upward social and economic convergence, cohesion, competitiveness, productivity, sustainable growth, and employment. For that purpose, it should provide financial incentives for addressing challenges of a structural nature, and should help to strengthen the administrative capacity of the Member States insofar as their institutions and economic and social sectors are concerned.
Amendment 92 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) Specific objectives should be set for each instrument of the Programme. With regard to the reform deliveryand convergence tool, they should consist of fulfilling concrete milestones and targets set out in relation to the completion of reform commitments, which would trigger the release of the financial incentives. With regard to the technical support instrument, they should be to assist national authorities in their endeavours to design and implement reforms, by taking into account good practices and lessons learned from peers. Those objectives should be pursued in all Member States under those two instruments and, in the context of the convergence facility, by those Member States whose currency is not the euro and which have taken demonstrable steps towards adopting the single currency within a given time-frame.
Amendment 108 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) With regard to the reform deliveryand convergence tool, it is necessary to identify the types of reforms that should be eligible for financial support. To ensure their contribution to the objectives of the Programme, the eligible reforms should be those addressing the challenges identified in the context of the European Semester of economic policy coordination, including those proposed to address the country- specific recommendations and those identified to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Amendment 117 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) In order to ensure a meaningful incentive for Member States to complete structural reforms, it is appropriate to establish a maximum financial contribution available for them under the instrument for each stage of allocation and under each call. That maximum contribution should be calculated on the basis of the populationGDP per head and investment rates of Member States. To ensure that the financial incentives are spread throughout the whole period of application of the Programme, the allocation of funds to the Member States should be made in stages. In the first stage lasting twenty months, half (EUR 11 000 000 000) of the overall financial envelope of the reform delivery tool should be made available to Member States, during which they could receive up to their maximum allocation by submitting proposals for reform commitments.
Amendment 128 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) In order to ensure the ownership of and a focus on relevant reforms, the Member States should identify the reform commitments in response to challenges identified in the context of the European Semester (including those challenges identified in country specific recommendations and those identified to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights) and propose a detailed set of measures for their implementation, which should contain appropriate milestones and targets and a timetable for implementation over a maximum period of three years. Close cooperation between the Commission and the Member States should be sought and achieved throughout the process.
Amendment 183 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) the reform deliveryand convergence tool;
Amendment 271 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Pursuant to the objectives set out in point (a) of Article 4 and point (a) of Article 5(2), structural reforms eligible for financing under the Programme shall be those reforms aimed at convergence towards resilient economic and social structures and at addressing challenges identified in the context of the European Semester of economic policy coordination.
Amendment 276 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Annex I lays down the criteria and methodology of a maximum financial contribution for each Member State. Such a maximum financial contribution is available for each Member State out of the overall envelope of the reform delivery tool referred to in point (a) of Article 7(2). Such a maximum financial contribution is calculated for each Member State using the criteria and methodology set out in that Annex, based on the population and it is based on the GDP per head and investment rates of each Member State. Such a maximum financial contribution shall be available for allocation to each Member State, in part or in full, at each stage and call of the allocation process set out in Article 10.
Amendment 289 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
1. A Member State wishing to receive support under the reform deliveryand convergence tool shall submit a proposal for reform commitments to the Commission. That proposal shall set out a detailed set of measures for the implementation of structural reforms in response to challenges identified in the European Semester process and shall contain milestones, targets and a timetable for the implementation of the reforms over a maximum period of three years.
Amendment 323 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 7 – point a – point 1 a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 7 – point a – point 1 a (new)
() - in the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights
Amendment 410 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – introductory part
Annex I – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – introductory part
the allocation key of Member State i, αi, is defined as:taking into consideration the need for upward convergence. Therefore, it considers indicators of growth and convergence - GDP per capita and investment rates.
Amendment 411 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Annex I – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 1
𝑝𝑜𝑝𝑖 deleted ∝𝑖= 𝑝𝑜𝑝𝐸𝑈
Amendment 413 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Annex I – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Amendment 415 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Annex I – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Amendment 423 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 3
Annex I – paragraph 3
Amendment 424 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Annex I – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Amendment 425 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
Annex I – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
Amendment 426 #
2018/0213(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex I – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Annex I – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Amendment 301 #
2018/0212(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 a (new)
Article 4 a (new)
Article 4a A Member State can also be considered to experience a large asymmetric shock if its growth potential and capacity to create jobs are affected by a prolonged reduction of its public investment rate above 20% for more than 3 years.
Amendment 24 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Citation 5 c (new)
Citation 5 c (new)
having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,
Amendment 36 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) On 20 June 2017, the Council endorsed the Union response to the ‘UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ - a sustainable European future. The Council underlined the importance of achieving sustainable development across the three dimensions (economic, social and environmental), in a balanced and integrated way. It is vital that sustainable development is mainstreamed into all Union internal and external policy areas, and that the Union is ambitious in the policies it uses to address global challenges. The Council welcomed the Commission Communication on “Next steps for a sustainable European future” of 22 November 2016 as a first step in mainstreaming the Sustainable Development Goals and applying sustainable development as an essential guiding principle for all Union policies, including through its budgetary programmes. The ESF+ should mainly contribute to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals by halving relative poverty and eradicating extreme forms of poverty (goal 1); good health and well-being (goal 3); quality and inclusive education (goal 4), promoting gender equality (goal 5), promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all (goal 8), and reducing inequality (goal 10).
Amendment 40 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States adopted by the Council in accordance with Article 148(2), namely: Boosting the demand for labour; Enhancing labour supply: access to employment, skills and competences; Enhancing the functioning of labour markets and the effectiveness of social dialogue and Promoting equal opportunities for all, fostering social inclusion and combatting poverty, together with the broad economic guidelines adopted in accordance with Article 121(2) form part of the Integrated Guidelines underpinning the Europe 2020 strategy. The Council of […] adopted revised guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States to align the textm with the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights, with a view to, stimulate creation of jobs and foster social cohesion, thus improving Europe’s competitiveness and making ithe Union a better place to invest, create jobs and foster social cohesion. In order to ensure the full alignment of the ESF+ with the objectives of these g Guidelines, particularly as regards employment, education, training and the fight against social exclusion, poverty and discrimination, the ESF+ should support Member States, taking account of the relevant Integrated Guidelines andfor the employment policies, Member States should programme the ESF+ support, taking account of those Guidelines, relevant for them, as well as of relevant country-specific recommendations adopted in accordance with Article 121(2) TFEU and Article 148(4) TFEU and, where appropriate, at national level,48(4) TFEU and, at national level, the employment and social aspects of the national reform programmes underpinned by national strategies. The ESF+ should also contribute to relevant aspects of the implementation of key Union initiatives and activities, in particular the “Skills Agenda for Europe” and the European Education Area, the Youth Guarantee and other relevant Council Recommendations and other initiatives such as the Youth Guarantee,Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage, the Upskilling Pathways and, on Integration of the long- term unemployed, a Quality Framework for Traineeships and Apprenticeships and the Action Plan on the integration of third-country nationals.
Amendment 42 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
Amendment 124 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) The ESF+ should contribute to the reduction of povertypoverty eradication by supporting national schemes aiming to alleviate food and material deprivation and promote social integration of people experiencing or at risk of poverty or social exclusion and the most deprived. With a view that at Union level at least 4% of the resources of the ESF+ strand under shared management supports the most deprived, Member States should allocate at least 24% of their national resources of the ESF+ strand underSocial Cohesion and Social Rights shared management to addresseradicate the forms of extreme poverty with the greatest social exclusion impact, such as homelessness, child poverty and food deprivation. Due to the nature of the operations and the type of end recipients, it is necessary that the simplerst possible rules apply to support which addresses material deprivation of the most deprived.
Amendment 157 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22 a (new)
Recital 22 a (new)
(22a) All Member States have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which constitutes the standard in the promotion and protection of the rights of the child. The promotion of children’s rights is an explicit objective of EU policies (Article 3 of the Lisbon Treaty), and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights requires the best interests of the child to be a primary consideration in all EU action. The EU and Member States should make appropriate use of the ESF+ to break the cycle of disadvantage for children living in poverty and social exclusion, as defined in the 2013 European Commission Recommendation Investing in children. The ESF+ should support actions promoting effective interventions that contribute to the realisation of children’s rights.
Amendment 161 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22 b (new)
Recital 22 b (new)
(22b) In light of the persistently high levels of child poverty and social exclusion in the EU (26.4% in 2017), and the European Pillar of Social Rights which states that children have the right to protection from poverty, and children from disadvantaged backgrounds have the rights to specific measures to enhance equal opportunities, Member States should allocate at least 10% of ESF+ resources under shared management to European Child Guarantee scheme for the eradication of child poverty and social exclusion. Investing early in children yields significant returns for children and society as a whole. Supporting children to develop skills and capabilities enables them to develop their full potential, become active members of society and increase their chances on the labour market as young people.
Amendment 184 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) Efficient and effective implementation of actions supported by the ESF+ depends on good governance and partnership between all actors at the relevant territorial levels and the socio- economic actors, in particular the social partners and civil society. It is therefore essential that Member States encourage the participation ofinvolve the social partners and civil society in the implementation of the ESF+ under shared managementpreparation, monitoring, implementation and evaluation of ESF+ programmes.
Amendment 236 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
(3) 'basic material assistance' means goods which fulfil the basic needs of a person for a life with dignity, such as clothing, hygiene goods and school material, adequate nutrition, decent housing and healthcare;
Amendment 246 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 13
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 13
(13) 'most deprived persons' means natural persons, whether individuals, families, households or groups composed of such persons, including children, whose need for assistance has been established according to the objective criteria set by the national competent authorities in consultation with relevant stakeholders, while avoiding conflicts of interest and which are approved by those national competent authorities and which may include elements that allow the targeting of the most deprived persons in certain geographical areas;
Amendment 265 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 18
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 18
(18) 'key competences' means the knowledge, skills and competences all individuals need, at any stage of their lives, for personal fulfilment and development, employment, social inclusion and active citizenship. The key competences are: literacy; multilingual; mathematics, science, technology and engineering; digital; personmedia; personal, intercultural, social and learning to learn; citizenship; entrepreneurship; cultural awareness and expression;
Amendment 285 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
The ESF+ shall support, complement and add value to the policies of the Member States to ensure equal opportunities, equal access to the labour market, fair working conditions, social protection and inclusion, and a high level of human health protectjob creation and quality employment, social protection and inclusion for all, investment in children and young people, access to quality education and training, equality between men and women, non-discrimination and a high level of human health protection. All activities and operations supported by the ESF+ shall respect the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
Amendment 466 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
In addition to the minimum allocation of at least 30% of the ESF+ resources under shared management to the specific objectives vii) – x) of Article -7(2), Member States shall allocate at least 24% of their ESF+ resources under shared management to the specific objective of addressing social inclusion of the most deprived and/or material deprivation as set out in points (x) and (xi) of Article 4(1-7(2).
Amendment 490 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 3 a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 3 a (new)
Member States shall allocate at least 10% of their ESF+ resources under shared management to implement the European Child Guarantee in order to ensure children’s equal access to free healthcare, free education, free childcare, decent housing and adequate nutrition.
Amendment 522 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Support in accordance with Article 7(5) shall be programmed under a dedicated priority or programme and it shall support the specific objective set out in point (i) of Article 4(1-7(2).
Amendment 524 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 a (new)
Article 10 a (new)
Article 10 a Support to the European Child Guarantee Support in accordance with Article 7(5) subparagraph 3a (New) shall be programmed under a dedicated priority or programme reflecting the 2013 European Commission Recommendation on Investing in Children; it shall support tackling child poverty and social exclusion within the specific objective set out in point (x) of Article -7(2).
Amendment 537 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
The actions addressing the challenges identified in relevant country-specific recommendations and in the European Semester as referred to in Article 7(2) shall be programmed under one or more dedicated priorities or programme. Sufficient flexibility shall be ensured at managing authority level to identify priorities and areas for ESF+ investments in line with the specific local or regional challenges.
Amendment 700 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 40 – paragraph 1
Article 40 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee set up underan extended Committee based on Article 163 TFEU (the ‘ESF+ Committee’). The composition of the Committee shall be approved by the Commission in order to safeguard transparency and balanced representation.
Amendment 703 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 40 – paragraph 2
Article 40 – paragraph 2
2. Each Member State shall appoint one government representative, one representative of the workers' organisations, one representative of the employers' organisations, one representative of the relevant civil society organisations, one representative of the equality bodies or other independent human right institutions and one alternate for each member for a maximum period of seven years. In the absence of a member, the alternate shall be automatically entitled to take part in the proceedings.
Amendment 706 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 40 – paragraph 3
Article 40 – paragraph 3
3. The ESF+ Committee shall include one representative from each of the organisations representing workers' organisations and employers' organisations, the relevant civil society organisations, and the equality bodies at Union level.
Amendment 712 #
2018/0206(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 40 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 40 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Gender balance and appropriate representation of minority and other excluded groups in the ESF+ Committee shall be safeguarded.
Amendment 546 #
2017/2052(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Emphasises in particular the continuous need to fight unemployment and exclusion, especially among young people, and calls, therefore, for a doublingfull implementation of the EU Youth Guarantee, multiplying by six of the Youth Employment Initiative envelope in the next programming period; considers that and, making it accessible to all unemployed young people; underlines the need of an improved regulation in order to safeguard non-discriminatory participation in the programme for young people coming from a disadvantaged socio-economic background; expects Member states to do their utmost to implement corresponding policies; considers that alongside continued support for internal demand, investment to boost education and training, especially the development of digital skills, remains one of the top priorities of the EU;
Amendment 21 #
2016/2221(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 19 January 2017 on A European Pillar of Social Rights1a, __________________ 1a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2017)0010
Amendment 222 #
2016/2221(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Reiterates its call on the Commission to propose a recommendation on social protection in the context of the European Pillar of Social Rights, seeking to ensure that all people in all employment forms, employment relationships and self- employment accumulate entitlements providing income security in situations such as unemployment, involuntary part- time work, health problems, older age or career breaks for child-raising, other care or training reasons, and that everyone has a personal activity account where they can verify their entitlements;
Amendment 236 #
2016/2221(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Reiterates that digital platforms and other intermediaries should have an obligation to report all work undertaken through them to the competent authorities for the purpose of ensuring adequate contributions and protection through social and health insurance for all workers;
Amendment 301 #
2016/2221(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Reiterates its calls on the social partners and the Commission to work together to present a proposal for a framework directive on decent working conditions in all forms of employment as a key element of the European Pillar of Social Rights, in order to extend existing minimum standards to new kinds of employment relationships, improve enforcement of EU law, increase legal certainty across the single market and prevent discrimination by ensuring for every worker a core set of enforceable rights, regardless of the type of contract or employment relationship;
Amendment 305 #
2016/2221(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Reiterates its view that a prohibition of zero-hour contracts should also be set out in the framework directive on decent working conditions in all forms of employment;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
– having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights,
Amendment 17 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
Amendment 22 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 b (new)
Citation 4 b (new)
– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by the EU in 2010,
Amendment 24 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 c (new)
Citation 4 c (new)
- having regard to the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, which were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 and which apply to the whole world including the EU,
Amendment 45 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 15 January 2013 with recommendations to the Commission on information and consultation of workers, anticipation and management of restructuring (2012/2061(INL)),
Amendment 49 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 b (new)
Citation 11 b (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 26 January 2014 on an EU homelessness strategy1a , __________________ 1a Texts adopted, P7_TA(2014)0043.
Amendment 61 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)
Citation 17 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 5 October 2016 on the need for a European reindustrialisation policy in light of the recent Caterpillar and Alstom cases (2016/2891(RSP)),
Amendment A #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas the European Union must respond swiftly and visibly to increasing frustration and worry among many people about uncertain life prospects, unemployment, growing inequalities and lack of opportunities, in particular for young people; whereas the public consultation on the European Pillar of Social Rights conducted by the Commission until December 2016 has developed into a thorough reflection on the existing social acquis and a wide- ranging discussion among social partners, national governments and parliaments, civil society and the EU institutions on the future and structure of a European social model for the future; whereas this debate can help to remind of the EU's basic values and of the fact that Europe has in a worldwide comparison advanced labour and social standards and social protection systems; whereas the debate on the European Pillar of Social Rights and the necessary steps to be taken in its follow-up can also help to place the European project on stronger foundations and improve people's sense of ownership over the process of European integration;
Amendment AA #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Is aware that rising life expectancy and workforcea shrinking workforce pose a challenge to the sustainability and adequacy of pensions systems and to intergenerational fairness; reaffirms that the best response is to increase the overall employment rate; considers that pensionable ages should reflect, besides life expectancy, other factors including labour market trends, the economic dependency ratio, the birth rate and differences in job arduousnesssolidarity; notes that closing the gender pension gap must also be a priority in this regard; reaffirms that the best response is to increase the overall employment rate through employment models linked to full pension insurance coverage and with particular attention given to the younger generation and those most excluded from the labour market; considers that pensionable ages should reflect, besides life expectancy, other factors to be defined at national level, among them developments in productivity, the economic dependency ratio and differences in job arduousness; recalls the importance of investments in active ageing and of arrangements enabling people who have reached their pensionable age to have the option to continue working at their desired level of intensity while being able to draw partially on their pension if they work less than full-time;
Amendment AAA #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Calls on the Commission to integrate the above-mentioned financial instrumenput forward its proposals on the European Pillar of Social Rights ion its proposals for the post- 2020 multiannual financial framework and its white paper onthe occasion of its announced White Paper on the future of the EU and EMU;
Amendment 65 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18
Citation 18
– having regard to its resolution of 20 November 2012 on a Social Investment Pact as a response to the crisis8 and to the Commission’s Social Investment Package of 20 February 2013, including the Commission Recommendation on Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage, __________________ 8 Texts adopted, P7_TA(2012)0419.
Amendment B #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the European Union needs a paradigm shift towards a strong Euto develop further a European social model which is embedded in a social market economy, empowers people and enables sustainable prospean social modelrity and high productivity based on solidarity, social justice and equal opportunities, a fair distribution of wealth, intergenerational solidarity, the rule of law, non- discrimination, gender equality, auniversal and high-quality public education systems, quality employment and sustainable growth - a model that ensures good social protection for all, empowers vulnerable groupsjob-rich and inclusive growth over the long term, in line with worldwide Sustainable Development Goals - a model that genuinely aims at full employment, ensures adequate social protection and quality essential services for all, combats economic inequality, empowers people in vulnerable situations, fights poverty and social exclusion, enhances participation in civil and political life, and improves the living standards for all citizenspeople in the EU, delivering on the objectives and rights set out in the EU Treaties, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Social Charter;
Amendment BB #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. InsistRecommends that all workers should be covered by insurance against involuntary unemployment or involuntary part-time employment, coupled with job-search assistance and investment in (re)-training in line with the conditions laid down by each Member State in conjunction with the social partners; recalls that adequate unemployment benefits improve the matching process and are therefore useful for productivity, while playing at the same time a key role in preventing and reducing poverty; considers that the EPSR should recommend quality benchmarks for national unemployment insurance schemes, in particular regarding their coverage, activation requirements, a link between duration of support and the average national job-search period, and the quality of support provided by job centres;
Amendment BBB #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to translate the EPSR into relevant external action, in particular by promoting the implementation of the UN SDGs, the ILO conventions and European sopursue external action coherent with the European Pillar of Social Rights, in particular by promoting the implementation of the United Nations conventions and Sustainable Development Goals, the ILO conventions, relevant G20 conclusions, relevant Councial standards throughof Europe conventions as well as the EU's trade agreements and strategic partnerships;
Amendment C #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Commission has committed to achieving a "social AAA rating" for the EU and is expected to come forward in the spring of 2017 with a proposal for a bindingEuropean Pillar of Social Rights that would promote well- functioning and inclusive labour markets and welfare systems in participating Member States and serve as a compass for renewed upward convergence through (i) updating existing EU legislation, (ii) improving the EU's framework for economic and social policy coordination, inter alia through social benchmarking of national reform efforts without establishing inefficient parallel structures and (iii) ensuring relevant financial support at national and European levels; whereas the European Parliament, elected directly by European citizens, has a fundamental responsibility and a role to play in defining and adopting the European Pillar of Social Rights;
Amendment CC #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls forHighlights the importance of adequate national minimum income schemes for maintaining human dignity and combating poverty and social exclusion as well as their role as a form of social investments enabling people to undertake training and/or look for work; considers that every citizen should have a right to a minimum income within national schemes adapted to every Member State's specific conditions; calls on the Commission to propose a European framework for adequate minimum income schemes;, highlights the importance of such schemes for maintaining human dignelping to promote upward social convergence across the European Union; considers that this framework should recommend basic common principles for a comprehensive and effective approach; points out that minimum income schemes should be coherent wityh as well as nd complementary to otheir roele as a form of social investments enabling people to undertake training and/or look for work; vant social protection measures and social investments; recalls that minimum income should not replace the right to work and the right to adequate remuneration; reminds also of the importance of material assistance schemes such as those supported by the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived;
Amendment CCC #
2016/2095(INI)
35. Considers that the EPSR should be adopted in 2017 as a bindingn agreement between the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Council, involving social partners and civil society at the highest level, and should contain a clear roadmap for implementation, with concrete commitments and target dates; invites the Commission to propose mechanisms for adequate involvement of all relevant stakeholders at all relevant levels in the implementation of the EPSR;
Amendment 67 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
– having regard to the Commission Recommendation of 3 October 2008 on the active inclusion of people excluded from the labour market,
Amendment D #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas economic and social policies are meant to serve people, including by promoting sustainable and socially responsible economic activities on a level playing field, and people are also the most important factor for the competitiveness of a company and the proper functioning of the entire economy;
Amendment DD #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Agrees that all pInsists that the rights of people with disabilities should be mainstreamed throughout the Social Pillar with a human rights-based approach in line with the EU's and its Member States' obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with dDisabilities must be ensured enabling services and basic income security(CRPD); The provisions should at least include: The right to decent and barrier- free work in fully inclusive, open and accessible work environments and labour markets; Services and basic income security adapted to specific individual needs, allowing them a decent standard of living and social inclusion; Guaranteeing free movement and the transferability of services across EU Member States; Inclusive education and training, including provisions for adequate digital literacy; Specific provisions on the protection from exploitation and forced labour of persons with disabilities, particularly among persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities or persons deprived of their legal capacity.
