Activities of Andrzej BUŁA
Plenary speeches (6)
The devastating floods in Central and Eastern Europe, the loss of lives and the EU’s preparedness to act on such disasters exacerbated by climate change (debate)
World Mental Health Day - need for a comprehensive EU strategy on mental health (debate)
Closing the EU skills gap: supporting people in the digital and green transitions to ensure inclusive growth and competitiveness in line with the Draghi report (debate)
Strengthening children’s rights in the EU - 35th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (debate)
Regional Emergency Support: RESTORE (debate)
Regional Emergency Support: RESTORE (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council RESTORE – Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 and Regulation (EU) 2021/1057
Institutional motions (2)
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the devastating floods in central and eastern Europe, the loss of lives and the EU’s preparedness to act on such disasters exacerbated by climate change
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the devastating floods in central and eastern Europe, the loss of lives and the EU’s preparedness to act on such disasters exacerbated by climate change
Written questions (3)
Fund for the protection and development of the frontier regions of countries bordering Ukraine, Belarus and Russia
EU-Mercosur agreement
Toy Safety Directive
Amendments (91)
Amendment 5 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD),
Amendment 15 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) supports, complements and adds value to the policies of the Member States in order to ensure equal opportunities, equal access to the labour market as well as vocational education and training, fair and high-quality working conditions, social protection and inclusion;
Amendment 17 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. Whereas the local communities are the direct beneficiaries of the ESF+, it is a precondition that the regional and local authorities are directly involved in shaping of this instrument;
Amendment 19 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the ESF+ is the only EU fund primarily focused on social policies, and is therefore unique in itself and is strongly effective in achieving social inclusion, together with the cohesion policytherefore provides, together with the cohesion policy, the unique opportunity that must be used in the most efficient way in order to achieve systemic changes via structural reforms;
Amendment 19 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
B b. Whereas the situation and needs of each region in the EU are different, the flexibility in adjusting goals in the fund is indispensable;
Amendment 21 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the local communities are the direct beneficiaries of the ESF+, it is a precondition that the regional and local authorities are directly involved in shaping of this instrument;
Amendment 22 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the situation and needs of each region in the EU are different, the flexibility in adjusting goals in the fund is indispensable;
Amendment 25 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas different vulnerable groups have different needs, such as unemployed, young people, women in poverty, labour migrants, children, people with disabilities and elderly people; whereas the digital and green transition is much needed but also brings challenges for all people and all workers, and whereas to succeed in this endeavour, the EU must ensure a just transition that does not lose sight of workers and vulnerable people;
Amendment 30 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas around 100 million people in the EU have some form of disability; whereas only half of persons with disabilities are employed compared to 3 in 4 persons without disabilities; whereas 28.4% of persons with disabilities are at risk of poverty or social exclusion compared to 17.8% of persons without disabilities; whereas 29.7% of all persons with disabilities in the EU live in poverty;
Amendment 31 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas Europe faces demongraphic challenges, with many regions depopulating;
Amendment 33 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas Europe faces demographic challenges, with many regions depopulating;
Amendment 35 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas in 2020, approximately 14% of households with children (7.8 million households) consisted of single parents; whereas almost half (48 %) of single mothers and a third (32 %) of single fathers are at risk of poverty or social exclusion;
Amendment 38 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas Europe’s overall increase in life expectancy and ageing demographic is generating a growing demand for care in all age groups; whereas 80% of Long-Term Care is provided by informal carers, predominantly women; whereas care sector faces growing shortage of workforce in all Member States;
Amendment 40 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas the ESF+ is the main funding instrument to support the Member States for implementing the new EU-wide rules to improve work-life balance for parents and carers;
Amendment 47 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the availability and affordability of decent housing is decreasing because of over-liberalisatiand it is one of the marketjor challenges Europeans are facing today; whereas the EU will have its first ever Commissioner for tackling the housing crises, and the first ever European affordable housing plan, expected in 2025;
Amendment 54 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas strong focus on complementarity of the ESF+ should be upheld in order to motivate the Member States to use the fund to set structural reforms rather than use finances to fund everyday needs;
