33 Amendments of André ROUGÉ related to 2020/2039(INI)
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the free movement of labour is one of the ‘four freedoms’ of the European Union and its single markethas an impact on demographics and causes economic and social imbalances in some regions with population deficits;
Amendment 42 #
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 and that health infrastructures have to be accessible to the population in the whole territory;
Amendment 44 #
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 processfactors that fosters social equilibrium;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas insular and mountainous regions suffer from a structural on the geographic, social and economic point of view and therefore they are particularly affected by the depopulation trend;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that the free movement of labour represents a cornerstone of EU competitiveness; notes, nevertheless, that it affects demographics, which has major implications for EU regions and their economic, social and territorial cohesion;
Amendment 64 #
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 ruraland in comparison with rural, insular and mountainous areas;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Observes that GDP per capita, income level, employment rate, fertility rate 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 patternsby European citizens is mainly from eastern, southeastern and central regions of the EU to northern and northwestern regions mostly involve young, educated and skilled workersof the EU;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that in general rural, post- industrial, insular, mountainous 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; points out that rural regions currently account for 28 % of Europe’s population but this is predicted to fall significantly in the future;
Amendment 97 #
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: offshoring and the absence of genuine national reshoring policies, failure to implement pro-birth policies, poor infrastructure, including a lack of fast broadband internet and missing transport networks, fewer job opportunities, 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 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that this lack of diversification in the regional economic structure of certain regions, with particular regard to insular regions, risks creating a negative ‘label’, also among their inhabitants, manifesting dissatisfaction with the quality of life and the facilities and services at their disposal; highlights in this context the brain drain effect, leading to the emigration of highly trained and qualified people from a particular region or country to another; points out, in particular, that the ‘exodus’ of medical staff such as doctors and nurses and teaching staff has led to a deterioration in the quality of medical care and education, making it difficult, especially in rural areas, to access high-quality care and education;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that this lack of diversification in the regional economic structure of certain regions risks creating a negative ‘label’, also among their inhabitants, manifesting dissatisfaction with the quality of life and the facilities and services at their disposal; highlights in this context the brain drain effect, leading to the emigration of highly trained and qualified people from a particular region or country to another, irrespective of whether they are highly trained and irrespective of whether they are qualified; points out, in particular, that the ‘exodus’ of medical staff such as doctors and nurses and teaching staff has led to a deterioration in the quality of medical care and education, making it difficult, especially in rural areas, to access high-quality care and education;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is of the view that urban areas are also exposed to depopulation, with one in five cities in Europe facing population losses since 1990; notes, however, that urban shrinkage is not always a continuous linear process and can be episodic or temporary, depending on the territorial and economic context;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines a pattern of ‘inner peripheralisation’, in the sense that eastern and southern European regions report a substantially negative net population migration rate, while northern and western European regions report a substantially positive rate, receiving constantly large numbers of international economic migrants in addition to influxes of Europeans;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Acknowledges that the metropolitan areas around major cities register a positive migration rate, with characteristic rural-to-urban population movements as well as movements of people from non-EU countries to these urban areas, as a consequence of an increasingly urbanised concentration in employment growth patterns;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Underlines, on the other hand, that overconcentration of the population in certain urban areas has already led to side- effects, such as congestion, rising housing and transport costs, pollution, deterioration of the quality of life, and urban sprawl, as well as a significant risk of poverty and, social exclusion and insecurity for certain segments of the population, and thus local authorities being unable to provide services to all residents of urban areas;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that economic migration has a direct impact on the inclusivenesslevel of insecurity of cities, requiring tailored policy responses in different territorial contexts;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that local, regional and regnational 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 jobs and increase accessibility to services at local level;
Amendment 147 #
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 providing proper instruments promoting growth, integration, cooperation and innovation and tackling social challenges; insists alsoinsists 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 and industrial capital investments with a high rate of employability;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls the need for strategies aimed at reversing labour migration; calls on local and regional authorities 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; considers that this strategy aimed at reversing brain drain in ‘sending’ regions of the EU should also be applied in the ‘sending’ regions of non-EU countries;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that the COVID-19 health crisis has affected all Member States and regions to different extents, and is likely to lead to new trends as regards demographic flows; recalls in this context that the additional resources provided through REACT-EU in order to ensure a sound and robust recovery of the EU’s economy from the crisis could significantly help to keep people in employment, including through support for small and medium-size enterprises and for short-time work schemes and the self- employed;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls that the Recovery and Resilience Facility will provide large-scconditionale 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 depopulationto improve mobility of people and goods in rural, insular and mountainous areas;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reiterates the need for further simplification of cohesion policy instruments in order to allow for an easier, but at the same time sound management of financial resources and for maximising synergies among the various EU funds; emphasises the need to reduce red tape and ensure coherent legislation throughout the project implementation process and a focused technical assistance at all stages;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Member State to include demographic challenges in their national development policies and long- term strategies for sustainable development correlated with the European Semester, thus ensuring proper financing for demographic issues;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Member State to include demographic challenges in their national development policies and long- term strategies for sustainable development correlated with the European Semester, thus ensuring proper financing for demographic issues;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the regions at risk of depopulation to focus investments on universal accessibility and redeployment to quality public services and infrastructure and job creation; insists on investment in education, reskilling of workers, reshoring of business, creating entrepreneurial conditions and supporting SMEsmicro- enterprises/SMEs, innovative industries, short supply chains and localism;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the regions at risk of depopulation to focus investments on universal accessibility to quality services and infrastructure and job creation; insists on investment in education, reskilling of workers, creating entrepreneurial conditions and supporting micro and SMEs;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Considers that, within the framework of the economic recovery, the Commission should think about ways to retain local jobs and businesses in the ‘sending’ regions; considers that national and local authorities should support their economies through public procurement; considers that avoiding major migrations and offshoring provides an opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thus to meet European Green Deal targets;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Considers it appropriate to involve national, regional and local authorities in long-term cooperative governance and planning initiatives at various levels; asks the Commission and the Member States to disseminate good practices on the use and benefits of this type of governance and of planning tools to support polycentric development;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Insists that investments should be focused on information and communication technologymobility infrastructures and local health , 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 technologielabour skills among companies and schools in rural, insular, mountainous and isolated regions and regions in industrial transition;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Considers that municipalities should promote ‘open innovation’ initiativsocial, cultural and business initiatives, besides "open innovation" ones, making use of the knowledge to accelerate the innovation process and to develop a collaborative approach with relevant partners and stakeholders with a view to creating innovationcultural and business friendly ecosystems;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Considers that municipalities should promote ‘open innovation’ initiatives, making use of the knowledge to accelerate the innovation process and to developthe establishment of centres of innovation supported by a cpollaborative approach with relevant partners aicy of defending digital and ind ustakeholders with a view to creatrial sovereignty ing innovation ecosystemsdividual Member States and in the EU as a whole;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Recommends, where appropriate, the that the Member States should, where appropriate, embark on the task of rethinking and reform ofing education and training systems inand the Member States, combined with policiesystem of remuneration for highly qualified researchers and workers to prevent a permanent brain drain from the ‘sending’ regions; insists on using local at regional advantages, as well as the development of economic and social facilities, not only to prevent the brain drain, but also to reverse this phenomenon both within and outside Europe;
Amendment 280 #
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, insular and mountainous areas includes practical solution and means of support to address 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;