29 Amendments of Gabriele ZIMMER related to 2010/0115(NLE)
Amendment 28 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union stipulates in Article 145 that Member States and the EU shall work towards developing a coordinated strategy for employment and particularly for promoting a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce and labour markets responsive to economic chaeducation, vocational traininge and with a view to achieving the objectives set out in Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union. Member States, having regard to national practices related to the responsibilities of management and labour, shall regard promoting employment as a matter of common concern and shall coordinate their action in this respect withfurther training and integration of employees into labour markets, which have become – and will remain – necessary because of economic change with a view to achieving the Council, in accordance with the provisions ofobjectives set out in Article 1483 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Amendment 30 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The Treaty on European Union stipulates in Article 3.3 that the Union shall combat social exclusion and discrimination, and shall promote social justice and protection and provides for the Union’svide social protection; it is also expected to take initiatives to ensure coordination of Member States' social policies. Article 9 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union provides that in defining and implementing its policies and activities, the Union shall take into account requirements linked to promoting a high level of employment and to the guarantee of adequate social protection and the fight against social exclusion and linked to a high level of education and training and protection of health.
Amendment 33 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The Lisbon Strategy, launched in 2000, was based on an acknowledgement of the EU’s need to increaspreserve its productivity and competitiveness, while enhancing social cohesion, in the face of global competition, economic interdependences and changes, technological change and an age changing population. The Lisbon Strategy was re- launched in 2005, after a mid-term review which led to greater focus on growth, more and better jobs. Ultimately, the Lisbon Strategy failed to achieve its targets. With its focus on competitiveness, cost-cutting, dismantling of the welfare state, ever more flexible labour markets, liberalisation of markets in general and deregulation of financial markets in particular it aggravated inequality in the distribution of income and wealth, the growth of poverty, social exclusion, low- wage work and precarious employment. It is now time for an alternative strategy of the European Union for sustainable development, social justice and full employment.
Amendment 36 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs helped forge consensus aroundshould help to determine the broad direction of the EU’s economic and employment policies. Under the strategy, both broad economic policy guidelines and employment guidelines were adopted by the Council in 2005 and revised in 2008. The 24 guidelines laid the foundations for the national reform programmes, outlining the key macro-economic, micro-economic and labour market reform priorities for the EU as a whole. However, experience shows that the guidelines did not set clear enough priorities and that links between them could have been strongersufficiently binding objectives for social, political and cultural participation by all residents of the European Union and for the sustainable ecological conversion of the economy. This limited their impact on national policy- making.
Amendment 42 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The financial and economic crisis that started in 2008 resulted in a significant loss in jobs and potential output and has led to a dramatic deterioration in public finances. The European Economic Recovery Plan has nevertheless helped Member States to deal with the crisis, partly through a coordinated fiscal stimulus, with the euro providing an anchor for macroeconomic stability. The crisis therefore showed that coordination of the Union's policies canould have delivered significant results if it ishad been strengthened and rendered effective. TIn addition, the crisis also underscored the close interdependence of the Member States’ economies and labour marketsfact that the internal market urgently needs to be complemented by a social and ecological Union so that fewer people need suffer from the impact of impending crises of capitalism.
Amendment 47 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The Commission proposed to set up a new strategy for the next decade, the Europe 2020 Strategy, to enable the EU to emerge stronger from the crisis, and to turn its economy towards smart, and also respond more effectively to future upheavals and crises, and to turn its economy towards viable, ecologically and economically sustainable and inclusive growth. Five heconomic management. Headline targets, listed under the relevant guidelines, constitute shared objectives guiding the action of the Member States and of the Union. Member States should make every effort to meet the national targets and to remove the bottlenecks that constrain growthobstacles to a restructuring process accompanied by the creation of more, high-quality jobs.
Amendment 54 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) As part of comprehensive "exit strategies" for the economic crisis, Member States should carry out ambitious reforms to ensure an improved macroeconomic stability and the sustainability of public finance, improve competitiveness, reduce macroeconomic imbalances and enhance labour market performance. The withdrawal of the fiscal stimulus should be implemented and coordinated within the framework of the Stability and Growth Pact. performance targeting socially and environmentally sustainable development, reduce macroeconomic imbalances and enhance high quality employment and social protection. The fiscal stimulus should be continued over the next three to five years to overcome economic stagnation and rising unemployment. Coordinated fiscal stimulus at Member State and EU level must be oriented towards economic recovery via targeted EU recovery plan which is streamlined in terms of gender-equality in all of its components, mobilising one per cent of EU GDP each year for investing in environmentally sustainable development, thus providing for an entry strategy for new quality employment.
