70 Amendments of Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS related to 2022/2170(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that the EU’s cohesion policy funds aimed at territorial, economic and social cohesion are crucial for supporting the transition towards climate neutrality while guaranteeing more high- quality employment opportunities in the regions; by creating new 'green' professions, while modifying and expanding existing professions to encompass new and different responsibilities and tasks connected with sustainability and environmental protection.
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Cohesion policy funding, together with associated financial instruments, can be channelled into the training of young people and workers in the regions, providing them with the additional skills required for new jobs created or those modified by green transition.
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the concept of a ‘just transition’, considering it a unique principle that must permeate all aspects of the transition to climate neutrality; notes that an ambitious, competitive and comprehensive just transition is needed to address the unintended distributional effects of the green transition, such as greater regional inequalities; highlights that the Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a key cohesion policy instrument supporting regions impacted by the transition towards a net- zero economy and suggests expanding and broadening the JTF’s scope to include other industrial sectors and regions;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
– having regard to the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Social Climate Fund,
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 b (new)
Citation 14 b (new)
– having regard to the European Year of Skills 2023,
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 c (new)
Citation 14 c (new)
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas it is important to leverage technologies such as AI, but without overstating their contribution and creating unrealistic expectations;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas a just transition should involveenable and seizinge the opportunity to create quality jobs with decent working conditions, tackle discrimination at work and raise labourcompetitive labour market standards;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 will require the anticipation of change and suitable framework conditions to support job-to-job transitions, including the necessary skilling, reskilling and upskilling of the current workforce, as well as addressing obstacles such as skill shortages and shortages of trainers and teachers with good understanding of green skills;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 will require the anticipation of change and suitable framework conditions to support job-to-joblabour market transitions, including the necessary skilling, reskilling and upskilling of the current workforce;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas according to CEDEFOP, the lack of skilled workers to design repairable and reusable products and technologies may amplify producers’ reluctance to start producing them;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. Whereas skills intelligence giving insight into sectoral and local demand for green economy skills will be fundamental;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. whereas apart from ensuring that sufficient labour market entrants acquire the skills needed for the economy of the future, another challenge lies in the need to up and reskill workers, in particular to meet current and evolving labour market needs; whereas this can be difficult for older workers and especially for low- skilled workers, as it may be challenging for them to ‘skill up’ and compete for new jobs; whereas as there is also a spatial challenge in that jobs in the low-carbon economy may be created in locations very different from those suffering job losses. Education and training efforts therefore need to be linked with a just transition policy. Disadvantaged workers and communities will need targeted assistance to ensure they are not left behind.
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. Whereas partnerships among the private sector, educational institutions and the social partners will be key in order to identify current and future skill needs;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)
Recital D d (new)
Dd. whereas more investment is needed in professional education and up and reskilling; whereas employers know best the workforce, skills and competences they need; whereas the importance to match these needs with people's aspirations and to strengthen Europe's growth;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D e (new)
Recital D e (new)
De. whereas having a skilled workforce that are aligned with the demands of the labour market contributes to sustainable growth, leads to more innovation and improves companies' competitiveness;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D f (new)
Recital D f (new)
Df. whereas the green transition requires significant investments in reskilling and upskilling to equip the workers with the technical (specific to each occupation) and core (soft) skills required; whereas skills gaps and labour market shortages are almost inevitable whenever any new product or service appears, and the green and digital economy is no exception;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D g (new)
Recital D g (new)
Dg. whereas learning or improving certain core skills is likely to be of greater relevance for a person’s employability than skills and competences that are highly specific to certain occupations or technologies; whereas competencies in literacy and numeracy, as well as in decision-making, teamwork and communication, are critical in that they affect people’s ability to function well in teams, thus enhancing their adaptability and their occupational mobility;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D h (new)
Recital D h (new)
Dh. whereas the green and digital transitions, technological change, supply- chain transformations and changing consumer expectations are all generating demand for new jobs and skills across industries and regions and they are opening new opportunities for workers, employers and the EU economy; whereas these positive drivers are offset by growing geo-economics tensions and high inflation leading to a cost-of-living crisis;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D i (new)
Recital D i (new)
Di. whereas targeted training by well- equipped teachers and trainers is essential;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas it is important to address the prospect of an imminent green skills shortage as the increase in demand for green skills is outpacing the increase in supply;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the participation of workers and workers representatives, including trade unions in the governance of the transition and the anticipation and social management of change is a prerequisite for a fair, inclusive and successful transition;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the administrative and technical capacity of different stakeholders needs to be built; whereas the Member States still face many challenges in effectively managing and implementing the EU funds at local level, or in assessing the various impacts of climate policies;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Green and digital economy opportunities for tha competitive labour market
