14 Amendments of Ondřej KNOTEK related to 2021/2101(INI)
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU’s ambition is to pursue digital policies that empower people and businesses to achieve a sustainable and prosperous digital future in all regions;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas there is still a digital divide in the EU in terms of geography, age, gender, educational attainment, socio- economic status and income, which prevents some individuals and businesses from reaping the benefits of the digital transformation; whereas the digital divide plays an undeniable role in further alienating the so-called "places that don't matter" thus reinforcing the Union's territorial imbalances and contributing to the economic and political instability that derives from it;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas, in spite of the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a massive expansion of telework and ICT- based mobile work (TICTM)14 , jobs tend to be more concentrated in cities and urban centres than in smaller towns, suburbs andwhich offers a great potential to decentralize working places from urban to rural areas; whereas there aremain marked differences in the ability to telework between high- and low-paid workers, white- and blue-collar workers and between genders15 ; whereas TICTM and the digitalisation of services can facilitate a more balanced geographical distribution of employment and the population; _________________ 14Draft Council conclusions on telework in the context of remote work, paragraph 17. 15Commission working paper of May 2020 entitled ‘Teleworkability and the COVID-19 crisis: a new digital divide?’.
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
F a. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened many of the already existing problems in rural areas and has emphasized the vulnerability of these regions, notably in terms of digital capacity, quality and delivery of health services, education, access to broadband, resilience of value chains, and digital skill competences;
Amendment 74 #
7. CallsHighlights the need to overcome the persisting digital divide between rural and urban areas, and to develop the potential offered by connectivity and digitalisation in rural areas through the development of a horizontal strategy; calls therefore on the Member States to use cohesion policy resources to roll out smart villages post-2020, which will contribute to the digitalisation of rural areas and the empowerment of rural communities;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Calls upon regions and Member States to increase funding for available and affordable high-quality network infrastructure, such as fibre and 5G, in areas where the market conditions are such that private investments will not be able to deliver such networks on their own; recalls the importance of having an adequate competition and State Aid framework that enables the deployment of high-speed broadband and 5G infrastructure in all cities regardless of their size;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Urges the Member States to usemake full use of the financial resources available to them through both the ERDF-CFuropean Structural and Investment funds and the NextGenerationEU recovery instrument to the fullest extent possible to give regions that arin order to provide lagging -behind regions the targeted support that they needrequire to overcome the digital divide; supports efforts to promote digitalization by strengthening thematic concentration in cohesion policy, while simultaneously promoting the use of financial instruments in cooperation with the EIB or other development banks;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Calls also for the full implementation of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), as the new CEF digital financing instrument along with greater cross-border digital connectivity, will play a vital role in closing economic, social, and territorial divides, offering many new opportunities to Europe's regions, including rural areas;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses the need for a socially fair and inclusive digitalisation process that leaves no one behind; underlines that support under the ERDF-CFuropean Structural and Investment funds should contribute to an inclusive digital society and to fostering the economic, social and territorial cohesion in all EU regions with a focus on less developed regions;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls for a follow-up to the eGovernment action plan that will ensure the efficient digital transformation of public administrations and services in all Member States and establish measures to increase digital skills for public sector workers; underlines that this follow-up should incorporate the many lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, where public administration services moved almost exclusively online;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Notes that e-Commerce has a great potential for rural SMEs and local producers as it increases their outreach and reduces barriers associated to being located in regions that face severe and permanent geographical or demographic challenges; calls upon regions and Member States to establish pilot projects and digitalization strategies to integrate e- Commerce in rural SME´s business models;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14 b. Recognizes the potential of digitalization to connect companies, especially SMEs, and highlights the positive impact of digitalization in the provision of social services such as smart transport solutions, eHealth, online banking services and tailored learning solutions for vulnerable students; recalls the importance of establishing digital skills education in parallel to ensure we don´t leave anyone behind;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes with concern that both start- ups and established SMEs struggle with a lack of skilled employees and highlights that the skills shortage is particularly acute for skills relating to digitalisation and new technologies, as 35 % of the labour force have low or no digital skills; believes that initiatives should be launched to support the SMEs facing specific challenges in training their workforces and attracting and retaining digital talent; considers important to establish hybrid learning models to render upskilling accessible to those with basic to none digital skills;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses the need to fill the digital skills gaps across the EU so that all individuals and businesses can make the most of the digital transformation; calls for the progressive implementation of the Commission’s Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 for promoting better digitalisation skills, which would guarantee relevant education, training and job opportunities for everyone; highlights the crucial role of Member States and regional governments in supporting rural authorities in their efforts to shape and ensure digital inclusion, by protecting citizens’ data and empowering people and local businesses via access to data;