29 Amendments of Richard HOWITT related to 2014/2236(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission communication on of 6 may 2015 entitled 'A Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe' (COM(2015) 192);
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 b (new)
Citation 10 b (new)
– having regard to the Commission communication of 20 March 2013 entitled 'Towards Social Investment for Growth and Cohesion – including implementing the European Social Fund 2014-2020' (COM(2013) 83);
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, as a consequence of the economic and financial crisis, levels of poverty and social exclusion have increased sharply, as has long-term unemployment and youth unemployment;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas social economy enterprises are moreoffer flexible and innovative, offer favourable working conditions and are better atcapable of adapting to economic and social circumstances;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas social economy enterprises comprise a wide range of companies, and most of these enterprises are not recognised by a European-level legal framework, being recognisedut only at national level in some Member States, with different legal forms;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas 'social innovation refers to new ideas, whether they be products, services or social organisations' are innovations that are social both as to their ends and their means and in particular those which relate to the development and implementation of new ideas (concerning products, services and models), designed tothat simultaneously meet new social and environmental demands and challenges, such as the ageing populneeds and create new social relationships or collaborations, balancing work and family life, managing diversity, youth unemployment and climate changethereby benefiting society and boosting its capacity to act;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas social investments are investments in people designed to strengthen their skills and capacities and support them to fully participate in employment and social life; whereas social investments generally refer to policies in the areas of education, childcare, healthcare, training, job-search assistance and rehabilitation;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the lack of recognition that frequently faces social economy enterprises are frequently faced with makes it even more difficult for them to access both public and private financing; whereas social economy enterprises are chiefmainly SMEs and micro- enterprises;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas education and training must be priority areas in fostering the entrepreneurial spiritculture among our young people;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the social economy, and in particular employment support, training and placement enterprises, offer job opportunities for people who are furthest awaymost often excluded from the labour market;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas social dialogue is essential for the functioning of the EU's social market economy and crucial to promote both competitiveness and fairness; whereas social dialogue and the consultation of social partners within the EU's policy- making represents a major social innovation;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that social economy enterprises are enterprises whose main purpose is to achieve means an undertaking, regardless of its legal form, which: (a) in accordance with its Articles of Association, Statutes or with any otheir social objective, which may be to create jobs for vulnerable groups,legal document by which it is established, has as its primary objective the achievement of measurable, positive social impacts rather than generating profit for its owners, members and shareholders, and which: (i) provides services for their members, or more generally to create a positive social and environmental impact, over and above maximising profits for their members or partners, and which reinvest their profits in order to achieve those objectives; points out that, despite legal disparities and the different activities carried out by social economy enterprises across the EU, they share a series of common recognisable features; goods which generate a social return and/or (ii) employs a method of production of goods or services that embodies its social objective; (b) uses its profits first and foremost to achieve its primary objective and has predefined procedures and rules covering any distribution of profits to shareholders and owners that ensure that such distribution does not undermine the primary objective; and (c) is managed in an entrepreneurial, accountable and transparent way, in particular by involving workers, customers and stakeholders affected by its business activities1 a; __________________ 1a [Justification: this definition makes reference to art 2(1) of the Regulation (EU) No 1296/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on a European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation ('EaSI')]
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points out that social economy enterprises have a strong local and regional basis, which means that they are more aware of specific needs and able to offer products and community-based services which match those needs, thus improving social and territorial cohesion;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Believes that social innovation, in particular by aiming at improving the quality of services rather than simply at lowering costs, makes a significant contribution towards laying the foundations for a type of growth which serves a more sustainable, inclusive society generating social cohesion;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out thatHighlights the need to promote exchanges among innovative social enterprises, the academic world and social investment stakeholders, in order to strengthen entrepreneurial skills, professionalisation, the conditions enabling social economy enterprises to develop and grow and the creation of social innovation poles, it is vital to promote exchanges with other innovative social enterprises, with the academic world and with social investorand social services to develop and grow, as well as to create social innovation poles;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recognises that the EU is a long way away from achieving the targets set in the Europe 2020 Strategy, particularly those relating to high-quality employment, innovation and poverty reduction, and that the social economy contributes to a sustainable, smart and inclusive economic model in line with the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Emphasises that, given its social and inclusive nature, the social economy offers jobs to the most vulnerable groups, contributing to economic growth,groups most often excluded from the open labour market, thereby contributing to solidarity and, social cohesion as well as economic growth;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission and Member States to include social economy enterprises and social services in action plans for employment and social integration with a view to unlock and exploit at the fullest the job-creation potential in the sector;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on Member States to include measures to promote social entrepreneurship and social innovation in their national Youth Guarantee schemesImplementation Plans and in the national Operational Programmes of the Youth Employment Initiative;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Points out that social economy enterprises face difficulties in accessing public procurement; calls for action to facilitate their participation in public procurement by providing appropriate advice and simplifying the swift and effective transposition and implementation of Directives 2014/24/EU, 2014/25/EU and 2014/23/EU on Public procedures; calls for bids to be rewarded that offer most economic and social value rather ments and Concessions with a view to reach a higher participation of social economy enterprises withain the lowestendering prioce in public procurement, with social or environmental criteria being included in public procurement contractdures for public contract and to ensure quality services accessible to and affordable for all citizens;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Urges the Member States to adequately implement the new Public procurement and Concessions directives in order to allow contracting authorities and entities to make full use of the specific provisions on reserved contracts and of the simplified procurement regimes for social services, both at national and local level, in order to foster the role of social economy, social enterprises and social services and promote social inclusion and innovation;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the reform of the Public Procurement Directive, which includes social clauses and criteria in order to promote social inclusion and social innovation, inter alia; urges the Member States to include social clauses and criteria in public procurements and Concessions directives aiming at driving public expenditure and investment towards sustainable growth and employment, social integration and territorial cohesion; calls therefore on the Member States for a proper implementation of the procurement principles in compliance with environmental, social and labour law obligations and on all contracting authorities at national and local level for a wide use of the MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender) based on the life-cycle approach and encompassing qualitative, environmental and social aspects as the main awarding criterion within all tendering and selection procedures;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Regrets that the Commission Digital Single Market strategy for Europe fails to mention social economy enterprises and their potential contribution to the achievement of the Union's goals; deplores the fact that the Digital Single Market strategy takes in no account the need to ensure a full, equal and unrestricted access for all to new digital technologies, markets and telecommunications, in particular with regard to people with disabilities;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15 Highlights the role to be played by the social entrepreneurship axis of the EaSI programme and the remaining structural funds and European programmes in improving their financing; highlights the insufficient budgetary allocation of the EaSI programme in the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF); considers it necessary to ensure and facilitate the access to EaSI programme's funding to the community- based social enterprises and services; with a view to this, calls on the Member States to establish national contact points or one-stop-shops to assist social economy actors in accessing the EU's funding schemes;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the Commission to be as flexible as possible with regard toPoints out that State Aid Rules should not constitute an impediment for public funding to social economy enterprises and social services; in this sense, calls on the Commission to be flexible in the application of state aid rules for social economy enterprises, and social services and to help local and regional authorities understand and apply correctly state aid targeted at social economy enterprises and social services;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for investment in the social economy and social services to be taken into account when assessing European Strategic Investment Fund projects;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on Member States to promote lifelong learning amongnd assistance for older workers and the long-term unemployed to help them move into the social economy;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on Member States to take account ofenhance best practice exchange with regard to adapting national tax systems to favournational support fostering social enterprises and services and social investment;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Calls on the Commission to enhance social dialogue in the social economy in order to facilitate the social innovation, improvement of working conditions and to fully recognise the job-creation potential of the sector;