Activities of Kira Marie PETER-HANSEN related to 2020/2244(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
European Semester: annual sustainable growth strategy 2021 – European Semester: employment and social aspects in the annual sustainable growth strategy 2021 (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the European Semester for economic policy coordination: Employment and Social Aspects in the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy 2021
Amendments (33)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 28 a (new)
Citation 28 a (new)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 28 b (new)
Citation 28 b (new)
- having regard to the Directive 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers and repealing council Directive 2010/18/EU,
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the COVID-19 outbreak has reversed the positive trend of the employment rate of the last six years in the EU-27, resulting in a reduction of the number of persons in work of about 6.1 million in the second quarter of 2020 and a predicted decrease of 4.5 % over the year 202014 ; whereas workers who remain employed in the labour market have faced a considerable reduction in hours worked and, consequently, loss of income; whereas many more have become unemployed; whereas subsidies and compensations from the States have been insufficient and not gone to everybody in need, leaving people behind and in more vulnerable positions, at risk of falling into poverty; _________________ 14Commission proposal of 18 November 2020 for a joint employment report of the Commission and the Council for 2021 (JER 2021).
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas hours worked are set to increase faster than headcount employment and employment may also fall further when short-time work schemes are discontinued; whereas the reallocation of workers is usually a lengthy process and employment is therefore expected to decline slightly in 2021;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas before COVID-19, economic trends were generally described as positive in the European Semester annual reviews; whereas evidence shows that persistent and increasing inequalities remain among persons and between and within states and regions; widening the gap between lower and higher classes; whereas this leads to multiple discriminations that need to be tackled with an intersectional approach in order to ensure equality of opportunities and a life in dignity for all groups;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the COVID-19 crisis led to a worsening of wage inequality around the world, only partly offset by insufficient state subsidies and minimum wage policies; whereas lower paid workers, disproportionately women and the new precarious youth, are the most affected by the rise in inequalitiesleading to severe situations of precariousness and unprotection;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas lower paid workers, disproportionately women and young workers are the most affected by the socioeconomic consequences of the crisis and the consequent rise in inequalities, while their work life balance stability is already challenged by their enrolment in education, care obligations, and unfair internship/traineeships/apprenticeships contracts;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the youth unemployment rate has increased due to COVID-19 crisis, reaching 17.1 % in September 2020; whereas 11.6 % of young people aged between 15 and 24 are not in employment or in education (NEETs)15 ; whereas increasing inequalities between generations affect the sustainabilityyouth are an essential part of our welfare systems as well as our democratic healthnd find themselves with fewer and/or low quality opportunities that lead to unpaid work, poor working conditions, long probation periods; _________________ 15 JER 2021.
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas women are particularly vulnerable to labour market changes owing to social care duties, occupational segregation and their more precarious employment are disproportionally conditioned and unable to adapt to labour market changes; whereas an intersectional evaluation shows that women in vulnerable groups, such as young women with children, personswomen with disabilities or those of a migrant origin, single parent families, LGBTIQ families or those of a migrant origin or pertaining to national minorities, are more likely to be in a worse position;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas Europe’s Roma continue to face some of the worst socio-economic indicators, with over 80% experiencing poverty and social exclusion, only 43% in paid employment, and disproportionately high NEET rates; whereas the Roma have been particularly hard hit by the Covid-19 crisis, not least in what concerns access to education and training;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the gender employment gap (11.4 %) , gender pay gap (14 %) and gender pension gap (30 %) remain unacceptably high; whereas improving employment opportunities for women, ensuring equal pay and facilitating a good work-life balance, including for men, are vital toby enforcing the right to 10 days of paternity leave, four months of parental leave, five working days of carers’ leave as provided in the Directive on Work Life balance for Parents and Carers, are vital to preserve their mental health and well being, as well as sustainable economic growth and development, productivity, and long-term fiscal sustainability in the EU;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas unemployment among temporary workers has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic; whereas non- standard ways of working and workers in essential jobs were not guaranteed health and safety at work, including mental health; whereas one in five workers in the EU holds a poor quality job; whereas it is expected that in the next decade, job polarisation and non-standard forms of employment will increase further and there will be more jobs at the higher and lower ends of the skills spectrum16 ; _________________ 16 Eurofound (2018), Upward convergence in the EU: Concepts, measurements and indicators, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas new forms of employment have emerged or intensified, such as teleworking and non-standard ways of working, and whereas new realities have also emerged and existing trends have intensified during lockdowns, including domestic violence against women and health problems among workers, particularly psychological onesforced teleworking and home-schooling during lockdown put women and children in more vulnerable and dangerous situations of domestic violence;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas the pandemic has exacerbated preexisting health and social inequalities17 lowering life expectancy and whereas the poverty rate is predicted to increase as one of the effects of the COVID-19:; whereas Member States had already received health-related Country Specific Recommendations in the 2020 European Semester cycle; whereas Eurofound suggests complementing the Social Scoreboard accompanying the EPSR with additional indicators covering job quality, social justice, discrimination and equal opportunities, robust social welfare systems and fair mobility; _________________ 17EuroHealthNet (2020), Recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring health equity. The role of the European Semester.
