Activities of Enrique CALVET CHAMBON related to 2016/2270(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on minimum income policies as a tool for fighting poverty PDF (401 KB) DOC (89 KB)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on minimum income policies as a tool for fighting poverty
Amendments (49)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas Europe is one of the wealthiest regions in the world, although recent data on income poverty highlights the rising of poverty and severe poverty in Europe;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas income poverty is only a part of the overall concept of poverty, therefore poverty does not only refer to material resources, but also to social resources, notably education, health and access to services;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
– having regard to the Communication from the Commission of 20 February 2013 "Towards Social Investment for Growth and Cohesion – including implementing the European Social Fund 2014-2020",
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
– having regard to its question for oral answer O-000087/2016 of 16 June 2016,
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 b (new)
Citation 18 b (new)
– having regard to its question for written answer P-001004/16 of 2 February 2016,
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas Europe is one of the wealthiest regions in the world, although recent data on income poverty highlights that inequalities enhanced among Member States;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas income poverty is only a part of the overall concept of poverty, therefore poverty does not only refer to material resources, but also to social resources, notably education, health and access to services;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Recital D
Recital D
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas according to the methodology developed by Eurostat, the at-risk-of- poverty threshold is set arbitrarily at 60 % of national median equivalised disposable income, which is very often hard for people to understand, especially because it is a measure of distribution, not of poverty, and income is only an indirect indicator of living standards;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas the concept of minimum income must not be confused with the concept of a minimum wage, which is fixed by collective agreement or by legislation;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas, according to the methodology developed by Eurostat, 120 million people in the European Union – some 25% of the total – are at risk of poverty and social exclusion; whereas this fact is accompanied by persistently high unemployment rates;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas having a job would protect someone from the risk of poverty and could be considered as a major indispensable means of social integration;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the concept of a minimum income must not be confused with the concept of a minimum wage, which is fixed by collective agreement or by legislation;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that urgent practical steps need to be taken to eradicate poverty and social exclusion and promote the fair distribution of income and wealth; stresses that these steps need to be undertaken at the appropriate level - with actions at national and European level according to the division of competencies for the relevant policies;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that urgent practical steps need to be taken to eradicate poverty and social exclusion and promote the fair distribution of income and wealthreduce inequalities that will help to ensure economic and territorial cohesion and an equilibrium between economic and social objectives;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas introducing and strengthening minimum income schemes is an important and effective way to overcome poverty, that will help to ensure economic and territorial cohesion, protect the fundamental rights of individuals, ensure a balance between economic and social objectives, reallocate wealth and income fairly, support social integration and access to the labour market and meet the targets of the Europe 2020 strategy;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Reinforces that the best way to reduce poverty and avoid social exclusion is to boost sustainable growth and to create favourable framework conditions for European companies - notably avoiding excessive administrative burdens as well as ensuring access to finance - in order to allow them to create jobs;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the guarantee of an adequate minimum income and minimum wage is included in the first draft of the European Pillar of Social Rights9 ; whereas, at the high-level conference held in Brussels on 23 January 2017, following the public consultation on this issue, the President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, reiterated that such measures should be adopted by all Member States; __________________ 9 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions launching a consultation on a European Pillar of Social Rights (COM(2016)0127) – Annex 1.