Amendment 55 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas building European competitiveness cannot be achieved without strengthening human capital;
Amendment 59 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas implementation of the ESF+ on the national level is often accompanied by unnecessary burden and complicated or ineffective rules adopted by the national governments that lower the efficiency of projects and undermine the overall goals of the fund;
Amendment 67 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Insists that the ESF+, following the evaluation of successes as well as shortcomings of its previous term of 2021 - 2027, must continue to be the key and primary instrument for supporting the Member States, people and regions in strengthening the social dimension of the Union;
Amendment 70 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Insists that the ESF+ must continue to be the key and primary instrument for supporting the Member States, people and regionpeople, local communities, regions and Member States in strengthening the social dimension of the Union;
Amendment 73 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Expresses strong concerns over attempts to split or merge the existing ESF+ with other funds, since that would create serious risks for the implementation of its objectives and those of the EPSR and its action plan, and the reaching of the ESPR’s headline targets; warns that unifying or simplifying funds may not improve their effectivenessits commitment to further advance, develop and modernise ESF+ to make it fit for future, resilient and even more effective; stresses in this regard that any possible remodelling of the fund shall not be detrimental to serving its objectives of promoting employment, social inclusion, education, and skill development, shall preserve an adequate budget and shall be managed as closely to the beneficiary as possible;
Amendment 75 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Insists that the objectives of the ESF+ should be to achieve high employment levels with adequate wages, decent working conditions, healthy working environments and, social security coverage, as well as, vocational education and training, and lifelong learning opportunities for all, in order to develop a skilled, competitive and resilient workforce and companies ready to adapt to changing circumstances, ready for the twin transition and the future world of work, and to build fair social protections and inclusive and cohesive societies, with the aims of eradicating poverty and delivering on the principles and the headline targets set out in the EPSR;
Amendment 78 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that a different ESF+ governance would lead to the loss of priority given to social aspects, including employment and social inclusion projects, and to the funding not reaching locESF+ should remain in shared management governance model in order to safeguard its place-based and people-based characteristics, expresses its concern that a different ESF+ governance risks leading to the mismatch between the goals set for ESF+ and the actual chal levels and those most in neednges faced by and needs of local communities, while increasing the risk of reallocation of funds for other purposes;
Amendment 85 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure the participation of local and regional authorities, social partners, civil society organisations (CSOs), private sector, including SMEs, and representatives of the target groups in all design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages of the ESF+, to allocate adequate funding for this purpose and to prevent the exclusion of smaller actors;
Amendment 89 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for a strong, reinforced, stand- alone ESF+ with significantly increased public support for existing instruments aimed at providing for the poorestose most in need in our societies; insists, therefore, on doubling the funding for the ESF+ post- 2027;
Amendment 93 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Expresses strong concerns over attempts to split or merge the existing ESF+ with other funds, since that would create serious risks for the implementation of its objectives and those of the EPSR and its action plan, and the reaching of the ESPR’s headline targets; warns that unifying or simplifying funds may not improve their effectivenessits commitment to further advance, develop and modernise ESF+ to make it fit for future, resilient and even more effective; stresses in this regard that any possible remodelling of the fund shall not be detrimental to serving its objectives of promoting employment, social inclusion, education, and skill development, shall preserve an adequate budget and shall be managed as closely to the beneficiary as possible;
Amendment 98 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that a different ESF+ governance would lead to the loss of priority given to social aspects, including employment and social inclusion projects, and to the funding not reaching locESF+ should remain in shared management governance model in order to safeguard its place-based and people-based characteristics, expresses its concern that a different ESF+ governance risks leading to the mismatch between the goals set for ESF+ and the actual chal levels and those most in neednges faced by and needs of local communities, while increasing the risk of reallocation of funds for other purposes;
