91 Amendments of Lampros FOUNTOULIS
Amendment 5 #
2017/2043(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that growth is the key to more jobs and increased prosperity, while always giving priority to safeguarding workers' rights and focusing on the creation of quality jobs, and that it is necessary to direct the structural funds more effectively towards promoting growth;
Amendment 15 #
2017/2043(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that youth unemployment rates remain very high in the Union, despite the actions taken to date, which have not proved to be particularly effective, and that the situation of unemployed young people, especially NEETS (not in education, employment, or training), is particularly worrying; emphasises that, in order to address this issue, it is of the utmost importance to ensure the proper and timely funding of the Youth Guarantee schemes through the European Youth Initiative and the European Social Fund;
Amendment 22 #
2017/2043(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the importance of sufficient funding and good budgetary management and control of the programmes within the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework that aim to address unemployment, poverty and social exclusion, such as the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), the different axes of the Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) and the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD); insists, therefore, that for 2018 these programmes’ resources should at least be maintained at the levels of the previous EU budget;
Amendment 27 #
2017/2043(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes the view that the EU budget should also support vocational training and professional qualification measures, but points out that training alone will not solve the unemployment problem; highlights, in this respect, that proper funding for the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) is paramount;
Amendment 36 #
2017/2043(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Points out that micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises are a major source of employment in the Union and that one of the main problems in setting up such enterprises and keeping them going is that of obtaining finance; underlines that the 2018 budget should support measures promoting entrepreneurship in those enterprises, provided that this funding is closely linked to the creation of new jobs, including social entrepreneurship and innovative social enterprises and self- employment; stresses, in this respect, that the budget 2018 should in particular facilitate access to micro- credits available through the microfinance and social entrepreneurship axis of the Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) programme;
Amendment 40 #
2017/2043(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Urges that financial support be provided for programmes creating jobs for those with multiple disadvantages on the labour market, such as the long-term unemployed, and people with disabilities and people from minority backgrounds;
Amendment 26 #
2017/0035(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) That discretion ishould, however, significantbe extremely reduced in cases relating to the authorisation of products or substances, such asespecially in the area of genetically modified food and feed, as the Commission is obliged to adopt a decision within a reasonable time and cannot abstain from taking a decision.
Amendment 14 #
2015/2324(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital Β
Recital Β
Β. whereas specific answers need to be found to the problems of globalisation, the economic crisis, the ageing population, ‘brain drain’, climate change, large-scale natural hazards, the energy challenge, seasonal fluctuations and multiple jobs;
Amendment 24 #
2015/2324(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital Γ
Recital Γ
C. whereas free movement of persoEuropean citizens is a prerequisite to reaching the goals of economic, social, territorial and environmental cohesion in order to achieve strong and sustainable competitiveness and make equal access to employment possible;
Amendment 54 #
2015/2324(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that multi-skills and also specialist training and training courses that match the needs of the labour market and its strategic sectors should be encouraged, with specific training centres and an online multilingual regional job centre in particular;
Amendment 176 #
2015/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls for the exchange of good practices between countries, public organisations and private undertakings in vocational education and the development of skills enabling access to the labour market to be enhanced;
Amendment 210 #
2015/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recalls that traineeships and apprenticeships shouldmust lead to employment and; condemns theany abuse of such arrangements;
Amendment 238 #
2015/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that skills development should also be considered as a mechanism leading to equal opportunities for people from disadvantaged groups, in particular for(a) children and young people from families affected by poverty, the long-term unemployed, including second-generation unemployed, immigrants and people with disabilities; stresses that prevention as well as support and counselling at an early stage are of the outmost importance, because although enabling people who are at a disadvantage to develop skills and to enter the labour market requires time and resources it is also socially and economically profitableparticularly in countries suffering from the economic crisis, (b) the long-term and second-generation unemployed, (c) legal migrants and, finally, (d) those with any kind of disability;
Amendment 252 #
2015/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Stresses that prevention, support and advisory services at an early stage are all of major importance, along with facilities for those in need to develop a wide variety of skills to enter the labour market, as well as participating in 'lifelong learning' programmes, from which they should not be excluded, notwithstanding the major investment in time and money required, bearing in mind the major long-term social and economic benefits thereof;
