18 Amendments of Bart STAES related to 2018/0230(COD)
Amendment 63 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The European Solidarity Corps provides a single entry point for solidarity activities throughout the Union and beyond. Consistency and complementarity should be ensured with other relevant Union policies and programmes. The European Solidarity Corps is built on the strengths and synergies of predecessor and existing programmes, notably the European Voluntary Service19 and the EU Aid Volunteers20. It also complements the efforts made by Member States to support young people and ease their school-to- work transition under the Youth Guarantee by providing them with additional opportunities to make a start on the labour market in the form of traineeships or jobs in solidarity-related areas within their respective Member State or across borders. Complementarity with existing Union level networks pertinent to the activities under the European Solidarity Corps, such as the European Network of Public Employment Services, EURES and the Eurodesk network, and other relevant civil society organisations, including social partners and networks representing young people and volunteers are also ensured. Furthermore, complementarity between existing related schemes, in particular national solidarity schemes and mobility schemes for young people, and the European Solidarity Corps should be ensured, building on good practices where appropriate. _________________ 19 Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 establishing ‘Erasmus+’: the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport and repealing Decisions No 1719/2006/EC, No 1720/2006/EC and No 1298/2008/EC (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 50–73). 20 Regulation (EU) No 375/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 establishing the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps (‘EU Aid Volunteers initiative’) (OJ L 122, 24.4.2014, p. 1-17).
Amendment 81 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) Young people’s spirit of initiative is an important asset for society and for the labour market. The European Solidarity Corps contributes to fostering this aspect by offering young people the opportunity to devise and implement their own projects aimed at addressing specific challenges to the benefit of their local communities. These projects are an opportunity to try out ideas and support young people to be themselves drivers of solidarity actions. They also serve as a springboard for further engagement in solidarity activities and are a first step towards encouraging European Solidarity Corps participants to continue to be active citizens as volunteers, as employees in the solidarity sector, by engageing in self-employment or setting up associations, non-governmental organisations or other bodies active in the solidarity, non-profit and youth sectors.
Amendment 103 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19 a (new)
Recital 19 a (new)
(19a) As a general rule, the grant request will be submitted to the national agency of the country where the organisation is based. Grant requests for activities organised by Europe-wide or international organisations; activities of volunteering teams in priority fields identified at European level; and activities in support of humanitarian aid operations in third countries; will be submitted to the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency of the European Commission.
Amendment 113 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24
Recital 24
(24) The European Solidarity Corps Portal should be further developed taking into account the European Interoperability Framework23, which gives specific guidance on how to set up interoperable digital public services and is implemented in the Member States and other member of the European Economic Area through National Interoperability Frameworks. It offers public administrations 47 concrete recommendations on how to improve governance of their interoperability activities, establish cross-organisational relationships, streamline processes supporting end-to-end digital services, and ensure that both existing and new legislation do not compromise interoperability efforts. Additionally, the Portal should be built according to the standards established by the 2016 EU Web Accessibility Directive. _________________ 23 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - European Interoperability Framework – Implementation Strategy (COM(2017) 134 final).
Amendment 116 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) The European Solidarity Corps targets young people aged 186-30, and participation in the activities offered by the European Solidarity Corps should require prior registration in the European Solidarity Corps Portal.
Amendment 120 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) Special attention should be given to ensuring that the activities supported by the European Solidarity Corps are accessible to all young people, notably the most disadvantaged ones. Special measures should be in place to promote social inclusion, the participation of disadvantaged young peopleyoung people with fewer opportunities, as well as to take into account the constraints imposed by the remoteness of a number of rural areas and of the outermost regions of the Union and the Overseas Countries and Territories. Similarly, the participating countries should endeavour to adopt all appropriate measures to remove legal and administrative obstacles to the proper functioning of the European Solidarity Corps. This should resolve, where possible, and without prejudice to the Schengen acquis and Union law on the entry and residence of third-country nationals, administrative issues that create difficulties in obtaining visas and residence permits and other legal difficulties that could prevent young people’s access to the programme, as well as the issuing of a European Health Insurance Card in the case of cross-border activities within the European Union.
Amendment 135 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 43
Recital 43
(43) Member States should endeavour to adopt all appropriate measures to remove legal and administrative obstacles to the proper functioning of the Programme. This includes resolving, where possible, and without prejudice to Union law on the entry and residence of third-country nationals issues that create difficulties in obtaining visas and residence permits and other legal difficulties that could prevent young people’s access to the programme. In line with Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council32, Member States are encouraged to establish fast-track admission procedures. _________________ 32 Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing (OJ L 132, 21.5.2016, p. 21).