Amendment 99 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines that the ESF+ post-2027 should invest in tackling enduring social challenges and stay close to the general and specific objectives set out in the current ESF+; emphasises the importance of the fund’s principles of shared management, clear objectives and thematic concentraterritorial dimensions, and that most of the fund should be spent as close as possible to those using the fund;
Amendment 104 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls for more flexibility in the ESF+ that would accommodate the remaining need for projects combining soft and infrastructural aspects;
Amendment 105 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Calls for the European Social Fund to adopt a framework that is adjustable, swift, and capable of rapid responses to dynamic socio-economic conditions, ensuring that resources can be directed efficiently toward emerging needs;
Amendment 106 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Encourages the European Commission and relevant authorities to continuously assess the impact and effectiveness of ESF initiatives, and to foresee clauses that would allow to address communities, sectors or regions experiencing unforeseen challenges;
Amendment 108 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure the participation of social partners, civil society organisations (CSOs) and representatives of the target groups in all design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages of the ESF+, to allocate adequate funding for this purpose and to prevent the exclusion of smaller actors; calls on the European Commission to respect the Partnership Principle at EU level and include civil society in the ESF+ committee, being one of the main implementing partners;
Amendment 109 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure the participation of local and regional authorities, social partners, civil society organisations (CSOs), private sector, including SMEs, and representatives of the target groups in all design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages of the ESF+, to allocate adequate funding for this purpose and to prevent the exclusion of smaller actors;
Amendment 123 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines that the ESF+ post-2027 should invest in tackling enduring social challenges and stay close to the general and specific objectives set out in the current ESF+; emphasises the importance of the fund’s principles of shared management, clear objectives and thematic concentraterritorial dimensions, and that most of the fund should be spent as close as possible to those using the fund;
Amendment 125 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Highlights the need to share best practices on the most efficient and transparent implementation of the ESF+; reiterates that the most successful ways to use the ESF+ is in the closest possible cooperation with the local and regional actors;
Amendment 126 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Notes with concerns that the efficient implementation of the ESF+ in the ongoing term is often hindered by the national governments who are adding unnecessary administrative burden or preventing local actors like in several Member States successful Local action groups (which consist of municipalities, local SMEs, local organisations and entrepreneurs including within the LEADER program) from the management of the support under the fund and of the funding opportunities;
Amendment 132 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that reaching the EPSR’s targets on poverty becomes challenging, unless specific support is dedicated to alleviating the pressure on social protection systems and mitigating the social impact of crises; insists on dedicating support to ensure decent living conditions for all no matter where they live, with access to high-quality essential services; calls for the EU anti-poverty strategy, outlined in Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s political guidelines for the 2024- 2029 term, to be implemented via the ESF+, with its binding poverty-reduction targets, national living wage indices and reference budgets used as benchmarks, applying a multidimensional approachunderlines the role of the ESF+ in implementing the strategy;
Amendment 138 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Stresses that more efforts are needed to ensure that persons with disabilities can access quality support and enjoy their rights as described in the UNCRPD; stresses that the upcoming ESF+ should keep prioritising the transition from institutional care to community-based care and support; calls for the ESF+ to deliver on the European Disability Rights Strategy 2021-2030, and in particular to facilitate the take up of the upcoming EU Guidance on Independent Living and Inclusion in the Community, the upcoming Framework on Social Services of Excellence for Persons with Disabilities, and the Disability Employment Package;
Amendment 141 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Insists that the ESF+ should target the most disadvantaged people in our societies, regardless of their sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief, or racial or ethnic origin – in particular marginalised communities such as Roma people, people with disabilities or chronic diseases, homeless people, children and elderly people; underlines that the ESF+ must be inclusive, with special attention given to all kinds of families, including single-parent families, families with more than two parents and rainbow families;
Amendment 153 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 159 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Stresses the role of the European Social Fund in supporting regions' adjustment to demographic transitions, including challenges related to an ageing population, brain drain, and workforce imbalances across regions; calls Member States, regional and local authorities and all responsible actors to prioritize measures to retain, attract, and reskill workers in order to ensure everybody has a chance to stay in their local community and has a future there;
