35 Amendments of Liliana RODRIGUES related to 2018/2119(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Acknowledges that the EU economy is continuing to grow, employment has risen considerably and the investment gap brought about by the crisis has almost closdiminished; points out nevertheless that vulnerabilities persist, the economy remains fragile, growth has not benefited everyone equally, and regional and territorial disparities are still a key issue of concern;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
(1a) Points out that economic growth remains vulnerable to continued geopolitical tensions and persisting uncertainties surrounding the Union’s future relations with the UK, which is having an impact on global and European trade; notes that certain European regions are particularly exposed to the impact of Brexit; stresses that one of the European Semester objectives should be to minimise the adverse impact of Brexit in the various European regions;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Stresses that the EU should support the postulated recovery with economic policies that protect public services and improve the quality and accessibility of services of general interest;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Recalls that, in 2017, public investment as a percentage of GDP in the EU (2.7%) and in the euro area (2.6%) was well below the average for the last ten years (3.2% and 3.0%, respectively); notes that, for this reason, public investment must be significantly boosted to compensate for the years of decline triggered by the financial crisis and meet the urgent need for investment in infrastructure and public services; observes that public investment remains a priority and should not be undermined by efforts to promote public-private partnerships;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Notes that, according to the European Investment Bank (EIB), EU investment in infrastructure is still 20% lower than the pre-crisis level, 34% of municipalities having indicated that it is failing to meet their requirements, while the EU needs annual infrastructural investment of at least € 335 billion annually;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1e. Points out that implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) should focus on improving living conditions and achieving sustainable growth, not just debt relief;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 f (new)
Paragraph 1 f (new)
1f. Notes that the best response to citizens' concerns is to support a rise in real earnings and seek more investment to create quality jobs, boost domestic demand and ensure a fairer distribution of the wealth generated; considers that the EU should contribute to the flexibility of the Stability and Growth Pact by creating fiscal space for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 g (new)
Paragraph 1 g (new)
1g. Recalls that workforce ageing is likely to be a significant drag on European productivity growth over the next few decades; calls on the Member States accordingly to implement structural reforms to increase the birth rate and encourage the entry of women and migrants on the labour market;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 h (new)
Paragraph 1 h (new)
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 i (new)
Paragraph 1 i (new)
1i. Points out that European Semester should, as a matter of priority, contribute to the realisation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and monitor the delivery of its 20 key principles, with particular emphasis on ensuring equality of treatment and opportunities between women and men, social protection, access to all essential services, the right to equal pay for work of equal value, and the right to affordable care services of good quality;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 j (new)
Paragraph 1 j (new)
1j. Calls for the macroeconomic imbalance scoreboard to include social indicators also, which must be placed on an equal footing with economic indicators;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 k (new)
Paragraph 1 k (new)
1k. Points to the importance of maintaining the focus of the European Semester on delivering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, with greater coordination of national and EU policy, in order to create more good-quality jobs in the EU and reduce pay and pension gaps;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 l (new)
Paragraph 1 l (new)
1l. Points out that the European Semester must contribute consistently to the elimination of inequalities and disparities, in particular of a social, economic and territorial nature between the different regions of the EU; stresses that the continuing geographical imbalance in EIB investments is unacceptable, and that it is of great concern that, in 2017, half the Member States received 80% total EIB investment in the EU, while the other 14 Member States received only 10 %;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 m (new)
Paragraph 1 m (new)
1m. Recalls that the European Semester should highlight the importance of stepping up measures to combat tax evasion and fraud, thereby generating public investment funding and additional resources to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 n (new)
Paragraph 1 n (new)
1n. Stresses that ageing populations should prompt governments to invest more in protecting older people and not less, as suggested by the Stability and Growth Pact, that public investment in health should be proportional to need, that accessibility to healthcare should be assessed regularly, taking into account average individual available income and the impact on households; that measures must be taken to promote and monitor investment in preventive healthcare, which is essential in an ageing society;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 o (new)
Paragraph 1 o (new)
1o. Stresses that low earnings in Europe remain a challenge, that the concentration of workers at the lower end of the wage scale and high poverty rates are a clear sign of wage-setting policies and that the gender pay gap, coupled with precarious employment, especially among young people, remains a serious problem that needs to be resolved urgently;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 p (new)