Amendment DDD #
2016/2095(INI)
Amendment E #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
B b. whereas social dialogue can contribute positively to growth, employment and competitiveness; whereas the Union is obliged to recognise and promote the role of the social partners, facilitate dialogue between them and respect their autonomy including as regards wage-setting, the right to negotiate, conclude and enforce collective agreements and the right to take collective action in accordance with national law and practices; whereas the European Pillar of Social Rights should encourage social partners and Member States to establish standards higher than those agreed at the European level; whereas the Commission consults the social partners on the possible direction of Union action in the social policy field; whereas continuous support is needed for social dialogue at all levels;
Amendment EE #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. CNotes with concern that availability and affordability of long-term care remain a major problem across Europe, trapping informal family carers at home and preventing them from pursuing their careers; deplores frequent abuses of carers employed through work agencies or on an informal basis; considers access to quality and affordable long-term care services, including home- based care, and independent living schemes to be a right that should be upheld with the help of suitabsupport of adequately, qualified professionals employed under decent conditions; believes that low- income householdsadequate public services and assistance should be therefore be targeted by adequate public services and tax deductionsput in place for households, in particularly those living on low incomes, to avoid institutionalisation and the risk of poverty; repeats its call for legislation on carers’' leave accompanied by adequate remuneration and social protectionto limit the implications on remuneration and social protection entitlements when workers temporarily need to take care of relatives; calls on the Commission to set out a concrete action plan in this area, including targets on care for elderly persons, persons with disabilities and other dependants, similar to the Barcelona targets, with monitoring tools which should measure quality, accessibility and affordability; calls also for greater sharing and take-up of best practices in this area;
Amendment F #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
B c. whereas it is crucial that companies behave in a socially responsible way, with real regard for sustainability and the interests of society; whereas it is valuable to involve workers in decision-making; whereas social economy enterprises, such as cooperatives, provide a good example in terms of creating quality employment, supporting social inclusion and promoting a participatory economy;
Amendment FF #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers child poverty to be a major issue on which Europe should ‘'act big’'; calls for the swift implementation ofstresses the right to universal education, health and social security systems as basic conditions for combating poverty, in particular among children; bearing in mind this objective, calls on the Commission and Member States for the swift implementation of the 2013 recommendation on investing in children – breaking the cycle of disadvantage, and for concrete steps towards a Child Guarantee in all Member States, so that every child now living inat risk of poverty can havehas access to free healthcare, free education, free childcare, decent housing and proper nutrition; points at the necessary connection with programmes offering support and opportunities for the parents to come out of social exclusion situations and to integrate the labour market; recognises that these policies require adequate financing at national level and support from the European Structural and Investment Funds;
Amendment G #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
B d. whereas fundamental social rights apply to all people in the EU and the existing body of Union legislation regulating labour, product and service markets applies to all Member States; whereas economic integration makes Member States interdependent in terms of their capacity to ensure decent working conditions and maintain social cohesion; whereas a functioning single market requires a solid core of social rights for workers to prevent competition on the basis of labour conditions; whereas the principle of subsidiarity as defined in the Treaties justifies action at Union level by reasons of the scale or effects of the proposed action; whereas the achievement of the EU's social objectives also depends on national legislation and on well- developed national social systems; whereas regional differences between wage levels and social security systems are to some extent unavoidable but care should be taken that they do not create downward pressure on working and living conditions; whereas upward social and economic convergence is very important for the proper functioning of the Union; whereas the Union does not harmonise national social security systems but coordinates them, promotes their development and facilitates efficient social security protection of people exercising their right to free movement; whereas regulatory developments need to keep pace with technological and other innovation in order to provide legal certainty and promote economic development through fair competition; whereas the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights will require multi-level action, cross-sectoral approaches and full involvement of stakeholders; whereas provisions on workers' rest time should take into account where applicable a common weekly day of rest recognized by tradition and custom in the country or region;
Amendment GG #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for legislationon Member States to deliver on the right to adequate housing by ensuring access to quality and affordable housing of adequate size for all, and to prevent and reduce homelessness with a view to its gradual elimination; urges them to enact legislation and/or other measures as needed to ensure that access to social housing or adequate housing benefits are provided for those in need, obviously including homeless people and families, and that vulnerable people and poor households are protected against eviction; calls for tax incentives to or that adequate alternative housing is provided to them; calls for combining provision of housing with relevant social services supporting social and economic inclusion; calls for effective measures helping young people on low incomes set up their own households; calls for greater use of the EFSI to support urban renewal and affordable housing provision; highlights investments in energy efficient social housing as a win-win for jobs, the environment, reduction of energy poverty and realisation of social rights; calls for greater use of relevant European financial instruments to support urban renewal and affordable, accessible and energy-efficient housing provision and to promote the development of social housing in regions where it is underdeveloped; calls for abolishing all forms of criminalisation of poverty such as unfairly sanctioning homelessness or other forms of material deprivation;
Amendment H #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B e (new)
Recital B e (new)
B e. whereas European welfare states need to be updated and strengthened to support upward transitions into and within the labour market and to maintain economic security throughout people's lives; whereas with the labour market becoming more complex, it is natural that the welfare state also needs to adapt its mechanisms and instruments in order to manage correctly the various social risks arising; whereas this updating process should also improve people's access to and interaction with the welfare state and facilitate the application of relevant rules, including for SMEs; whereas, however, the role of welfare states is broader than what concerns the labour market; it includes inter alia also the operation of social security systems, the fight against poverty and social exclusion and investment in education, childcare, healthcare, social services and other essential services; whereas 'social investments' that support people's development from early childhood until old age have a crucial role in enabling people to participate fully in a 21st century society and economy; whereas a great effort will be needed to reach the poverty reduction and social inclusion target of the Europe 2020 Strategy; whereas housing is a pressing issue in many Member States and many households are spending a high proportion of their disposable income on housing and energy costs;
Amendment HH #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for legislation ensuring fairadequate measures, including legislative improvements if necessary upon evaluation, to ensure availability and access for all to good- quality and affordable social services of general interest and other services of general interest or essential services, such as e-communicationswater supply, waste management, education, healthcare, e-communications and high-speed broadband, energy, public transport and financial services; highlights the role of social enterprises; important role of well-equipped and well-staffed public sector providers and of social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations in this context given that their primary objective is positive social impact; points also to the important role of social economy enterprises in providing these services while making the labour market more inclusive; calls for elimination of existing legal uncertainties experienced by public authorities when it comes to financing social services of general interest; supports the use of social criteria in public procurement reminds that rural areas in particular need continued support in order to modernise their infrastructure and maintain economic dynamism; points also to the importance of financial education that helps to prevent household over- indebtedness and legal aid and other mechanisms that protect and support debtors against predatory practices and provide them with a second chance;
Amendment I #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B f (new)
Recital B f (new)
B f. whereas Recommendation No 202 of the ILO provides that social protection floors should comprise at least the following basic social protection guarantees: a) access to a nationally defined set of goods and services, in particular essential health care, including maternity care, that meets the criteria of availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality; b) basic income security for children, at least at a nationally defined minimum level, providing access to nutrition, education, care and any other necessary goods and services; c) basic income security, at least at a nationally defined minimum level, for persons in active age who are unable to earn sufficient income, in particular in cases of sickness, unemployment, maternity and disability; and d) basic income security, at least at a nationally defined minimum level, for older persons; whereas the European Pillar of Social Rights should take this definition into account and seek to ensure that such basics of social protection are fully achieved and preferably exceeded in all Member States; whereas the European Economic and Social Committee has made a useful contribution in this respect by agreeing on principles for effective and reliable welfare systems;
Amendment II #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. SupportsConsiders that in our increasingly digitalised world, low qualified people not only have diminished employment opportunities, but are also more vulnerable to long-term unemployment and have more difficulties to get access to services and participate fully in society, a situation which is not only detrimental to the individual but is also highly costly to the economy and society as a whole; supports therefore a Skills Guarantee as a new right for everyone, at every stage of life, to acquire fundamental skills for the 21st century, including digital literacy; highlights this as an important social investment, requiring adequate financing; literacy, numeracy, digital and media literacy, critical thinking, social skills and relevant skills needed for the green and circular economy, taking into account emerging industries and key growth sectors and ensuring full outreach to people in disadvantaged situations, including people with disabilities, asylum-seekers, long-term unemployed people and underrepresented groups; stresses that education systems should be inclusive, providing good-quality education to the whole population, enabling people to be active European citizens and preparing them to be able to learn and adapt throughout their lives and responding to societal and labour market needs; considers that completion of secondary education should be obligatory in 21st century Europe and that relevant programmes must be available to give a new chance to all young people who have dropped out from primary or secondary school; considers that the Skills Guarantee should involve individualised assessment of learning needs, a quality learning offer as well as systematic validation of skills and competences acquired, enabling their easy recognition on the labour market; points at the need to ensure widespread access to broadband in order to enable digital literacy; highlights the Skills Guarantee as an important social investment, requiring proper implementation and adequate financing, also with support from the European Structural and Investment Funds;
Amendment J #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B g (new)
Recital B g (new)
B g. whereas all EU Member States face certain employment and social challenges; whereas the realisation of social rights also depends on policies and instruments supporting territorial cohesion, particularly in regions with serious and permanent natural, demographic or structural economic disadvantages, including regions with low population density and dispersed population or outermost regions; whereas greater strategic investment and support for cohesion is needed in disadvantaged regions with a view to making them more competitive, improving their socio- economic structure and preventing further demographic decline; whereas the euro area faces, with its present macroeconomic framework, specific challenges to the achievement of employment and social objectives set out in the Treaties, notably in the sense that euro area membership reduces possibilities for the use of macroeconomic policy instruments at national level and creates pressure for swifter internal adjustment; whereas restoring adequate socio-economic security to offset this increased internal flexibility may require considering specific social targets, standards and/or financial instruments at the euro area level;
Amendment JJ #
2016/2095(INI)
19. Is alarmworried at the spread of precariousness arising from the excessive use of ‘atypical’ contracts; stresses the importance of ensuring sufficient institutional and budgetarysocio- economic uncertainty and deterioration of working conditions for many workers; recognises that many workers in non- standard forms of employment have difficulties to exercise their rights at work or gain access to social security benefits and that women and migrants are disproportionately affected by this problem; calls on the Commission to monitor closely the implementation and enforcement of the Fixed-Term Work Directive, Part-Time Work Directive and Temporary Agency Work Directive; calls on the Commission and Member States to take steps to improve the portability of social rights acquired in different activities; stresses the importance of ensuring sufficient capacities to provide adequate social protection for people in non-standard forms of employment; considers in particular that: a. social insurance schemes must be broadened in order to enable all workersat Member State level for people in all forms of employment, standard and non-standard employment relationships as well as self- employment; calls on the Commission to propose a recommendation in this regard; considers in particular that: a. Member States should organise social security schemes in such as way as to enable all people in all employment forms, employment relationships and self- employment to accumulate entitlements providing income security in situations such as unemployment, involuntary part- time work or career breaks for family or training reasons; b. all workers should have a personal activity account, easily accessible through a website and/or a smartphone application, where they could consult their social entitlements; , health problems, older age or career breaks for child-raising, other care or training reasons; b. starting from their first entry into the labour market, all people in all employment forms, employment relationships and self-employment should have a personal activity account, easily accessible through personal contact and electronic means, duly taking into account the needs of persons with disabilities, where they could consult their accumulated social entitlements and other social rights, including to lifelong learning, and where they could learn about their portability across countries if applicable; such personal activity accounts should be made available in a cost-effective way and adequate data protection should be ensured; c. digital platforms and other intermediaries should have an obligation to report all work undertaken through them to the competent authorities for the purpose of ensuring adequate contributions and protection through social and health insurance for all workers;
Amendment K #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B h (new)
Recital B h (new)
B h. whereas European labour markets are more often evolving towards 'atypical' or 'non-standard' forms of employment, such as temporary work, involuntary part- time work, casual work, seasonal work, on-demand work, dependent self- employment or work intermediated by digital platforms; whereas demand for labour is becoming more diversified than in the past; whereas in some cases this can be beneficial for productivity, work- life balance, transitions into the labour market and second career opportunities for those who need them; whereas, however, some non-standard forms of employment involve prolonged economic insecurity and bad working conditions, notably in terms of lower and less certain incomes, lack of possibilities to defend one's rights, lack of social and health insurance, lack of a professional identity, lack of career prospects, and difficulties in reconciling on-demand work with private and family life; whereas a dynamic labour market should ensure that everyone has the chance to use his or her skills and abilities in their working life, based inter alia on healthy and safe working conditions, active labour market policies and on updating competences over the course of a life through regular and lifelong learning; whereas relevant CJEU jurisprudence clarifies the concepts 'employment relationship' and 'worker' for the purpose of applying EU law, without prejudice to national definitions of a 'worker' that are established for the purposes of national law in line with the principle of subsidiarity;
Amendment KK #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Points out that secure professional transitions require adequate investment, both in the institutional capacity of public employment services and to assist individual job-search and upskilling; at the earliest stage possible; believes proactive employment policies such as training and placement assistance to be worthwhile tools for the reintegration of the unemployed into the labour market, regardless of age; reminds of the useful role of the European Social Fund in supporting active labour market policies throughout Europe and of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, which supports re-skilling and return to employment in case of regional economic shocks and large-scale lay-offs; recalls, furthermore, the important role of social security schemes in supporting secure transitions; emphasises that the preservation and portability of social entitlements accumulated during the career and life-cycle should be ensured to facilitate job and professional transitions;
Amendment 75 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)
Citation 19 a (new)
– having regard to the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 20 September 2016 in joined cases C-8/15 P to C-10/15 P (Ledra Advertising and others),
Amendment L #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B i (new)
Recital B i (new)
B i. whereas active labour market policies, individual responsibility, and participation in lifelong learning are important for labour market inclusion, even though unemployment results in most cases from a lack of open job vacancies or other circumstances beyond a person's control;
Amendment LL #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. CEmphasises that a proactive employment policy implies public support for developing sectors with important employment potential and in many countries also a need for expanding the role of public employment services and ensuring that they have adequate capacity for direct contact with business, so that re-training and other assistance to jobseekers is provided in line with the profile of the jobseeker and the needs of the local economy; calls for full implementation of the Youth Guarantee for all people under 30, with emphasis on quality offers and effective outreach to all NEETs, and of the Council recommendation on the long- term unemployed, including through the development of additional measures necessary to ensure accessibility of these policies for persons with support needs; stresses the need to take into account the needs of older workers and job seekers and to promote cooperation between younger and older workers; highlights these policies as important structural reforms and social investments that are in need of adequate financing; from both European and national levels, including from the European Social Fund, the Youth Employment Initiative and/or other instruments;
Amendment M #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B j (new)
Recital B j (new)
B j. whereas people finding themselves in vulnerable situations or more often suffering from discrimination such as women, ethnic minorities, the long-term unemployed, senior citizens and people with disabilities may require additional measures to foster their participation in the labour market and to ensure decent living standards throughout their lives; whereas the EU committed itself to building a barrier-free Europe for the estimated 80 million people with disabilities in the EU and the EU's poverty reduction and employment targets will not be reached if people with disabilities are not fully integrated into the economy and society; whereas the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is ratified by the European Union and its principles should be therefore mainstreamed within the Pillar of Social Rights; whereas the negative impact of the crisis on access to healthcare has often come with a delay, and many people have found themselves unable to access healthcare even if services are formally covered, in particular because they cannot afford co- payments or experience waiting lists;
Amendment MM #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 – introductory part
Paragraph 22 – introductory part
22. CRecalls that women are more likely to be subject to uncertain and low-paid employment and to interruptions in their career which has repercussions for their entire lives; considers that decisive progress is urgently needed in the area of gender equality and work-life balance; in particular: a. Directive 2006/54/EC should be revised in order to strengthenorder to eliminate persisting discrimination; awaits Commission proposals in this area as announced in its 2017 work programme, in particular: a. existing mechanisms to ensure equal treatment between men and women, close should be strengthened, persisting gender gaps in pay and pensions and reduceshould be closed, and occupational segregation; b. there is a need for new legislative proposals on family should be reduced; to this end, implementation and enforcement of Directive 2006/54/EC should be monitored and the directive should be revised if necessary; the European Pact for gender equality for 2011-2020 and the Strategic engagement for gender equality 2016-2019 should continue to be pursued, also through annual gender equality reports; b. there is a need for new effective measures at both European and national leave schemes, includingls for the reconciliation of professional, private and family life, including legislative proposals as regards maternity leave, paternity leave, parental leave and, carers’' leave, encouragingaccess to quality care services and flexible working time arrangements; equal take-up of leave arrangements by men and women across all categories of workers should be encouraged in order to improve women’'s access to and position within the labour market and facilitate work-life balance, strengthen the role of fathers in bringing up their children and facilitate work-life balance; the Commission should also support Member States in sharing and adopting good practices in this area;
Amendment N #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B k (new)
Recital B k (new)
B k. whereas Europe can go much further in developing a cluster of sectors focused on supporting people's health, knowledge and ability to participate in the economy; whereas people-focused services such as education, healthcare, childcare, other care services as well as sport contain an important job creation potential and should not be viewed as a cost to the economy but rather as enabling factors of sustainable prosperity;
Amendment NN #
Amendment O #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B l (new)
Recital B l (new)
B l. whereas a strategic approach is needed to the challenges posed by the ageing and shrinking of the EU's working-age population, notably as regards future skills shortages and mismatches in the EU labour market and projected evolution of economic dependence ratios, taking into account also third country nationals legally residing in the EU; whereas it is important to promote opportunities for professional mobility, in particular among young people, including those following vocational training through apprenticeships;
Amendment OO #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Emphasises that labour mobility within the EU is a right whose exercise must be supported but which should not be forced on workers by poor conditions in their home regions, and should notfree movement of people is one of the greatest achievements of the EU and free movement of workers is a cornerstone of the internal market which plays an important role in enhancing convergence and integration among Member States; underlines that mobility within the EU is an opportunity and a fundamental right whose exercise must be supported, including by a smoothly functioning system of social security coordination; calls for proper implementation and enforcement of EU rules regarding mobility of workers and cross-border provision of services; moreover, calls for supporting labour mobility through adequate language training at all levels of education, improved comparability of education systems and recognition of professional qualifications, readily available information on the rights and duties of mobile workers, and measures ensuring decent working conditions and effective cooperation among public employment services across Europe; notes that mobility should not be the result of lacking employment opportunities or inadequate social protection in workers' home regions as prolonged workforce outflows may hinder economic convergence; points therefore to the importance of cohesion policy and other instruments for territorially balanced economic development; considers that labour mobility should not be abused to undermine host countries’' social standards; through fraud or circumvention of law; highlights that mobile workers are usually net contributors to host countries' public budgets; calls for adequate investments in public services in areas experiencing population increases and points to the support which the European Social Fund can provide in this respect;
Amendment 79 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)
Citation 20 a (new)
– having regard to the joint opinion of the Employment Committee and Social Protection Committee on the European Pillar of Social Rights, endorsed by the Council on [15] October 2016,
Amendment P #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment PP #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission to propose a clear roadmap for legislative updatesbuild on the outcomes of the public consultation and on ther measures that are necessary EU institutions' views by putting forward a clear roadmap of concrete measures for full practical applicimplementation of the EPSR; highlights that in cases of conflict of law, the horizontal social clause (Article 9uropean Pillar of Social Rights and full pursuit of the Treaties' social objectives; highlights that in order to protect fundamental social rights, provisions such as Articles 8, 9 and 10 TFEU) should be properly applied, in EU policy-making and all actions of the EU institutions, including through social impact assessments;
Amendment Q #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Considers that the European Pillar of Social Rights should also help to ensure proper application of international labour standards and help to update the social acquis; is of the view that standards to be articulated by the European Pillar of Social Rights should apply to all countries participating in the Single Market in order to maintain a level playing field and that legislation, governance mechanisms and financial instruments relevant for their achievement should apply to all EU Member States; underlines that the Pillar of Social Rights should be taken into account in EU economic policies; finds that the specific constraints of euro area membership call for additional specific social targets and standards to be established and relevant financial support to be considered at the euro area level while remaining open to non-euro area Member States on a voluntary basis; points at the possibility of using the enhanced cooperation mechanism under Article 20 TEU if necessary to build a solid European Pillar of Social Rights;
Amendment QQ #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Calls for a social protocol to be introduced in the Treaties as and when they are revised in order to clarify the relationship between fundamental social rights, economic freedoms and competition law;
Amendment R #
