Activities of María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT related to 2018/0230(COD)
Plenary speeches (1)
European Solidarity Corps programme (debate) ES
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Solidarity Corps programme and repealing [European Solidarity Corps Regulation] and Regulation (EU) No 375/2014 PDF (606 KB) DOC (281 KB)
Amendments (36)
Amendment 52 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Young people should be provided with easily accessible and inclusive opportunities to engage in solidarity activities, which could enable them to express their commitment to the benefit of communities while acquiring useful experience, skills and competences for their personal, educational, social, civic and professional development, thereby improving their employability. Those activities should also support the mobility of young volunteers, trainees and workers.
Amendment 55 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The solidarity activities offered to young people 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. Dialogue with local and regional authorities and stakeholders should be encouraged in order to best determine unmet societal needs and ensure a needs-oriented programme.
Amendment 64 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The European Solidarity Corps provides a single entry point for solidarity activities throughout the Union and beyond. Consistency and complementarity should be ensured with other relevant Union policies and programmes. The European Solidarity Corps is built on the strengths and synergies of predecessor and existing programmes, notably the European Voluntary Service19 and the EU Aid Volunteers20. It also complements the efforts made by Member States to support young people and ease their school-to- work transition under the Youth Guarantee by providing them with additional opportunities to make a start on the labour market in the form of traineeships or jobs in solidarity-related areas within their respective Member State or across borders. Complementarity with existing Union level networks pertinent to the activities under the European Solidarity Corps, such as the European Network of Public Employment Services, EURES and the Eurodesk network, including relevant civil society networks such as the European Volunteer Centre and the European Youth Forum are also ensured. Furthermore, complementarity between existing related schemes, in particular national solidarity schemes and mobility schemes for young people, and the European Solidarity Corps should be ensured, building on good practices where appropriate. _________________ 19 Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 establishing ‘Erasmus+’: the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport and repealing Decisions No 1719/2006/EC, No 1720/2006/EC and No 1298/2008/EC (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 50–73). 20 Regulation (EU) No 375/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 establishing the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps (‘EU Aid Volunteers initiative’) (OJ L 122, 24.4.2014, p. 1-17).
Amendment 82 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) Young people’s spirit of initiative is an important asset for society and for the labour market. The European Solidarity Corps contributes to fostering this aspect by offering young people the opportunity to devise and implement their own projects aimed at addressing specific challenges to the benefit of their local communities. These projects are an opportunity to try out ideadevelop innovative solutions to common challenges and support young people to be themselves drivers of solidarity actions. They also serve as a springboard for further engagement in solidarity activities and are a first step towards encouraging European Solidarity Corps participants to engage in self-employment or setting upcontinue to be active citizens either as volunteers, trainees or as employees in associations, non-governmental organisations or other bodies active in the solidarity, non-profit and youth sectors.
Amendment 87 #
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. 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. Due consideration should also be given to the safety and interests of beneficiaries. Activities involving direct contact with children should be guided by the “best interests of the child” principle and should be subject, where appropriate, to background checks or other measures with a view to ensure child safeguarding.
Amendment 88 #
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 adequate online or offline 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. 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. Those support measures should be developed and provided in collaboration with youth organisations and other non-profit and civil society organisations in order to tap into their expertise on the field.
Amendment 98 #
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, taking account of the main fields where solidarity is developing in the Member States.
Amendment 106 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) Participating organisations may perform several functions in the framework of the European Solidarity Corps. In a host function they will carry out activities related to receiving the participants, including the organisation of activities and providing guidance and support to participants during the solidarity activity, as appropriate. In a support function they will carry out activities in relation to the sending and the preparation of participants before departure, during and after the solidarity activity, including training and guiding participants to local organisations after the activity in order to increase opportunities for further solidarity experiences.
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) The European Solidarity Corps Portal should be continuously developed in order to ensure easy access to the European Solidarity Corps and to, in accordance with the standards established by Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies. The European Solidarity Corps Portal provides a one-stop shop for both interested individuals and organisations as regards, inter alia, registration, identification and matching of profiles and opportunities, networking and virtual exchanges, online training, language and post-activity support as well as other useful functionalities, which may arise in the future. While a one-stop shop provides the advantage of integrated access to diverse activities, individuals may encounter physical, social and other obstacles in acceding the European Solidarity Corps Portal. In order to overcome such obstacles, participating organisations should provide participants with registration support.