Amendment 262 #
2015/2088(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes that young people, raised in an era of rapid technological progress and development have not only potential, talents and skills in the new technologies, but also values and priorities that differ from theose of previous generation, ands; it is therefore it is worthwhile stressing the need for the creation of programmes and initiatives that wouldseeking to bridge the gap between generations while; notes that this will also help ing to understanding the younger generation’s assets, which includfor example multitasking, creativity, readiness to change and teamwork; stresses that, above all, teamwork which demonstrably produce quicker and better results; stresses also that all education and training systems without exception should be flexible enough to allow for the full development of the skills and talents of those people in this category; emphasises moreover that recruitment and employment services staff should be well trained and equipped with skills that would give them a betterfull understanding of Generation Y; stresses finally that job offers and recruitment strategies should be adjusted with a view to the potential of Generation Y; ·
Amendment 71 #
2015/0263(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Several Member States have been undergoing and continue to undergo adjustment processes to correct macroeconomic imbalances accumulated in the past as a result of mistaken policy decisions by both Member States and European institutions and many are facing the challenge of low potential growth. The Union has identified the implementation of structural reforms among its policy priorities to set the recovery on a genuinely sustainable path, unlock the growth potential to strengthen the adjustment capacity, and support the process of convergence, while taking account of the difficulties being encountered by many European citizens.
Amendment 80 #
2015/0263(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Reforms are by their very nature complex processes that require a complete chain of highly-specialised knowledge and skills. Addressing structural reforms in a variety of public policy areas is challenging since their benefits often take time to materialise. Therefore, early and efficient design and implementation is crucial, be it for crisis-struck or structurally-weak economies. In this context, the provision of support by the Union in the form of technical assistance has been crucial in supporting the economic adjustment of Greece and Cyprus in the last years, while concrete results have to date been lacking.
Amendment 87 #
2015/0263(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Member States may benefit from support in addressing challenges as regards the design and implementation of structural reforms. These challenges may be dependent on various factors, including limited administrative and institutional capacity or inadequate application and implementation of Union legislation. At the same time, some of the structural reforms proposed should be reviewed, since they have not, in the final analysis, produced the expected benefits.
Amendment 107 #
2015/0263(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Against this background, it is necessary to establish a Structural Reform Support Programme ('the Programme') with the objective of strengthening the capacity of Member States to prepare and implement growth-enhancing administrative and structural reforms, including through assistance for the efficient and effective use of the Union funds. The Programme is intended to contribute to the achievement of common goals towards obtaining economic recovery, job creation, boosting Europe's competitiveness and stimulating investment in the real economy, while constantly respecting the acquired status and the rights of workers and preventing any further deterioration of living standards, which would, in the long run, undermine the economy.
Amendment 115 #
2015/0263(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Support under the Programme should be provided by the Commission upon request by a Member State, in areas such as budget and taxation, public function, institutional and administrative reforms, the justice system, anti-fraud, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering, business environment, private sector development, investment, competition, public procurement, privatization processes, access to finance, investment, trade, sustainable development, innovation, education and training, labour policies, public health, asylum, migration policies, agriculture and rural development and financial sector policies. In any case, it is the Member States that best know their own economic circumstances and they should accordingly retain the right to modify or not to implement specific proposed reforms.
Amendment 165 #
2015/0263(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) In the event of unforeseen and duly justified grounds of urgency requiring immediate response, such as a serious disturbance in the economy or significant circumstances seriously affecting the economic or social conditions in a Member State going beyond its control, upon request of a Member State and in cooperation with it, , the Commission should be able to adopt special measures, for a limited proportion of the annual work programme, in accordance with objectives and actions eligible under the Programme to support the national authorities in addressing the urgent needs.
Amendment 176 #
2015/0263(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) To facilitate the evaluation of the Programme, a proper framework for continuously monitoring the results achieved by the Programme should be put in place from the very beginning. A mid- term evaluation looking at the achievement of the objectives of the Programme, its efficiency and its added value at the European level should be carried out. A final evaluation should, in addition, deal with the long– term impact and the sustainability effects of the Programme. Those evaluations should be based on the indicators, measuring the effects of the Programme.