Amendment 160 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines the importance of the ESF+ in focusing on different groups with different needs; underlines that there is no “one size fits all” solution and ways to address those needs may vary from region to region; stresses, therefore, the importance of allocating support to projects on the socio-economic position of migrants, including labour migrants, the social inclusion of people with disabilities, the ageing population in society, women and children, and female-headed households; insists that the ESF+ post- 2027 incorporate other aspects of social inclusion, such as housing, health and family circumstances and the support of community-based services;
Amendment 174 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that reaching the EPSR’s targets on poverty becomes challenging, unless specific support is dedicated to alleviating the pressure on social protection systems and mitigating the social impact of crises; insists on dedicating support to ensure decent living conditions for all no matter where they live, with access to high-quality essential services; calls for the EU anti-poverty strategy, outlined in Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s political guidelines for the 2024- 2029 term, to be implemented via the ESF+, with its binding poverty-reduction targets, national living wage indices and reference budgets used as benchmarks, applying a multidimensional approachunderlines the role of the ESF+ in implementing the strategy;
Amendment 179 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that addressing child poverty requires appropriately funded, comprehensive and integrated measures, together with the implementation of the European Child Guarantee at national level, and insists that it constitute a central pillar of the EU anti-poverty strategy; repeats its previous demands for the ESF+ post-2027 to include a dedicated budget of at least EUR 20 billion for the European Child Guarantee; insists that all the Member States should allocate at least 5 % of their ESF+ resources to the European Child Guarantee and at least 10 % for those Member States with a higher portion of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion;
Amendment 181 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission to allocate consistent financial resources to capacity- building, with the aims of empowering social partners to play a relevant role in areas of their competence, of strengthening their capacity to engage in social dialogue both at EU and national level and of enhancing social partners’ actions – and include technical assistance for these three purposes – with an adequate minimum percentage investment obligation from the Member States; further insists that social partners and CSOs should be guaranteed access to funding for social policy objectives in all the Member States on an equal basis; underlines at the same time the need to develop institutional capacity through strong and professional administration, and to foster innovation in public sector management;
Amendment 186 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
Amendment 192 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Member States to ensure that regional and local authorities and organisations have a say injoint ownership of ESF+ projects financed from national budget order to develop place-based solution best for their specific teritories;
Amendment 194 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Shares the ambition to prioritise the tackling of the housing crises, and insists that the ESF+ post-2027 should enhance timely and equal access to affordable, decent, sustainable and high-quality services promoting access to housingsocial and accessible housing including for persons with disabilities; believes that all the Member States must invest at least 5 % of their ESF+ resources into tackling homelessness;
Amendment 199 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Shares the ambition to prioritise the tackling of the housing crises, and insists that the ESF+ post-2027 should enhance timely and equal access to affordable, decent, sustainable and high-quality services promoting access to housing; believes that all the Member States must invest at least 5 % of their ESF+ resources into tackling homelessness;
Amendment 210 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Emphasises the need to ensure sufficient financing of the ESF+ post-2027 for high-quality and public education for all, skills development, upskilling, reskilling and lifelong learning, and for the addressing of skills shortages inter alia by creating cooperation among employers, workers and educational institutions, ensuring that individuals can successfully navigate labour market transitions;
Amendment 210 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls for the reduction of the administrative burden and “gold plating” on all levels, notably by simplifying the application processes for accessing funds and the reporting procedures for organisations, in particular for those of a smaller size; warn and working towards removal of regulatory barriers; underlines that simplification must not compromisshould enhance the fundamental principles of shared management, transparency and accountability, ensuring the proper administration of public funds;
Amendment 213 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Underlines the potential of ESF+ in fostering innovation and digital skills, aligning educational and training programs with the evolving needs of key sectors, including green and digital economies and ensuring access to lifelong learning opportunities, so that workers of all ages can continuously adapt their skills to meet the demands of a rapidly changing economy and help Europe maintain a competitive edge in global markets;