Amendment 72 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Within the Europe 2020 strategy, Member States should implement reforms aimed at ‘smart growth’, i.e. growthmanagement of the economy’, i.e. which is driven by knowledge and innovation. Reforms should aim at improving the quality of education, ensuring access for all, and strengthenpreserving research and business performance in order to promote innovation and knowledge transfer throughout the EU. They should encourage entrepreneurship andconomic activity which helps to turn creative ideas into innovative products, innovative - particularly socially valuable - services and processes that can create growth, quality jobs, territorial, economic and social cohesion with a high level of comprehensive social protection, and address more efficiently European and global societal challenges. Making the most of information and communication technologies is essential in this context.
Amendment 81 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) Member States should also, through their reform programmes, aim at ‘sustainable growth’development. Sustainable growthdevelopment means building a resource- efficient, sustainable and competitive economy, a fair distribution of the cost and benefits and exploiting Europe’s leadership in the race to developeconomy, and developing new processes and technologies, includingparticularly green technologies. Member States should implement the necessary reforms to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and use resources efficiently. They should also improve the business environment for SMEs, stimulate creation of green, sustainable jobs and modernise their industrial base. Particularly in the field of conversion to different products, sufficient funding must be made available to be able to perform the resultant restructuring processes and deal with the impact on employees.
Amendment 88 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Member States’ reform programmes should also aim at ‘inclusive growth’. Inclusive growtheconomic management’. Inclusive economic management means building a cohesive society in which people are empowered to anticipate and manage change, thus to actively participate in politics, society and economycultural life. Member States’ reforms should therefore ensure access and opportunities for all throughout the lifecycle, thus to an income which prevents poverty and to service activities requiring skills, thus enabling them to pursue a dignified and autonomous life and reducing poverty and social exclusion, through removing barriers to labour market participation of employees' own choosing, especially for women, older workers, young people, disabled and legal – particularly women – young people, people with disabilities and migrants. They should also make sure that the benefits of economic growthsustainable and inclusive economic management reach all citizens and all regions. Ensuring effective functioning of thethat labour markets are inclusive through investing in successful transitions, appropriate skills development, rising job quality and fighting segmentation, structural unemployment and inactivity while ensuring adequate, sustainable social protection and active inclusion to reduce poverty should therefore be at the heart of Member States’ reform programmesin accordance with the 'decent work' principles of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and in the light of the conclusions of the informal meeting of Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs in Berlin from 18 to 20 January 2007 on the subject of 'good work', namely that Europe needs an improved, joint effort to promote ‘good work’, which covers workers’ rights and participation, fair pay, security and health protection at work, and organisation of work which takes families into account, as well as working conditions which are favourable and fair and appropriate social protection, which are necessary if the European Union is to be accepted by its citizens, and fighting segmentation, structural unemployment and involuntary inactivity while ensuring comprehensive social protection which goes beyond preventing poverty and social and cultural inclusion should therefore be at the heart of Member States’ reform programmes. At the same time, economic and social inequalities must be massively reduced.
Amendment 103 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11a) In the light of the objective of 'inclusive growth', Member States should, upon a proposal from the Commission, establish a legislative framework for the new forms of employment which places the employees concerned on an equal footing and facilitates employment which does not promote further fragmentation of the labour market and which guarantees comprehensive protection of the individual and collective rights of employees and affords them the requisite social protection.
Amendment 106 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 12
Recital 12
Amendment 118 #
Recital 13 a (new)
(13a) When programming and implementing EU funding, including from the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund, Member States should take account of the EU 2010 Strategy, particularly its employment policy and social policy aspects.
Amendment 120 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) While these guidelines are addressed to Member States, it is essential that the Europe 2020 strategy should be implemented in partnership with all national, regional and local authorities, closely associating parliaments, as well as social partners and representatives of civil society, who shallrepresentatives of civil society. Social partners at national level have a particular role to play here, because without their participation it would not in practice be possible to implement the employment strategy in businesses. All parties must be given equal rights to contribute to the elaboration of national reform programmes, to their implementation and to the overall communication on the strategy.
Amendment 125 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The Europe 2020 strategy is underpinned by a smaller set of guidelines, replacing the previous set of 24 and addressing employment and broad economic policy issues in a coherent manner. The guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States, annexed to this Decision, are intrinsically linked with the guidelines for the economic policies of the Member States and of the Union, annexed to Council Recommendation […] of […]. Together, they form the ‘Europe 2020 integrated guidelines’.