Amendment 182 #
2015/0263(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation as regards the adoption of the multi-annual and annual work programmes, specific and clearly defined implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission.
Amendment 2 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14
Citation 14
— having regard to its resolution of 4 July 2013 on the impact of the crisis on access to care for socially vulnerable groups 3, __________________ 3 Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0328.
Amendment 127 #
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 directed to children, but also to parents (such as unemployment benefits) and to promote. As regards parents, recommends the promotion of special labour laws that guarantee social rights and security to families and fight both precarious employmentand undeclared employment, also taking care to pay appropriate benefits as and when deemed necessary;
Amendment 145 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recommends that Member States implement and/or enhance existing universal welfare benefits targeting children as antheir intrinsic right of the childand inalienable right;
Amendment 161 #
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, especially in countries which have been hit by the economic crisis and have already taken strict measures which in turn have resulted in staff and spending cuts with depressing consequences on all their social groups, causing chronic suffering primarily among young people and children;
Amendment 187 #
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 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 and also to encourage the adoption of regulations and policies that ensure that the above sectors are prioritised;
Amendment 188 #
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 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 proper use of those appropriations and if children are a priority in the programming and implementation of regional and cohesion policies;
Amendment 199 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recommends that Member States' national budgets contain visible and transparent provisions for costs to combat child poverty ands well as to fulfil their duty to protect children from poverty and need, thereby safeguarding a minimum level of decent existence;
Amendment 209 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on Member States to introduce legislation to protect orand increase maternity and paternity rights and to pay particular attention to families with children with special needs;
Amendment 219 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recommends that Member States develop proactive social policies that prevent poverty and the departure of children from their family environment, ensuring that it is not through poverty and the fact that their parents cannot afford to raise them that children are institutionalised;
Amendment 235 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recommends that Member States guarantee all children access to free, quality public education at all ages, including early childhood, and establish appropriate teacher-student ratiosbetter teacher-student ratios, given that often teachers are charged with teaching overly large classes, which impacts on the quality of their work;
Amendment 251 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recommends that Member States provide free school materials and school transportation during school hours and free meals as and when deemed necessary, in order to reduce the problem of malnutrition in schools;
Amendment 258 #
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, guaranteeing women the right to sexual and reproductive health by, free checks during pregnancy, by also ensuring health care for babies, maternity care in the pre- and post-natal care period, particularly in the case of premature birth, access to family doctors, dentists and mental health specialists for all children and for persons with special needs, and integrate these aspects into national and the EU public health strategies;
Amendment 269 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recommends that Member States provide the necessary support with infrastructures and means to ensure the right to culture, access to sport and leisure for all children, with a focus on children from families in poverty, children in remote, deprived or outermost areas, and children with disabilities, and migrants;
Amendment 279 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on Member States, particularly those wherehit by the economic crisis over recent years as a result of which social inequalities are greater, to strengthen social rights that the state must guarantee, increasing the number of employees and technicians in social security services, and increasmproving the medical, psychological and social care of children;
Amendment 308 #
2014/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Recommends and urges that new research and studies to measure child poverty be carried out annually, taking account of the constant change in indicators due to the particular social situation caused by the crisis;
Amendment 286 #
2014/2228(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Is deeply concerned about the lack of transparency in the negotiations, and urges the Commission to give all Members of the European Parliament, Members of National Parliaments, as well as all European citizens, access to the negotiation texts, in particular the consolidated ones.
