31 Amendments of Dirk STERCKX related to 2009/2222(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Given that social services of general interest make a major contribution to the achievement of the EU's goals as enshrined in the Treaties, particularly in terms of promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion, calls on the Commission to strengthen legal security in the field of social services of general interest, using a tailored approach which can easily be applied by organising public authorities and takes into account the specific ways in which social services are organised and their strongly local naturecontinue its efforts to clarify and monitor the application of Community rules, with a view to identifying and eliminating potential tensions between the Community rules and the provision of services;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Recalls that it is for Member States and their local authorities to define, organise and fund services of general interest; points out that the diverse and dynamic nature of services of general interest across the EU makes it neither possible nor desirable to create a One- Size-Fits-All European model;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that SSGI and their users have a number of special characteristics in addition to the common characteristics of SGI. SSGI encompass, in addition to health services, both statutory and complementary universally available services, provided directly to the person, that play a preventative and social cohesion and inclusion role and make tangible fundamental social rights;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 h (new)
Paragraph 6 h (new)
6h. Welcomes the various steps taken in recent years in clarifying and simplifying the application of Community rules to services of general interest;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 i (new)
Paragraph 6 i (new)
6i. Is looking forward to the results of the evaluation of the Monti-Kroes package, that will demonstrate if and where further adjustment is needed;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Endorses the recommendation in the Monti report that broadband internet and banking services be new universal services, which should be acknowledged in European legislation;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that the primary purpose of SSGI is to achieve social policy objectives and make tangible the social rights of individuals and groups and that SSGI are often an integral part of social security systems; points out that Eurofound Quality of Life Surveys23 have verified that one of the most important ways of enhancing citizens' quality of life, ensuring full inclusion in society and providing for social and territorial cohesion is through the provision and development of SGI including SSGI;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that national and local authorities engaged in providing or mandating SSGI need a clear legal basislegal certainty for their services and expenditures, and that while the information and clarification service developed by the Commission is essential, it is insufficient and does not protect SSGI providers from legal challengewelcomes the various steps taken in recent years by the Commission in clarifying and simplifying the application of Community rules to SGIs including SSGIs;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Believes that the delivery of quality SSGI requires Member State governments to ensure a financial framework for SSGIproper conditions which guarantees continuity of services and stable financing, as well as decent incomes and working conditions and training for those who delivering the servicesm;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines the fact that Member States and local authorities must be free to decide how SSGI are funded and delivered, whether directly or otherwise, using all available instruments so as to ensure that the Union's social objectives are not weakened by single market rulein full respect of existing single market and competition rules as well as interests of services users, while at the same time supporting an environment that promotes quality, accessibility and efficiency in the delivery of the services;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for the 2005 Monti-Kroes response to the Altmark case to be broadened so as to simplify the rules, improve flexibility in their application, and expand the derogations. The de minimis threshold should be raised to at least EUR 500 000 over a three-year cycIs looking forward to the results of the evaluation of 2005 Monti-Kroes response to the Altmark case that will demonstrate if and where additional steps are needed to further clarify and simplify the rules;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Emphasises that public procurement rules need to be simplified and made more flexible so that public service oblWelcomes the latest consultation on the modernisation of EU public procurement rules aimed at solutions for both more efficient use of public money and achievement of overall societal goals, such as innovation, figahtions can be fulfilledng climate change and promoting social inclusion;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Believes that local authorities must be involved in an ongoing bottom-up process of overhaulevaluating procurement rules to avoid discrepancies between the rules and modes of organisation on the ground;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Proposes the establishment of a high- level multi-stakeholder taskforce – initially with a two-year mandate – that is open, flexible and transparent, to pursue implementation of the policy initiatives identified in this report and in the 3rd Forum recommendations, the Commission's second Biennial Report and the SPC reports, as well as any other relevant proposals; to initiate a full review of all rules, particularly state-aid and procurement rules, which impact on SSGI and to evaluate how they need to be redesigned so as to respect and support Member States' responsibilities in the definition and delivery of SSGI, taking account of the current Commission review of rules;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Considers that, as part of its mandate, the proposed taskforce would also consider innovations such as a European resource centre for SSGI, a Member State registerdata base of SSGI, a pilot scheme on elder care, and action programmes based on the European Voluntary Quality Framework (VQF);
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Urges thatProposes the taskforce be chaired by the Commission's DG Social Affairs; that its membership include DG Competition, DG Single Market, DG Environment and DG Sanco, the European Social Affairs Council (EPSCO), the social partners and civil society organisations active in SSGI; that, in view of their democratic mandate, both Pto comprise representatives of Commission's DG Economic and Monetary Affairs, DG Competition, DG Single Market, DG Social Affairs, DG Environment and DG Sanco, the European parliament and, the Committee of the Regions must be centrally involved; and that social economy enterprises and stakeholders including voluntary associations, as well as local authorities, must be represented, the European Social Affairs Council (EPSCO), local authorities, organisations representing users of SSGIs and other relevant stakeholders;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Urges that Member States use the VQF to draw up quality accreditation and monitoring systems, and that implementation of the VQF be evaluated with reference to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Protocol 26 TFEU;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36