35 Amendments of Joëlle MÉLIN related to 2018/0230(COD)
Amendment 16 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Article 2 of the Treaty of the EuroSeeking to deepean Union highlights solidarity as one of the principles key to the European Union. That principle is also referred tosolidarity between its peoples while respecting their history, culture and traditions, the Union’s aim, as laid down in Article 21(1)3 of the Treaty of then European Union as one of the foundations of the EU’s external action, is to promote peace, its values and the well- being of its peoples.
Amendment 17 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
Amendment 23 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The solidarity activities offered to young peopleEuropean citizens should be of high quality, in the sense that they should respond to unmet societal needs, contribute to strengthening communities, offer young people the opportunity to acquire valuable knowledge and competences, be financially accessible to young people, and be implemented in safe and healthy conditions.
Amendment 25 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7 a (new)
Recital 7 a (new)
(7a) Member States shall ensure that the European Solidarity Corps does not become an instrument for hiding the unemployment figures for young Europeans.
Amendment 30 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) These activities should be to the benefit of communitieEuropeans while also fostering the individual’s personal, educational, social, civic and professional development, which may take the form of volunteering, traineeships and jobs, projects or networking activities, developed in relation to different areas, such as education and training, employment, gender equality, entrepreneurship – in particular social entrepreneurship –,citizenship and democratic participation, environment and nature protection, climate action, disaster prevention, preparedness and recovery, agriculture and rural development, provision of food and non-food items, health and wellbeing, creativity and culture, physical education and sport, social assistance and welfare, reception and integration of third-country nationals, territorial cooperation and cohesion, and cooperation across borders. Such solidarity activities should include a solid learning and training dimension through relevant activities that can be offered to participants before, during and after the solidarity activity.
Amendment 43 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) Particular attention should be given to ensuring the quality of the activities and other opportunities offered under the European Solidarity Corps, in particular by offering training, language support, insurance, administrative and post- activity support to participants as well as the validation of the knowledge, skills and competences acquired through their European Solidarity Corps experience, language support, insurance, administrative and post- activity support to participants, ensuring that this support does not become an additional social security benefit aimed at replacing or adding to unemployment benefits. Security and safety of the volunteers remain of paramount importance and volunteers should not be deployed to operations conducted in the theatre of international and non- international armed conflicts.
Amendment 54 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) A quality label should ensure compliance of the participating organisations with the principles and requirements of the European Solidarity Corps, as regards their rights and responsibilities during all stages of the solidarity experience. Obtaining a quality label is a precondition for participation but should not automatically lead to funding under the European Solidarity Corps. An effective tool must be introduced to monitor the use of funds paid, and sanctions must be adopted for non- compliance with the principles laid down.
Amendment 55 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) Any entity willing to participate in the European Solidarity Corps should receive a quality label provided that the appropriate conditions are fulfilled. The process that leads to the attribution of a quality label should be carried out on a continuous basis by the implementing bodies of the European Solidarity Corps. The attributed quality label should be reassessed periodically and could be revoked if, in the context of the checks to be performed, the conditions that led to its attribution were found to be no longer fulfilled. In the event of serious deficiencies, the sums paid will have to be paid back.
Amendment 57 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23 a (new)
Recital 23 a (new)
(23a) The Head of the European Union Delegation shall be responsible for security risk control measures and the information on the European Solidarity Corps portal concerning the security situation in a third country making it dangerous to send volunteers.
Amendment 59 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) The European Solidarity Corps targets young people aged 18-3025 with no criminal record, and participation in the activities offered by the European Solidarity Corps should require prior registration in the European Solidarity Corps Portal.
Amendment 60 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) Special attention should be given to ensuring that the activities supported by the European Solidarity Corps are accessible to all young peopleEuropeans, notably the most disadvantaged ones. Special measures should be in place to promote social inclusion, the participation of disadvantaged young people, as well as to take into account the constraints imposed by the remoteness of a number of rural areas and of the outermost regions of the Union and the Overseas Countries and Territories. Similarly, the participating countries should endeavour to adopt all appropriate measures to remove legal and administrative obstacles to the proper functioning of the European Solidarity Corps. This should resolve, where possible, and without prejudice to the Schengen acquis and Union law on the entry and residence of third-country nationals, administrative issues that create difficulties in obtaining visas and residence permits, as well as the issuing of a European Health Insurance Card in the case of cross-border activities within the European Union.
Amendment 64 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 33
Recital 33
(33) In order to maximise the impact of the European Solidarity Corps, provisions should be made to allow participating European countries and other Union programmes to make additional capped funding available in accordance with the rules of the European Solidarity Corps.