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that a transition towards renewable and circular societeconomies and economsocieties generates the potential both to create new jobs and to transform existing employment into green, competitive and sustainable jobs in virtually allmost sectors;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Emphasises the importance of engaging SMEs in this process;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the job potential of the green transition is also connected to sustainable and growth enhancing economic activities such as energy renovation, repair and organic farming being moresome of which may be more labour- intensive than the activities they replace whereas others may be less labour- intensive than the activities they replace;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the job potential of the green transition is also connected to sustainable economic activities such as energy production and renovation, repair and organic farming being more labour- intensive than the activities they replace;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the green and digital transition has significant potential to create local jobs which cannotEuropean, national, regional and local quality jobs with decent working conditions which are difficult to be offshored, which wouldand that will contribute to strengthening European sovereignty and, resilience, and competitiveness;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the transition has significant potential to create local jobs which cannot be offshored, which would contribute to strengthening European sovereignty and resilience, resilience and competitiveness;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to work on conceptual guidelineWelcomes the ongoing work on international level by the OECD and the ILO on greening jobs and skills; Calls on the European and national social partners to discuss working conditions oin what constitutes a green job, based on its potential fthe economic sectors involved in the green transition, considering the sectors potential to enable a more greening the and digital economy, itsand contribution to people’s health and wellbeing and decent working conditions;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses the need to help companies, in particular SMEs (small and medium enterprises), to address skills shortages in the EU and to promote a mindset of reskilling and upskilling, helping people to get the right skills for quality jobs;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Highlights the regulatory burden on EU employers and its possible negative impact on competitiveness, growth and quality job creation in the context of the green and digital transitions; continues to support the ‘one in, one out’ principle and calls on the Commission to develop a more ambitious Better Regulation agenda, which should lead to a reduced regulatory burden for EU employers;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Welcomes the Commission communication entitled ‘Long-term competitiveness of the EU: looking beyond 2030’ aiming to rationalise and simplify reporting requirements by 25 % for each of the green, digital and economic thematic areas, and the Commission’s presentation of a proposal for achieving this by autumn 2023; calls on the Commission to demonstrate this commitment swiftly, thereby improving the competitiveness of all undertakings in the EU, including small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs), and enhancing the basic conditions for social justice and prosperity; recalls that SMEs are the backbone of our social cohesion;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises that the green transition of the job market should go hand in hand with upward convergence towards better working conditions and attractive career paths as well as address potential employment losses or skills obsolescence in specific sectors;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises that the green transition of the joband digital transitions and impact on labour markets should go hand in hand with upwardincreased economic growth and upward social convergence towards better working conditions and attractive and competitive career paths;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Reiterates its call that EU funding, including State aid, should be conditional on public policy objectives, in particular social requirements; underlines that public authorities should lead by example and set social criteria in public procurement; calls to revise the Public Procurement Directive to ensure that benefiting companies supprecipients of EU funding should respect applicable obligations in the fields of environmental, social and labour law established by Union law, national law ort collective bargaining, high-quality jobs, high- quality apprenticeships, decent and equal pay and trainingagreements;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Commission to enforce the social clause in the existing EU Public Procurement Directive and recalls that according to this directive, it is necessary for economic operators involved in public contracts to comply with all applicable obligations in the fields of environmental, social and labour law established by Union law, national law or collective agreements, or by applicable international environmental, social or labour law provisions, including respect for freedom of association, the right to organise and collective bargaining; recalls, in addition, that according to this directive, it is possible for Member States to exclude from participation in a procurement procedure economic operators that have been sentenced for not respecting existing legislation and collective agreements or for being in breach of their obligations relating to the payment of taxes or social security contributions; notes the relevance of reinforcing the selection of sustainability criteria to promote the best use of public spending, quality employment and social inclusion; calls on the Member States to make sure their judicial systems have sufficient capacity to exercise their authority and address primary contractors and subcontractors of joint liability who have repeatedly engaged in unfair competition, tax fraud or tax evasion; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure compliance with and monitoring and enforcement of the Public Procurement Directive;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Takes note of the most recent adoption by the European Commission of a targeted amendment to the General Block Exemption Regulation ('GBER') and its potential in further facilitating, simplifying and speeding up support for the EU's green transition, while protecting the level playing field in the Single Market;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls that the EU health and safety strategy should takestrategic framework on health and safety at work 2021-2027 highlights the need to modernise and simplify EU occupational safety and health rules in the context of the green and digital transitions, taking into account specific risks in new sectors and incorporate risks deriving from climate change and environmental degradation;such as increased ambient temperature, air pollution and extreme weather.