Amendment RR #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. CIs concerned at the persisting negative impact of the prolonged economic crisis which Europe underwent in the first half of this decade and which impacted some countries and regions more than others; considers that the objective of upward economic and social convergence should be underpinned by a set of targets, building on the Europe 2020 strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals and, serving to guide the coordination of economic, employment and social policies in the EU; believes that these targets could also form part of the Convergence Code currently being discussed for the euro area, and could be based on the following indicators which are directly affected by public policies: a. the early school-leaving rate; b. the unemployment rate; c. the proportion of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs); d. the at-risk-of-poverty rate; e. the in-work poverty rate; f. child poverty; g. access to childcare and pre-school education; h. the coverage of collective bargaining; i. the total investment rate (gross fixed capital formation and social investment); j. the economic dependency ratio and providing a compass for the euro area where special attention to upward economic and social convergence is needed;
Amendment S #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls foron the enactment of asocial partners and the Commission to work together to present a proposal for a framework directive on fairdecent working conditions for all forms of employment, ensuring for every worker a core set of enforceable rightsin all forms of employment, extending existing minimum standards to new kinds of employment relationships, based on a thorough impact assessment; considers that this framework directive should improve enforcement of EU law, increase legal certainty across the Single Market and prevent discrimination by complementing existing EU law and ensuring for every worker a core set of enforceable rights regardless of the type of contract or employment relationship, including equal treatment, socialhealth and safety protection, protection in case of dismissal, health and safety protection, provisions on working time and rest time, freedom of association and representation, collective bargaining, collective action, access to training, and adequate information and consultation rightsduring maternity leave, provisions on working time and rest time, work-life balance, access to training, in-work support for people with disabilities, adequate information, consultation and participation rights, freedom of association and representation, collective bargaining and collective action; underlines that this framework directive should apply to employees as well as tond all workers in non-standard forms of employment, such as fixed-term work, part-time work, on-demand work, self-ewithout necessarily amending already existing directives; recalls that existing labour rights are applied by Member States in accordance with national and EU law; calls also for more effective and efficient imployement, crowd-working, internship or traineeship; requests that the EU acquis be updated accordingly so as to apply to allation and control of existing labour standards in order to improve the enforceability of rights and tackle undeclared workers;
Amendment SS #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls for a rebalancing of the European Semester so thatDraws attention to the two-way link between social conditions and economic performance; calls for Europe 2020 targets, the existing scoreboard of key employment and social indicators and thein the Joint Employment Report and the potential new Convergence Code arto be directly and transparently taken into account in formulating CSRs and the euro area recommendation as well as forin the activutilisation of EU instruments; considers that the instruments of the European Employment Strategy and social open method of coordination should also be reinforced to this end; urges a stronger role for the Macroeconomic Dialogue with social partners in the formulation of the economic policy mix at European level; considers ‘macro-social surveillance’ to be of great importance for avoiding that economic imbalances are reduced at the expense of worsening the employment and social situation and preventing a race to the bottom in terms of social standards in the EU; reiterates its call for a European agenda of reforms and investments aiming to strengthen growth potential based on quality jobs and productivity, to promote fair, robust, efficient and sustainable welfare systems, and to foster a sustainable transition of Member States' economies towards greater resource efficiency;
Amendment T #
Amendment TT #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls for a ‘silver rule’on the Member States and the Commission to work towards ensuring an appropriate level onf social investment to be applied when implementing the Stability and Growth Pact, namely to consider certain public social investmentss which are essential for the society's cohesion and havinge a clear positive impact on economic growth in the short and long term (e.g. childcare or, education and training) as being eligible for favourable treatment w, the Youth Guarantee and the Skills Guarantee); then assessing government deficits and compliance with the 1/20 debt rulement of the quality of public spending should also reflect this concern;
Amendment U #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for decisive steps towards legal certainty on what constitutes ‘employment’, also for work intermediated by digital platforms; underlines that open-ended contracts should remain the norm given their importance forRecognises that a certain variety of employment contracts is useful for efficient matching of workers and employers; recalls, however, the risk of labour market dualism and the danger of people being trapped in insecure contracts without a tangible perspective for upward transitions stresses the importance of open-ended employment contracts for socio-economic security and points to the benefits which such contracts provide to employers across numerous sectors; supports also promotion of socio-al economic securityy business models; calls on the Commission to broaden the Written Statement Directive 91/533/EEC to all forms of employment and employment relationships; calls for the framework directive on fairdecent working conditions to include also relevant existing minimum standards to be ensured in more precarious forms of employment, in particular: a. decent working conditions for internships, traineeships and apprenticeships, prohibiting those that are unpaid or paid so little that they do not enable workerscertain specific relationships , in particular: a. proper learning and training content and decent working conditions for internships, traineeships and apprenticeships in order to ensure that they serve as genuine stepping stones in the transition from education to professional life, as foreseen by the Council Recommendation on a Quality Framework for Traineeships, that they are limited in time and do not replace employment for young people; remuneration should be commensurate with the work provided, the skills and experience of the person and the need to enable interns, trainees and apprentices on the labour market outside educational curricula to make ends meet; b. for work intermediated by digital platforms, a definition of employment that is less dependent on full cumulation of the relevant criteria; c. limits regarding on-demand work: zero- hour contracts should be banned and certain core working hours should be guaranteed to all workersnd other instances of dependent self-employment, a clear distinction - for the purpose of EU law and without prejudice to national law - between those genuinely self-employed and those in an employment relationship, taking into account ILO recommendation No. 198, according to which the fulfilment of several indicators is sufficient to determine an employment relationship; the status and basic responsibilities of the platform, the client and the person performing the work should thus be clarified; minimum standards of collaboration rules should also be introduced with full and comprehensive information to the service provider on their rights and obligations, entitlements, associated level of social protection and the identity of employer; those employed as well as those genuinely self-employed who are engaged through online platforms should have analogous rights as in the rest of the economy and be protected through participation in social security and health insurance schemes; Member States should ensure a proper surveillance of the terms and conditions of the employment relationship or service contract, preventing abuses of dominant positions by the platforms; c. limits regarding on-demand work: zero- hour contracts should not be allowed due to the extreme uncertainty which they involve;
Amendment UU #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28 a. Reiterates its call for joint meetings to be held between the EPSCO and ECOFIN Council formations with a view to promoting better coordinated socio-economic policies, as well as for regular meetings of euro area labour and social ministers serving to improve policy coordination within the Eurozone and properly address social imbalances;
Amendment V #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. EAcknowledges the declining labour share of total income in Europe over the past decades; emphasises the need for renewed upward social convergence in wages throughout the EUand for closing the gender pay gap throughout the EU in order to boost demand, enable sustainable and inclusive growth and reduce inequalities; recognises that decent living wages are important to avoid in-work poverty; calls on the Commission to support actively support a wider coverage for collective bargaining; considers that to ensure decent living wages, minimum wages set at a decent leveagreements in line with Member States' national traditions and practices and respecting the autonomy of social pare necessarytners; recommends the establishment of national wage floors through legislation or collective bargainingin the form of a national minimum wage, where applicable, with due respect for the practices of each Member State and after consulting the social partners, with the objective of attaining gradually at least 60 % of the respective national average wagemedian wage, if possible, and not below the living wage level of the region concerned; calls on the Commission to prepare a pilot version of a regional living wage calculation that would help to define living wages, serve as a reference tool for social partners and help to exchange best practices in this regard;
Amendment VV #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Highlights that today’'s phenomena of capital-intensive production, and the important contribution of intangible assets to the creation of added value on the one hand, and high rates of inequality and, unemployment, the continuing rise in ’'atypical’' work imply a need to increase the role of general tax revenue in cofinancing social insurance schemes in order to provide decent social protection for alland the declining labour share of total income on the other hand imply a need to broaden the financial base for welfare systems, with fiscal neutrality, in order to provide adequate social protection and quality services for all; considers that this should be done notably by shifting towards new sources of tax revenue; urges Member States to evaluate their needs in this respect; recalls that accumulation of social security entitlements through work is an important aspect of decent work and contributes significantly to economic and social stability; points out, however, that the current tax wedge on labour can be reduced while ensuring the sustainability and adequacy of national social security schemes; highlights also that combatting tax evasion and avoidance is crucially important for ensuring an adequate level of public investments and the sustainability of welfare systems;
Amendment W #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that the right to healthy and safe working conditions also involves protection against workplace risks as well as limitations on working time and provisions on minimum rest periods and annual leave; urges the Member States to fully implement the relevant legislation; awaits Commission proposals for legislation and other concrete measures to uphold this right effectively for all workers, reflecting all current knowledge about health and safety riskincluding seasonal and contract workers, and comprising also measures to prevent violence against women or harassment; notes that such measures should be based on an impact assessment, reflecting all current knowledge about health and safety risks and taking into account new ways of working associated with digitalisation and other technological developments;
Amendment WW #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 – introductory part
Paragraph 30 – introductory part
30. Reiterates its call for the raisingConsiders that the European Pillar of Social Rights can only be credible if accompanied by adequate financing at national and European level, ensuring that Member States are able to achieve the commonly agreed objectives; reiterates its call for accelerated implementation of relevant operational programmes and revision of the MFF 2014-20 ceilingswhere needed in order to cope with the increased needs; calls, in particular, for: a. further strengthening of the Youth Employment Initiative; b. an increase in the volume of the European Social Fund, the EGF and the FEAD; c. the establishment of a new instrument, to be financed, for example, from EU revenue arising from competition law enforcement, to support the implementation of the Child Guarantee and further steps to ensure easier access to and full use of the European Social Fund, the EGF and the FEAD; these financial instruments should remain available to all EU Member States and be reinforced as needed, including as regards education and training, the Skills Guarantee, child poverty and unforeseen new challenges such as labour market integration of refugees; the rule allocating 20% of national ESF envelopes for the fight against poverty and social exclusion must be upheld;
Amendment X #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the importance of collective rightsthe right of collective bargaining and action as a fundamental right enshrined in primary law of the European Union; expects the Commission to step up concrete support for strengthening and respecting social dialogue in Member States and sectors where it is weak owing to the prolonged crisiat all levels and sectors, in particular where it is not sufficiently well developed, while taking into account different national practices; recognises benefits of involving workers in company management, including in transnational companies, and of their information, consultation and participation, also to make good use of new forms of work organisation, ensure that work is meaningful and rewarding and anticipate economic change; calls for the prevalence of non-standard forms of employment; monitoring of the application of European legislation on European Works Councils and the information and consultation of workers and for effective measures ensuring that company restructuring takes place in a socially responsible manner;
Amendment XX #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30 a. Calls for further EU support to institutional capacity-building, e.g. as regards social dialogue, the European network of public employment services, the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information and the platform against undeclared work, which could evolve in the longer term towards a European system of labour inspectorates; points in this context to the importance of the Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) and ESF support for relevant capacity-building at national level;
Amendment Y #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. SPoints out that social protection rights are individual; supports more integrated provision of social protection benefits and quality social services as a way to make the welfare state more understandable and accessible while not weakening social protection; underlines the need for adequate social protection and social investment throughout people's lives, enabling everyone to participate fully in the society and economy and sustaining decent living standards; points to the importance of informing citizens about social rights and to the potential of accessible e- government solutions, possibly including a European social security card, which could improveith strong data protection guarantees, which could improve EU social security coordination, individual awareness and also help mobile workers clarify and safeguard their contributions and entitlements; in home and host countries as well as facilitating the work of national labour inspectorates; highlights the importance of personalised, face-to-face support, in particular for excluded and vulnerable households;
Amendment YY #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on the Commission and the EIB to refocus the EFSI on job creation and social investment and adapt its risk/return requirements accordinglyGroup to develop further the Investment Plan for Europe in order to strengthen investment in economic recovery, quality job creation, sustainable development and social investment in people's current and future capacities to engage in the labour market;
Amendment Z #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Agrees with the importance of universal access to timely, good-quality and affordable preventative and curative health care and to medicines; considers this as a right that must be upheld, including in rural areas and cross-border regions; emphasises that all workerresidents must be covered by health insurance; agrees that increased health prevention and disease prevention is an obvious social investment that pays for itself, also through healthier ageing;
Amendment ZZ #
2016/2095(INI)
32. Considers that the specific dynamicsocial impact of economic adjustment within the euro area call for the development of two financial instruments, within the euro area’s fiscal capacity, that would be particularly relevant for the implementation of the EPSR: a. a fund for renewed structurould be alleviated and upward economic and social convergence, supportitreng the implementation of socially just reforms and investments that are necessary for increasing the growth potential of crisis- affected areas and restoring upward social convergence, including implementation of the Youth Guarantee, Skills Guarantee and Child Guarantee; b. a European unemployment insurance scheme, complementing national schemned through adequate financing so as to avoid further deterioration of inequalities and growth potential of Member States and to cope with severe macroeconomic shocks while increasing the competitiveness and stability of Member States' economies; in cases of severe cyclical downturn and helping prevent the translation of an asymmetric shock into structural disadvantagevites therefore the Commission, Council and other relevant bodies to address this issue in further discussions;
Amendment 105 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the European Union needs a paradigm shift towards a strong European social model which enables sustainable prosperity and high productivity based on solidarity, social justice, a fair distribution of wealth, gender equality, a high-quality public education system, quality employment and sustainable growth - a model that ensuresover the long term, in line with worldwide Sustainable Development Goals - a model that ensures adequate and universal good social protection for all, empowers people in vulnerable groupssituations, fights poverty and social exclusion, enhances participation in civil and political life, and improves the living standards for all citizens, delivering on the objectives and rights set out in the EU Treaties, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Social Charter;
Amendment 121 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. Whereas the European Union must respond swiftly and visibly to increasing frustration and worry among many citizens about uncertain life prospects, lack of opportunities, socio- economic precariousness and growing inequalities;
Amendment 138 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Commission is expected to come forward in the spring of 2017 with a proposal for a binding European Pillar of Social Rights that would serve as a basis for updating existing EU legislation, improving the EU’s economic and social governance framework, adapting or establishing relevant financial instruments, and promoting European social standards towards the rest of the world;
Amendment 141 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the European Parliament, elected directly by European citizens, has a fundamental responsibility and a role to play in defining and adopting the European Pillar of Social Rights;
Amendment 149 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas fundamental social rights apply to all people in the European Union and the existing body of Union legislation regulating labour, product and service markets applies to all Member States;
Amendment 153 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas the euro area faces, with its present macroeconomic framework, specific challenges to the achievement of employment and social objectives set out in the Treaties, notably in the sense that euro area membership reduces possibilities for the use of macroeconomic policy instruments at national level and creates pressure for tougher and swifter internal adjustment, such as through wages, working conditions, unemployment and scaling back of social expenditure; whereas restoring adequate socio-economic security to compensate for this increased internal flexibility may require introducing specific social targets, standards and/or financial instruments at the euro area level;
Amendment 154 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas European labour markets are rapidly evolving towards ‘atypical’ or ‘non-standard’ forms of employment, such as temporary work, part-time work, casual work, seasonal work, on-demand work or self-employment intermediated by digital platforms, which shows many features of employment but does not bring the benefits normally associated with employment; whereas demand for labour is becoming and will likely remain more ‘fluid’ and diversified than in the past; whereas in some cases this can be beneficial for productivity as well as work-life balance; whereas, however, many non-standard forms of employment involve prolonged economic insecurity and precariousness, notably in terms of lower and less certain incomes, lack of possibilities to stand up for one’s working conditions, lack of social and health insurance, lack of a professional identity, lack of a career perspective, and difficulties to reconcile on-demand work with family life;
Amendment 174 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) cannot be limited to a declaration of principles or good intentions but must consist of real matter (legislation, policy-making mechanisms and financial instruments), delivering positive impact on citizens’ lives already in the short term and enabling support for European construction in the 21st century by effectively upholding social rights and Treaty objectives, strengthening cohesion and upward convergence, and helping to complete EMU in economic and social outcomes, and helping to complete EMU with instruments necessary for this purpose;
Amendment 177 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Considers that social standards to be articulated by the European Pillar of Social Rights should apply to all countries participating in the Single Market and that legislation, governance mechanisms and financial instruments relevant for their achievement should apply to all EU Member States; finds, however, that the specific constraints of euro area membership call for additional specific social targets, standards and financial instruments to be established at the euro area level; points at the possibility of using the enhanced cooperation mechanism under Article 20 TEU if necessary to build a solid European Pillar of Social Rights;
Amendment 193 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights that the EPSR should equip European citizens with stronger means to keep control over their lives and make markets work for shared prosperity, wellbeing and sustainable development; it should enable effective realisation of existing social rights and it should set out new rights where justified in view of new technological and socio-economic developments;
Amendment 205 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Is convinced that the European Social Model needs to be updated and strengthened to support upward transitions into and within the labour market and to maintain a sense of economic security throughout people’s lives; considers that as the labour market becomes more complex, it is natural that the welfare state also needs to adapt its mechanisms and instruments in order to manage well the various social risks arising;
Amendment 213 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Underlines that markets are meant to serve people and people are also the most important factor for the good performance of a company and of the entire economy; it is therefore vital to ensure workers’ participation in decision- making on the organisation of work and utilisation of company revenue; points to the good example of social economy enterprises, such as cooperatives, in providing quality employment, supporting social inclusion and promoting economic democracy;
Amendment 218 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Points out that Europe can go much further in developing a cluster of sectors focused on supporting people’s health, knowledge and ability to participate in the economy; stresses that people-focused services such as education, healthcare, sport or family care services contain an important job creation potential and should not be viewed as a cost to the economy but rather as enabling factors of sustainable prosperity;
Amendment 225 #
Amendment 245 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the enactment of a directive on fair working conditions for all forms of employment, and other relevant legislative measures, based on a sufficiently broad EU definition of a worker and ensuring for every worker a core set of enforceable rights, including equal treatment, social protection, protection in case of dismissal, health and safety protection, provisions on working time and rest time, freedom of association and representation, the right to strike, collective bargaining, collective action, access to training, andin-work support, adequate information and consultation rights throughout subcontracting chains, and a prospect of stabilising the working relationship as open-ended employment after a certain period of time; underlines that this directiveese instruments should apply to employees as well as to all workers in non- standard forms of employment, such as fixed-term work, part-time work, on- demand work, self-employment, work intermediated through online platforms, crowd-working, internship or traineeship; requests that the EU acquis be updated accordingly so as to apply to all workers; and to improve the enforceability of rights;
Amendment 294 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – introductory part
Paragraph 4 – introductory part
4. Calls for decisive steps towards legal certainty on what constitutes ‘employment’, also for work intermediated by digital platforms; underlines that open- ended employment contracts should remain the norm given their importance for socio- economic security; calls for the directive on fair working conditions to include relevant minimum standards to be ensured in more precarious forms of employment, in particular:
Amendment 330 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point b
Paragraph 4 – point b
b. for work intermediated by digital platforms and other instances of dependent self-employment, a definition of employment that is less dependent on full cumulation of the relevant criteria, taking into account ILO recommendation No. 198, according to which the fulfilment of several indicators is sufficient to determine employment; alternatively, a new category of ‘dependent self- employed’ could be established to reduce the grey zone between employment and self-employment; such definition should spell out the labour rights applicable to this category of workers and should ensure their participation in social and health insurance schemes;
Amendment 348 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point c
Paragraph 4 – point c
c. limits regarding on-demand work: zero-hour contracts should be banned and certain core working hours should be guaranteed to all workers; work requested at short notice should also involve correspondingly higher remuneration;
Amendment 374 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises the need for renewed upward convergence in wages throughout the EUIs concerned about the declining labour share of total income in Europe over the past decades; emphasises the need for an overall pay rise in Europe and for renewed upward convergence in wages throughout the EU in order to boost demand, enable sustainable growth and reduce inequality; calls on the Commission to actively support a wider coverage for collective bargainingagreements; considers that to ensure decent living wages, non-discriminatory minimum wages set at a decent level are necessary; recommends the establishment of national wage floors through legislation or collective bargaining, with due respect for the practices of each Member State, with the objective of attaining at least 60 % of the respective national average wage; recognises that changes in wage levels should go hand in hand with commensurate adaptations in financial support to public sector in order to avoid negative impact on the extent or quality of services provided;
Amendment 394 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that the right to healthy and safe working conditions also involves protection against workplace risks as well as limitations on working time and provisions on minimum rest periods and paid annual leave; awaits Commission proposals for legislation and other concrete measures to uphold this right for all workers, reflecting all current knowledge about health and safety risks and taking into account new ways of working associated with digitalisation and other technological developments;
Amendment 418 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the importance of collective rights; expects the Commission to step up concrete support for strengthening social dialogue in Member States and sectors where it is weak owing to the prolonged crisis or the prevalence of non-standard forms of employment; underlines the benefits of involving workers in company management, including in transnational companies, and the need to improve their information, consultation and participation, also to make good use of new forms of work organisation, ensure that work is meaningful and rewarding and anticipate economic change; calls for improved enforcement of European legislation on European Works Councils and the information and consultation of workers and for effective measures ensuring that company restructuring takes place in a socially responsible manner;