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas social dialogue is crucial in the European social model for finding tailor-made solutions for the labour market; whereas civil dialogue continues to be left behind, thus deepening the gap between citizens and institutions; whereas social dialogue has been weakened and collective bargaining coverage has fallen across Europe as a result of austerity politics and decentralisation processes that followed the 2008 crisis and labour market reforms induced in some Member States, as pointed out in the European Semester country reports;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas the demographic challenge requires a comprehensive approach based on a mix of policy solutions in the fields of, intersectional and coordinated approach among inclusive, non-discriminatory, social policies that ensure universal, adequate, and poverty-proof, first pillar pensions, social security, care services, housing, early childhood schools, long- term care, health systems, social inclusion, integration of migrants and work-life balance, gender equality, high levels of employment and wagesoverage at all levels, stable health systems, as well as universal child care and schooling, decent and accessible housing, adequate employment and working conditions that respect work-life balance and the right to disconnect, with adequate minimum wages and a minimum income for those outside the labour market;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the inclusion of the EPSR and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy (ASGS) 2021; calls for fairness and social rights to be given the same importance in the new economic model as macro-economic stability in a Social Union; Stresses that greening the economy and investing in more efficient healthcare systems will enhance Europe’s capacity to improve the well-being of the people living in the EU; emphasises the central role of the Social Scoreboard in the European Semester18 ; ; _________________ 18Social Score of Indicators. Eurostat 2020 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/european -pillar-of-social-rights/indicators/social- scoreboard-indicators
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Reiterates its call for the transformative agenda of the European Green Deal to be put at the core of the renewed European Semester; urges the Commission to ensure, including through legislative proposals where appropriate, that all Member States’ socioeconomic, macroeconomic and fiscal policies contribute to and are fully consistent with the objectives and targets of the European Green Deal and that social and environmental targets and objectives related to SDGs are introduced in the framework of the multilateral surveillance procedure referred to in Article 121 TFEU as well as in the context of a reinforced macroeconomic imbalance procedure; considers that the inclusion of SDGs and the Social Pillar within the scope of the European Semester will require the adjustment of existing indicators and the creation of new ones to monitor the implementation of EU economic, environmental and social policies, as well as coherence between policy goals and budgetary means; notes the need to implement long-term planning to tackle climate change;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that the current process of evaluation is inefficient and without democratic control; Calls on the Commission and the Member States to reform the financial legal framework and the European Semester process in order to strengthen democratic accountability and the involvement of the European Parliament and strengthen the role and participation of national social partners; stresses that the social progress objectives regarding social welfare and health systems and quality employment must be not only shielded from the application of macroeconomic conditionality but also enforced within the framework of the European Green Deal;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises the need to integrate social progress as an investment priority to achieve a Social Union, together with green and digital transitions, in order to protect vulnerable people against the negative impact of the current crisis and mitigate the widening of inequalities, including in the health area; recalls that social progress plans must be included in national recovery and resilience plans, outlining the implementation of the EPSR and of social investment; stresses the role of the European Parliament as co- legislator and calls for its input to be taken into account to ensure democratic monitoring in the Recovery and Resilience plans; calls on Member States to put in place timely and robust coordination mechanisms of their plans guaranteeing broad dialogue with regional social partners;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that fiscal flexibility to support investment in social rights is vital, as is the mainstreaming, effectively and at all stages both at Union and Member States level, of all principles enshrined in the EPSR, taking due account of different socio-economic environments and the diversity of national systems, including the role of social partners; demands that any proposed fiscal measures be ex-ante assessed and monitored against the provisions of Article 9 of the TFEU to evaluate their social impact, and that they only be considered when they will be beneficial for upward social convergence and increasing wellbeing standards in Member States;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Recalls that to understand new demands, behaviours and responses, better gathering, monitoring and use of existing and new forms of data and evidence is needed; is concerned about the lack of references to combatting discrimination and racism and to ensure equality of opportunity and a life in dignity for all groups including of children and their access to education; calls on the Commission to strengthen the implementation of anti-discrimination legislation, policy, and