Amendment 224 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for a strengthening of efforts to support the implementation of the Youth Guarantee with an increased earmarking for all Member States that dedicate at least 15 % of their ESF+ resources; repeats in this context its call on the Member States to ban unpaid traineeships;
Amendment 230 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Stresses the role of the European Social Fund in supporting regions' adjustment to demographic transitions, including challenges related to an ageing population, brain drain, and workforce imbalances across regions; calls Member States, regional and local authorities and all responsible actors to prioritize measures to retain, attract, and reskill workers in order to ensure everybody has a chance to stay in their local community and has a future there;
Amendment 232 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines the importance of the ESF+ in focusing on different groups with different needs; underlines that there is no “one size fits all” solution and ways to address those needs may vary from region to region; stresses, therefore, the importance of allocating support to projects on the socio-economic position of migrants, including labour migrants, the social inclusion of people with disabilities, the ageing population in society, women and children, and female-headed households; insists that the ESF+ post- 2027 incorporate other aspects of social inclusion, such as housing, health and family circumstances and the support of community-based services;
Amendment 247 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses that the Employment and Social Innovation strand of the ESF+ provides support regarding the precarious situation of mobile workers and secures funding for trade union-related counselling; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure permanentappropriate funding for national and transnational trade union counselling services for such workers;
Amendment 255 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for the ESF+ to boost the implementation of the European care strategy by investing in quality early childhood education and, long term care for elderly, persons with disabilities and other people in need, as well as care through community-based, person-centred, high- quality, affordable and accessible care systems;
Amendment 262 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses that the implementation of the EPSR and the reforms needed to comply with the country-specific recommendations in the European Semester are also dependant on the strong support of the ESF+ for certain policy measures, especially those related to strengthening social welfare systems, ensuring inclusive and high- quality public education, reducing child poverty and eradicating homelessness;
Amendment 271 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission to allocate consistent financial resources to capacity- building, with the aims of empowering social partners to play a relevant role in areas of their competence, of strengthening their capacity to engage in social dialogue both at EU and national level and of enhancing social partners’ actions – and include technical assistance for these three purposes – with an adequate minimum percentage investment obligation from the Member States; further insists that social partners and CSOs should be guaranteed access to funding for social policy objectives in all the Member States on an equal basis; underlines at the same time the need to develop institutional capacity through strong and professional administration, and to foster innovation in public sector management;
Amendment 288 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Member States to ensure that regional and local authorities and organisations have a say injoint ownership of ESF+ projects financed from national budget order to develop place-based solutions best for their specific territories;
Amendment 303 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls for the reduction of the administrative burden, notably by simplifying the application processes for accessing funds and the reporting procedures for organisations, in particular for those of a smaller size; emphasises that beneficiaries, including not-for-profit social service providers, should be consulted for the design of the simplification measures; warns that simplification must not compromise the fundamental principles of shared management, transparency and accountability, ensuring the proper administration of public funds;
Amendment 305 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls for the reduction of the administrative burden and “gold plating” on all levels, notably by simplifying the application processes for accessing funds and the reporting procedures for organisations, in particular for those of a smaller size; warn and working towards removal of regulatory barriers; underlines that simplification must not compromisshould enhance the fundamental principles of shared management, transparency and accountability, ensuring the proper administration of public funds;
Amendment 308 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Calls on the consistent support and communication to the Member States in order to help them setting up individual projects effectively and transparently, including transparent and predictable conditions, which provide legal clarity and predictability to applicants, as well as for the end beneficiaries of the funding;