Paragraph 1 p (new)
1p. Stresses that the European Semester should focus on increasing productivity through increased investment in infrastructure, education and training, health and research and innovation and that greater productivity should be reflected in increased pay;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 q (new)
Paragraph 1 q (new)
1q. Stresses that the European Semester should include a thorough analysis of the medium and long-term labour market impact of technological change; points out that, while technological change can create opportunities for new or better jobs and safer workplaces, it is today frequently associated with the elimination of jobs or the creation of precarious jobs;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 r (new)
Paragraph 1 r (new)
1r. Points out that the European Semester should take into account the promotion of access to effective social protection in line with the relevant principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights, that Member States must be encouraged to take the necessary measures to remove obstacles to workers' enjoyment of social protection rights and create comprehensive social protection systems and that the European Semester should therefore monitor Member States' progress in adopting legislation and developing systems that guarantee access to social protection for all;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 s (new)
Paragraph 1 s (new)
1s. Stresses that the social and economic development of the EU depends on adherence to our fundamental values;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 t (new)
Paragraph 1 t (new)
1t. Stresses that one of the priorities of the European Semester must be to protect and support populations and territories suffering the adverse effects of globalisation (relocation, job losses);
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls for the European Semester to include poverty eradication as one of its priorities, as indicated in the Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Urges that the impact of research and innovation policies on the development and economic and social growth of the Member States be evaluated;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Emphasises that the degree of involvement of the social partners at national level is still low and that the Commission and Member State governments should do more to ensure that they are consulted;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Recommends that the European Semester actively contribute to the strengthening of cohesion policy, which has played a substantial role in the recovery of the EU economy by promoting smart, sustainable and inclusive growth;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Points out that public investment in the EU is still below its pre-crisis level, with major gaps in some of the countries most affected by the crisis as the public investment in the EU fell from 3.4 % of GDP in 2008 to 2.7 % in 2016;
Amendment 49 #
4. Welcomes the proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the strengthened links between cohesion policy and the European Semester process for delivering sustainable and inclusive growth, paying particular attention to outermost, remote, least developed or underpopulated regions;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls for the European Semester to actively contribute to meeting, in a sustainable manner, the demographic challenges (ageing, population loss, demographic pressure, inability to attract or retain adequate human capital) that are affecting European regions in a variety of specific ways; stresses in particular the need to provide adequate support to certain territories such as a number of outermost regions;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses the importance of continuing and stepping up ESF+ support for the Youth Guarantee, of the Youth Employment Initiative and of the European Solidarity Corps, in view of their role in meeting the challenges of employment, economic growth, social inclusion, learning and vocational training;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that there is a need for further simplification and greater flexibility among Union funds, programmes and instruments to make EU funding for strategic investment projects simpler and, more efficient and geographically balanced.
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses the need to take into account the provisions of Article 349 TFEU regarding specific measures to meet the challenges facing the outermost regions owing to their geographical remoteness, insularity, small size, difficult topography and climate, and economic dependence on a few products;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Notes that cohesion policy must aim to promote the harmonious and balanced development of the whole Union and its regions, leading to a strengthening of its economic, social and territorial cohesion, in a spirit of solidarity and with the aim of promoting sustainable growth, employment, social inclusion and reducing disparities between and within regions, as well as the backwardness of the least-favoured regions;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Points out that the 7th Cohesion Report draws attention to the great diversity of regions and territories, including those in the current categories, owing to their specific circumstances (ultra-peripheral location, sparse population, low income, low growth, etc.), making a tailored territorial approach essential;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Calls for the European Semester to support European territorial cooperation (ETC) in all its dimensions (cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation, both internal and external), thereby ensuring action to meet the overall objectives of economic, social and territorial cohesion objectives, as well as contributing to solidarity;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6e. Reiterates the importance of the implementation of macroregional strategies in achieving cohesion policy objectives;