Amendment 129 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) These new integrated guidelines reflect the conclusions of the European Council. They give precise guidance to the Member States on defining their national reform programmes and implementing reforms, reflecting interdependence and in line with the Stability and Growth Pact. These guidelines will form the basis for any country-specific recommendations that the Council may address to the Member States. They will also form the basis for the establishment of the Joint Employment Report sent annually by the Council and Commission to the European Council.
Amendment 130 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 17 a (new)
Recital 17 a (new)
(17a) In the meantime the measures taken and their results should be analysed academically and reviewed critically.
Amendment 143 #
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph -1 (new)
All policies and measures taken in the framework of the Employment Guidelines shall strongly promote equality for women and men and shall be gender mainstreamed. This includes affirmative action policies aimed at enhancing women´s rights and equality. Social protection systems should be reviewed with a view to abolish elements that generate gender inequalities, better working conditions should be secured in sectors where women work, involuntary part time employment decreased and gender equality in training and education ensured. In this framework, the EU sets a target to reduce the gender pay gap to 0- 5% by 2020. Furthermore, the EU sets targets on increased provision of accessible, affordable, flexible and high- quality care services for all, in particular access to child care facilities by aiming to ensure 70% of necessary care for 0-3 years old children and 100% of care for 3- 6 years old children and will introduce over the time span of the EU 2020 Strategy specific targets for the care of other dependents, including the elderly, on the basis of an ongoing assessment of actual and potential care needs.
Amendment 147 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 1
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 1
Amendment 170 #
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 2
Member States should step upuse social dialogue and tackle labour market segmentation with measures addressing temporary and precarious employment, underemployment and undeclared work. Professional mobility should be rewardeddiscrimination against women, migrants, older people and people with disabilities, underemployment and undeclared work. Undeclared employment should be fought through fiscal measures for low earners and for trades and crafts and through more intensive monitoring by labour inspectorate services and social insurance bodies. Professional mobility should be rewarded by measures under employment, social and fiscal legislation. The quality of jobswork and employment conditions shouldmust be addressed by fighting low-wages and by ensuring adequatepoverty-proof social security also for those on fixedwith precarious and other forms of atypical contracts and the self- employed. Member States should agree an EU target for minimum wages (whether statutory or collectively agreed at national, regional or sectoral level) to guarantee remuneration of at least 60% of the relevant (national, sectoral, etc.) average income and, further, lay down a timetable for achieving that target in all Member States. Employment services should bemust be effectively strengthened and open to all, including young people and in particular those threatened by unemployment and appropriate measures provided within the context of active, inclusive labour market policies, with personalised services targeting those furthest away from the labour market.
Amendment 187 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 3
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 3
In order to increase competitivenesspromote environmentally and socially sustainable development and raise participation levels, particularly for the low-skilled, and in line with economic policy guideline 2, Member States should reviewadapt tax and benefit systems and increase the capacity of public services to provide the necessary support. Member States should increase labour force participation through policies to promote active ageingthe concept of GOOD WORK, gender equality and equal pay for equal work or work of equal value, and labour market integration of young people, disabled, legal migrants and other vulnerable groups. In that respect a European Youth Guarantee securing the right of every young person in the EU to the offer of a suitable well-paid job in line with their qualifications and skills, an apprenticeship, additional training or combined work and training immediately upon facing unemployment is necessary. Work-life balance policies with the provision of affordable care and innovation in work organisation should be geared to a reduction of working time without loss of pay and thus raising employment rates, particularly among youth, older workers and women, in particular to retain highly- skilled women in scientific and technical fields. Member States should also remove barriers to labour market entry for newcomers, support self-employment and job creation in areas including green employment and care and promote social innovation. Furthermore, work-life balance policies should strengthen transition security based on good job protection by enhancing social rights and social protection to prevent income risks and to ensure the maintenance and acquisition of pension rights and health care coverage etc. during employment transitions, and also during leave periods (e.g. for caring for dependent persons, further training and education, sabbaticals etc.). Member States should promote the reconciliation of work and non-work-life also by a clear reduction of the average weekly working time as well as a clear lowering of the weekly statutory maximum working hours and a strict limitation of overtime hours. Member States should also remove barriers to labour market entry for newcomers, support self-employment and job creation in areas including green employment and high-valued, in particular, social services, and promote social innovation. Access to the labour market for young people and newcomers should be enabled by limiting effectively working life.