Amendment 9 #
2014/2223(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes the view that it is appropriate to make forest protection, conservation and management incentives part of the strategy, and welcomes the Commission communication on a new European forest strategy, bearing in mind that – with due regard to the subsidiarity principle – there is a need for a comprehensive and consistent joint strategy to prevent and manage forest disasters;
Amendment 62 #
2014/2223(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 3 – point 1 (new)
(1) Considers important to provide for not only the conservation and management of existing forests but also the reforestation of deforested areas; considers that separate reference must also be made to the need for widespread reforestation in areas that have been affected by recurring forest fires;
Amendment 87 #
2014/2223(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses the need for joint action against illegal logging and development activity in forest areas, in both the Union and third countries;
Amendment 102 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission to introduce a much-needed, expansionary economic policy to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to create quality jobs, to emphasise on social investment and to create quality jobs in the Eurozone through productive investment and increased productivity; stresses that low inflation is already increasing real interest rates as well as real public and private debt, which, together with high unemployment, depresses growth and increases poverty;
Amendment 147 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to prioritise and monitoring investments in economically weaker regions suffering from high unemployment, and in SMEs in such regions, given their very limited access to financing, to ensure that these efforts have a meaningful impact where they are most needed;
Amendment 218 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that decisive investment plans for growth and job creation can only be fully realised if they are coupled with national reforms that enhance quality labour participation, boost productivity and develop human capital; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce internal flexibility measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, and provide unemployment benefit schemes that are based on activation requirements and linked to reintegration policies;
Amendment 232 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission to design tailor-made policies to support quality job creation for the long-term unemployed, senior unemployed people, women and other priority groups hit especially hard by the crisis, such as immigrantyouths or people with disabilities, and to support the establishment of contractual arrangements combating labour market segmentation;
Amendment 306 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Welcomes the reduction in youth unemployment rates in some member- states, but points out that they are still alarming; stresses that job insecurity and underemployment have also risen, and that 43 % of the young find themselves working under precarious conditions, on involuntary part-time contracts or as bogus self-employed;
Amendment 321 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
Amendment 342 #
2014/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Given the number of workers, particularly young people, who are now leaving their countries of origin for other Member States in search of employment opportunities, there is an urgent need to develop appropriate measures to guarantee that no worker is left uncovered by social and labour rights protection; calls, in this regard, on the Commission and the Member States to further improve EU labour mobility while upholding the principle of equal treatment and safeguarding wages and social standards; calls on each Member State to establish social and employment policies for equal rights and equal pay at the same place of work;
Amendment 89 #
2014/2204(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that the response of the Member States and the Commission has been slow and insufficient, and that financial support was shy and did not respond to the severity of the alerts that NGOs such as Médecins Sans Frontières and others have launched since the beginning of the epidemic; considers that the scaling-up of the Commission’s financial commitment should be stronger in terms of humanitarian and development aid to respond to the crisis; considers it necessary to increase the availability and the volume of financial resources;
Amendment 104 #
2014/2204(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that the current crisis cannot be solved by health systems alone, but that a concerted approach involving different sectors (healthcare, education and training, sanitation, food aid, drinking water) is needed to address the critical gaps in all essential services; stresses that education, understood in a comprehensive way (also covering the cultural dimension and beliefs of these countries), and and training, not only in terms of understanding and addressing the current Ebola outbreak, is key;
Amendment 131 #
2014/2204(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to strengthen the health systems in the West African countries affected; stresses that Ebola is definitely a disease with a high mortality rate, but that there are other fatal diseases in the area that should be treated as well (such as malaria); considers that the EU should invest in and encourage capacity building in the field in order to address the problem of the weak health systems, so that local staff may be provided with the training and adequate resources to face future epidemics (Ebola or any other illness); considers that the efforts of third party donors should be channelled into building up capacity in the field;
Amendment 141 #
2014/2204(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for educational and informative actions to be taken to raise awareness of symptoms and preventive measures in order to facilitate trust and popular cooperation with anti-Ebola measures, as information, compliance with health rules and communication constitute an important aspect of prevention and of the fight against the Ebola outbreak; points out that the situation created in some Member States following the arrival of possible cases of Ebola has shown that a campaign of information and more effective communication is needed in Europe;
Amendment 8 #
2014/2153(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the challenges posed by climate change, energy efficiency and renewable energy targets, a sustainable energy mix, energy security and the development of innovative energy technologies can only be met with a unified strategy on energy security issues;
Amendment 65 #
2014/2153(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Maintains that energy saving and energy efficiency are the fast and cost-effective routes to addressing issues such as energy security, external dependence, high prices and environmental concerns; underlines the potential for both in specific sectors such as buildings and transport;
Amendment 50 #
2014/2152(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that the unequal division of family responsibilities is at the root of the unequal position of women in the labour market; stresses that reconciliation of work and home duties is a key condition for gender equality, which should be promoted by investment in care infrastructure and encouragement of men’s participation in domestic labour by means of legislation on parental and paternity leave and flexible working time arrangements; Provisions should be made in order to increase the number of places in childcare centres, both in the public and the private sector, and to ensure their opening hours are in line with the parents’ working hours, so that couples need not worry about the care and development of their children while they are at work;
Amendment 103 #
2014/2152(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights the high levels of undeclared work, which negatively impact on women’s social security and the EU’s GDP levels; cis usually observed among women who work from home to contribute to family income. Moreover, highlights that the high levels of undeclared work negatively impact on women’s social security and the EU’s GDP levels, while making it easier for some employers to evade taxes and contributions. Calls for the creation of incentives for employers and workers to move from the informal to the formal economy.
