15 Amendments of Bronis ROPĖ related to 2020/2039(INI)
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points out that Europe is manifestly experiencing population ageing and declining birth rates, affecting the dependency ratio and having negative effects on workforce growth, which is far behind the previous decade; warns of a visible decline of the labour force in eastern, southern and central European regions;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points to the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis and the possible medium- and long-term implications for labour market dynamics; underlines that self-isolation and social distancing measures have had visible effects on production, demand and trade, reducing economic activity and leading to higher levels of unemployment, a sharp decline in corporate incomes, and higher public deficits, and as a result, it can be predicted that, as after the 2008-2009 crisis a new wave of emigration of young people from EU Member States with the lowest wage levels and the strongest restrictions on economic activity will occur, which is likely to lead to a wave of bankruptcies of small and medium-sized enterprises, emigration in those Member States is likely to cause even more demographic concerns;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that in general rural, post- industrial and remote areas are facing a number of specific situations: a considerable decline in population numbers, also due to birth rates, lower than national or EU average levels of income and difficulties of territorial integration with other regions, making them more exposed to the risk of depopulation; points out that rural regions currently account for 28 % of Europe’s population but this is predicted to fall significantly in the future;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Draws attention to some of the drivers of demographic change, forcing inhabitants from the abovementioned areas to leave and discouraging others from moving there: poor infrastructure, including a lack of fast broadband internet and missing transport networks, fewer job opportunities, lack of public and private services and difficult access to health services, fewer education, utilities and social services opportunities, making it more difficult to adapt to technological change, and a lack of cultural venues and leisure activities;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines a pattern of ‘inner peripheralisation’, in the sense that eastern and southern European regions report a substantially negative net population migration rate, while northern and western European regions report a substantially positive rate, receiving constantly large numbers of economic migrants; ; considers that these disparities are also exacerbated by unbalanced common EU support policies, such as the common agricultural policy, which still has huge disparities in support for farmers in different EU regions;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that local and regional authorities should play a decisive role in developing territorial strategies, taking into consideration the development needs and the potential of the areas concerned, including the economic, social and demographic trends; points out that community-led local development strategies are a useful, but underfunded, tool that can be used to create jobs and increase accessibility to services at local level;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls the need for strategies aimed at reversing labour migration; calls on the national authorities, which could create the necessary conditions, local and regional authorities to tackle the brain drain in ‘sending’ regions through prevention, mitigation and appropriate responses; underlines in this context that there are already several initiatives in various Member States, such as incentives for workers with highly specialised skills, aimed at turning the brain drain into a brain gain for the regions in question;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls that the Recovery and Resilience Facility will provide large-scale financial support to make Member States’ economies more resilient and better prepared for the future, and insists that Member States should propose measures for addressing demographic change, in particular more support for human capital; highlights the importance of the instruments for a transition to sustainability such as the Just Transition Fund and its implementation mechanism, which aim to support the communities affected by the energy transition and avoid the risk of depopulation;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls on the Member States to conduct the programming and implementation process of the 2021-2027 cohesion policy with full respect for the partnership principle; stresses the importance of prioritising regional needthe needs of post-industrial and EU border regions, including as regards demographic and migration aspects and urban challenges;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Member State and the Commission to include demographic challenges in their national development policies and long- term strategies for sustainable development correlated with the European Semester, thus ensuring proper financing for demographic issues;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the regions at risk of depopulation to focus investments on universal accessibility to quality services and infrastructure and job creation, for example by creating tax incentives for companies investing in production in the regions; insists on investment in education, reskilling of workers, creating entrepreneurial conditions and supporting SMEs;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Insists that investments should be focused on information and communication technology, and human capital, since this has the potential to reduce the distance between the users and to attract high- skilled workers; stresses the importance of funding the development and uptake of these technologies among companies and schools in rural and isolated regions and regions in industrial transition;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Insists that investments should be focused on information and communication technology, since this has the potential to reduce the distance between the users and to attract high- skilled workers; stresses the importance of funding the development and uptake of these technologies among companies and schools in rural and isolated regions and regions in industrial transition;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Recommends, where appropriate, the reform of education and training systems in the Member States, combined with policies to prevent a permanent brain drain from the ‘sending’ regions; insists on using local at regional advantages, as well as the development of economic and social facilities, not only to prevent the brain drain, but also to reverse this phenomenon; Recommends that higher education institutions training students studying agriculture and rural economics be encouraged to seek ways to increase their chances of entering/prioritising graduates from ‘sending’ regions, increasing their chances of obtaining higher education and returning and, once acquired, going back and contributing to the economic viability of the ‘sending’ region;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34 a. Recommends that the Member States implement measures to encourage young families to buy their first home in the region, for example by compensating for interest on their mortgages;