Amendment 453 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Supports more integrated provision of social protection benefits and social services as a way to make the welfare state more understandable and accessible while not weakening social protection; underlines the need for adequate and universal social protection and social investment throughout people's lives, enabling everyone to participate fully in the society and economy and sustaining decent living standards; points to the importance of informing citizens about social rights and to the potential of e- government solutions, possibly including a European social security card, which could improve individual awareness and also help mobile workers clarify their contributions and entitlements in home and host countries; highlights the importance of personalised, face-to-face support to excluded and vulnerable households;
Amendment 466 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Agrees with the importance of universal access to timely, good-quality and affordable preventative and curative health care, free from discrimination; considers this as a right that must be upheld; emphasises that all workerspeople must be covered by health insurance; agrees that increased health prevention and disease prevention is an obvious social investment that pays for itself;
Amendment 488 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Is aware that rising life expectancy and workforce shrinking pose a challenge to the sustainability and adequacy of pensions systems and to intergenerational fairness; reaffirms that the best response is to increase the overall employment rate; considers that pensionable ages should reflect, besides life expectancy, other factors including labour market trends, the economic dependency ratio, the birth rate and differences in job arduousness, with particular attention to specific disadvantages such as those faced by people with disabilities; recalls the importance of investments in active ageing and of arrangements enabling people who have reached their pensionable age to continue working at their desired level of intensity while being able to draw their pension;
Amendment 514 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Insists that all workers should be covered by insurance against involuntary unemployment or part-time employment, coupled with job-search assistance and investment in (re)-training; recalls that decent unemployment benefits reduce the pressure to take 'any job' and are therefore useful for productivity; considers that the EPSR should set out minimum quality standards for national unemployment insurance schemes, which would help to improve their effectiveness as well as maximising the economic stabilisation potential and minimising institutional moral hazard involved in a possible European unemployment (re)- insurance scheme that could be established for the Eurozone and open to other Member States; such minimum standards should apply in particular to the coverage of national schemes, activation requirements and the quality of job-search support provided to unemployed people;
Amendment 545 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls for a European framework for adequate minimum income schemes; highlights the importance of such schemes for maintaining human dignity as well as their role as a form of social investments enabling people to undertake training and/or look for work; notes with concern that in some Member States, no minimum income schemes are in place or they provide less to their recipients than the subsistence minimum; reminds also of the importance of material assistance schemes such as those supported by the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived; encourages stronger provision of support for active social inclusion and labour market (re-)integration alongside minimum income and material assistance schemes;
Amendment 558 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Agrees that all persons with disabilities must be ensured individualised enabling services and basicprovided by adequately qualified professionals and income security allowing them a decent standard of living and social inclusion; with adequate support even when they take up paid work; expects the Commission to follow up swiftly on the Parliament's recent resolution on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
Amendment 573 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Considers access to quality and affordable long-term care services, including home-based care, to be a right that should be upheld with the help of suitably qualified professionals employed under decent conditions; believes that low- income households should therefore be targeted by adequate public services and tax deductionsnotes with concern that availability and affordability of long-term care remain a major problem across Europe, trapping informal family carers at home and preventing them from pursuing their careers; deplores frequent abuses of carers employed through work agencies or on an informal basis; believes that adequate public services and tax deductions should be therefore put in place for households, in particularly those living on low incomes, to avoid institutionalisation and the risk of poverty; repeats its call for legislation on carers’ leave accompanied by adequate remuneration and social protection; calls on the Commission to set out a concrete action plan in this area;
Amendment 597 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers child poverty to be a major issue on which Europe should ‘act big’ given the obvious potential for large positive impact on children's development, parents' labour market prospects and reduction of inherited social disadvantage; calls for the swift implementation of a Child Guarantee in all Member States, so that every child now living inat risk of poverty can have access to free healthcare, free education, free childcare, decent housing and proper nutrition; underlines the importance of pre-natal care and early childhood development; calls for inclusive education systems at all levels, including after- school care; recognises that implementation of the Child Guarantee will require adequate financing at national and European level, possibly involving an increase of the European Social Fund and/or support from a new convergence instrument for the Eurozone; requests that national public investments in the Child Guarantee be considered within a 'silver rule on social investment' under the Stability and Growth Pact;
Amendment 617 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls foron Member States to deliver on the right to adequate housing inter alia through legislation to ensure that access to social housing or adequate housing benefits are provided for those in need, obviously including homeless people, and that vulnerable people and poor households are protected against eviction; calls for tax incentives to help young people on low incomes set up their own householdconcrete measures to prevent and reduce homelessness with a view to its gradual elimination, based on combining provision of housing with relevant social services supporting social and economic inclusion; reminds that the increased need for support for low and medium- income households' housing is closely related to increased labour market precariousness and income inequalities; calls for help for young people on low incomes set up their own households; highlights investments in energy efficient social housing as a win-win for jobs, the environment, reduction of energy poverty and realisation of social rights; calls for greater use of the EFSI to support urban renewal and affordable, accessible and energy-efficient housing provision;
Amendment 643 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for legislation ensuring fair access for all to good-quality and affordable social services of general interest and other essential services, such as e-communications, energy, transport and financial services; highlights the very useful role of social enterprises and not- for-profit organisations in this context given that their primary objective is not maximisation of financial returns but positive social impact;
Amendment 657 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Supports a Skills Guarantee as a new right for everyone to acquire fundamental skills for the 21st century, including digital literacy; highlights this as an important social investment, requiring adequate financingincluding digital literacy; stresses that education systems should be inclusive, providing good-quality education equitably to the whole population, responding to labour market needs, enabling people to be active European citizens and preparing them to be able to learn and adapt throughout their lives; considers that completion of secondary education should be obligatory in 21st century Europe and that relevant programmes must put in place to give a new chance to all young people who have dropped out from primary or secondary school; considers that the Skills Guarantee should involve individualised assessment of learning needs, a quality learning offer as well as systematic validation of skills and competences acquired, enabling their easy recognition on the labour market; highlights the Skills Guarantee as an important social investment, requiring adequate financing at national and European level, possibly involving an increase of the European Social Fund and/or support from a new convergence instrument for the Eurozone; requests that national public investments in the Skills Guarantee be considered within a 'silver rule on social investment' under the Stability and Growth Pact;
Amendment 701 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 – point a
Paragraph 19 – point a
a. social insurance schemes must be broadened in order to enable all workers to accumulate entitlements providing income security in situations such as unemployment, involuntary part-time work, old age or career breaks for family or training reasons;
Amendment 711 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 – point b
Paragraph 19 – point b
b. all workers should have a personal activity account, easily accessible through a website and/or a smartphone application, where they could consult their accumulated social entitlements and other social rights, including to lifelong learning; adequate data protection should be ensured;
Amendment 717 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 – point b a (new)
Paragraph 19 – point b a (new)
ba. digital platforms and other intermediaries should have an obligation to report all work undertaken through them to the competent authorities for the purpose of ensuring adequate contributions and protection through social and health insurance for all workers, even if they work in short gigs;
Amendment 720 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Points out that secure professional transitions require adequate investment, both in the institutional capacity of public employment services and to assist individual job-search and upskilling at the earliest stage possible; reminds of the useful role of the European Social Fund in supporting active labour market policies throughout Europe and of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, which supports re-skilling and return to employment in case of regional economic shocks and large-scale lay-offs;
Amendment 731 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for full implementation of the Youth Guarantee for all people under 30, with emphasis on quality offers and effective outreach to all NEETs, and of the recommendation on the long- term unemployed; highlights these as important structural reforms and social investments that are in need of adequate financing, possibly involving an increase of the European Social Fund, an extension of the Youth Employment Initiative by more than the €1bn foreseen under the MFF 2014-20 mid-term review, and/or support from a new convergence instrument for the Eurozone; requests that national public investments for the Youth Guarantee and integration of long-term unemployed be counted within a 'silver rule on social investment' under the Stability and Growth Pact;
Amendment 783 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission to set out new concrete measures to ensure non- discrimination and equal opportunities and enhance labour market participation and social integration of under-represented groups, building e.g. on the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies; points to the acute need to help vulnerable migrants arriving in Europe, notably children and women, regardless of their status, and calls for a flexible use of the European Social Fund for this purpose;
Amendment 813 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Emphasises that labour mobility within the EU is a right whose exercise must be supported but which, also through readily available information on the rights and duties of mobile workers and a smoothly functioning system of social security coordination; notes, however, that mobility should not be forced on workers by poor economic conditions in their home regions, and should not undermine host countries’ social standards; highlights that mobile workers are usually net contributors to host countries' public budgets; calls for adequate investments in public services in areas experiencing population increases;
Amendment 841 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission to propose a clear roadmap for legislative updates and other measures that are necessary for full practical application of the EPSR; highlights that in cases of conflict of law,order to protect fundamental social rights, provisions such as the horizontal social clause (Article 9 TFEU) should be properly applied;, in particular through:
Amendment 846 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 – point a (new)
Paragraph 25 – point a (new)
(a) thorough social impact assessments in the context of 'better regulation';
Amendment 847 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 – point b (new)
Paragraph 25 – point b (new)
(b) full compliance with social rights and thorough pursuit of the Treaties' social objectives in the context of economic governance and financial assistance programmes; and
Amendment 848 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 – point c (new)
Paragraph 25 – point c (new)
(c) helping to resolve situations where economic freedoms and fundamental social rights may be in conflict;
Amendment 858 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 – introductory part
Paragraph 26 – introductory part
26. Considers that the objective of upward social and economic convergence should be underpinned by a set of targets, building on the Europe 2020 strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals and serving to guide the coordination of economic, employment and social policies in the EU, with due regard for Member States' starting positions; believes that these targets could also form part of the Convergence Code currently being discussed for the euro area, and could be based on the followinga set of social and economic indicators which are directly affected by public policies; the social indicators should include notably:
Amendment 868 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 – point a
Paragraph 26 – point a
a. the early school-leaving rate (before completion of secondary education);
Amendment 915 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 – point i
Paragraph 26 – point i
i. the total investment rate (gross fixed capital formation and social investment) and its implications for job creation and overall productivity;
Amendment 938 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls for a rebalancing of the European Semester so that the existing scoreboard of key employment and social indicators and the new Convergence Code are directly and transparently taken into account in formulating CSRs and the euro area recommendation as well as for the activation of EU instruments; considers that the instruments of the European Employment Strategy and social open method of coordination should also be reinforced to this end; urges a stronger role for the Macroeconomic Dialogue with social partners in the formulation of the economic policy mix at European level; considers ‘macro-social surveillance’ to be of great importance, notably at the level of the Eurozone, for avoiding that economic imbalances are reduced at the expense of worsening the employment and social situation; reiterates its call for a European agenda of structural reforms and investments aiming to strengthen growth potential based on quality jobs and productivity, to promote fair, robust, efficient and fiscally sustainable welfare systems, and to foster a sustainable transition of Member States’ economies towards greater resource efficiency; invites the Commission in this context to develop benchmarking of relevant policy packages;
Amendment 962 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls for a ‘silver rule’ on social investment to be applied when implementing the Stability and Growth Pact, namely to consider certain public social investments having a clear positive impact on economic growth (e.g. childcare or education and trainingthe Child Guarantee, education, the Youth Guarantee and the Skills Guarantee) as being eligible for favourable treatment when assessing government deficits and compliance with the 1/20 debt rule; highlights that fiscal consolidation should not undermine national co-financing of European funding for social investment;
Amendment 965 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Reiterates its call for joint meetings to be held between the EPSCO and ECOFIN Council formations with a view to promoting better coordinated socio-economic policies, as well as for regular meetings of euro area labour and social ministers serving to improve policy coordination within the Eurozone and properly address social imbalances;
Amendment 977 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Highlights that today’s phenomena of capital-intensive production, and the important contribution of intangible assets to the creation of added value on the one hand, and high rates of inequality and the continuing rise in ’atypical’ work on the other hand imply a need to increase the role of general tax revenue in cofinancing social insurance schemes in order to provide decent social protection for all; financing welfare systems in order to provide decent social protection for all; recalls that accumulation of social insurance entitlements through work is an important aspect of decent work and is likely to contribute to longer-term economic and social stability more than means-tested benefits or unconditional basic income schemes can do; points out, however, that the current tax wedge on labour (including social security contributions from employees and employers) should be reduced and social insurance schemes should be cofinanced to a greater extent from other sources of revenue, including taxation of capital gains, intangible assets, wealth or pollution; highlights also that combatting corporate tax avoidance is crucially important for ensuring an adequate level of public investments and the sustainability of welfare systems;
Amendment 984 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Calls for a swift launch of the long-delayed Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI) in order to reduce administrative burden on national authorities;
Amendment 998 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 – point a
Paragraph 30 – point a
a. the strengthening of the Youth Employment Initiative to maintain its funding from the dedicated budget line at €3 billion per year;
Amendment 1031 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on the Commission and the EIB Group to refocus the EFSI on job creation and sustainable development, including through social investment, and adapt its risk/return requirements accordingly;
Amendment 1060 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 – point a
Paragraph 32 – point a
a. a fund for renewed structural convergence, supporting the implementation of socially just reforms and investments that are necessary for increasing the growth potential of crisis- affected areas and restoring upward social convergence, including implementation of the Youth Guarantee, Skills Guarantee and Child Guarantee; such a fund could co- finance the Youth Employment Initiative as well as a 'European Skills Initiative' and a 'European Initiative against Child Poverty' which could be considered as financing mechanisms to support the implementation of the Skills Guarantee and Child Guarantee respectively, with support calibrated based on structural needs (e.g. dropout rates, child poverty) as well as on the cyclical economic situation in the Member States or region concerned;
Amendment 1076 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 – point b
Paragraph 32 – point b
b. a European unemployment insurance or re-insurance scheme, complementing national schemes in cases of severe cyclical downturn and helping prevent the translation of an asymmetric shock into structural disadvantage; this scheme should be equipped with relevant safeguards against lasting transfers or unintended weakening of existing national schemes; in particular, it should be complementary to national schemes without replacing them, it should provide only short-term support related only to cyclical unemployment and/or reduction of working hours due to a cyclical downturn, and it should be financed from general tax revenue as opposed to social insurance contributions; the scheme should be strongly linked to re-training measures and underpinned by minimum standards regarding the coverage of national schemes, activation requirements and the quality of job-search support provided to unemployed people;
Amendment 1090 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Calls on the Commission to integrate the above-mentioned financial instruments in its proposals for the post- 2020 multiannual financial framework and its white paper on the future of the EU and EMU;
Amendment 1098 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to translate the EPSR into relevant external action, in particular by promoting the implementation of the UN SDGs, the ILO conventions, relevant G20 conclusions and European social standards through trade agreements and strategic partnerships; calls for provisions ensuring equal treatment in terms of wages and working conditions as a precondition for labour migration schemes in the framework of trade agreements;
Amendment 1118 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Considers that the EPSR should be adopted in 2017 as a binding agreement between the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Council, involving social partners and civil society at the highest level, and should contain a clear roadmap for implementation, with concrete commitments and target dates;
Amendment 3 #
2016/2024(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that the 2017 budget has to be key in enhancing the Union’s contribution to growth, the creation of jobs and combatting poverty and should financially support further achievement of the Europe 2020 Strategy targets in the social and employment area;
Amendment 12 #
2016/2024(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the budget should support programmes creating jobs for those with multiple disadvantages in the labour market, such as women, long-term unemployed, elderly unemployed, people with disabilities and people from minority backgrounds, as well as should support programmes for improving the adaptability of the work force and prolonging employability of elderly workers;
Amendment 17 #
2016/2024(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. EInsists that adequate commitment and especially payment appropriations are ensured in Budget 2017 for the European Social Fund given that the ESF is entering a period of intense implementation and payment requests by Member States will increase; calls as well for including commitment and payment appropriations for the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) in Budget 2017 and recalls article 14 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1311/2013 envisaging a Global MFF Margin for commitments to be made available for the years 2016 to 2020 for policy objectives related to growth and employment, in particular youth employment; emphasises the importance of sufficient funding and good budgetary management of other programmes aiming at addressing unemployment, poverty and social exclusion, such as the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), the Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) and the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD);
Amendment 25 #
2016/2024(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses in this regard the important contribution of the EMPL Agencies (CEDEFOP, ETF, Eurofound, EUOSHA) in dealing with a wide range of employment and social issues, as well as their potential to address problems related to migrants’ integration in the labour market and their needs for vocational training, and calls for sufficient financial resources to be ensured both for Agencies’ work and staff;
Amendment 26 #
2016/2024(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Highlights the need of dedicated resources to be provided for combating child poverty and for supporting measures addressing children’s basic needs such as food supplies, housing, education and healthcare;
Amendment 35 #
2016/2024(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that the budget should promote high level of workers’ protection and prevention culture across the EU and help to address new challenges to occupational safety and health and safety at work;
Amendment 84 #
2016/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission when proposing delegatedislative acts in respect of costs for hygiene, health and safety-related investments and investments related to working conditions, to facilitate a holistic and appropriately tailored approach;
Amendment 7 #
2016/0043(NLE)
Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, in accordance with Article 293(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;
Amendment 11 #
2016/0043(NLE)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The "Europe 2020 Strategy" proposed by the Commission should enables the Union to turn its economy towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, accompanied by high level employment, productivity and social cohesion. Five headline targets, listed undHowever, the European Parliament notes with deep concern the relevant guidelines, constitute shared objectives which guide the action of the Member States, and take into accouevolution of employment and social indicators of the Strategy so far, as the number of people at risk of poverty and exclusion has increased by 5 million instead of decreasing; the employment rate in some countries has not yet recovered the pre-crisis level and they scarcely reach 60% of population in employment; their relative starting positions and national circumstances as well as the positions and circumstances of the Union. The European Employment Strategy has the lead long-term unemployment with around 10,5 million people unemployed for more than a year; the high level of youth unemployment specially in southern and eastern countries with around half of young people unemployed in some of them; the still worrying gender gap around 10% regarding participation in labour market; the increase of child poverty in recent years with countries reaching more than one third of children under 16 years ing role in the implementation of the employment and labour market objectives isk of poverty or exclusion; the serious situation in some countries in terms of huge increase of inequality rates; the high rates of NEETs, in some countries above 20%; ofr the new strearly school leavers rates ranging up to 23% in some Member Stategys.
Amendment 23 #
2016/0043(NLE)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The integrated guidelines are in line with the conclusions of the European Council. They give precise guidance to the Member States on defining their National Reform Programmes and implementing reforms, reflecting interdependence and in line with the Stability and Growth Pact. The employment guidelines should form the basis for any country-specific recommendations that the Council may address to the Member States under Article 148(4) of the TFEU, ion parallel withthe same footing as the country-specific recommendations addressed to the Member States under Article 121(2) of that Treaty. The employment guidelines should also form the basis for the establishment of the Joint Employment Report sent annually by the Council and the European Commission to the European Council. As a result, the European Semester should combine the different instruments in an overarching framework for integrated multilateral surveillance of economic, budgetary, employment and social policies in a framework of real and effective balance between economic policy and social and employment policies which should be given equal consideration so as to prevent economic and social imbalances, thus ensuring a fully coherent public policy.
Amendment 28 #
2016/0043(NLE)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The examination of the Member States' National Reform Programmes contained in the Joint Employment Report shows that Member States should continue to make every effort to address the priority areas of increasing labour market participation and reducing structural unemployment, developing a skilled workforce responding to labour market needs and promoting job quality and lifelong learning, improve the performance of education and training systems at all levels and increasing participation in tertiary education, promoting social inclusion and combating poverty. The scoreboard of key employment and social indicators within the Joint Employment Report is a particularly useful tool, helping to detect key employment and social problems and divergences in a timely way and identify areas where policy response is most needed. However, further editions of the scoreboard should include also gender disaggregated data and more detailed indicators related to structural employment and social imbalances as the long-term unemployment rate among young people, the very long-term unemployment rate among adults (unemployed persons since 24 months or more) or the children at risk-of-poverty or social exclusion.
Amendment 38 #
2016/0043(NLE)
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
The guidelines for Member States' employment policies, as set out in the Annex to Council Decision of 5 October 2015 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States4 are maintained for 2016 and shall be taken into account by the Member States in their employment policies. __________________ 4Council Decision (EU) 2015/1848 of 5 October 2015 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (OJ L 268, 15.10.2015, p. 28), are hereby adopted. These guidelines shall be taken into account by the Member States in their employment policies and reform programmes, which shall be reported in line with Article 148(3) TFEU.