Amendment 33 #
2014/2150(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that when evaluations and fitness checks of environmental, food safety and health legislation are carried out, environmental and health considerations must be given at least the same weight as economic considerations;·
Amendment 56 #
2014/2150(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes with astonishment and displeasure the Commission’s announcement that it intends to withdraw the proposal on the revision of waste legislation and to modify the proposal on the reduction of national emissions;
Amendment 74 #
2014/2150(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Deplores strongly the fact that the Commission considered withdrawing its proposal for a directive on plastic bags after the conclusion of an agreement by the co- legislators;
Amendment 53 #
2014/2145(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the European Semester to be strengthened and deepened as ain effective way ofa bid to 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 and targeted structural reform in order to link the market economy with social progress;·
Amendment 68 #
2014/2145(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Proposes that joint meetings between the EPSCO Council and the Ecofin Council be held with a view to promoting coordinated socio-economic policies geared towards strengthening healthy competitivenesson in Europe and giving growth and jobs, especially for young people, a sustainable boost;
Amendment 90 #
2014/2145(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission, in tandem with the EIB, to make it easier for SMEs – the main sources of jobs in Europe – to access financing from the European Fund for Strategic Investments, in connection with the European Investment Fund, while at the same time keeping the situation under review and ensuring that the funds are managed properly;
Amendment 102 #
2014/2145(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. With a view to improving the effectiveness and focus of budget policies, calls on the Member States to press ahead with their efforts to modernise their labour markets and social security systems; with this in mind, encourages them to share best practices, investing in people and enhancing European solidarity;
Amendment 116 #
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 resources in an effective and focused way via the introduction of the youth employment initiative, and recommends that cross-border mobility be supported via the development of the EURES portal as a vector for youth , providing job-creation incentives in Member States with particularly high unemployment levels;
Amendment 1 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that the Court of Auditors Report shows a slight decrease in the estimated error rate for the area of Employment and Social Affairs, which stood at 3.1% in 2013 compared to 3.2% in the previous year; notes that this error rate was still the second lowest amongst all policy areas;
Amendment 4 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises the importance ofcontribution made by the European Social Fund (ESF) as a main policy tool to implement employment and social policy; notes that ESF spending accounted for around 98% of the policy area spending in 2013;
Amendment 10 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 15 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the new guidance developed by the Commission in order to further strengthen the reliability of management verifications in the 2014-2020 programming period. This guidance has beenshould have been already presented to Member States and will been issued inby the end of the second half of 2014; ·
Amendment 17 #
2014/2075(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 108 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) In the light of the experience acquired and following the assessment by the Commission of the functioning of the market for veterinary medicinal products, the legal framework for veterinary medicinal products should be adapted to scientific progress, the current market conditions and economic reality, with respect for animals, nature and their interaction with man.