practice, in order to effectively counter discrimination on all grounds, including antigypsyism and preserve social, mental, cultural and physical wellbeing in the recovery measures;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop a green and sustainable quality employment package, includingwith legislative initiatives aimed at improving wages and protectensuring decent working conditions for all, with a particular focus on teleworkincluding adequate working places for people with disabilities, as well as facilitating telework when necessary, the right to disconnect, mental well-being at work, occupational health and safety, the rights of short-term and atypical workers, self-employed and platform workers, ensuring quality jobworking conditions for essential workers, and strengthening democracy at work and the role of the social partners and collective bargaining; ; stresses that these objectives will only be achieved with democracy at work and collective bargaining agreements with the involvement of the social partners;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for a sustainable quality employment package and notes that macroeconomic policies that guarantee high levels of green employment, good working conditions, and effective workers’ representation, as well as fair taxation, are essential for thea sustainability of our national pension systems in a demographic context of ageing Europele society; stresses that tax and benefit systems must be designed in a way to reduce inequalities and populationromote fairness;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Recalls that EU-level social protection mechanisms are essential to ensure that the economic and monetary union is coherent with a true social union; calls on the Commission to present an instrument to mitigate the effects of asymmetric shocks that is effective in the long run, such as an adequate and workable unemployment (re)insurance scheme that would be able to back up national schemes when a part of the EU experiences a temporary economic shock; is of the opinion that the SURE initiative fell short of what was needed;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Member States to ensure universal access to high-quality healthcare and to refocus health systems on preventive care, notably by implementing relevant country-specific recommendations; calls on Member States to ensure adequate social protection floors for all workers (in particular those in vulnerable positions such as in non- standard forms of work, migrants and those with disabilities) and including the self-employed;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Calls on the Commission to extend the Country Specific Recommendations in the future to include the outcome regarding the involvement and effectiveness of social partners in wage- setting mechanisms;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. SIs of the opinion that the mutual recognition of learning outcomes, qualifications and diplomas at all education levels as well as of non-formal learning will help to overcome skills shortages and mismatches; stresses that implementing the EU skills agenda equitably is critical for promoting health systems and tackling skills shortages for people in newall fields of work; warns, however, that a skills agenda is not enough to tackle the increasing pre across all ages, and highlights the importance of upskilling and reskilling for the green and digital transitions; reminds that employers should facilitate access to appropriate training and opportunities for vocartiousness and in-work poverty in the EU labour marketnal training to broaden career opportunities and occupational mobility;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Warns, however, that to tackle the increasing precariousness and in-work poverty in the EU labour market, legislative instruments are essential, and a European framework directive on minimum income is key to guarantee a safety net and a decent life for all citizens;
Amendment 229 #
13. Calls for better coordination between environmental, economic and social policies and between the different recovery funds and structural funds, in order to improve synergies and boost social investment resources; calls for reinforced links between the European Semester and other key EU environmental, social and economic policy initiatives, such as the EPSR, the SDGs, the Youth and Child Guarantees, the Social Economy Action Plan, the Antiracism Action Plan, as well as thematic EU strategies for key groups (Gender, Roma, LGBTI+, Disability, Children, etc);
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls on all the Member States to prepare their Homelessness Strategies featuring both proactive and reactive measures, adopting the Housing First principle and prioritising the provision of permanent housing to homeless people, proposing ways to tackle energy poverty, stopping evictions and stopping the criminalisation of homelessness;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission to analyse brain drains in certain regions and sectors, and to support mobile workers by ensuring fair mobility and strengthening the portability of rights and entitlements’ rights to free mobility and portability by ensuring their social security protection;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Points out that fairness conditions musttax avoidance and tax evasion has caused billions in losses of potential revenues for the public finances of several Member States and highlights that tax rate competition has undermined the ability of countries to set tax policies that meet the needs of their economies and people; calls for fairness conditions to be established for companies that wish to access public funds and support in order to avoid such support going to companies based in tax havens, to those without significant worker participation in company matters or codetermination, or those without a ban on bonuses to limit CEO and top executive remuneration;