Amendment 39 #
2016/0043(NLE)
Proposal for a decision
Annex (new)
Annex (new)
Amendment 9 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Points out that the success of the eurozone and achievement of Treaty objectives is dependent on increasing the welfare of all its citizens, based on a sustained process of upward convergence in productivity and employment levels, and on well- functioning labour markets and welfare systems, based on decent work with rights, a strong role for the social partners, social dialogue, collective bargaining and collective agreements, and preventing individual Member States from trying to gain an unfair competitive advantage by infringing workers’ rights or promoting social dumping; highlights that societies which are characterized by a high level of equality and investment in people do better in terms of growth and employment resilience; recalls the importance of adopting a European pillar of social rights as a way to guarantee social and labour rights and to foster upward economic and social convergence in order to tackle the economic and social divergences between Member States and within societies;
Amendment 13 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes that the protracted Eurozone crisis has shown that the lack of a common budgetary capacity worsens economic adjustment processes within the currency union, leading to unnecessary social hardship and undermining fundamental social standards; points out that contractionary economic policies undertaken in many Eurozone countries in the absence of greater risk-sharing have translated into substantial shortages of public and private investment, leading to a dangerous divergence in Member States' longer-term growth potential, manifested also by high rates of long-term unemployment and emigration from crisis-hit countries; highlights the importance of the automatic stabilisation function of welfare systems, both in the economic sense and to absorb social shock-waves caused by recessions; stresses that high quality welfare systems and social investments are extremely important if Europe wants to maintain its main competitive advantage - highly skilled workers and productive companies;
Amendment 19 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Takes note of the relevance of existing instruments such as the European Structural and Investment Funds, the European Stability Mechanism, the European Fund for Strategic Investments and the Structural Reforms Support Programme; highlights, however, that the modalities of their intervention are not sufficiently adapted to enable timely recovery in investment levels and renewed economic catching-up process in countries most hit by the Eurozone crisis; considers that the Youth Employment Initiative comes conceptually closest to what is needed for re- convergence, by providing targeted grant support for the implementation of the Youth Guarantee, which is a comprehensive set of structurally relevant measures that also give some short-term relief; calls for accelerated and improved implementation of the YEI and its further funding with € 20 billion in the period 2017-20;
Amendment 21 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Considers that a 'convergence instrument' should be put in place to foster a gradual process of renewed structural convergence within the Eurozone by providing incentives and support for sustainable and growth- friendly structural reforms and investments based on a 5-year 'convergence code', enabling better implementation of the Integrated Guidelines and relevant country-specific recommendations; notes that this instrument could be of temporary nature and should be targeted at countries whose growth potential has been most eroded by the long financial crisis; considers that, after a long period of macroeconomic adjustment, focus should be put on delivering structural reforms and investments with the aim of strengthening growth potential based on quality jobs and productivity, of promoting fair, robust, efficient and fiscally sustainable welfare systems based on solidarity, social justice and a fair wealth distribution, and of fostering a sustainable transition of Member States' economies towards greater resource efficiency;
Amendment 31 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points out that in order to stabilise the social situation in Member States during future cyclical downturns, economic stabilisers such as a European Unemployment Insurance (EUI) scheme should strengthen the welfare statebe considered as an instrument helping to uphold growth levels and fight social deprivation otherwise caused by one- sided fiscal discipline measures taken under the European economic governance framework; stresses that an EUI scheme must include safeguards to prevent a lowering of national unemployment insurance standards, it should be financed by taxes (e.g. corporate taxation), should be complementary to national schemes and address cyclical unemployment only; looks forward to the publication of the final report of the study on Feasibility and Added Value of a European Unemployment Benefit Scheme, conducted for the Commission under a Pilot Project initiated by the European Parliament and expects the Commission swiftly to follow up on this study with legislative proposals, also in the context of the roadmap envisaged by the Five Presidents' Report;
Amendment 45 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Regrets the fact that the current system of European economic governance is highly unbalanced and focuses almost exclusivetoo heavily on fiscal stability and wage competitiveness, while concerns aboutnot paying enough attention to economic recovery, to public investment policies and more and better jobs and social cohesion are largely ignoreds needed for renewed convergence in growth potential and to strengthening quality employment and social cohesion within the Eurozone; calls for the EMU governance framework to ensure stronger policy response by giving binding force to employment and social indicators such as poverty rates, household incomes and various forms of inequality, also in the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the EU's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030; stresses the need to implement measures improving job quality in order to reduce labour market segmentation combined with measures raising minimum wages to a decent level and strengthening collective bargaining and workers' position in wage- setting systems in order to reduce wage dispersion; warns about the fact that in recent decades, shareholders and corporate management have been taking a greater share of economic output while real wages have stagnated or have been reduced; considers that falling labour share of income and excessive dispersion in wages increase inequalities and damage productivity and competitiveness of companies;
Amendment 63 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Asks the Member States to respect and promote the autonomy of collective bargaining on wages and working conditions, and to restore balance with the economic governance pillar by urgently moving ahead on the social dimension; and all institutions involved in European economic governance and financial assistance programmes to respect and promote the autonomy of collective bargaining on wages and working conditions; emphasises the importance of non-cost determinants of competitiveness, such as productivity, quality, innovation, natural resource efficiency, good governance, modern public administration and a predictable business environment; highlights that all these factors depend on a skilled workforce, ethical and socially responsible management, workers' participation in company matters, high quality jobs and robust welfare systems;
Amendment 75 #
2015/2344(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas, following real convergence in the run-up to the introduction of the common currency, the euro area witnessed structural divergence between 1999 and 2009, which made the euro area as a whole less resilient to shocks; whereas regulatory adjustments and structural reforms aimed at reducing risks and improving convergence have been introduced since 2009 at both European and national level, but harsh fiscal consolidation and strong internal devaluation have weakened several countries’ growth potential, thus aggravating structural divergence further; whereas some euro area Member States still require solidarity and sustainable reforms in their catching- up process and a coordinated effort should be undertaken to reduce macroeconomic imbalances in a more symmetric way;
Amendment 75 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses the importance of not linkpromoting social policies that fight poverty, social exclusion and social dumping, any unemployment benefit system with economic conditionality for the Member States, and of promoting social policies which fight poverty, social exclusion and social dumping; s well as investing in formal education systems and active employment policies helping to shorten unemployment spells and improve skill levels while ensuring decent living conditions for unemployed people; considers that limited macroeconomic risk-sharing within a European Unemployment Insurance scheme, complementary to national schemes and addressing cyclical unemployment only, should be underpinned by relevant ex ante conditionality on the accessibility and quality of support provided to job-seekers, but would not require harmonisation of national labour market policies; calls for social partners to be appropriately involved in establishing and overseeing a complementary European Unemployment Insurance scheme, taking into account their responsibilities in this field at national level;
Amendment 83 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that the Eurozone fiscal capacity should not be merely a responsive tool in the event of country-specific shocks, but should actively enable Member States to strengthen their economic recovery and catching-up process after the long crisis in order to achieve social cohesion and full employment, to erase poverty, to strengthen the welfare state and to help attain all the social objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy.;
Amendment 89 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Considers that in order to foster voluntary mobility throughout the European labour market, it should be ensured that no worker is left uncovered by social and labour rights protection, including mobile workers, the principle of equal treatment should be guaranteed and wages and social standards safeguarded; the European Unemployment Insurance scheme should build on and complement existing European instruments and be open to Member States with a commitment to adopt the euro in the future.
Amendment 293 #
2015/2344(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Takes the view that incentives for sound fiscal policymaking and for addressing structural weaknesses at national level, taking into account the aggregate euro area fiscal stance and ensuring, that all Eurozone countries contribute to macroeconomic adjustment towards real convergence, including those who have greater fiscal space to be used to the benefit of the monetary union as a whole, are core elements for the functioning of the euro area; considers that beyond a proper use of the MIP between deficit and surplus countries, a fiscal capacity should, moreover, address specific concerns for the euro area in the case of absorbing shocks;
Amendment 437 #
2015/2344(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Considers that the fiscal capacity for the euro area should be funded by own resources of the EMU, including revenues from a financial transaction tax, and new financing instruments as Eurobonds;
Amendment 441 #
2015/2344(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Stresses that a euro area fiscal capacity should be complemented by a long term strategy for debt sustainability and reduction of eurozone countries, including partial pooling and common management of sovereign debt, which would bring down overall re-financing costs and debt/GDP ratios to give more margin for growth enhancing policies and investment;
Amendment 488 #
2015/2344(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Considers that structural reforms should be ecologically and socially balanced and aim at strengthening growth potential towards a fully sustainable new growth model, promoting fair and sustainable welfare systems and reducing social inequalities;
Amendment 555 #
2015/2344(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 – indent 3 – paragraph 1
Paragraph 26 – indent 3 – paragraph 1
– investment, notably in research and development;, healthcare and education,
Amendment 557 #
2015/2344(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 – indent 3 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 26 – indent 3 – paragraph 1 a (new)
– Social cohesion, including EMU- wide minimum social standards;
Amendment 646 #
2015/2344(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Acknowledges that the model of a European Unemployment Benefit Scheme would foster convergence of labour markets in the medium term while playing a useful role in supporting economic and social stabilisation of Member States during future cyclical downturns with asymmetric impact; stresses that an such a scheme should include safeguards to prevent a lowering of national unemployment insurance standards, it should be financed by taxes, should be complementary to national schemes and address cyclical unemployment only;
Amendment 18 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 27 a (new)
Citation 27 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 23rd October 2015 on "reducing inequalities with a special focus on child poverty"(2014/2237(INI))
Amendment 33 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital - A a (new)
Recital - A a (new)
- A a. Whereas the economic recovery in the EU is under way but remains uneven between and within Member States and is partly driven by temporary factors, such as low oil prices and unconventional monetary policies showing therefore that the EU can do more to boost the economic and social recovery so as to make it more sustainable in the medium term;
Amendment 42 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas unemployment rate has been diminishing sinceslowly and unevenly diminishing since the second half of 2013, thanks to supportive macroeconomic policies and the impact of structural reforms there has been a distribution of the working time through the increase in precarious work and, in many countries, this reduction has also caused the decrease of the labour force; whereas it nevertheless remains too high, currently affecting 9.9 % of active citizens, i.e. 23 million Europeans, about half of them being long-term unemployed and over 10% in the Euro area, being still well above the figures of 2008;
Amendment 47 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. Whereas, as stated by the European Commission1 a , employment and social divergences within and between Member states persists and social developments still point to further divergence across the EU hindering growth, employment and cohesion; whereas societies which are characterised by a high level of equality and investment in people do better in terms of growth and employment resilience. __________________ 1a Joint employment report 2016 page 2
Amendment 66 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas about 20 % of active citizens in the EU have only basic skills while 39 % of companies have difficulty finding staff with the required skills although this is also linked to their unwillingness to offer long-term contracts, whereas low educational level is one of the key causes of young people becoming NEETs;
Amendment 68 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the discrimination of long- term unemployed job seekers is unfortunately very common: whereas such practices are based on the psychological stigma associated with unemployment and result in employers to perceiving jobless and older applicants as less competent and less hireable than employed individuals; whereas there is a need for employers to train human resource managers to overcome their biases against unemployed workers and older workers and to focus on qualifications and experience rather than the current employment status.
Amendment 72 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas undeclared work hasdoes not only have serious budgetary implications and leads to loss of tax revenue and social security contributions, as itit also produces negative effects on employment, productivity and quality of work, skills development and lifelong learning, as well as on the acquisition of pension rights and access to healthcare; whereas there is a need for more efforts to turn undeclared work into declared work
Amendment 75 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas although atypical or non- standard forms of employment do not in themselves constitute precarious work, it is more likely to be found where contracts of this nature apply, albeit such contracts account for a minority of existing employment relationshipwhereas due to the economic crisis there has been a worrying increase of these type of contracts on an involuntary basis;
Amendment 83 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas the most precarious work involves the inability of individuals to enforce their rights, where social insurance protection is absent, where health and safety is put at risk and where work does not provide sufficient income to enable people to live decently; whereas Insecurity is another key element of precariousness and it encompasses work uncertainty, income insufficiency, lack of protection against dismissal, an unknown length of employment and where there is uncertainty about future employment
Amendment 97 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the demographic old age dependency ratio in the EU12 is projected to increase from 27.8 % to 50.1 % until 2060, and the total economic dependency ratio13 is expected to stabilise at over 120 % up to the middle of the next decade and then to rise above 140 % by 2060; whereas these factors may appear as sufficient justification for the fact that the great majority of European citizens agree that it is important to restructure their pensions systemsjustify the need of public authorities to guarantee the sufficiency and adecuacy of the first pension pillar in the short and medium term; __________________ 12 People aged 65 or above relative to those between aged 15 and 64. 13 Total inactive population relative to employed people aged between 20 and 64.
Amendment 103 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas public debt remains too high in many Member States (the highest figures being for Greece at 167.8 % and Italy at 136 %), impeding growth and making the entire Union more vulnerable to crisesand private indebtness remains too high in in the EU, hampering the European economy strength; whereas, for theses reasons, it is necessary to hold an urgent and thorough debate on the handling of the debt in the EU;
Amendment 109 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas, with the current scenario, in the next 10 to 15 years 90 % of the world’s growth will come from outside the EU therefore it is necessary to rethink the actual growth and employment creation strategy in the EU;
Amendment 113 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
J a. whereas, despite the Investment Plan, last years total investment has continue to shrink, which might have been caused by the substitutive effect of European investments on those that could had been made by the Member States, and therefore undermining the positive effect that the Juncker Plan could have;
Amendment 174 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the Commission´s proposal to enhance the Youth Guarantee at national, regional and local level, and stresses its importance for school-to-work transitions; stresses the need to guarantee suitable forms of collaboration between public and private employment services; regrets that the financing of the Youth Guarantee has not been enough to effectively address the issue and the lack of coordination on the use that Member States have done with the funding; reiterates its continuous call for a European framework for introducing minimum standards for the implementation of Youth Guarantees;
Amendment 180 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the Commission’s initiative for an individualised approach for the long- term unemployed but it is worried about the plight of long-term unemployed in Europe, representing more than 12 million unemployed; considers that such an approach will require an increased effort in terms of human resources, calling for participants with the educational level needed to be able to orientate the unemployed on how to overcome possible gaps in education or training; stresses that professional requalification processes require adequate financial resources that need to be channelled to the unemployed;
Amendment 186 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls that the integration of long-term unemployed individuals is crucial for their self-confidence and future development and is key to fighting poverty and guaranteeing the sustainability of national social security systems; considers that is necessary, taking into account the social situation of these citizens and their needs in terms of sufficient incomes, adequate housing, public transport, health and childcare as well as a better monitoring at the European scale of the policies implemented at the national level; calls on the Commission to take measures as soon as possible to guarantee access to EU funding and to mobilise additional resources where possible, as was done in the case of the Youth Employment Initiative, especially in those countries hit harder by the crisis and the fiscal consolidation;
Amendment 206 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that the EU continues to suffer from structural problems that need to be addressed urgently, pointing up the need to continue prioritising investment, structural reforms that reduce inequalities and promote quality jobs, sustainable growth and social investment and responsible fiscal consolidation, thus reinforcing a favourable environment for businesspath towards more cohesion and upward social convergence with a view to creating more quality jobs while balancing the social and economic dimensions; stresses that those priorities will only be achieved if investment in human capital is prioritised as a common strategythrough adequate investment in people and through more adequate sustainable social systems and integrated solutions to support people and make them even more resilient and prepared to face the challenges;
Amendment 213 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Is concerned that labour market reforms in many Member States have mainly promoted precarious jobs; observes that 50% of the jobs created in 2014 were temporary jobs; notes that, according to the Commission, in-work poverty persists; in this context, calls for a wage increase not only to guarantee decent income, but also which serves to consolidate the economic recovery through the strenghtening of the internal demand;
Amendment 219 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Draws attention to the urgent need to fight undeclared work, which jeopardises workers’ access to social protection systems ands well as national public finances and creates unfair competition between European enterprises; calls on the Member States to reinforce labour inspection mechanisms and to design measures to enable workers in the grey economy to have access to employment protection regimesincrease their efforts to turn undeclared work into declared work; encourages Member States to implement rates of taxation related to the degree of stability and the quality of diverse forms of employment relationships, as one of the incentives for stable contracts;
Amendment 221 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Is concerned about the increase in income inequalities linked partially to inefficient labour market reforms; calls on the Commission and Member States to implement measures improving job quality in order to reduce labour market segmentation combined with measures raising minimum wages to a decent level and strengthening collective bargaining and workers position in wage-setting systems in order to reduce wage dispersion; warns about the fact that in recent decades, corporate management have been taking a greater share of the economic share while workers' wages have stagnated or have been reduced; considers that this excessive dispersion in wages increases inequalities and damages productivity and competitiveness of companies.
Amendment 222 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10 b. calls the European Commission and Member States to respect and promote collective bargaining and its coverage to reach as many workers as possible while at the same time also aiming for better wage floors in the form of, where applicable, minimum wages set at decent levels and with the involvement of social partners - all this with a view to end the competitive wage race to the bottom, to support aggregate demand and economic recovery, to reduce wage inequalities, to fight in-work poverty and to assist the European Central Bank in getting out of the risk of deflation and to achieve its price stability target
Amendment 231 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Considering that the good use of flexicurity could have contributesd to avoiding labour fragmentation and promoting the creation of more quality jobs; calls on the Member States to modernise their employment protection legislation in order to guarantee more stability in transitions between jobs, as well as employees’ access to social security and welfare rightsguarantee measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, as well as employees’ access to social security and welfare rights; regrets that in the context of the economic crisis, the labour reforms have favoured flexibility at the expense of security, resulting in increased precariousness and a lack of employment protection; calls on the Commission to step up monitoring of the abusive practice of successive fixed- term contracts, in both private and public sectors;
Amendment 233 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Warns about the fact that despite the fact that labour reforms have reduced the payments or damages for unfair dismissal and have lowered taxes or given tax incentives for permanent employment creation, new jobs have been mainly temporary contracts.
Amendment 235 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Welcomes the Commission´s initiative on investments in human capital to restore jobs and sustainable growth. However, is extremely worried about the fact that public expenditure in education has recorded a 3.2%[1]decrease since 2010, with decreases in eleven Member States in the most recent year 2013. Stresses that, in order to be effective, these reforms should focus on the pupils curricula and the public sector; [1] Joint employment report 2016 page 19
Amendment 249 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Member States to graduallyNotes the importance of reducing taxation on labour, especially by low-paid and low-skilled workers, the long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups, while ensuring the long-range sustainability of public pensions systems; calls therefore for a shift of taxes from labour to other sources, while making sure not to endanger social benefits to other sources, while noting that such shifts should not affect taxes with regressive effects such as consumption taxes, but should focus instead on taxes on wealth, capital gains, financial transactions or pollution, and to implement tax rules that foster incentives to entrepreneurship and employment creation, especially for highly qualified young people, in order to boost research and innovation projects within European enterprises;
Amendment 270 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Member States to examine the persistence of low fertility rates in the EU; calls on the Commission to promote family-friendly policies that enhance parents’ capacity to ensure their children’s wellbeing; encourages the Member States to consider applying more favourable fiscal differentiation in line with the number of children in a familyhousehold;
Amendment 273 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Stresses the fact that, in order to be effective, EFSI investments must be focused on creating new investments in areas where investor appetite is subdued rather than on substituting investments that would have been produced elsewhere or focusing on highly profitable investments that would have occurred in any case; reiterates its call on the importance of investments in human capital and other social investments, such as healthcare, childcare or affordable housing and on the need of the effective implementation of the Social Investment Package;
Amendment 274 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14 b. Invites the Commission and the Member States to involve all levels of government and relevant stakeholders in the identification of obstacles to investments, focusing on the most needed regions and sectors as well as on making available adequate instruments bringing together public and private financing;
Amendment 285 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to focus on SMEs as a fundamental key for sustainable development; urges the Member States to implement tax schemes linked to sustainable business models that favour innovative start-ups and the facilitation of job creation by SMEs, and to develop mechanisms that might impel such enterprises to achieve or operationalise in an international dimension;
Amendment 344 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Calls on the Commission, in the framework of the midterm review of the MFF, to study the possibility of increasing the funding of the ESF to ensure the adequacy of its objectives and the new challenges that have been incorporated, such as long-term unemployment or the integration of refugees. Calls also for the establishmen of an specific programme to those European subregions whose unemployment rates exceed 30%;
Amendment 354 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. SWelcomes the renewal of the Europe 2020 integrated guidelines; stresses that the Europe 2020 strategy still maintains its pertinence, and calls on the Member States to reinforce its implementation on the ground; asks the Commission and the Council to more closely monitor its global and national implementation; considers it necessary to start projecting a post-Europe 2020 scenario;
Amendment 355 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Calls on the Commission to propose an integrated rights-based anti-poverty strategy in the EU to tackle the multidimensionality of poverty for all groups, especially the most vulnerable ones, integrated active inclusion, underpinned by rights to quality social protection and linked to thematic strategies for all at-risk groups. In this sense, reiterates its call on the Commission to propose an initiative to promote the introduction of minimum incomes in the Member States, for example, through an EU framework for adequate income throughout the life cycle stressing that it is up to each Member State to set minimum income levels and that these should be commensurate to the specific socioeconomic situation in the country in question;
Amendment 357 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26 c. Is extremely worried about the child poverty rates in the EU; reiterates its call on the Commission and the Member States to introduce a child guarantee;
Amendment 375 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take adequate measures to help refugees settle and integrate, as well as ensuring that public services are sufficiently resourced and early anticipation of the requirements to facilitate their smooth transition to the labour market. Local authorities and social partners should play a key role in facilitating the integration of migrants and preventing them from suffering from labour abuse;
Amendment 394 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30 a. Calls on the Commission to develop a concrete plan on how the European Semester will be used to implement the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; in particular by assessing access to quality community-based services for all people in Europe;
Amendment 396 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)
Paragraph 30 b (new)
30 b. calls for the promotion of a socially just corporate governance framework at the European level as a way to reducing inequalities, focusing on promoting greater economic democracy putting in place and strengthening legislation requiring employee representatives on company boards and remuneration committees, systems of tax advantages to employee owned companies, cooperatives and mutuals, as well as funds providing loans to assist employee-buy outs.