Amendment 156 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
(4) ‘young people with fewer opportunities’ means young people facing some obstacles that prevent them from having effective access to opportunities under the Programme for economic, social, cultural, geographical or health reasons or for reasons such as disabilities and educational difficultieindividuals who require additional, targeted support due to discrimination and a heightened risk of social exclusion as a result of various factors, either individually or in combination with each other. Such factors may include, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, health status, geographical obstacles, legal barriers or other status;
Amendment 161 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5 a (new)
(5a) ‘Hosting organisation’ means a participating organisation which has received a Quality Label habilitating them to host one or more participants in a solidarity activity. Hosting organisations are responsible for making offers for solidarity activities to registered participants, providing a safe and convenient working environment for participants, developing a learning programme in cooperation with participants, providing support to participants during all the phases of the solidarity activity, mentorship, enabling and supporting initiatives and/or projects by participants and reacting to current needs of the participants, setting up an evaluation process and supporting self- reflection, dissemination and promotion of the programme.
Amendment 162 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5 b (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5 b (new)
(5b) ‘Supporting organisation’ means a participating organisation which has received a Quality Label habilitating them to support one or more participants and/or organisations participating in a solidarity activity. Supporting organisations are responsible for making offers for solidarity activities to registered participants, providing support to participants during all the phases of a solidarity activity, risk prevention and management, supporting participants with practical arrangements (such as travel, insurance), pre-departure training and post-activity follow-up and dissemination and promotion of the programme. Supporting organisations also can be responsible for supporting solidarity project participants in their application, management of the grant and general monitoring, quality assurance, reporting, dissemination, promotion of the project.
Amendment 165 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
(6) ‘volunteering’ means a solidarity activity taking place as voluntary unpaid activity, either full-time, part-time or during free time, for a period of up to 12 months;
Amendment 200 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. The specific objective of the Programme is to provide young people, including those with fewer opportunities, with easily accessible opportunities for engagement in solidarity activities in Europe and abroad while improving and properly validating their competenceprofessional and civic competences, promoting their continuous engagement as active citizens as well as facilitating their employability and transition into the labour market.
Amendment 263 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Young people aged 17 to 30 years willing to participate in the European Solidarity Corps shall register in the European Solidarity Corps Portal. However, at the moment of commencing volunteering, traineeship, job or aYoung people can register from 1 year before they reach the eligible age for participating. At the moment of commencing a placement or a project a registered young person shall be at least: (a) 16 years of age and not older than 30 for solidarity projects a young person shall be at least 18 years of age and not older than 30nd for part-time and free-time in-country volunteering. (b) 18 years of age and not older than 30 for jobs and traineeships and for full- time and cross-border volunteering.
Amendment 290 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1
Article 17 – paragraph 1
Any public or private entity established in a participating country as well as international organisations may apply for funding under the European Solidarity Corps. In the case of the activities referred to in Articles 7, 8 and 11, a quality label shall be obtained by the participating organisation as a pre-condition for receiving funding under the European Solidarity Corps. In the case of the solidarity projects referred to Article 9, natural persons may also apply for funding on behalf of informal groups of European Solidarity Corps participants. As a general rule, the grant request will be submitted to the national agency of the country where the organisation is based. Grant requests for activities organised by Europe-wide or international organisations; activities of volunteering teams in priority fields identified at European level; activities in support of humanitarian aid operations in third countries; will be submitted to the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency of the European Commission.
Amendment 307 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 23 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. The National Agency shall regularly consult the beneficiaries of the programme (individuals and organisations) in order to collect their feedback on the programme and improve its implementation at national level based on their feedback and expertise.
Amendment 309 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Article 24 – paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. The Commission shall organise regular meetings with the network of national agencies in order to ensure coherent implementation of the European Solidarity Corps across all participating countries. The Commission shall invite existing Union level networks pertinent to the activities under the European Solidarity Corps, such as the European Network of Public Employment Services, EURES and the Eurodesk network, and other relevant civil society organisations, including social partners and networks representing young people and volunteers.
Amendment 313 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 a (new)
Article 24 a (new)
Amendment 322 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 30 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. As part of the committee referred in point 1 of this article, relevant civil society organisations including networks representing social partners, young people and volunteers should be included as permanent observers without voting rights in the Programme Committee and their presence laid out in the rules of procedures of the relevant Committee.