Amendment 113 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The scope of the mandatory use of a centralised authorisation procedure under which the authorisations are valid throughout the Union should cover inter alia products containing new active substances and products which contain or consist of engineered tissues or cells. Thought should also be given to medicinal products that may be developed in the future and care should be taken to lay down, in advance, a legal framework to support their development and, at the same time, ensure that they comply with Union regulations. At the same time, in order to ensure the widest possible availability of veterinary medicinal products in the Union, the centralised authorisation procedure should be extended to allow for applications for authorisations under that procedure to be submitted for any veterinary medicinal product, including for generics of nationally authorised veterinary medicinal products. Particular care must be taken in all cases to control generics, in order to ensure that they meet high quality standards.
Amendment 114 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The national procedure for authorising veterinary medicinal products should be maintained because of varying needs in different geographical areas of the Union as well as the business models of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). It should be ensured that marketing authorisations granted in one Member State are recognised in other Member States.
Amendment 116 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In order to avoid unnecessary administrative and financial burdens for applicants and competent authorities, a full in-depth assessment of an application for the authorisation of a veterinary medicinal product should be carried out only once. It is appropriate therefore to lay down special procedures for the mutual recognition of national authorisations.
Amendment 117 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) However, there may be situations where no suitable authorised veterinary medicinal product is available. In those situations, by way of exception, veterinarians should be allowed to prescribe other medicinal products to the animals under their responsibility in conformity with strict rules and in the interest of animal health or animal welfare only. In case of food-producing animals, veterinarians should ensure that an appropriate withdrawal period is prescribed, so that harmful residues of those medicinal products do not enter the food chain, and particular care must therefore be taken when administering antibiotics to food- producing animals.
Amendment 121 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
Amendment 124 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) Taking into account the need for simple rules on changes to the marketing authorisations of veterinary medicinal products, only changes that may affect animalpublic health, publicanimal health or the environment should require a scientific assessment. That scientific assessment should be carried out as quickly as possible, in order to prevent problems to the business of undertakings and livestock holdings.
Amendment 127 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) Companies have less interest in developing veterinary medicinal products for markets of a limited size. In order to promote the availability of veterinary medicinal products within the Union for those markets, in some cases it should be possible to grant marketing authorisations without a complete application dossier having been submitted, on the basis of a benefit-risk assessment of the situation and, where necessary, subject to specific obligations. In particular, this should be possible in the case of veterinary medicinal products for use in minor species or for the treatment or prevention of diseases that occur infrequently or in limited geographical areas. Any such authorisation should be revoked if a full dossier is not submitted within a short space of time.
Amendment 131 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) Certain particulars and documents that are normally to be submitted with an application for a marketing authorisation shoulneed not be required if a veterinary medicinal product is a generic medicinal product of a veterinary medicinal product that is authorised or has been authorised in the Union. However, care should be taken to ensure that the medicinal product meets European standards.
Amendment 139 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 30
Recital 30
(30) In order to avoid unnecessary administrative and financial burdens both for the competent authorities and for the pharmaceutical industry, as a general rule a marketing authorisation for a veterinary medicinal product should be granted for an unlimiappropriated period of time. Conditions for renewing the approval of a marketingAll authorisations should be imposed only exceptionally and should be duly justifiedreviewed, especially if new scientific data come to light.
Amendment 141 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 31
Recital 31
(31) It is recognised that, in some cases, a scientific risk assessment alone cannot provide all the information on which a risk management decision should be based, and other relevant factors should also be taken into account including societal, economical, ethical, environmental and welfare factors and the feasibility of controls.
Amendment 159 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 38
Recital 38
(38) If an antimicrobial is administered and used incorrectly, this presents a risk to public or animal health. Therefore antimicrobial veterinary medicinal products should only be available on veterinary prescription. Persons having the right to prescribe have a key role in ensuring prudent use of antimicrobials and consequently they should not be influenced, directly or indirectly, by economic incentives when prescribing those products. Therefore the supply of veterinary antimicrobials by those health professionalsem should be restricted to the amount required for treatment of the animals under their care.