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the importance of involving young people in transition planning and making them more acquainted with green jobs; calls on the Member States to facilitate access for young people to paid, quality and inclusive traineeships and apprenticeships;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Underscores the importance of including disabled persons, leveraging their skills, and knowledge as well as ensuring that they are represented at all levels of just transition policy and programme design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation across all policy areas;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Emphasises that gender equality should become an integral part of green economy strategies; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take all measures to ensure that pre-existing gender inequalities are not transferred to the emerging green economy, including by addressing women’s under-representation in green jobs, ensuring access to training programmes and addressing the causes of early dropout from education and training programmes;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Subheading 3
Skills and competences for a just transition set for the future
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses the need to offer education and training in areas linked to skills and competences needs that are identified in labour markets and future-oriented sectors to address skills mismatches and labour- market shortages, and make sure that the labour market is ready for the green transition and that training and education programs are aligned with the needs of the economy and the society of the future;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses the need to offer education and training in areas linked to skills needs that are identified in labour markets and future-oriented sectors to make sure that the labour market is ready for the green transition, also in light of the adaptation of specific job profiles;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Warmly welcomes the European Year of Skills and the opportunities it provides to promote reskilling and upskilling, in particular the context of seizing the opportunities of the green and digital transition;
Amendment 228 #
10b. Welcomes the Commission proposal for a Net Zero Industry Act aiming to enhance skills for quality job creation, including the creation of European Net Zero Industry Academies and recognition of professional qualification;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10c. Emphasises that effective training depends on the availability of teachers and trainers with current knowledge on sustainable and green economy, energy efficiency and green and digital technologies; highlights that their role is critical in promoting the right skills and competences for both the younger and older generations of workers and appropriate reskilling and upskilling training for the persons affected by the green transition; stresses that the education and training of such teachers and trainers should therefore be a top priority in any skills response strategy at European, national, regional and local levels;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that every worker mustshould have an individual right to professional education, employee training and lifelong learning, which should be reflected in allrelevant EU and national environmental policies, as well in company mitigation and adaptation strategies where appropriate; highlights the fact that the right tosuch training should include paid educational leavetake place during working hours;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Stresses that education and training institutions need to enhance the relevance of their training in line with the competitive labour market needs and prepare learners, trainers and teachers with the relevant knowledge and skills to be active agents of change in a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and a society for all;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Stresses that VET can become an important driver in the transition to a green economy as well as the importance of increasing its attractiveness;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses the crucial role of social dialogue, collective bargaining and social partners in designing national, sectoral and company- specific skills and competences for quality job strategies and training;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Highlights the importance of core and cognitive skills and the preparation of the necessary instruments to encourage citizens to consider also their personal development and growth with these skills, such as creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility; motivation and self- awareness; curiosity and lifelong learning – in recognition of the importance of workers ability to adapt to disrupted workplaces, self-efficacy, and working with others in teams;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Member States to integrate sustainable development, environmental competences and transversal technical and soft skills into training and education systems;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Member States to integrate sustainable development, digital and environmental competences and skills into training and education systems;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Underlines the importance of quality career guidance systems that familiarise and orient individuals towards training for green jobs as well as relevant career opportunities;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that training should be of a good enough qualityhigh quality, aligned with the needs of the labour market, and lead to a qualification that is validated through transparent and clear recognition and certification systems which allow for comparabilitymutual recognition between Member States;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Stresses the importance of leveraging face-to-face classroom sessions and short training courses or modules without underestimating the potential of online learning;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4
Subheading 4
Public policy coherence to fully develop the job potential of the green and digital transition
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission to include for all environmentalHighlights the importance of science-based policy making and calls on the Commission to ensure diligent and comprehensive impact assessments for all proposed legislation, assessing the socio- economic impact assessment taking intond with due consideration to jobs, skills, competences and working conditions;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Highlights the importance of the Member States in promoting sectoral social dialogue and collective bargaining, especially in newly emerging green and digital industries, and also in ensuring the inclusion of small and medium-sized businesses; stresses that the Minimum Wage Directive represents a great opportunity to strengthen collective bargaining on wage-setting and the presence of trade unionsocial partners in emerging sectors;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls for an update to Directive 2002/14/EC on informing and consulting employees in the EU in order to include on the Commission to consult social partners and evaluate the possible need for an update of the Directive 2002/14/EC on informationing and consultation rights in transition plans implemented by companies across their operations and value chaining employees in the EU;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls for mandatorythe adoption of just transition plans to be adopted by all companies affected by the green and digital transition, negotiated with trade unions and worker representatives;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recognises the importance of impact investing in providing finance tofacilitating access to funding for public and private companies, and organisations addressing social and, environmental needs with the explicit expectation of a measurable social and environmental return, including on employment and job quality; and digital skills and education needs in order to address skills mismatches and labour market shortages with the explicit expectation of quality job creation and sustainable economic growth;
Amendment 342 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls on the Member States to make full use of the opportunities provided by Union funds such as the Just Transition Fund, the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and the European Social Fund Plus, to support Member States and regions to promote up and reskilling in order to ensure a skilled, resilient and competitive workforce, in particular in the context of the green and digital transitions;
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Calls for an increased investment in building administrative and technical capacity at local level, through training and the use of technical assistance available under different EU funds;
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 c (new)
Paragraph 24 c (new)
24c. Recalls that the JTF provides support for territories and people facing socio-economic and employment challenges deriving from the transition process towards a low-carbon economy of the Union by 2050; takes note of the Commission appropriations for 2024 of EUR 1,486 billion; highlights its importance for addressing the social aspects of the transition, in particular support to jobseekers and workers affected by the green transition;
Amendment 353 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Stresses the crucial role of the private and financial sector in channelling funding into sustainable investments and enabling the transition to a resilient, competitive and climate-neutral economy;
Amendment 382 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls on the Commission to continue monitoring and fostering investment and spending onaccess to funding to stimulate quality job creation within NextGenerationEU, - the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the European Social Fund Plus and to ensure that the European Parliament remains closely involved;