Amendment 136 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 45
Recital 45
Amendment 147 #
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 in compliance with the principle of ‘do no harm’, 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;
Amendment 148 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) ‘solidarity activity’ means an easily accessible, high- quality temporary, inclusive and adequately funded 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;
Amendment 157 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
(4) ‘young people with fewer opportunities’ means young people facing some obstacles that preventhinder them from having effective access to opportunities under the Programme for economic, social, cultural, geographical or health reasons or for reasons such as disabilities and educational difficulties;
Amendment 175 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10
(10) ‘quality label’ means the certification attributed to a participating organisation willing to provide solidarity activities under the European Solidarity Corps, in the role of a host and/or in a support function. The label certifies that the organisation is able to ensure the quality of solidarity activities in accordance with the principles and objectives of the European Solidarity Corps, and it is attributed according to varying specific requirements depending on the type of solidarity activity and the function of the organisation;
Amendment 178 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10 a (new)
(10a) networking activities’ means an in-country or cross-border activity aimed at reinforcing the capacity of a participating organisation to offer quality projects to an increasing number of participants, to attract newcomers, both young people and organisations, and to provide opportunities for feedback on solidarity activities, that can also contribute to the exchange of experiences and strengthening the sense of belonging among participants and participating organisations and thus supports the wider positive impact of the European Solidarity Corps;
Amendment 182 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12 a (new)
(12a) ‘European Solidarity Corps Portal’ means an interactive web-based tool, in all official languages of the Union, managed under the responsibility of the Commission, that provides relevant online services to support the quality implementation of the European Solidarity Corps, complementing activities of participating organisations, including providing information about the European Solidarity Corps, registering participants, searching for participants, advertising and searching for solidarity activities, searching for potential project partners, supporting contact making and offers for solidarity activities, training, communication and networking activities, informing and notifying about opportunities, providing a feedback mechanism regarding the quality of solidarity activities as well as other relevant developments related to the European Solidarity Corps;
Amendment 184 #
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 third 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; in compliance with the humanitarian aid principles referred to in Article 10(2), as well as the ‘do no harm principle’1a. _________________ 1a Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief; General Assembly Resolution 45/182; UNHCR, Emergency Handbook; OCHA on Humanitarian Principles; UNICEF’s Humanitarian Principles, July 2003
Amendment 191 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. The general objective of the Programme is to promote solidarity as a value, mainly through volunteering; to enhance the engagement of young people and organisations in accessible and high- quality solidarity activities as a means to contribute to strengthening cohesion, solidarity and, democracy and citizenship in the Union and abroad, addressing societal and humanitarian challenges on the ground, with particular effort to promote social inclusion. The participation in the Programme should result in a generation of young people more likely to engage in solidarity activities through their entire lives.
Amendment 198 #
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 effecting positive societal challenges in Europe and abroad while improving and properly validating their competences for personal, educational, social, cultural, civic and professional development; as well as facilitating their active citizenship, employability and transition into the labour market.
Amendment 204 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
(b) to ensure that the solidarity activities that are offered to participants are of high quality, properly validated and respect the principles of the European Solidarity Corps referred to in Article 16(2);
Amendment 208 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. The operational objectives and corresponding policy priorities of the actions to be implemented through the activities under the strands shall be specified in detail in the annual work programme to be adopted pursuant to Article 18.
Amendment 214 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. The Annual Work Programme adopted pursuant to Article 18 shall include a list of activities that are potentially harmful to participants, beneficiaries and society, or inappropriate for participants, which shall not be carried out in the framework of the Programme or which shall be subject to special training, background checks or other measures.
Amendment 217 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) reinforcing the capacities of the participating organisations to offer good quality, easily accessible and adequately funded projects to an increasing number of European Solidarity Corps participants;
Amendment 221 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) measures aimed at ensuring the quality of volunteering, traineeships or jobs, including trainingargeted training particularly for those placements involving vulnerable groups, language support, complementary insurance, support before or after the solidarity activity as well as the further use of Youthpass that identifies and documents the competences acquired during the solidarity activities for participants, and capacity building and, administrative support for participating organisations;
Amendment 228 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) the establishment, maintenance and updating of than accessible European Solidarity Corps Portal and other relevant online services as well as the necessary IT support systems and web-based tools in line with the accessibility requirements of Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies.
Amendment 234 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. Actions implemented under the strand ‘Participation of young people in solidarity activities addressing societal challenges’ shall in particular contribute to strengthening cohesion, solidarity, citizenship and democracy in the Union and abroad, while also responding to societal challenges with particular effort to promote social inclusion.
Amendment 240 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. Volunteering as referred to in Article 4.1, point (a) shall include a learning and training componentn online or offline targeted training before the placement, shall comply with the ‘do no harm principle’, shall not substitute traineeships or jobs, shall not be equated with employment and shall be based on a written volunteering agreement.
Amendment 252 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 2
2. The actions under this Chapter shall be carried out in compliance with the humanitarian aid principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, as well as the ‘do no harm principle’.
Amendment 254 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
1. Volunteering in support of humanitarian aid operations as referred to in Article 4.1, point (a) shall include an adequate learning and training componentphase before the placement, shall comply with the humanitarian aid principles referred to in Article 10(2), including the ‘do no harm principle’, shall not substitute traineeships or jobs and shall be based on a written volunteering agreement.
Amendment 271 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 1
Article 16 – paragraph 1
1. The European Solidarity Corps shall be open to the participation of public or private entities and international organisations, provided that they have received a European Solidarity Corps quality label at the level appropriate to the type of placement they are offering.
Amendment 276 #
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 opportunities and non-discrimination; avoidance of job substitution; provision of high quality activities with a clear added value for identified community needs and a learning dimension focusing on personal, socio- educational and professional development; adequate training, working and volunteering arrangements; safe and decent environment and conditions; compliance with the ‘do no harm principle’ 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 281 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 3
Article 16 – paragraph 3
3. As a result of the assessment the entity may be attributed the European Solidarity Corps quality label in accordance with the type of placement they are offering. The obtained label shall be re-assessed periodically and may be revoked. Any entity which substantially changes its activities shall inform the competent implementing body for reassessment.
Amendment 298 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 2
Article 20 – paragraph 2
2. The inmid-terim revaluationiew of the Programme shall be performed once there is sufficient information available about the implementation of the Programme, but no later than four years after the start of the programme implementation30 June 2024. It shall also be accompanied by a final evaluation of the predecessor programme.
Amendment 319 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 2
Article 29 – paragraph 2
2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Articles 12, 18 and 19 shall be conferred on the Commission for the duration of the Programme.;
Amendment 320 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 3
Article 29 – paragraph 3
3. The delegation of power referred to in Articles 12, 18 and 19 may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated acts already in force.
Amendment 321 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 6
Article 29 – paragraph 6
6. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Articles 12, 18 and 19 shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or the Council within a period of two months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or of the Council.