Amendment 208 #
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 4
The EU headline target, on the basis of which Member States will set their national targets, is of aiming to bring by 2020 to 75% the employment rate for women and men aged 20-64 including through the greater participation of youth, older workers - especially older women - and low skilled workers and the better integration of legal migrants.
Amendment 215 #
Annex – Guideline 8 – title
Guideline 8: Developing a skilled workforce responding to labour market needs, promoting job quality andImproving the level of education and training and further training among employees and promoting lifelong learning
Amendment 221 #
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 1
Member States should promote productivity and employability through an adequate supply of knowledge and skills to match current and future demand in the labour markea broad supply of knowledge and skills in order that workers, under the conditions of permanent processes of restructuring and change in all three sectors of the labour market, can obtain a permanent, full-time job, which ensures them a livelihood and enables social and cultural involvement. Quality initial education and attractive vocational training must be complemented with effective incentives for lifelong learning, second-chance opportunities, ensuring every adult at any time the chance to move one step up in their qualification, and by targeted migration and integration policies. Member States shouldmust develop systems for recognising acquired competencies, remove barriers to occupational and geographical mobility of workers, promote the acquisition of transversal competences and creativity, and focus their efforts particularly on supporting those with low skills, and increasing the employability of older workerscombat discrimination in connection with access to education and training and further training, while at the same time enhance the training, skills and experience of highly skilled workers, including researchers.
Amendment 238 #
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 2
In cooperation with the social partners and business, Member States should improve access to training, strengthen education and career guidance combined with systematic information on, and appropriate measures to promote, new job openings and opportunities, promotion of entrepreneurshipbusiness involvement in education and training and further training and enhanced anticipation of skill needs. Investment in human resourcepersonnel planning and development, up- skilling and participation in lifelong learning schemes should be promoted through joint financial contributions from governments, individuals and employers. To support young people and in particular those not in employment, education or training, Member States in cooperation with the social partners, should enact schemes to help recent graduatesyoung people with or without a school leaving qualification find initial employment or further education and training opportunities, including apprenticeships, and intervene rapidly when young people become unemployed. Regular monitoring of the performance of up-skilling and anticipation policies should help identify areas for improvement and increase the responsiveness of education and training systems to labour market needsmake education and training systems more geared towards growth fields of work of the future. EU funds should be fully mobilised by Member States to support these objectives.
Amendment 256 #
Annex – Guideline 9 – paragraph 1
In order to ensure access to quality education and training for all and to improve educational outcomes, Member States should invest efficiently in education and training and further training systems notably to raise the skill level of the EU's workforce, allowing it to meetrespond to the rapidly changing needs of modern labour marketsworld of work. Action should cover all sectors (from early childhood education and schools through to higher education, vocational education and training, as well as adult training) taking also into account learning in informal and non-formal contexts. Reforms should aim to ensure the acquisition of the key competencies that every individual needs for success in a knowledge-based economy, notably in terms of employability, further learning, or ICT skills. Steps should be taken to ensure learning mobility of young people and teachers becomes the normis facilitated. Member States should improve the openness and relevance of education and training systems, particularly by implementing national qualification frameworks enabling flexibleopen learning pathways, including for those who are older, and by developing partnerships between the worlds of education/training and work. The teaching profession should be made more attractive. Higher education should become more open to non-traditional learners and participation in tertiary or equivalent education should be increased. With a view to reducing the number of young people not in employment, education, or training, Member States should take all necessary steps to prevent early school leaving. For people who, for various reasons, are unable to participate in these systems, social protection which goes further than preventing poverty should be guaranteed. For people who, because of illness and/or disability, are no longer able to practise their previous occupation, special vocational further training and/or retraining measures should be provided.
Amendment 266 #
Annex – Guideline 9 – paragraph 2
The EU headline target, on the basis of which Member States will set their national targets, is to reduce the drop out rate to 10%, whilst increasing the share of the population aged 30-34 having completed tertiary or equivalent education to at least 40% in 2020.
Amendment 271 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 10 – paragraph 1
Annex – Guideline 10 – paragraph 1
Amendment 292 #
Annex – Guideline 10 – paragraph 2
The EU headline target, on the basis of which Member States will set their national targets, is to reduce by 25% the number ofeliminate poverty and, as a first step, reduce by 50 % by 2015 the number of people in the Europeans Union living below the national poverty lines, lifting over 20 million people out of poverty.