Amendment 397 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 c (new)
Paragraph 30 c (new)
30 c. calls on the Commission and the Member States to reinforce their efforts to tackle social and wage dumping in the EU, which causes significant harm to the workers affected and to Member State welfare systems; calls, furthermore, for the social partners to be included at all levels in these efforts;
Amendment 398 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6
Subheading 6
Amendment 410 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31a (new) – point d (new)
Paragraph 31a (new) – point d (new)
(d) meetings of the Eurozone Labour and Social Ministers so as to better integrate its social dimension and properly address social imbalances;
Amendment 411 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31a (new) – point e (new)
Paragraph 31a (new) – point e (new)
(e) the creation of European automatic Stabilizers, like a European unemployment benefit scheme, with the aim of increasing the resilience of the EMU, to address economic crises and emergencies connected directly to the Monetary Union;
Amendment 412 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31a (new) – point f (new)
Paragraph 31a (new) – point f (new)
(f) a euro area fiscal capacity based on specific own-resources in the framework of the Union budget with European parliamentary control;
Amendment 413 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31a (new) – point g (new)
Paragraph 31a (new) – point g (new)
(g) on taxation, a commitment to European-wide measures against tax fraud and evasion and aggressive corporate tax planning, cooperation of the national tax authorities in order to exchange information regarding tax avoidance and tax fraud, measures to bring about convergence of taxation policies of the Member States, a common consolidated corporate tax base, simpler and more transparent tax systems and country-by-country reporting for corporates, excluding SMEs;
Amendment 421 #
2015/2330(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Welcomes the fact that the Commission has clearly distinguished a European and a national phase with regard to the European Semester; stresses the need for closer coordination between the European institutions in the design, implementation and evaluation of the European strategy for growth; calls on the Commission to establish a clear agenda in this respect, also involving the social partners and the national parliaments, social partners and civil society, ensuring that the Spring European Council remains the central movement where policy priorities are defined on the basis of the input from the Commission, the Parliament and the Council;
Amendment 232 #
2015/2321(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Stresses that additional financial resources are required in order to provide local authorities, social partners, social and economic actors, civil society and volunteer organisations with direct financial support for measures aimed at swift integration of refugees and asylum seekers into society and the labour market; considers that a new financial instrument, directly managed by the Commission, could be most suitable for this purpose;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
– having regard to Article 9 TFEU (horizontal social clause),
Amendment 3 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
– having regard to the conclusions of the European Council of 25-26 March 2010 and 17 June 2010 as well as the Commission communication of 3 March 2010 entitled ‘Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ (COM(2010)2020),
Amendment 8 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)
Citation 22 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 30 September 2015 on cohesion policy and the review of the Europe 2020 Strategy,
Amendment 9 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)
Citation 23 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 15 December 2015 entitled ‘towards a European energy union’,
Amendment 11 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24
Citation 24
– having regard to its resolution of [xx17 December 2015] on completing Europe’s economic and monetary union,
Amendment 17 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas economic recovery in the European Union is under way but remains uneven between and within Member States and is partly driven by temporary factors, such as low oil prices and unconventional monetary policies;
Amendment 31 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas global economic growth is slowing down amid financial turmoil in several emerging economies and new strategic challenges are arising;
Amendment 38 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the euro area’s current account surplus continues to rise, while Europe still faces an important investment gap, indicated, for instance, by gross fixed capital formation being some 2% GDP lower in 2015 (19.5%) than in the pre- crisis decade (21.4% for 2001-10), which significantly weakens the EU’s longer- term growth potential;
Amendment 45 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the employment rate is improving but not enough to significantly curb unemployment and poverty, also because many new jobs are of precarious nature;
Amendment 70 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the 2016 Annual Growth Survey package and the proposed policy mix of investment, structural reform and fiscal responsibility, with increased emphasis on domestic demand and convergence, complementing accommodative monetary policies; underlines that major national efforts as well as stronger European coordination and instruments are needed to achieve a more robust economic recovery and sustainable, widely-shared prosperity;
Amendment 84 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes improvements in public finances, in particular gradually declining debt/GDP ratios; notes however that many Member States have limited fiscal space to cope with possible new economic shocks; therefore stronger European coordination and instruments should be considered to support individual Member States’ efforts;
Amendment 95 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that Europe’s global competitiveness remains an important objective, while the worsening global outlook calls for strengthening domestic sources of growth in order to make Europe’s economy more resilient; is concerned notably with increasing financial turmoil in emerging economies and consequent slow-down in global demand, the possibility of new financial crisis related to build-up of excess liquidity and growing social inequalities in many parts of the world, as well as geopolitical instability in Europe’s neighbourhood;
Amendment 104 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for further efforts to support recovery, foster convergence and correct macroeconomic imbalances, including by channelling excess savings towards the domestic economy and boosting investment; notes that high public and private debt levels represent an important vulnerability of the European economy and that higher inflation and growth levels would help to reduce them faster;
Amendment 110 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is encouraged by mild improvements in labour market indicators; calls for more effort to reduce poverty, while recognising that unemployment still remains above pre-crisis levels and nearly half of it is of long-term nature; notes that part of the recent increase in employment is attributable to involuntary part-time work and precarious jobs, with new forms of labour market insecurity emerging; calls for more effort to create quality employment and reduce poverty (including in-work poverty), social exclusion and growing inequalities in income and wealth;
Amendment 129 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the renewal of the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines, and calls for strengthening the role of the Europe 2020 Strategy in guiding the European Semester; highlights the importance of ambitious policies and instruments to ensure that Europe makes the best out of the energy and digital transitions, also thanks to adequate investment in skills; consider this crucial for reducing Europe’s gap vis-à-vis its main global competitors in terms of total factor productivity;
Amendment 142 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for the European Fund for Strategic Investments to be used to maximum effect to support higher-risk projects not financed otherwise, and to promote growth, job creation and cohesion, renewed economic convergence and social and territorial cohesion; calls on Member States and the EIB Group to closely involve local and regional authorities in developing project pipelines and investment platforms;
Amendment 151 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to use the European Structural and Investment Funds to their full potential in order to strengthen cohesion and mitigate divergence in the Single Market by enabling all regions to develop their competitive advantages and facilitating additional private investment;
Amendment 164 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is aware of the ongoing deleveraging process in the private sector; points to the importance of completing the banking union and boosting equity investments in SMEs, which are crucial engines of economic growth and job creation; considers that higher domestic demand complementing external demand would improve investors’ confidence;
Amendment 184 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Highlights the importance of investments in human capital and other social investments, such as in healthcare, childcare and affordable housing;
Amendment 193 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Invites the Commission and the Member States to involve all levels of government and relevant stakeholders in the identification of obstacles to investments, focusing in particular on the internal market, structural reforms and on making available adequate instruments bringing together public and private financing;
Amendment 204 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Considers that, after a long period of nominal adjustment, focus should be put on structural reforms and investments aimed at strengthening growth potential by boosting quality employment and productivity, promoting fair and sustainable welfare systems and reducing social inequalities to restore equality of opportunity; considers that National Competitiveness Boards can be useful in helping to develop such reforms;
Amendment 239 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Urges that further steps be taken towards resilient labour markets with reduced segmentation and sustainable welfare systems with increased focus on social investment, empowering people throughout their lives; reminds that the best way to maintain sustainability of pension systems is to ensure a high employment rate;
Amendment 253 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Emphasises the need for modern, efficient and citizen-friendly public administration at all levels of government;
Amendment 263 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for a greater shift of taxation away from labour towards wealth, capital gains, financial transactions and pollution;
Amendment 266 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls for stronger consideration of the possibility to increase taxation on fossil-based fuels and to use the proceeds for investment in the transition to a low- carbon economy, offsetting the disincentive created by temporarily low oil prices;
Amendment 282 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Reiterates the need for responsible fiscal policies, taking into account debt sustainability, the economic cycle and investment gaps; recalls that with monetary policy at or near the zero lower bound, fiscal policy has a particularly important impact on economic growth;
Amendment 296 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Insists on implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, while making full use of available fiscal space, inter alia, to support greater investment and structural reforms as well as to deal with security threats and refugee inflows;
Amendment 313 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Emphasises the need for improved tax collection, fighting tax evasion and avoidance and improved tax policy coordination; highlights the crucial role of taxation in reversing recent increases in social inequalities and mitigating the economic damage which has resulted from them;
Amendment 330 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Supports all efforts towards improving the quality and growth-friendly character of public expenditure; notes that some outlays categorised as current expenditure actually represent important economic investment, for example in the field of education and other social investment; points to the need to consider the impact of public expenditure on sustainability in all its aspects;
Amendment 352 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Emphasises that, given its high level of interdependence and the singleness of its monetary policy, the euro area needs to be viewed as one macroeconomic entity where convergence must be promoted; calls therefore for an in-depth aggregate assessment of macroeconomic imbalances in the euro area to complement the assessment of country-specific vulnerabilities; underlines the importance of an aggregate perspective also in the work of National Competitiveness Boards and calls for strengthening the Macroeconomic dialogue at European level; insists on full coherence between the euro area recommendation and country- specific recommendations, so that it is clear what contribution each euro area Member State should make in terms of the aggregate fiscal stance and macroeconomic rebalancing;
Amendment 367 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Welcomes increased attention to the euro area’s aggregate fiscal stance; calls for greater discussion on whether it can be, to be further developed with the help of the advisory European Fiscal Board; doubts whether the aggregate fiscal stance can be currently considered broadly neutral and appropriate given the large investment gap; calls on the Commission and Council to be ready to support more expansionary aggregate fiscal stance in case downside risks materialise and recovery is weaker than expected;
Amendment 380 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Supports the recommendation to differentiate fiscal effort by individual Member States taking into account their respective positions vis-à-vis Stability and Growth Pact requirements and stabilisation needs, as well as spillover effects; notes that high-surplus countries have significant fiscal space which they could use to the benefit of their populations and the monetary union as a whole, with higher growth very likely offsetting the impact of deficit-based investment on debt sustainability;
Amendment 393 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Agrees that while the euro area’s high current account surplus is a welcome sign of the euro area’s external competitiveness, it also implies a lack of internal investment and a risk of euro appreciation when monetary policy starts to become less accommodative, with adverse effects on growth and employment; considers that stronger domestic demand would be better for the euro area's sustainable growth as well as from a global viewpoint;
Amendment 399 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Notes that while current account deficits pose greater risks in terms of financial instability of the given Member State than current account surpluses, the existence of a current account surplus in one country pushes for the existence of current account deficits in other countries, therefore an aggregate view is necessary in this regard; points out that while the MIP regulation establishes asymmetric thresholds for current account deficits and surpluses (-4%/+6% GDP), some Member States have maintained current account surpluses well in excess of 6% GDP for a number of years;
Amendment 401 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Notes that while an effort to build up savings for future pension requirements in the euro area is understandable to some extent, export of savings also involves financial risks; considers that satisfaction of future pension needs in countries with adverse demographic outlooks depends largely on sustained economic growth, high employment and manageable economic dependency ratios; points out that adequate investment of today's savings in human capital and future productive capacity is crucial in this respect;
Amendment 407 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Emphasises the need to foster real economic and social convergence driven by improvements in productivity and non- cost factors; underlines the importance of all Member States having sufficient investment capacity, reducing output gaps and enabling balanced and sustainable growth, which is crucial also to reduce debt/GDP ratios;
Amendment 418 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Recognises the benefits of a more symmetrical adjustment in nominal unit labour costs, where regaining cost competitiveness does not require undergoing deflation which is detrimental to debt sustainabilityrequires responsible wage setting but should not lead to deflation which is detrimental to debt sustainability and overall economic performance; calls therefore on relevant actors in high- surplus countries to support faster wage increases and greater investment, enabling higher domestic demand and inflation in these countries and helping to achieve the ECB's price stability target of inflation close to but below 2%;
Amendment 424 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls for measures preventing a race to the bottom in terms of taxation and social standards, building on better use of social indicators in macroeconomic surveillance; points to the importance of poverty and inequality indicators in this context;
Amendment 428 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Notes the European Council conclusions on the Economic and Monetary Union and calls on the Commission to start preparing the longer- term measures as soon as possible;
Amendment 453 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. RequestAppreciates thate plenary debates with the President of the Commission and the President of the Eurogroup on the draft euro area recommendation on 15 December 2015 and requests that this debate becomes a regular features of the European Semester in order to strengthen democratic dialogue and accountability; this will provide the democratic context to consider the positions expressed by the independent advisory European Fiscal Board;
Amendment 460 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Underlines that the spring European Council should remain the central moment where policy priorities are defined on the basis of input from the Commission, Parliament and the Council; calls therefore on the Council to adopt the euro area recommendations and conclusions on the Annual Growth Survey package after the Parliament has been able to take a position on them; affirms its resolve to consider these documents swiftly and to take a position well before the Spring European Council;
Amendment 463 #
2015/2285(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Highlights the importance of national parliaments debating country reports and country-specific recommendations and voting on national reform programmes; calls on Member States to involve social partners, local and regional authorities and other relevant stakeholders in a structured manner, taking advantage of the early publication of country reports; suggests that a code of conduct could be elaborated for this purpose; highlights the irreplaceable role of social partners in wage-setting and the vital role they should play in wider economic discussions, particularly when it comes to promoting productivity;
Amendment 1 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Title
Title
on social dumping in the European Union: ensuring fair competition, equal treatment and convergence between economic and social partners,
Amendment 76 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the concept of social dumping, without benefiting from a legally recognised and shared definition, covers a wide scope of abusive practices and situations enabling the development of unfair competition through tree main dimensions: - the economic aspect: the use by certain economic actors of illegal practices such as undeclared work or abusive practices such as bogus self employment can lead to major market distortions which are detrimental to bona fide companies, notably SMEs; agriculture, building, construction and food sectors, transport, care and domestic services are the main sectors concerned; - the social aspect: unfair competition can lead to a situation of inequality of treatment between European workers and deprive them from the effective exercise of their social and labour rights; - the financial aspect : the reduction of social contributions and taxes represent a threat for the financial sustainability of social security systems of Member States;
Amendment 87 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the multiplication of abusive practices and exercise of unfair competition weakens support to the principle of the internal market and undermines confidence in European integration;
Amendment 158 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a directive based on ILO Convention No. 81 on labour inspection in order to ensure the respect of labour standards and the protection of workers, such as provisions relating to working time, safety, and health; recalls the important role ensured by social partners in order to ensure that existing legislations are respected;
Amendment 208 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the creation of a European body of cross-border labour inspectotask force including respective national competent actors or authorities such as social partners to carry out on-the-spot checks in suspected cases of social dumping, including by identifying 'letterbox companies', which bodytask force would work in coordination with the platform against undeclared work in order to limit the financial burden involved;
Amendment 340 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission to combat the phenomenon of letterbox companies by applying more generally the principle that each company should have a single corporate headquarters; calls for the development of a transparent and accessible business register of all EU- companies and a mandatory use of the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information ; recalls the rejection by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the proposal for a directive on single-person limited liability companies;
Amendment 439 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls for the creation of an "electronic and integrated operator file" for all operators operating with the Community licence aiming at gathering all relevant data on carrier, vehicle and driver identified during roadside checks;
Amendment 507 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls on the Commission to include a clause on unfair commercial practices within the comprehensive aviation agreements;
Amendment 564 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3 a (new)
Subheading 3 a (new)
Anticipation of challenges linked to the digitalisation of the economy
Amendment 575 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls on the Commission rapidly to draw up proposals to combat unfair competition in the digital and, sharing economyand collaborative economy including the field of crowdworking;
Amendment 579 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. notes that digitalization has a crucial impact on European labour markets; highlights that, on the one hand, digitalisation can generate new business models and new jobs, especially for high- skilled but also for low-skilled workers, but on the other hand, it can also lead to precarious forms of employment; regrets, however, that Commission's Digital Single Market Strategy is primarily limited to technical considerations; stresses the need for social considerations to be taken on board in the Digital Single Market Strategy in order to take full advantage of the related employment and growth potential; calls on the Commission to shape the digital single market in a socially just and sustainable way;
Amendment 629 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Desires that wage floors be established, possibly in the form of a minimum wage; emphasises that this instrument should be set up on the basis of legislacalls for the respect and promotion orf convention, in accordance with national practices, with dullective bargaining as well as the respect for the role of the social partners; believes that these wage floors should representtablishment of wage floors in the form of, where applicable, decent minimum wages, of at least 60% of the averagrespective national wage; calls on the Commission to consult the social partners with a view to introducing, where appropriate, a minimum wage in some bordaverage wage with a view to end the competitive wage race to the bottom, to support aggregate demand and economic recovery areas associated with highly mobile workernd to reduce wage inequalities;
Amendment 645 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. calls on the Commission to consult the social partners with a view to introducing, where appropriate, a minimum wage in some border areas associated with highly mobile workers;
Amendment 647 #
2015/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Stresses the recognised expertise of employees' representatives with regard to a business's strategic choices and decision-making to prevent unfair competition practises;
Amendment 177 #
2015/2147(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Agrees with the Commission that the governance and timely delivery of the Digital Single Market is a shared responsibility of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission; encourages the Commission to engage with societal and social stakeholders and to involve them in the decision making process to the widest extent possible;
Amendment 235 #
2015/2147(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – indent 1 (new)
Paragraph 3 – indent 1 (new)
- Points out that the impacts of the digital revolution on social standards and labour conditions have to be taken into account while adapting current laws and regulations in order to protect citizens and companies alike; encourages the Commission to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the quantitative and qualitative effects of digitalisation on employment conditions;
Amendment 511 #
2015/2147(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses that accessible, affordable, efficient and high-quality delivery services are an essential prerequisite for thriving cross-border e-commerce; supports the proposed measures to improve price transparency, interoperability and, delivery times and information schemes on liabilities in case of loss or damage as well as the regulatory oversight that should target both the smooth functioning of cross-border parcel delivery markets and compliance with relevant social and labour rights, allowing enough flexibility for the delivery market to evolve and adapt to technological innovations but calls upon the Commission to and Member States to refrain from further deregulating the parcel delivery and postal services sector in a way which could lead to unreliability and precarious working conditions;
Amendment 905 #
2015/2147(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Calls on the Commission to take into consideration the ever-widening phenomena of crowdworking and crowdsourcing which further decentralises income tax liabilities, limits the possibilities of workers/contractors in this area to organise and undermines national and European social and labour standards; calls on the Commission to develop minimum labour and social standards for crowdworkers;
Amendment 5 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes note of the 2014 EIB Annualctivity Report and the increase by 6.92% to EUR 80.3 billion in the EIB Group’s lending; is very concerned at the increasingbout still very high unemployment, inequality and poverty levels, as well as weak investment in Europe and the continuous uncertainty in the financial markets, also in view of a worsening global economic outlook;
Amendment 18 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets that overall EU investment in 2013 decreased by 13% compared with the pre- crisis period with investment in some countries decreasing 25% and even by as much as 60% in others, creating a dangerous investment imbalance in the EU; is of the opinion that this constitutes a major challenge for the EIB Group and will require extraordinary efforts from its side for the years to come, as part of an overall EU effort to implement a renewed long-term strategy for sustainable, convergent and inclusive growth;
Amendment 27 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes the urgent need for an increase in EIB lending activityGroup investment activity, including innovative financial instruments with greater additional risk-bearing capacity, and for the improvement of its activity in line with Protocol (No 28) on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion;
Amendment 43 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the EIB Group to re-examine its strategic planning programme, given the high degree of concentration of funding for the four biggest economies in the EU accounting for more than 45%, and the disproportionate rise in unemployment levels and investment gaps in some other countries which remains at alarming levels, and which could hamper economic convergence in the EU and further damage growth prospects and social cohesion in specific countries and regions in the EU;
Amendment 60 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note ofWelcomes the establishment of the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) and emphasises the need for the EFSI to function in an effective, transparent and fair way, to honour fully the requirement of additionality, and to take into account that priority should be given to projects in strategic sectors, countries in adjustment programmewhere investment gaps have widened most during the economic crisis and regions which have difficulties in attracting funding because of their high risk environment; their geographical or historical disadvantage translates into a higher high risk profile in an economic environment marked by uncertainty; Regrets the selection procedure used to appoint the Managing Director and the Deputy Managing Director and stresses the need to finalise as soon as possible the inter-institutional agreement between the EIB and the Parliament on reporting and on the selection procedure for both positions;
Amendment 69 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Urges the EIB Group to develop an increased focus on economic and labour market resilience in the context of technological changes, environmental constraints, globalisation and demographic trends; calls on it to prioritise investment operations with high potential in terms of job creation and environmental sustainability, particularly in areas of greatest need, and to expand its cooperation with other development banks in this direction;
Amendment 70 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Calls on the EIB Group to consider strengthening non-financial criteria in its project assessment models, giving greater weight to projects' contribution to sustainable and inclusive development and cohesion in line with Protocol (No 28) on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion, while aiming at maximum transparency;
Amendment 87 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the EIB to refrain from cooperating with financial partners with a negative track record and to enforce prevention measures against tax havens, fraud and evasion as well as aggressive tax avoidance; calls for these prevention measures to include ensuring that no EIB funding can go to ultimate beneficiaries or financial intermediaries which make use of tax havens or harmful tax practices;
Amendment 88 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the EIB Group to refrain from cooperating with financial partners with a negative track record, particularly in the field of corporate taxation, and to enforce prevention measures against tax havens, tax fraud and tax evasion as well as aggressive tax avoidance; requests a list of outstanding EIB Group transactions involving counterparts established in jurisdictions featuring on the Commission's list of "top 30" tax havens around the world;
Amendment 91 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the EIB to adopt an effective and up-to-date Responsible Taxation Policy, to be overseen by a Tax Unit and detailed within an Annual Tax Report; calls for this policy to include regular country tax assessments in order to identify problematic jurisdictions; calls for this policy to involve the EIB actively using its relocation clause and systematically publishing the domicile of funds which benefit from EIB support, as well as the domicile of the ultimate beneficiaries of the funds if they are supported by financial intermediaries;
Amendment 98 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the EIB Group to re-evaluate the private-public partnerships in terms of their pgrofitabilitywth, jobs and productivity impact for the relevant economies and societies and to examine alternative methods of funding, possiblyincluding through increasing public investments, notably given the present outlook of low long-term interest rates;
Amendment 112 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the EIB Group to further enhance transparency and access to information both internafor the Parliament and other EU institutions as welly ands for the public, especially regarding the selection, monitoring and evaluation of activities and programmes;
Amendment 127 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Requests the EIB to increase its reporting to Parliament regarding its decisions, progress achieved and the impact of its lending activities within and outside the EU; requests that this include regular reports to the European Parliament and other stakeholders on the implementation of its Non-Compliant Jurisdiction Policy, including the number of applications which have been turned down for failing to comply with this policy, as well as the number of relocations which have been requested and implemented.
Amendment 128 #
2015/2127(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Requests the EIB Group to increase its reporting to Parliament regarding its decisions, progress achieved and the impact of its lending activities within and outside the EU; calls on the EIB Group to engage in deeper dialogue with the Parliament on all its activities within the same scheme for reporting and accountability as set out in the EFSI regulation and to fully comply with the spirit and letter of the EFSI regulation, notably concerning inter-institutional cooperation with the Parliament.
