25 Amendments of Ondřej KNOTEK related to 2020/2039(INI)
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, although the EU population has seen substantial growth in previous decades, the growth rate is now falling and the population is expected to decrease in the longer term; whereas Europe will account for less than 4 % of the world’s population by 2070, and long- term demographic trends in European regions indicate lower birth rates and ageing societies; except in some outermost regions and particularly in Mayotte, where a population increase of 38% is forecast by 2050 compared to 2010 levels, alongside a corresponding increase of 26% for French Guiana1 a. _________________ 1aSources: INSEE (French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), United Nations
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas78% of European population lives in urban areas or functional urban areas, causing an uneven distribution of population throughout European regions
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the health and economic crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic made clear that solidarity between generations is one of the driving forces of the recovery process; whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled the fragility our healthcare systems, especially in connection with an aging population
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Observes in this context significant demographic contrasts at both Union and Member State level between core, metropolitan regions and periphery, often rural areas and areas facing natural or other specific constraints (ANC) ;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Observes in this context significant demographic contrasts at both Union and Member State level between core, metropolitan regions and periphery, often rural areas and also in the outermost regions;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Observes that GDP per capita, income level, employment rate, fertility rate, socio economic factors, rural and urban divide, and population ageing are among the most important factors with a direct impact on demographics; notes that the current employment dynamics in particular are generating demographic flows within European regions leading to socio-spatial disparities and challenges that post-2020 cohesion policy will need to address; underlines that migration patterns from eastern, southeastern and central regions to northern and northwestern regions mostly involve young, educated and skilled workers;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points out that Europe is manifestly experiencing population ageing, 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; regrets the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the average life expectancy in Europe
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recognises the burden placed on women as principal caregivers in formal and informal settings, as well as its social value, especially during the COVID-19 crisis; whereas 80% of all care provided across the EU is provided by (unpaid) informal carers, 75% of whom are women; therefore points out the crucial role of cohesion policy in securing investments in care services, to improve working conditions in this sector and to support a transition towards a care economy;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Underlines that the ongoing COVID-19 crisis has exposed strong disparities in the quality and access to healthcare services; Notes that the combination of ageing population and limited healthcare infrastructure in rural areas facing demographic decline and low population density further exposes their population to health risks.
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Underlines that among the many inequalities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital divide is a serious one, affecting in particular less developed regions, women, elderly people and people living in the Outermost regions and rural, remote and depopulated areas. Greater investment is needed in digitalisation, digital innovation and digital connectivity, which will enable a fair and equal transition towards a more digital economy and a digital online education system, accessible to all citizens, especially the most vulnerable in society;
Amendment 89 #
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, 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; , which also leads to difficulties in accessing public services, such as housing, education, healthcare including access to vital drugs; points out that rural regions currently account for 28 % of Europe’s population but this is predicted to fall significantly in the future;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Highlights that EU initiatives directed to rural areas such as cohesion and agricultural policies, should be further strengthened through promoting better coordination of policy initiatives that support youth employment, entrepreneurship, digitalisation and support for young and new farmers;
Amendment 99 #
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, high level of youth unemployment, lack of public services and difficult access to health services, fewer education opportunities, making it more difficult to adapt to technological change, and a lack of cultural venues and leisure activities;
Amendment 138 #
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 tool that can be used to create jobsterritorial approach to EU instruments, such as sustainable urban development, community-led local development strategies or Integrated Territorial Investments (ITIs) could be useful tool that can be used to maintain and create jobs, strengthen the attractiveness of the region, and increase accessibility to services at local level;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers that the Urban Agenda for the EU, which identifies major priorities and actions for improving the quality of life in urban areas could serve as a model for providhelps shaping proper instruments promoting growth, integration, cooperation and innovation and tackling social challenges; insists also on developing strategies aimed at enhancing the knowledge economy and smart specialisation in European regions, including through developing knowledge networks and providing support for human capital investments;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls the need for strategies aimed at reversing labour migration at EU and national level; calls on local and regional authorities to increase their attractiveness and 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 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Urges Member States and regional authorities to implement an integrated approach through Cohesion Policy Instruments to address demographic challenges and encourages the promotion of smart villages as a tool to attract and retain population; 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; 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 171 #
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; 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 avoidthrough helping transformation to avoid, among other, the risk of depopulation;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the European Commission and Member States to include demographic challenges in their European and national development policies and long- term strategies for sustainable development correlated with the European Semester, thus ensuring proper financing for demographic issues;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls for more to be done to support regions facing significant population increases, such as Mayotte and French Guiana, by deploying adequate financial resources to guarantee the continuity of basic services in sufficient quantity and quality, particularly in the sectors of education, health and transport.
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Highlights the role of cities and regions both in depopulated and overpopulated areas, reiterates the need for further funding opportunities directly available for cities and regions to implement programmes locally, calls for increasing the budget and broadening the scope of the European Urban Initiative;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Encourages policymakers at regional and national level to invest in the digital and knowledge economy, as well as in providing services and incentives, to maintain high-skilled workers and to develop research centres in the different regions in order to ensure the attractiveness of the depopulated areas to young talents and entrepreneurs;
Amendment 251 #
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; stresses the importance of an equal and parallel deployment of these technologies among regions to avoid further deepening the gap of attractiveness and digital divide
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to supporAcknowledges that ‘magnet cities’ since they primarily contribute to the building of regional ‘growth poles’; nevertheless, underlines that second-tier cities play a critical role in regional development, and calls onin this respect calls on the Commission and the Member States to put in practice strategies for the harmonised development of these cities;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the initiative on the long-term vision for rural areas includes practical solution and means of support to address peripheries and demographic changes; invites the Commission, in agreement with the Member States, to propose a ‘new deal’ on demographics in the EU as a multi-level policy approach;