Amendment 313 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Warns that not all people are prepared for digitalisation, and that certain groups of people, especiUnderlines the need for Member States to further work towards preparation of everyone in the society for digitalisation in order to allyow the most vulnerable, could miss out onm to fully exploit funding opportunities as a result;
Amendment 314 #
2024/2077(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Sees that more work needs to be done for organisations and people to know about all the opportunities that the ESF+ can bring; insists that the Commission and the Member States raise awareness of, inform and advise organisations about the opportunities presented by the ESF+; sees that social services still face a significant knowledge and skills gap in accessing the current ESF+ and running EU-funded projects; calls on the Commission to allocate financial resources to build the capacity of not-for-profit social services and CSOs to make use of EU funds; considers, in particular, that the future ESF+ regulation should reserve a technical assistance budget to set up a network of national helpdesks, coordinated at cross-European level, in order to effectively deliver the training, guidance and support to organisations on- the-ground;
Amendment 88 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Addressing labour shortages requires a comprehensive approach at Union and national level which includes, as a priority, better realising the full potential of groups with lower labour market participation, reskilling and upskilling the existing workforce, facilitating intra-EU labour mobility including by making better use of the EURES-network, as well as improving working conditions and the attractiveness of certain occupations, through, inter alia, delivering quality vocational education and training. Due to the current scale of the labour market shortages and the demographic trends, measures targeting the domestic and Union workforce alone are likely to be insufficient to address existing and future labour and skills shortages. Therefore, legal migration is key to complement those actions and must be part of the solution to fully support the twin transition.
Amendment 92 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) Addressing the risk of unfair competition among individual countries for workers from third countries is necessary while implementing this tool. The EU Talent Pool should by no means undermine fair and realistic remuneration rates tailored to each country’s economic conditions. Such measures are essential to prevent the phasing out of EU citizens currently working in these shortage occupations. Ensuring equitable treatment and avoiding unfair wage practices, are necessary to mitigate the risk of social dumping and to uphold the integrity of the European labour market.
Amendment 140 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The format of jobseekers' profiles and job vacancies should be established using the existing European classification of occupations, skills, competencies and qualifications (ESCO) as foreseen in Regulation (EU) 2016/5898 which provides for a standardised terminology for occupations, skills and competences and facilitates the transparency of skills and qualifications. The ESCO classification should support jobseekers from third countries, employers, and the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points in providing comparable information on work experiences, occupations covered by a vacancy, as well as the skills offered by the jobseekers and required by the employers, thereby enabling a high-quality matching process. Where applicable, the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points should use the ESCO format for the transfermission of job vacancies to the EU Talent Pool IT platform. Member States not adopting the ESCO classification for national job vacancies, should produce mapping tables comparing the classification used in the national systems and the ESCO classification to allow interoperability. The mapping tables should be made available to the Commission and should be used for automatic transcoding of information on job vacancies or jobseekers’ profiles for the purpose of automated matching through the common IT platform. __________________ 8 Regulation (EU) 2016/589 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 April 2016 on a European network of employment services (EURES), workers' access to mobility services and the further integration of labour markets and amending Regulations (EU) No 492/2011 and (EU) No 1296/2013 (OJ L 107, 22.4.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/589/oj).
Amendment 153 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) The EU Talent Pool should contribute to the objective of discouraging irregular migration including by facilitating access to existing legal pathways. Jobseekers from third countries who are subject to a judicial or administrative decision refusing the entry or stay in a Member State or an entry ban in accordance with Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council11 , should not be allowed to register their profiles in the EU Talent Pool IT platform, given that they will not be permitted to enter and stay in the Union. To this end, jobseekers from third countries should be required, before registering their profiles in the EU Talent Pool, to declare that they are not currently subject to a refusal of entry or stay in a Member State or an entry ban to the territory of the Union. Information should also be provided on the consequences for making a false declaration in this respect. including on the deletion of the profiles of these jobseekers from the EU Talent Pool IT Platform. __________________ 11 Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals (OJ L 348, 24.12.2008, p. 98, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2008/115/oj).