Amendment 108 #
2015/2060(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – indent 2 a (new)
Paragraph 9 – indent 2 a (new)
- Requests that the transparency of international organisations is strengthened, notably by setting up mandatory transparency registers to monitor exchanges with stakeholders and civil society;
Amendment 111 #
2015/2060(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – indent 2 c (new)
Paragraph 9 – indent 2 c (new)
- Calls on the Commission to set up or support an NGO with adequate technical expertise and financial means to strengthen the voice of civil society in herein mentioned organisations and to counter-balance one-sided influence by the private sector; endorses the creation of ‘Finance Watch’ as best practice;
Amendment 112 #
2015/2060(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – indent 2 d (new)
Paragraph 9 – indent 2 d (new)
- Calls on the European institutions and agencies as well as Member States to promote accountability of each and every international organisation towards democratically elected bodies;
Amendment 113 #
2015/2060(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – indent 2 e (new)
Paragraph 9 – indent 2 e (new)
- Calls on the Commission to perform an impact assessment in the next 3 years determining if private organisations act in the public interest;
Amendment 145 #
2015/2060(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – indent 6
Paragraph 9 – indent 6
- Urges the Commission to use its right of initiative to propose, in accordance with Article 138(2) TFEU and the undertakings given by its President to the European Parliament in 2014, appropriate measures to ensure unified representation of the Union within international financial instituorganisations and conferences; considers it imperative to progress towards single representation of the euro area within the IMF, the first step being to group member countries within specific constituencies and then within a single constituency, without prejudice to the creation of a single European Union constituency in the long term; considers that both the ECB, on monetary issues, and the Euro Group, on fiscal matters, shall hold this role; points out that, under Protocol N° 14 of the Treaty, closer coordination between Member States is the responsibility of the Euro Group; advocates that eventually a Euro finance minister, member of the European Commission and accountable to the European Parliament, should take on the role of the Euro Group;
Amendment 171 #
2015/2060(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – indent 8
Paragraph 9 – indent 8
- Calls on the EU institutions and Member States to reflect on the practicalities of creating a global financial organisation with wide-ranging powers of coordination, recommendation, arbitration and, where appropriate, penalisation through independent panels; highlights that powers of arbitration should not be delegated to private arbitrage such as ISDS; claims that the aim of this organisation should be to coordinate work and objectives of international organisations mentioned in this report in order to generate global consistency and to create a real level- playing field for all market actors and consumers; stresses that this organisation, as with all such national and international organisations, should be subject to the highest standards of transparency and accountability;
Amendment 63 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Recital 5
(5) In accordance with the Treaty provisions, the Union has developed and implemented policy coordination instruments for fiscal policy and macro- structural policies. The European Semester combines the different instruments in an overarching framework for integrated multilateral surveillance of economic and, budgetary surveillance, employment and social policies. The streamlining and strengthening of the European Semester as set out in the Commission's 2015 Annual Growth Survey will further improve its functioning.
Amendment 79 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Recital 7
(7) Member States and the Union should also address the social impact of the crisis and aim at building a cohesive society in which people are empowered to anticipate and manage change, and can actively participate in society and the economy. Access and opportunities for all should be ensured and poverty and social exclusion reduced, in particular by ensuring an effective functioning of labour markets and social welfare systems and removing barriers to labour market participation. Member States should also make sure that the benefits of economic growth reach all citizens and all regions. The scoreboard of key employment and social indicators within the Joint Employment Report is a particularly useful tool in this respect by helping to detect key employment and social problems and divergences in a timely way and identify areas where policy response is most needed. However, further editions of the scoreboard should include also gender disaggregated data.
Amendment 99 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Recital 10
(10) The broad guidelines for economic policies and employment guidelines give guidance to the Member States on implementing reforms, reflecting interdependence. They are in line with the Stability and Growth Pact. The integrated guidelines should form the basis for country-specific recommendations that the Council may address to the Member States.
Amendment 110 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 1 – paragraph 1
Member States should facilitate quality job creation, reduce barriers for business to hire people, promote entrepreneurship and in particular support the creation and growth of small enterprises in order to increase the employment rate of women and men. Member States should also actively promote the social economy and foster social innovation.
Amendment 123 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 1 – paragraph 3
Member States should, together with the social partners, encourage wage-setting mechanisms allowing for a responsiveness of wages to productivity developments. In this respect, and helping to correct past diffvergences in skills and local labour market conditions as well asunit labour costs without fuelling deflationary pressures. In this respect, divffergences in economic performance across regions, sectors and companielocal labour market conditions should be taken into account. When setting minimum wages, Member States and social partners should consider their impact on in- work poverty, aggregate demand, job creation and competitiveness.
Amendment 128 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 1 – paragraph 3 a (new)
The Europe 2020 headline target on employment, on the basis of which Member States set their national targets, taking into account their relative starting positions and national circumstances, is to aim to raise the employment rate for women and men aged 20-64 to 75 % by 2020, including through the greater participation of young people, older workers and low-skilled workers and the better integration of migrants. A sub- target for youth employment, which should likewise be translated into national sub-targets, is to aim to reduce the rate of people aged below 25 who are neither in employment, education or training to less than 10 % by 2020, based on full implementation of the Youth Guarantee.
Amendment 134 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 2 – paragraph 1
Member States should promote productivity and employability through an appropriate supply of relevant knowledge and skills. Member States should make the necessary investments in educationquality and inclusive education from an early age and vocational training systems while improving their effectiveness and efficiency to raise the skill level of the workforce, allowing it to better anticipate and meet the rapidly changing needs of dynamic labour markets in an increasingly digital economy. Member States should step up efforts to improve access to quality adult learning for all and implement active ageing strategies to enable longer working lives.
Amendment 144 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 2 – paragraph 2
High unemployment should be tackled and long-term unemployment prevented through a mix of demand and supply-side measures. The number of long-term unemployed should be significantly reduced by means of comprehensive and mutually reinforcing strategies, including the provision of specificrsonalised active support to long-term unemployed to return to the labour market. The youth unemployment needs to be comprehensively addressed, including by equipping the relevant institutions with the necessary means to fully and consistently implement their national Youth Guarantee Implementation Plans
Amendment 147 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 2 – paragraph 2
High unemployment should be tackled and long-term unemployment prevented. The number of long-term unemployed should be significantly reduced by means of comprehensive and mutually reinforcing strategies, including the provision of specific active support to long-term unemployed to return to the labour market. The youth unemployment needs to be comprehensively addressed, including by investing in sectors that can create quality jobs for young people and by equipping the relevant institutions with the necessary means to fully and consistently implement their national Youth Guarantee Implementation Plans
Amendment 161 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 2 – paragraph 4
Barriers to labour market participation should be reduced, especially for women, older workers, young people, persons withe disabled and legalility and migrants. Gender equality including equal pay must be ensured in the labour market as well as access to affordable quality early childhood education and care.
Amendment 172 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 2 – paragraph 5
Member States should make a full use of European Social Fund and other Union funds support in order to improve quality employment, social inclusion, education and public administration.
Amendment 173 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 2 – paragraph 5
Member States should make a full use of European Social Fund and other Union funds support in order to improve employment, social inclusion, education and public administration. The European Fund for Strategic Investments and its investment platforms should also be mobilised to ensure that quality jobs are created and workers are equipped with skills needed for the Union's transition towards a sustainable growth model.
Amendment 177 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 2 – paragraph 5 a (new)
The Europe 2020 headline target on education, on the basis of which Member States set their national targets, taking into account their relative starting positions and national circumstances, is to reduce drop-out rates to less than 10 %, and increase the share of 30-34 year-olds having completed tertiary or equivalent education to at least 40 %.
Amendment 179 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 3 – paragraph 1
Member States should reduce labour market segmentation. Employment protection rules and institutions should provide a suitable environment for recruitment while offering adequate levels of protection to those in employment and those seeking employment or employed on temporary, part-time or atypical contracts or independent work contracts. Quality employment should be ensured for all in terms of socio-economic security, education and training opportunities, working conditions (including health and safety), adequate wages and work-life balance. Upward convergence in working conditions should be promoted across the Union.
Amendment 188 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 3 – paragraph 1 a (new)
New forms of work organisation should be encouraged in order to make the best use of people's skills, foster their lifelong development and encourage employee- driven innovation.
Amendment 190 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 3 – paragraph 2
Member States should closely involve National Parliaments and, social partners and civil society organisations in the design and implementation of relevant reforms and policies, in line with national practices, while supporting the improvement of the functioning and effectiveness of social dialogue at national level.
Amendment 197 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 3 – paragraph 3
The Union and Member States should ensure basic standards of quality of active labour market policies. Member States should strengthen active labour market policies by increasing their targeting, outreach, coverage and interplay with passive measures. These policies should aim at improving labour market matching and support sustainable transitions on the labour market, with public employment services delivering individualised support and implementing performance measurement systems. Member States should also ensure that their social protection systems effectively activate and enable those who can participate in the labour market, protect those (temporarily) excluded from the labour markets and/or unable to participate in it, and prepare individuals for potential risks, by investing in human capital Member States should promote inclusive labour markets open to all and also put in place effective anti- discrimination measures.
Amendment 208 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 3 – paragraph 4
Mobility of workers should be ensured as a fundamental right and a matter of free choice with an aim of exploiting the full potential of the European labour market, including by enhancing the portability of pensions and social security, and the recognition of qualifications. Member States should at the same time guard against abuses of the existing rules. Investment in regions experiencing labour outflows should be promoted to mitigate brain drain and encourage mobile workers to return.
Amendment 216 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 4 – paragraph 1
The Union and Member States should modernisensure basic standards of social protection. Member States should improve their social protection systems to provide effective, efficient, and adequate protection throughout all stages of an individual’s life, ensuring universal access, fairness and addressing inequalities. There is a need for simplified and better targetilored social policies complemented by, including on affordable quality childcare and education, training and job assistance, housing support and accessible health care, access to basicother services such as bank account and Internet and for action to prevent early school leaving and fight poverty and social exclusion. Child poverty, in particular, must be decisively tackled.
Amendment 224 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 4 – paragraph 2
For that purpose a variety of instruments should be used in a complementary manner, including labour activation enabling services and income support, targetbased on active inclusion strategies combining adequate minimum income, inclusive labour markets and high quality services tailored ato individual needs. Social protection systems should be designed in a way that facilitate take up of all persons entitled, support investment in human capital, and help prevent, reduce and protect against poverty and social exclusion.
Amendment 232 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 4 – paragraph 3
The pension systems should be reformed in order to secure their sustainability and adequacy for women and men in a context of increasing longevity and demographic change, including by linking statutory retirement ages to life expectancy, by increasing effective retirement ages, and by developing co. The best way is to increase the overall employment rate, building also on social investments in active ageing. Further reforms should focus on increasing effective retirement age, taking into account the number of contributory years and reflecting differences in life expectancy caused by particularly arduous work, and on upholding the fundamental importance of public pensions while developing complementary retirement savings. Measures to reduce gender gaps in employment and pay as well as incidence of involuntary part-time empleoyment ary retirement savingse also needed in order to ensure decent living standards in old age.
Amendment 241 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 4 – paragraph 4
Member States should improve the accessiquality, accessibility, affordability, efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare and long term care systems, while safeguarding fiscal sustainability.
Amendment 246 #
2015/0051(NLE)
Annex 1 – section 4 – paragraph 4 a (new)
The Europe 2020 headline target on fighting poverty and social exclusion, on the basis of which Member States set their national targets, taking into account their relative starting conditions and national circumstances, is to promote social inclusion, in particular through the reduction of poverty by aiming to lift at least 20 million people out of the risk of poverty and exclusion.1 __________________ 1 The population is defined as the number of persons who are at risk of poverty and exclusion according to three indicators (at risk of poverty; material deprivation; jobless household), leaving Member States free to set their national targets on the basis of the most appropriate indicators, taking into account their national circumstances and priorities.
Amendment 27 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) Adequate levels of public investment are crucial for the financing of public goods, for triggering private investment, which is critically low, and to generate new quality jobs.
Amendment 29 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1 b (new)
Recital 1 b (new)
(1b) The EFSI should pay special attention to projects in Member States and regions still suffering most from the crisis, aiming at the reduction of divergences, especially in what concerns unemployment and employment levels. The need to generate new quality employment at adequate levels must be specifically addressed in a European investment strategy to which the EFSI should contribute.
Amendment 39 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) A wide set of economic and social reforms should be undertaken at national level to generate major economic and social gains. Such reforms should for example aim at ensuring full and equal access to high quality education and training systems, to good childcare facilities and to properly financed health care systems, as well as at ensuring equal participation of women and men in the labour market, and at developing fair and effective tax policy systems which successfully eliminate tax fraud and evasion or tax avoidance practices.
Amendment 40 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 b (new)
Recital 2 b (new)
(2b) In order to maximize the employment impacts of the EFSI, complementary measures, such as training or other active labour market policies, should be implemented by the Member States,
Amendment 47 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Throughout the economic and financial crisis, the Union has made efforts to promote growth, in particular through initiatives set out in the Europe 2020 strategy that put in place an approach for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The European Investment Bank ('EIB') has also strengthened its role in instigating and promoting investment within the Union, partly by way of an increase in capital in January 2013. Further action is required to ensure that the investment needs of the Union are addressed and that the liquidity available on the market is used efficiently and channelled towards the funding of viable investment projects, with a strong focus on their growth and quality job- creation, and their benefit to society as a whole.
Amendment 73 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The purpose of the EFSI should be to help resolve the difficulties in financing and implementing productive investments in the Union and to ensure increased access to financing with the aim of generating growth, quality jobs and social inclusion. It is intended that increased access to financing should be of particular benefit to small and medium enterprises and including social economy and social enterprises. It is also appropriate to extend the benefit of such increased access to financing to mid- cap companies, which are companies having up to 3000 employees. Overcoming Europe's current investment difficulties should contribute to strengthening the Union's economic, social and territorial cohesion.
Amendment 85 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The EFSI should support strategic investments with high economic and job creation value added contributing to achieving Union policy objectives.
Amendment 86 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The EFSI should support strategic investments with high economic and social value added and job creation potential contributing to achieving Union policy objectives, especially regarding the employment, education and poverty reduction targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
Amendment 105 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The EFSI should target projects delivering high societal and economic value. In particular, the EFSI should target projects that promotefoster innovation, skills development, quality job creation, long- term growth and competitiveness. The EFSI should support a wide range of financial products, including equity, debt or guarantees, to best accommodate the needs of the individual project. This wide range of products should allow the EFSI to adapt to market needs whilst encouraging private investment in the projects. The EFSI should not be a substitute for private market finance but should instead catalyse private finance by addressing market failures so as to ensure the most effective and strategic use of public money. The requirement for consistency with State aid principles should contribute to such effective and strategic use.
Amendment 108 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The EFSI should target projects delivering high societal and economic value. In particular, the EFSI should target projects that promote quality job creation, long- term growth and, competitiveness and social inclusion. The EFSI should support a wide range of financial products, including equity, debt or guarantees, to best accommodate the needs of the individual project. This wide range of products should allow the EFSI to adapt to market needs whilst encouraging private investment in the projects. The EFSI should not be a substitute for private market finance but should instead catalyse private finance by addressing market failures so as to ensure the most effective and strategic use of public money. The requirement for consistency with State aid principles should contribute to such effective and strategic use.
Amendment 113 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14 a (new)
Recital 14 a (new)
(14a) The impact of the EFSI on employment education and poverty reduction should be systematically monitored and further encouraged, especially with the view to achieving prolonged societal gains in the form of sustainable and quality employment, and social inclusion. This should also secure fair distribution of investment returns among investors and workers.
Amendment 118 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14 b (new)
Recital 14 b (new)
(14b) The EFSI should also target social investments, notably in human capital and social services and infrastructures, as drivers for economic competitiveness, social inclusion and gender equality. Without stronger social investment, industrial and economic development will be held back and Europe's future prosperity and competitiveness damaged.
Amendment 124 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The EFSI should target projects with a higher risk-return profile than existing EIB and Union instruments to ensure additionality over existing operations. The EFSI should finance projects across the Union, including particular in the countries most affected by the financial crisis. The EFSI should only be used where financing is not available from other sources on reasonable terms. It should in particular seek to facilitate financing of economically viable projects with strong job creation potential or other socio-economic benefits, in order to make them more attractive for commercial investors.
Amendment 137 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16 a (new)
Recital 16 a (new)
(16a) The EFSI should take into due account the labour market situations across EU Member States and regions, and include potential employment- enhancing outcomes achievable when assessing projects.
Amendment 143 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) The EFSI is part of a comprehensive approach to address uncertainty surrounding public and private investments and reduce financial fragmentation in the Union. The strategy has three pillars: mobilising finance for investment, making investment reach the real economy and improving the investment environment in the Union.
Amendment 145 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) Decisions on the use of the EFSI support for infrastructure and large mid- cap projects should be made by an Investment Committee. The Investment Committee should be composed of independent experts who are knowledgeable and experienced in the areas of investment projects. The Investment Committee should be accountable to a Steering Board of the EFSI, who should supervise the fulfilment of the EFSI's objectives. These two bodies also should, at their respective levels, support the development of investment platforms. To effectively benefit from the experience of the EIF, the EFSI should support funding to the EIF to allow the EIF to undertake individual projects in the areas of small and medium enterprises and small mid-cap companies.
Amendment 178 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) Alongside the financing operations that will be conducted through the EFSI, a European Investment Advisory Hub ('EIAH') should be created. The EIAH should provide strengthened support for project development and preparation across the Union, by building on the expertise of the Commission, the EIB, national promotional banks and the managing authorities of the European Structural and Investment Funds. This should establish a single point of entry for questions related to technical assistance for investments within the Union. The EIAH should support the development of geographic and thematic investment platforms, bringing together co-investors, public authorities, experts, education, training and research institutions, and other relevant actors at EU, national and regional levels, in order to foster innovation, skills development and quality job creation in key areas where more investment is needed.
Amendment 192 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 32
Recital 32
(32) Member States have also begun work at national level on establishing and promoting project pipelines for projects of national significance, including in quality job creation. The information prepared by the Commission and the EIB should provide links to the accompanying national project pipelines.
Amendment 206 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The purpose of the EFSI shall be to support public and private investments in the Union and to ensure increased access to financing for companies, social economy enterprises and service providers having up to 3000 employees, with a particular focus on small and medium enterprises, through the supply of risk bearing capacity to the EIB ('EFSI Agreement'). The overall objective of the EFSI shall be to promote and guarantee sustainable, inclusive and long-term growth and quality job creation as well as social inclusion in the Union.
Amendment 225 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
2. The EFSI Agreement shall provide for the creation of a European Investment Advisory Hub ('EIAH') within the EIB. The EIAH shall have as its objective to build upon existing EIB and Commission advisory services in order to provide advisory support for investment project identification, preparation and development and act as a single technical advisory hub for project financing within the Union. This shall include support on the use of technical assistance for project structuring, support the development of investment platforms, use of innovative financial instruments, use of public-private partnerships, maximization of the impact on job creation and advice, as appropriate, on relevant issues of EU legislation.
Amendment 235 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. The EFSI Agreement shall provide that the EFSI shall be governed by a Steering Board, which shall determine the strategic orientation, the strategic asset allocation and operating policies and procedures, including the investment policy of projects that EFSI can support and the risk profile and number of foreseen jobs to be created of the EFSI, in conformity with the objectives under Article 5(2). The Steering Board shall elect one of its members to be Chairperson.
Amendment 244 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Steering Board members from the Commission shall include representatives with proven expertise in employment and social policies.
Amendment 268 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
A specialist in employment and social policies shall be appointed as one of the independent experts in the Investment Committee. This expert shall be responsible for assessing the employment and social impact of submitted projects to ensure that those receiving support from the fund are supporting the social objectives of the EU and benefit society as a whole.
Amendment 276 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
2. The EU guarantee shall be granted for EIB financing and investment operations approved by the Investment Committee referred to in Article 3(5) or funding to the EIF in order to conduct EIB financing and investment operations in accordance with Article 7(2). The operations concerned shall be consistent with Union policies, contribute to achieving the objectives of Europe 2020 Strategy and support any of the following general objectives:
Amendment 280 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The EFSI should support renewed economic convergence in Europe by targeting projects with a higher risk-return profile than existing EIB and Union instruments to ensure additionality over existing operations. The EFSI should finance projects across the Union, including particular in the countries most affected by the financial crisis. The EFSI should only be used where financing is not available from other sources on reasonable terms.
Amendment 286 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
(b) investment in education and training, health, research and development, information and communications technology and innovation, innovation, social services, social economy and social enterprises;
Amendment 294 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e a (new)
(ea) investments in sectors with high job- creation potential, focusing on long-term and sustainable effects, including the social, health and care sectors as well as the social economy.
Amendment 298 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e b (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e b (new)
(eb) ensure the highest possible positive impact on quality job creation and on economic, social and territorial cohesion.
Amendment 303 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
To guide the selection of projects that the EFSI can support, the Steering Board shall include concern with employment and social impact in the strategic orientation, in the guidelines on the strategic asset allocation, and in the operating policies and procedures, including the investment policies.
Amendment 322 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 3
Article 9 – paragraph 3
3. Member States shall develop, update and disseminate, on a regular and structured basis, information on current and future investment projects in their territory, including their potential for quality job creation.
Amendment 326 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1
1. The EIB and the EFSI Investment Committee, in cooperation with the EIF as appropriate, shall report semi-annually to the Commission on EIB, the Council and the European Parliament on EIB and EFSI financing and investment operations under this Regulation. The report shall include an assessment of compliance with the requirements on the use of the EU guarantee and the key performance indicators established pursuant to Article 2(1)(g). The report shall also include statistical, financial and accounting data on each EIB financing and investment operation and on an aggregated basis. The report should also include a detailed qualitative assessment of the operations concerned as defined in Article 5.
Amendment 332 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) an assessment of the added value, the mobilisation of private sector resources, the estimated and actual outputs, outcomes and impact of EIB financing and investment operations at an aggregated basis, including in terms of job creation;
Amendment 337 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point f a (new)
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point f a (new)
(fa) an assessment of the contribution to the Union`s objectives and the Europe 2020 Strategy targets for employment, education and poverty reduction.
Amendment 339 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) Decisions on the use of the EFSI support for infrastructure and large mid- cap projects should be made by an Investment Committee. The Investment Committee should be composed of independent experts who are knowledgeable and experienced in the areas of investment projects. The Investment Committee should be accountable to a Steering Board of the EFSI, who should supervise the fulfilment of the EFSI's objectives. These two bodies also should, at their respective levels, support the development of investment platforms. To effectively benefit from the experience of the EIF, the EFSI should support funding to the EIF to allow the EIF to undertake individual projects in the areas of small and medium enterprises and small mid-cap companies.
Amendment 448 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) Alongside the financing operations that will be conducted through the EFSI, a European Investment Advisory Hub ('EIAH') should be created. The EIAH should provide strengthened support for project development and preparation across the Union, by building on the expertise of the Commission, the EIB, national promotional banks and the managing authorities of the European Structural and Investment Funds. This should establish a single point of entry for questions related to technical assistance for investments within the Union. The EIAH should also support the development of geographic and thematic investment platforms.