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls for priority to be given now, when shaping macroeconomic policies, to reducing social inequalities and guaranteeing universal free access to public social services, thus tackling poverty;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
Recital P
P. whereas a transitional job scheme is one of the most effective forms of minimum income, as it combines income support with a proper job; whereas people who keep themselves busy working in a public transitional job scheme will also find it easier to find new jobs in the private sector;
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Points out that redistribution schemes alone will not bring people into work; reinforces also that having a job is always the best way to protect someone from the risk of poverty and a powerful mean of social integration; Stresses that to avoid a class of assisted people, labour market and business environment reforms need to be conducted and monitored;
Amendment 116 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Argues that minimum income schemes are essentialcould act as transitional instruments in reducing and fighting poverty, social exclusion and inequalities, and they should be seen not only as a social investmentbut also as an economic investment; Notes the counter-cyclical effects of minimum incomes schemes;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes the view that introducing minimum income schemes in all EU Member States - consisting of specific measures supporting people whose income is insufficientand resources are inadequate to have an acceptable standard of living in the society in which they live with a funding supply and facilitated access to services - is one of the most effective ways to combat poverty, guarantee an adequate standard of living and foster social integration keeping people active in society;
Amendment 122 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Believes that minimum income schemes should be temporary and always accompanied with active policies of inclusion in labour market;
Amendment 126 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Calls on the Commission and Member States to exchange best practices from minimum income schemes;
Amendment 137 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to propose a framework directive establishing minimum income schemes set at above 60% of national median equivalised disposable incomeand the Member States to evaluate the manner and the means of providing an adequate minimum income in all Member States and to consider further steps in support of social convergence across the EU, taking due account of each country’s specific characteristics., as well as national practices and traditions;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Emphasises that the establishment of minimum income schemes can both mitigate inequalities and the social impact of the crisis and have a counter-cyclical impact by providing resources to improve demand in the internal market;
Amendment 138 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to propose a framework directive establishing minimum income schemes set at above 60% of national median equivalised disposable income, after further study and reflection, to evaluate the potential positive impact of a framework directive establishing minimum income schemes for all Member States, taking due account of each country’s specific characteristics.
Amendment 149 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls on the Commission to examine funding possibilities based on European solidarity to help every Member States to establish a minimum income schemes in every Member States;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘European minimum income and poverty indicators’ and supportnotes the proposal concerning a directive on adequate minimum income in the European Union, which should lay down common rules and indicators, provide methods for monitoring its implementation and improve dialogue between the individuals concerned, the Member States and the EU institutions; is of the view that a framework of this kind should be based on tangible factors and should bear in mind the social and economic context of each Member State; calls on the Commission and the Member States, in this regard, to evaluate the manner and the means of providing an adequate minimum income in all Member States;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Considers that minimum income schemes should be embedded in a strategic approach towards social integration, involving both general policies and targeted measures - in terms of housing, health care, education and training, social services - helping people to recover from poverty and to take action themselves to gain access to the labour market; believes that the real objective of minimum income schemes should be not simply to assist but mainly to accompany the beneficiaries in moving from situations of social exclusion to active life, avoiding any kind of dependency;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Believes that minimum income should be considered temporary and always accompanied with active policies of inclusion in the labour market;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Recalls that the Commission in its Social Investment Package Communication calls on the Member States to set reference budgets that ensure adequate livelihoods by considering consumption patterns, costs of living, different life situations and types of households;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Is of the opinion that the reference budget can be used to more meaningfully compare minimum income support across Member States and to establish its level, bearing in mind the economic and social context of each Member State;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Is of the opinion that adequateo set a common criteria of implementation of minimum incomes schemes should set minimum incomes at a level equivalent to at least 60 % of median income in the Member State concernedwithout, however, specifying a minimum threshold at EU level;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on further measures to be taken to ensure the achievement of Europe 2020 strategy objectives concerning employment, poverty and social exclusion, notably through a review on how Member States calculate poverty levels and set their national targets;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Believes that the lack of up-to-date figures on income and living conditions is an obstacle to the implementation and comparison of a reference budget and a minimum income taking into account national specificities;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Calls on the Commission and Member States to exchange best practices from minimum income schemes;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the Commission to examine funding possibilities to help every Member State to establish a minimum income scheme and to set up an appropriate European Fund, if necessary, in a temporary way, to work as an instrument of cohesion policy and European solidarity;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Calls on the Commission to request regular monitoring and reporting on the effectiveness of minimum income schemes;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Stresses that inequalities are growing within each Member State and within the EU;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes with particular interest the proposals concerning transitional job schemes, which consist of the option, for those who want to and are able to work, to have a transitional job, at a pre-established minimum wage, in the general government sector or in a non-profit institution or non- governmental organisation (NGO);
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Stresses the importance of increasing participation in lifelong learning of workers, the unemployed and vulnerable social groups and the need to improve the level of professional qualifications and the acquisitions of new skills, which are a fundamental tool to accelerate integration in the labour market, increase productivity and help people to find a job;