Amendment 165 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) Where necessary, the recognition of qualifications and validation of skills of registered jobseekers from third countries should be conducted in the participating Member States upon request of the jobseeker or the employer in accordance with the national law and practices, and with any relevant international agreements, including Mutual Recognition Arrangements for professional qualifications. Personalised assistance and online information on existing recognition and validation procedures at national level should be available in the EU Talent Pool IT platform and it should be provided by the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points to registered jobseekers from third countries who have been selected for a job vacancy in the EU Talent Pool.
Amendment 183 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) The principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights should apply for all activities conducted in the context of the EU Talent Pool, in particular with regard to the right to fair and equal treatment with respect to working conditions, minimum wages, access to social protection, training, and protection of youth people at work. In accordance with those principles, the EU Talent Pool should ensure quality employment and fair competition.
Amendment 207 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) The EU Talent Pool platform should meet established needs on the labour market and should not serve as a means to displace or negatively affect the existing workforce or otherwise undermine decent work or fair competition. To better support Member States’ efforts in addressing existing and future labour shortages, the EU Talent Pool should target specific occupations at all skills levels, based on the most common shortage occupations in the Union and on the occupations with a direct contribution to the green and digital transitions, set out in the Annex to this Regulation. In order to adapt the job vacancies to the specific needs of the national labour markets and taking as a starting point the list of EU- wide shortage occupations set out in the Annex, participating Member States shall be allowed to notify to the EU Talent Pool Secretariat the addition or removal of specific shortage occupations. Such notifications should only impact the matches for job vacancies submitted by the respective Member State. Neither the list of EU-wide shortage occupations nor the Member States’ notifications should affect the principle of preference for Union citizens and, where applicable under national law, the examination of the labour market participation.
Amendment 214 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) Participating Member States should make information concerning the EU Talent Pool and its functioning easily accessible to jobseekers from third countries and employers, in particular with regard to information on the competent authorities in the participating Member States. Such information should include the conditions and procedures for the participation in the EU Talent Pool, in particular on its free of charge character.
Amendment 231 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 30
Recital 30
(30) Upon request from registered jobseekers who have been selected for the job from third countries and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool, the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points could provide additional support. Additional support should include tailored information on relevant visas and residence permits for work purposes in the participating Member State including with regard to third country nationals’ rights and obligations such as access to social benefits, health assistance, education, and housing. Specific guidance and information may also be provided on family reunification procedures and family members’ rights, and existing measures to facilitate integration in the host Member State such as language courses and vocational training. Such information should also include available redress mechanisms for cases of labour exploitation and unfair recruitment practices in the participating Member States. The EU Talent Pool National Contact Points should provide information to employers participating in the EU Talent Pool on their rights and obligations relating to social security, active labour market measures, taxation, issues relating to work contracts, pension entitlements and health insurance.
Amendment 239 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 31
Recital 31
(31) To achieve the objective of this Regulation, the effective implementation of the EU legal migration acquis should be ensured. In addition, to make the recruitment of jobseekers from third countries residing outside the Union easier and faster for employers, participating Member States may put in place accelerated immigration procedures in particular as regards the obtention of visas and residence permits for work purposes and the exemption from the principle of preference for Union citizens. The implementation of accelerated immigration procedures could be discussed in the context of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group, notably in view of supporting the exchange of best practices among Member States.
Amendment 250 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 33
Recital 33
(33) In order to fulfil the objectives of this Regulation of facilitating fair international recruitment, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should be delegated to the Commission to amend this Regulation with regard to the Annex providing the list of EU-wide shortages occupations. It is of particular importance that the Commission carries out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level, and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making19 . In particular, to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts, the European Parliament and the Council receive all documents at the same time as Member States' experts, and their experts systematically have access to meetings of Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts. __________________ 19 Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on Better Law-Making (OJ L 123, 12.5.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2 016/512/oj).