Amendment 696 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The EFSI Agreement shall provide for the creation of a European Investment Advisory Hub ('EIAH') within the EIB. The EIAH shall have as its objective to build upon existing EIB and Commission advisory services in order to provide advisory support for investment project identification, preparation and development and act as a single technical advisory hub for project financing within the Union. This shall include support on the use of technical assistance for project structuring, development of investment platforms, use of innovative financial instruments, use of public-private partnerships and advice, as appropriate, on relevant issues of EU legislation.
Amendment 845 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1
The EFSI Agreement shall provide that the EFSI shall have an Investment Committee, which shall be responsible for examining potential operations in line with the EFSI investment policies and approving the support of the EU guarantee for operations in line with Article 5, irrespective of their geographic location. Operations with particularly significant job creation potential shall be considered by the Investment Committee in an accelerated manner.
Amendment 1032 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
In addition, the EU guarantee shall be granted for support of dedicated investment platforms and national promotional banks, via the EIB, that invest in operations meeting the requirements of this Regulation. In that case, tvestment platforms can bring together co-investors, public authorities, experts, education, training and research institutions and other relevant actors at EU, national and regional levels in order to foster innovation, skills development and quality job creation in key areas where more investment is needed. The Steering Board shall specify policies regarding eligible investment platforms.
Amendment 1039 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Investment operations benefitting from the EU guarantee shall ensure the highest possible positive impact on quality job creation and economic, social and territorial cohesion, notably by taking account of the investment gaps and financing needs in countries most affected by the economic crisis.
Amendment 1202 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission and the EIB, with support from the Member States, shall promote the creation of a transparent pipeline of current and potential future investment projects in the Union. The pipeline is without prejudice to the final projects selected for support according to Article 3(5) but projects with particularly significant job creation potential shall be considered by the EIB and the Investment Committee in an accelerated manner.
Amendment 3 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 4 June 2013 on the Commission Communication 'Towards Social Investment for Growth and Cohesion – including implementing the European Social Fund 2014-2020'1 b , __________________ 1b Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0266.
Amendment 5 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 8 March 2011 on reducing health inequalities in the EU1 c , __________________ 1c OJ C 199E , 7.7.2012, p. 25.
Amendment 7 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20
Citation 20
— having regard to the Save the Children (2014) report ‘Child poverty and social exclusion in Europe', Brussels, 2014, p. 5,
Amendment 8 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)
Citation 22 a (new)
Amendment 11 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital –A a (new)
Recital –A a (new)
-Aa. Whereas greater political visibility should be given to fighting child poverty at the highest EU political level, if EU is to meet Europe 2020 strategy targets to reduce poverty by at least 20 million people by 2020;
Amendment 13 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A b (new)
Recital -A b (new)
-A b. Whereas the majority of Member States so far have given little attention on using EU Structural Funds to fight the alarming and still growing rates of poverty among children in Europe as well as promote their social inclusion and general well-being;
Amendment 17 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. Whereas increased social inequalities lead to increased child poverty, children being the age group at greatest risk of poverty in 19 Member States of the EU, social inequalities reproduce disadvantage across generations and data indicate that the gap between rich and poor has increased throughout the EU, including in countries with higher GDP;
Amendment 21 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas according to Eurostat the main factors affecting child poverty are labour market situation of the parents, which is linked to their level of education, the composition of the household in which the children live and the effectiveness of the government intervention through income support and the provision of enabling services;
Amendment 23 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. Whereas the European Parliament has repeatedly reiterated its call for the implementation of the Social Investment Package (SIP), and endorses the European Commission Recommendation Investing in Children Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage which proposes a comprehensive policy framework for tackling child poverty and promoting child well-being based on three pillars of access to adequate resources; access to quality and inclusive services; and children's participation;
Amendment 38 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. Whereas it is alarming that in countries such as Estonia, Greece and Italy,some Member States the percentage of children whothat cannot afford to eat meat, chicken or fish two days running has doubled since 2008;
Amendment 46 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. Whereas organisations point out that the main cause of increasing child poverty is the so-called austerity measures (a significant reduction of social support to children and families, rising unemployment, the spread of precarious employment and an increase in the tax burden),; UNICEF states that budget cuts, particularly in the Mediterranean countries, have increased inequalities and helpedave worsened the living conditions of children10 so, and that these policies violate the rights of children and constitute a violation of international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; __________________ 10 UNICEF Office of Research (2014), ‘Children of the Recession: The impact of the economic crisis on child well-being in rich countries’, Innocenti Report Card 12, UNICEF Office of Research, Florence
Amendment 57 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. Whereas single-parent families, especially families headed by single mothers, are at greater risk of poverty or social exclusion (49.8% compared to 25.2%), which is due to the feminisation of poverty, women's overrepresentation in precarious work and as involuntary part- time workers and wage discrimination between men and women;
Amendment 63 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
F a. Whereas large families with a single income are more at risk of poverty and social exclusion, which is due to degrading wage policies and social protection systems as a consequence of the financial and economic crisis;
Amendment 79 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. Whereas there remain financial, administrative and other practical barriers to education for marginalised groups of children; and whereas spending on education expenses, especially as regards school materials and transportation expenses, is essentially borne by households in most countries;
Amendment 89 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. Whereas, even in countries where the right to health and healthcare is enshrined in law, there are many children who do not have access to a family doctor or dentistdequate healthcare, and some children that have extremely limited access to services beyond emergency care;
Amendment 101 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. Whereas all children have the right to be protected from abuse, violence and neglect and that research has concluded that financial pressures within families and, cuts in public services put children at greater risk and that so-calleand austerity measures are leading to greater violence against children;
Amendment 118 #
Amendment 120 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 a (new)
Paragraph -1 a (new)
-1a Calls on the Commission to set a Europe 2020 sub-target on reducing child poverty and social exclusion and to make the reduction of child poverty and social exclusion visible and explicit in all states of the European Semester; also calls on the Commission to include a specific section with the binding target in each Annual Growth Survey on fighting child poverty and promoting their wellbeing;
Amendment 122 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 b (new)
Paragraph -1 b (new)
-1b. Calls on the Member States to effectively integrate relevant aspects of Social Investment Package and Commission Recommendation 'Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage' in their annual National Reform Programmes and National Social Reports in a comprehensive way; calls on the Commission to ensure annual monitoring and reporting by Member States on the implementation of the Commission Recommendation;
Amendment 123 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 c (new)
Paragraph -1 c (new)
-1c. Calls on the Member States to make full use of the available EU Structural Funds by ensuring access for all children to sufficient resources that would enable their adequate living standard and affordable quality services, in order to break the cycle of disadvantage early in life;
Amendment 129 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recommends that Member States increase the quantity, amounts, scope and effectiveness of the social support specifically direcCalls on the Commission and Member States to develop policies to fight child poverty that focus on correcting the main factors affecting child poverty: improving the labour market situation of the parents and strengthening the government intervention through income support and the provision of enabling services; also urges Member Stateds to children, but also to parents (such as unemploymentprovide for adequate living standards that are compatible with a life in dignity through a combination of benefits) and to promote labour laws that guarantee social rights and security toensuring the quantity, scope and effectiveness of the social support specifically directed to children and their families, and to fight precarious employment, in-work poverty and involuntary part-time jobs;
Amendment 149 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recommends that Member States implement or enhance universal welfare benefits targeting children as an intrinsic right of the child; underlines that universal solutions should be coupled with targeted interventions to support the most vulnerable and marginalised groups of children and adolescents;
Amendment 164 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to refrain from recommending reformulations and cuts in the public services of Member States, from promoting flexible labour relations and the privatisation of public services, which have led unequivocally to the weakening of the social rights of children; and to take the impact on children of measures into account when proposing country-specific recommendations within the European Semester;
Amendment 177 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Urges Member States to adopt, implement and monitor plans for alleviating multi-dimensional child poverty, putting the focus on the intrinsic rights of children, and setting targets for reducing child poverty and child social exclusion;
Amendment 190 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Urges the European Commission and the European Parliament to take the opportunity provided by the Europe 2020 mid-term review of the multiannual financial framework to increase the appropriations from the European Social Fund and the Food Aid Program for the most deprived groups and to check if children are a priority in the programming and implementation of regional and cohesion policies, as well as to create indicators to analyse child poverty;
Amendment 195 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Urges the Commission and the Member States to consider if food-based strategies such as dietary diversification and food fortification, as well as nutrition education, public health and food safety measures, and finally supplementation, need to be addressed for particular groups of population in order to prevent the negative effects of malnutrition or undernutrition on the health of children;
Amendment 202 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recommends that Member States' national budgets contain visible andlaws and policies are translated into transparent, provisions for costsarticipatory and accountable national budgets, allocations and spending to combat child poverty and to fulfil their duty to protect childrenmote, protect, and realise children's rights;
Amendment 205 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Commission to include a specific and binding indicator on children at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the social dimension of the Economic and Monetary Union;
Amendment 212 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on Member States to introducemplement legislation to protect or increase maternity and paternity rights; and to safeguard the return to work for women after pregnancy and maternity leave; on this regard, strongly opposes the Commission´s intention to withdraw the Maternity Leave Directive and calls on the Council to engage proactively with the Parliament and Commission in order to unblock the Maternity Leave Directive; stresses furthermore that reinforcing legislation on paternity leave which gives an important boost to combat gender and pay discrimination in work;
Amendment 222 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. RecommendsCalls on thate Member States to develop proactive and integrated social policies that prevent poverty and the departureremoval of children from their family environment, ensuring that it is not through poverty that children are institutionalised;
Amendment 230 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Recommends that Member States develop and implement integrated child protection systems to protect children against violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect in a way in which all duty-bearers and system components work together across sectors and agencies sharing responsibilities to form a protective and empowering environment for all children;
Amendment 233 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8 b. Calls on EU institutions, EU Agencies, Member State authorities and other stakeholders to develop clear roles, responsibilities, regular dialogue and procedures when children are in need of protection in cross-border situations;
Amendment 239 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. RecommendsCall on thate Member States to guarantee all children access to free, inclusive, quality public education atfor all ages, including early childhood, and establish appropriate teacher-student ratios to reduce educational poverty, including early childhood education and care, formal and non-formal education; promoting their emotional, social, cognitive and physical development, and establish appropriate teacher-student ratios in order to ensure that all children can benefit from inclusive high quality education and therefore maximise the education systems' impact on equal opportunities and breaking the cycle of poverty;
Amendment 246 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Calls on the Member States to pay particular attention to developing affordable and accessible early childhood education and care (ECEC), regarding it as a social investment to address inequality and challenges particularly faced by children from disadvantaged families; also raise parents' awareness of the benefits of active participation in ECEC programmes;
Amendment 255 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. RecommendsCalls on thate Member States provide free school materials andto ensure that all children, irrespectively of the financial situation of the family have access to compulsory school materials and access to the necessary school transportation during school hours;
Amendment 264 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Urges Member States to guarantee universal, public, free and quality health care with regard to prevention and primary care, access to diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, for all; guaranteeing women the right to sexual and reproductive health by ensuring health care for babies, maternity care in the pre- and post-natal care period, particularly in the case of premature birth, as well as access to family doctors, dentists, family counselling services and mental health specialists for all children, andfamilies; calls on the Member States and the Commission to integrate these aspects into national and the EU public health strategies;
Amendment 274 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recommends that Member States provide the necessary support to ensure the right to culture, sport and leisure for all children, with a focus on children in poverty, children in remote and disadvantaged areas, children with disabilities, and migrantschildren from a minority background and migrants, Roma children, children moving within the EU regardless their nationality, and children left behind;
Amendment 277 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Recommends that Member States put in place mechanisms that promote and ensure children's participation in decision making that affects their lives; and enable and encourage children to express informed views, ensuring that those views are given due weight and are reflected in the main decisions affecting them;
Amendment 282 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on Member States, particularly those where social inequalities are greater, to strengthen social rights that the state must guarantee, increasing the number of employees and technicianprofessionals working with and for children and their families in social security services, and increasing the medical, psychological and social care of children;
Amendment 288 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls on the Commission to monitor the implementation of its Recommendation entitled 'Investing in Children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage' in the Member States through the design of a Roadmap; calls on Member States to use EU funding and all other available instruments to implement the Commission Recommendation;
Amendment 293 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to introduce a child guarantee so that every child in poverty can have access to free healthcare, free education, free childcare, decent housing and adequate nutrition and calls on the Commission and the Member States to create a specific fund to develop the European Child Guarantee;
Amendment 295 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13 c. Calls on the Commission and Member States to create a European integrated plan to combat child poverty including both the Child Guarantee and programmes offering support and opportunities for the parents to come out of social exclusion situations and integrate the labour market;
Amendment 297 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 d (new)
Paragraph 13 d (new)
13 d. Stresses the need to systematically assess the impact of policy measures, including macroeconomic ones on children, and recommends the Commission to call on Member States to carry out ex-ante and ex-post impact assessments of such measures to ensure that they do not negatively impact on children's rights and well-being;
Amendment 302 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recommends thatCalls the Commission and Member States to develop statistical methods that integrate multidimensional indicators in measuring poverty, social exclusion, inequalities and discrimination and to take into account the limitations of relative poverty measurements and the work of the UNDP, UNICEF and the OECD, and the Indicators Sub-Group of the Social Protection Committee, going beyond the AROPE indicator; further indicators should be developed to assess better the quality of services, outcomes and access to services, e.g. in relation to the socio- economic status and background of parents (migrant or minority), gender, disability and geographical aspects;
Amendment 309 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Invites the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions to draft opinions on investing in children;
Amendment 106 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Welcomes that the new policy mix adds investment to the previous priorities of fiscal consolidation and structural reforms; considers, nevertheless, that the AGS should pay greater concern to aggregate demand and its connection to wage increases and social inequalities; underlines that the central priority regarding reducing macro-imbalances should not be to increase current account surpluses, but rather to raise the growth rate, the investment rate, the employment rate as well as to reduce the poverty rate;
Amendment 167 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the development of a European framework to assure that investments under the Juncker Plan, which are excluded from national deficit targets,proposed Investment Plan have a significant impact in terms of stimulating economic growth and creating quality jobs;
Amendment 176 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Stresses the importance of flexibility which can be used within the existing Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) in order to ensure room of manoeuvre for social investments, namely social investments in people, providing them with the necessary skills and supporting conditions for productive and fulfilling participation in the economy and society throughout their lives; stresses, in this context, the potential role of Social Economy for the creation of sustainable, inclusive and quality jobs;
Amendment 219 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Regrets that the focus of the Commission in structural reforms is excessively geared towards reduction of employment protection for existing as well as new jobs, reminds that data shows that it is exactly the insistent pursuit of incorrect policy responses, combining flexibility and lower income, which is delaying recovery; stresses that structural reforms should be designed in a broader and holistic perspective, adapted to each Member State, targeting different issues, such as, corporate, organization and labour market management, education, research and innovation, public administration, tax systems and aiming at fostering growth potential, sustainability and reducing social inequalities;
Amendment 299 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Is concerned about the Commission approach towards social and employment indicators; regrets the fact that there is hardly any mention of the quality or sustainability of jobs that are been created, especially in what concerns employment of women, who are over represented in part-time work due to difficulties of conciliation between professional and private life;
Amendment 301 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Regrets the fact that, when referring to unemployment rates, other factors are not dully taken into consideration, such as increased rates of inactive people, mobility and migration;
Amendment 377 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Welcomes the fact that the Joint Employment Report annexed to the AGS includes a scoreboard forof key employment and social policieindicators; considers it regrettable, however, that these indicators are not sufficient and that they have not been made binding, which would allow them to be used more forcefully; asks the Commission to remedy this situhighlights the importance of understanding the dynamics and consequences of household income developments and rising income inequalities; regrets that much of the data presented in this year’s edition of the scoreboard is outdated; asks the Commission to make greater use of this scoreboard in policy formulation;
Amendment 388 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Calls for the identification of the major macro-economic and macro-social imbalances within the EU and Euro-area economies and articulation of Country- Specific Recommendations in the European Semester on that basis, including steps towards coordination of wage-setting and convergence on labour and social standards;
Amendment 391 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)
Paragraph 32 b (new)
32b. Underlines the need to enforce the social acquis, the horizontal social clause and the protocol on services of general interest;
Amendment 402 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Regrets the fact that the Commission approach aimed at tackling gender inequalities mainly treats conciliation between professional and family life as a women’s issue; notes that measures aimed at promotion of conciliation , for both men and women, are crucial for the creation of jobs and have a direct influence in the quality of jobs created; notes that access to affordable and quality childcare services is still a major barrier to conciliation, therefore it calls on the Commission to pay attention to this indicator when analysing the scoreboard of key employment and social indicators;
Amendment 14 #
2014/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)
Citation 17 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission's Winter 2015 European Economic Forecast of 5 February 2015,
Amendment 19 #
2014/2145(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Is pleased withCalls on the Commission to put forward a review of the European economic governance framework, which, by coordinating Member States’ policies more closely in order to prevent major imbalances, fostcan delivers smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in line with the targets set by the Europe 2020 strategyby enhancing, at the same time, the democratic legitimacy and scrutiny of the system as a whole, including a revision of the Europe 2020 employment and social targets and the European Semester;
Amendment 40 #
2014/2145(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the Commission’s initiative to conduct an initial review of the framework’s effectiveness with a view to assessing the effective and uniform application of governance rules by the Member States and by the Commission; also suggestconsiders that thesuch a review presents anthe opportunity for an exchange of v deep and inclusive re-evaluation of the overall prioritiews on the ways in which the framework could be deepenedand the adequacy of the economic governance instruments, with the aim of achieving a genuine fiscal union to properly run the single currency;
Amendment 44 #
2014/2145(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Highlights the need to develop European automatic stabilising mechanisms to address asymmetric economic shocks, such as an EMU-wide unemployment benefit scheme, as a means to maintain social cohesion, support internal demand and strengthen the sustainability of the single currency; reiterates its call on the Commission to produce a Green Paper on automatic stabilisers in the Eurozone;
Amendment 59 #
2014/2145(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the European Semester to be strengthened and deepened as an effective way of preventing a crisis; with this in mind, welcomes the Commission’s proposal to focus its action not only on budget responsibility but also on investment, including social investment, high quality job creation and structural reform in order to link the market economy with social progress;
Amendment 118 #
2014/2145(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. So as to address the urgent situation with regard to youth unemployment, encourages Member States to use the available resoUrges the Member States to use at the fullest all available financial resources in the Youth Employment Initiative in an effective and focused way, so as to adequately address the urgent situation with regard to youth unemployment; with a view to this, considers it essential that Member States’ co- financing contributions to youth employment measurces in an effective and focused way via the introduction of the youth employment initiative, and recommends tha, such as the Youth Guarantee, are excluded from the calculation of national deficits; calls on the Commission to put forward proposals to further support cross-border mobility, also bey supported via the development oftrengthening the EURES portal as an important vector for youth employment;
Amendment 133 #
2014/2145(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. With a view to stepping up democratic scrutiny, recommends that the European Parliament, national parliaments and management and laboursocial partners be more closely involved in economic dialogue between the Member States and the Commission.
Amendment 203 #
2014/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Takes note of the debate launched on the 'neutrality' of the euro area's aggregate fiscal stance in a context when national economies cannot unilaterally adjust through the exchange rate, when the ECB is running out of conventional monetary policy instruments due to the zero lower bound, when much of the private sector is liquidity-constrained due to deleveraging, when some Member States have considerable fiscal room for manoeuvre and when the leverage and multiplier effects from public expenditure are recognised as favourable factors for stronger investment;
Amendment 232 #
2014/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Considers that the asymmetric approach to current account surpluses and deficits taken in Regulation (EU) No 1176/2011 and applied in the Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure should be corrected in light of actual experience, while countries with current account deficits have undertaken significant adjustment over the past years, when countries with large current account surpluses have not done enough to strengthen their domestic demand and growth potential, resulting in a larger- than-forecast current account surplus for the Euro area as a whole, deflationary pressure, low growth and persistently high unemployment;
Amendment 233 #
2014/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Is concerned that convergence during the crisis years on reduced national budgetary deficits and improved current account positions has been accompanied by unprecedented divergence on many real economic indicators, including growth, unemployment, household income; highlights persistent divergence in nominal labour costs within the Euro area, which is due to long-standing wage moderation in some countries with high current account surpluses as well as to pre-crisis labour cost increases driven by massive capital inflows in a number of other Member States; highlights that such divergences weaken the Economic and Monetary Union and reduce the benefits of single monetary policy;
Amendment 516 #
2014/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Asks the Commission to make the three-pillar strategy (investment, fiscal rules and structural reforms), presented in the AGS 2015, more concrete under the euro area recommendation and in the CSRs and to strengthen its approach by building a fourth pillar onfocusing on aggregate demand, inequalities and taxation;
Amendment 688 #
2014/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Requests that a reassessment of the Eurogroup’s decision-making process be conducted so as to provide for appropriate democratic accountability and output legitimacy; believes that in the long termforeseeable future the Commissioner for Economic Affairs should assume the role of President of the Eurogroup;
Amendment 702 #
2014/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Recalls that a ‘genuine Economic and Monetary Union’ (EMU) cannot simply be limited to a system of rules but also requires an increased euro area fiscal capacity with European parliamentary control and a deep economic policy coordination; believes that, as much as at national level, structural reforms are needed at the EU level;
Amendment 717 #
2014/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Recalls that the banking union was the result of the political will to avoid a financial crisis and that the same will is needed as regards a fiscal union in order to avoid a political crisisenable balanced economic growth, make the EMU more resilient and avoid a political crisis; highlights the short- sightedness of continuing to rely merely on private risk-sharing as a way to ensure stability and prosperity in monetary union;
Amendment 725 #
2014/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Asks the Commission to come forward with an ambitious roadmap which takes into account the need for economic governance reforms and completion of the EMU, as outlined in this report, and which should be presented to Parliament by the end of May 2015, ahead of the June European Council;