Amendment 68 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 40
Recital 40
Amendment 70 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 46
Recital 46
(46) In order to simplify requirements for beneficiaries, simplified grants in the form of lump-sums, unit-costs and flat-rate funding should be used to the maximum possible extent. The simplified grants to support the mobility actions of the Programme, as defined by the Commission, should take into account the living and subsistence costs of the host country, while ensuring that this simplification does not lead to a risk of funds being misused or misappropriated. In accordance with national law, Member States should also be encouraged to exempt those grants from any taxes and social levies. The same exemption should apply to public or private entities awarding such financial support to the individuals concerned.
Amendment 71 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 50
Recital 50
Amendment 74 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) ‘solidarity activity’ means a high- quality temporary activity contributing to the achievement of the objectives of the European Solidarity Corps, which may take the form of volunteering, traineeships, jobs, solidarity projects and networking activities in various fields, including those referred to in paragraph 13, ensuring the European added value and compliance with health and safety regulations, and taking place in the European Union;
Amendment 75 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
(2) ‘registered candidate’ means an individual aged between 17 and 3025 years, with no criminal record, and who has registered in the European Solidarity Corps Portal to express the interest to engage in a solidarity activity but is not yet participating in such activity;
Amendment 77 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5
(5) ‘participating organisation’ means any European public or private entity, whether local, regional, national or internationalEuropean, that has been attributed the European Solidarity Corps quality label;
Amendment 79 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 7
(7) ‘traineeship’ means a solidarity activity for a period from twoone to six months, renewable once and for a maximum duration of 12 months, that is offered and paid by the participating organisation hosting the European Solidarity Corps participant;
Amendment 87 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
(8) ‘job’ means a solidarity activity for a period from 23 to 12 months, paid by the participating organisation employing the European Solidarity Corps participant;
Amendment 88 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9
(9) ‘solidarity project’ means an unpaid in-country solidarity activity for a period of up to 12 months, carried out by groups of at least five European Solidarity Corps participants, with a view to addressing key challenges within their national communities while presenting a clear European added value;
Amendment 94 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 13
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 13
(13) ‘humanitarian aid activity’ means an activity supporting humanitarian aid operations in thirdEuropean countries intended to provide needs-based emergency assistance aimed at preserving life, preventing and alleviating human suffering, and maintaining human dignity in the face of man-made crises or natural disasters, including assistance, relief and protection operations in humanitarian crises or their immediate aftermath, supporting measures to ensure access to people in need and to facilitate the free flow of assistance, as well as actions aimed at reinforcing disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction, linking relief, rehabilitation and development, and contributing towards strengthening resilience and capacity to cope with, and recover from crises;
Amendment 95 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 15
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 15
Amendment 100 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. The specific objective of the Programme is to provide young people, including those with fewer opportunities, with easily accessible opportunities for engagement in solidarity activities in Europe and abroad while improving and properly validating their competences as well as facilitating their employability and transition into the labour market.
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
Amendment 134 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point b
Amendment 135 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point c
Amendment 136 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point d
Amendment 137 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 4
Article 14 – paragraph 4
Amendment 145 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2
Article 16 – paragraph 2
2. An application from an entity to become a European Solidarity Corps participating organisation shall be assessed by the competent implementing body of the European Solidarity Corps on the basis of the principles of equal treatment; equal treatment; equal opportunities and non- discrimination; avoidance of job substitution; provision of high quality activities with learning dimension focusing on personal, socio-educational and professional development; adequate training, working and volunteering arrangements; safe and decent environment and conditions; rejection of humanitarian tourism; and the ‘no-profit principle’ in compliance with the Financial Regulation. The above principles ascertain whether its activities meet the requirements of the European Solidarity Corps.
Amendment 150 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 2
Article 21 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall implement information and communication actions relating to the Programme, and its actions and results. FinancialThe resources allocated to the Programme shall also contribute to the corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, as far as they are related to the objectives referred to in Article 3communication shall not exceed 10% of the total budget of the European Solidarity Corps.
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 27 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
The Head of the European Union Delegation shall be responsible for security risk control measures and the information on the European Solidarity Corps portal concerning the security situation in a third country making it dangerous to send volunteers.
Amendment 154 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 a (new)
Article 27 a (new)
Article 27a Protection of young people In line with the precautionary principle, organisations which have been involved in recent sexual scandals shall not be able to host volunteers, trainees or employees receiving grants under this programme.
Amendment 159 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Annex – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) number and share of unemployed participants three months before and three months after the period of participation in the programme.