Amendment 173 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 41
Recital 41
(41) The majority of the veterinary medicinal products on the market have been authorised under national procedures. The lack of harmonisation of summary of product characteristics for veterinary medicinal products authorised nationally in more than one Member State creates additional and unnecessary barriers for the circulation of veterinary medicinal products within the Union. It is necessary to harmonise those summaries of product characteristics. In order to avoid unnecessary costs and burdens for the Member States, the Commission and the pharmaceutical industry, and in order to increase the availability of veterinary medicinal products as fast as possible, it should be possible to harmonise summaries of the products characteristics for certain veterinary medicinal products in accordance with an administrative procedure, while taking on board the risk to public and animal health and to the environment. This harmonisation exercise should cover veterinary medicinal products authorised before 200418. __________________ 18 Directive 2004/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 amending Directive 2001/82/EC on the Community code relating to veterinary medicinal products (OJ L 136, 30.4.2004, p. 58).
Amendment 174 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 42
Recital 42
(42) In order to reduce administrative burden and maximise the availability of veterinary medicinal products in the Member States, simplified rules should be laid down as to how their packaging and labelling are to be presented. The textual information provided should be reduced and, if possible, replaced by pictograms and abbreviations. Pictograms and abbreviations should be standardised across the Union. Care should be taken so that those rules do not jeopardise public and animal health and environmental safety. Care should also be taken to ensure that the new, simplified presentation does not result in deliberate concealment of important information on the medicinal product.
Amendment 175 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 44
Recital 44
Amendment 176 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 47
Recital 47
(47) Holders of marketing authorisations should be responsible for continuously carrying out pharmacovigilance of the veterinary medicinal products they place on the market. They should collect reports on adverse events relating to their products, including those concerning use outside the terms of the granted marketing authorisation. However, final responsibility and competence for pharmacovigilance must rest in all cases with the Member States.
Amendment 178 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 49
Recital 49
(49) It is necessary, in specific cases, or from a public health and animal health perspective, to complement the safety and efficacy data available at the time of authorisation with additional information following the placing of the product on the market. Therefore the obligation to finance the conduct of post-authorisation studies under the supervision of the authorities should be imposed on the marketing authorisation holder.
Amendment 180 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 51
Recital 51
(51) It is necessary to exercise control over the entire chain of distribution of veterinary medicinal products, from manufacture or import into the Union through supply to the end-user. Veterinary medicinal products from third countries should comply with the same requirements which apply to products manufactured in the Union, or with requirements which are recognised to be at least equivalent thereto.
Amendment 184 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 56
Recital 56
(56) The conditions governing the supply of veterinary medicinal products to the public should be harmonised in the Union. Veterinary medicinal products should only be supplied by persons authorised to do so by the Member State where they are established. At the same time, in order to improve access to veterinary medicinal products in the Union, retailers that are authorised to supply veterinary medicinal products by the competent authority in the Member State where they are established should be allowed to sell prescription and non-prescription veterinary medicinal products, depending on the type of medicinal product, via the Internet to buyers in other Member States.
Amendment 190 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 57
Recital 57
(57) The illegal sale of veterinary medicinal products to the public via the Internet may represent a threat to public and animal health, as falsified or substandard medicines may reach the public in this way. It is necessary to address this threat. Account should be taken of the fact that specific conditions for supply of medicinal products to the public have not been harmonised at Union level and, therefore, Member States mayust impose conditions for supplying medicinal products to the public within the limits of the Treaty.
Amendment 193 #
2014/0257(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 58
Recital 58
(58) When examining the compatibility with Union law of the conditions for the supply of medicinal products, the Court of Justice of the European Union has recognised, in the context on medicinal products for human use, the very particular nature of medicinal products whose therapeutic effects distinguish them substantially from other goods. The Court of Justice has also held that health and life of humans rank foremost among the assets and interests protected by the Treaty and that it is for Member States to determine the level of protection which they wish to afford to public health and the way in which that level has to be achieved. Since that level may vary from one Member State to another, Member States must be allowed some discretion as regards the conditions for the supply on their territory of medicinal products to the public. Therefore Member States should be able to subject the supply of medicinal products offered for sale at a distance by means of information societyonline services to conditions justified by the protection of public health. Such conditions should not unduly restrict the functioning of the internal market.