Amendment 301 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Information on the EU Talent Pool IT platform shall be provided in a clear, comprehensive and user-friendly manner.
Amendment 309 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 3
Article 6 – paragraph 3
3. Profiles of registered jobseekers from third countries shall include the name, surname, contact details, date of birth and nationality, information on academic and professional qualifications, work experience, other skills and language knowledge. Job vacancies of employers participating in the EU Talent Pool shall include the name, surname, sector of activity, legal document confirming the conduct of business activity and contact details.
Amendment 333 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
2. Only participating Member States shall be members of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group. Member States shall ensure equal representation of experts in the field of employment and in the field of migration in the composition of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group. Member States not participating in the EU Talent Pool may participate in the meetings of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group as observers.
Amendment 346 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) transferrmitting job vacancies to the EU Talent Pool IT platform through the single coordinated channel and facilitating the matching between registered jobseekers from third countries and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool;
Amendment 352 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) notifying to the EU Talent Pool Secretariat the national list of shortage occupations once a yearevery six months and any national adjustments to the list of EU-wide shortage occupations pursuant to Article 15;
Amendment 361 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) suspendrefusing, suspending or withdrawing the access of employers participating in the EU Talent Pool and removing their job vacancies from the EU Talent Pool IT platform in case of a breach of the relevant law and practice pursuant to Article 13(3) is notified to the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points by the relevant national authorities responsible for enforcing the relevant law and practice;
Amendment 368 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point g
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point g
(g) providing information and support services to registered jobseekers from third countries who have been selected for a job vacancy in the EU Talent Pool and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool in accordance with Article 17.
Amendment 421 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) are open to the recruitment of jobseekers from third countries in accordance with the principle of preference for Union citizens, where applicable under national law. The publication of a job vacancy on the EU Talent Pool IT platform shall be without prejudice to the principle of preference for Union citizens and to the check on the labour market situation.
Amendment 436 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Article 13 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Employers participating in the EU Talent Pool shall not charge fees to registered jobseekers from third countries for the purpose of the recruitment. This information shall be clearly communicated to the jobseekers on the EU Talent Pool IT Platform.
Amendment 439 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 4
Article 13 – paragraph 4
4. Job vacancies of employers participating in the EU Talent Pool shall be visible to registered jobseekers from third countries in the EU Talent Pool IT platform. Each job vacancy shall include at least the same information as initially posted on EURES.
Amendment 442 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 5
Article 13 – paragraph 5
5. Employers participating in the EU Talent Pool shall indicate, without undue delay, in the EU Talent Pool IT platform that they have successfully completed the recruitment of registered jobseekers from third countries for the given job vacancy. The profiles of those registered jobseekers and the fulfilled job vacancies shall automatically cease to be visible in the EU Talent Pool IT platform. Employers may also request to withdraw the unfulfilled job vacancy from the EU Talent Pool IT platform at any time.
Amendment 461 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 4
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 4
The EU Talent Pool National Contact Points may notify to the EU Talent Pool Secretariat further additions to and removals from the EU-wide list of shortage occupations maximum once a yearevery six months.
Amendment 498 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 17 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Upon request from registered jobseekers from third countries and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool, the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points shall provide additional support, and post-selection assistance to registered jobseekers from third countries who have been selected for a job and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool, in particular with regard to:
Amendment 537 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 1
Article 19 – paragraph 1
1. Participating Member States may decide, in accordance with national law, to put in place accelerated immigration procedures to allow for a faster recruitment of registered jobseekers from third countries who have been selected for a job vacancy in the EU Talent Pool.
Amendment 539 #
2023/0404(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 2
Article 19 – paragraph 2