29 Amendments of Marita ULVSKOG related to 2017/2052(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1
Citation 1
– having regard to Articles 174, 175, 311, 312 and 323 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7
Citation 7
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets and the opinions and Committee amendments of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Development, the Committee on Budgetary Control, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, the Committee on Transport and Tourism, the Committee on Regional Development, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, the Committee on Fisheries, the Committee on Culture and Education, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (A8-0000/2018),
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the MFF 2014-2020 quickly proved its inadequacy in meeting actual needs and political ambitions, as, from the outset, it was called upon to address a series of crises and new challenges in the areas of investment, social exclusion, migration and refugees, youth employment, security, agriculture and the environment, which had not been anticipated at the time of its adoption; whereas, as a result, the current MFF had already been pushed to its limits after only two years of implementation as available margins had been exhausted, flexibility provisions and special instruments had been mobilised to a substantial extent, existing policies and programmes had been put under pressure or even reduced, endangering the achievement of the EU2020 targets such as the poverty target, and some off-budget mechanisms had been created as a way of compensating for the insufficient level of the EU budget;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes that gaining the full support from European citizens in the context of current budgetary constraints is extremely important in order to reaffirm and achieve our commitments of growth and jobs; calls therefore for a better use of existing funds, stresses that the challenge facing the European Union will not be to spend more, but to spend more efficiently;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Emphasises that the policies for poverty reduction and social inclusion among vulnerable groups have failed to produce the expected results and reminds the Commission of its commitment to make concrete proposals for the establishment of a performance-based public budgeting model in which each budget line is accompanied by objectives and outputs to be measured by performance indicators;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is convinced that the next MFF should build on the Union’s well- established policies and priorities, which aim at promoting peace, democracy and human rights, at boosting welfare, long- term and sustainable economic development and growth, high-quality jobs, sustainable development and innovation, and at fosteremployment with full labour rights leading to decent jobs, innovation, and at fostering equal opportunities for all its citizens -and in particular gender equality-, promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion as well as solidarity between Member States and citizens; considers that these pillars are prerequisites for a properly functioning single market and Economic and Monetary Union as well as for reinforcing Europe’s position in the world; trusts that they are more relevant than ever for Europe’s future endeavours;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses that the EU must fulfil its commitments under the Treaties such as promoting the well-being of people, full employment, social progress, social cohesion, social justice and protection, fair competition, equality between women and men, solidarity between generations, protection of the rights of the child, the development of quality education and the knowledge and dissemination of the European cultural heritage; insists that the Union shall pursue these objectives by appropriate means that ensure the constant improvement of the living and working conditions of their peoples and contribute to the preservation and development of the fundamental rights included in the Charter, and to strengthen its protection.
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Points out that the European Union must deliver on its commitment to be a frontrunner in implementing the UN SDGs;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that the next MFF should enable the Union to provide solutions and emerge strengthened from the crises of the decade: the economic, social and financial downturn, the deepening inequalities, poverty, especially child poverty, and social exclusion, the phenomenon of migration and refugees, climate change and natural disasters, terrorism and instability, to name but a few; underlines that these global, cross-border challenges with domestic implications reveal the interdependency of our economies and societies, and point to the need for joint actions;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls, therefore, for continuous support for existing policies, in particular the long-standing EU policies enshrined in the Treaties, namely the common agricultural and fisheries policies, and the cohesion policy; rejects any attempt to renationalise these policies, as this would neither reduce the financial burden on taxpayers and consumers, nor achieve better results, but would instead hamper growth, solidarity and the functioning of the single market while further deepening inequalities and widening the disparities between territories and economic sectors; intends to secure at least the same level of funding for the EU-27 for these policies in the next programming period while further improving their added value and simplifying the procedures associated with them;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Believes that, by translating the political priorities of the EU into concrete investments, including social investments, the multiannual financial framework constitutes an excellent instrument for the long-term planning of the European project and for ensuring a certain stable level of public investment in the Member States; recalls, furthermore, that the EU budget is predominantly an investment budget that serves as an additional and complementary source of funding for actions undertaken at national, regional and local levels;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls for increased investment in quality job creation in future oriented sectors, in the social economy and the social, health and care sectors;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Considers that the use of the EGF, providing EU solidarity and support to workers losing their jobs as a result of major structural changes in world trade patterns arising from globalisation or as a result of the global economic and financial crisis, has not lived up to expectations and needs to be improved; points out, inter alia, that the procedures for implementing support from the EGF are too time- consuming and cumbersome; believes that a revised EGF should be endowed with at least an identical annual allocation under the new MFFdeployed its full potential and could be further improved in order to effectively reach and reintegrate redundant workers (also in SMEs) into the labour market, and reach out more Member States;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Calls for a genuine simplification of the EU budgetary system in the next MFF; underlines, in particular, the need to reduce overlaps between instruments that serve similar types of actions, without risking to lose important elements of the different programs, for example in the areas of innovation, SMEs or transport, and the necessity of eliminating the competition which exists between different forms and sources of funding, creating more synergies between instruments in order to ensure maximum complementarity and to provide for abetter tackle structural problems such as unemployment and demographic challenges, thus leading to a more coherent financial framework;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62
Paragraph 62
62. Calls on the Commission to simplify and harmonise the rules governing the use of financial instruments in the next MFF in order to maximise their efficient application; considers the option of a single fund that would integrate financial instruments at EU level that are centrally managed under such programmes as the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), Horizon 2020, COSME, Creative Europe and the Employment and Social Innovation programme (EaSI) on the one hand and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) on the other, a proposal to be discussed further; is of the opinion that such an umbrella solution shcould provide for a clear structure for the choice of different types of financial instruments for different policy areas and types of actions; underlines, however, that such a fund could never integrate financial instruments managed by Member States under cohesion policy;
Amendment 324 #
65. Believes, therefore, that the current presentation of the headings requires some improvements, but is against any unjustified radical changes; proposes, as a result, the following structure for the MFF post-2020; Heading 1: A stronger and sustainable economy Including programmes and instruments supporting: under direct management: - research and innovation - industry, entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises - large-infrastructure projects - transport, digitalisation, energy - environment and climate change adaptation - agriculture and rural development - maritime affairs and fisheries - horizontal (financial) instruments supporting investments in Europe (possible umbrella financial instrument at EU level, incl. EFSI) Heading 2: Stronger cohesion and solidarity in Europe Including programmes and instruments supporting: - economic, social and territorial cohesion (under shared management): investments in innovation, digitalisation, reindustrialisation, SMEs, transport, climate change adaptation and demographic challenges employment, social affairs and social inclusion - education, reducing inequalities and combating poverty matching skills and qualifications with labour market needs reducing differences in employment performance between Member States and candidate countries; - education, with special emphasis on digital and entrepreneurial skills, and life-long learning - culture, citizenship and communication - health and food safety - asylum, migration and integration, justice and consumers - support to and coordination with national administrations Heading 3: Stronger responsibility in the world Including programmes and instruments supporting: - international cooperation and development - neighbourhood - enlargement - humanitarian aid - trade - contribution to EU trust funds and external relations facilities Heading 4: Security, peace and stability for all Including programmes and instruments supporting: - security - crisis response and stability - common foreign and security policy - defence Heading 5: An efficient administration at the service of Europeans - financing EU staff - financing the buildings and equipment of EU institutions
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68
Paragraph 68
68. Believes that the next MFF should see a greater concentration of budgetary resources in areas that demonstrate a clear European added value and stimulate economic growth, competitiveness and empdeveloypment; stresses, in this context, the importance of research and innovation in creating a sustainable, world-leading, knowledge-based economy, and regrets that, due to the lack of adequate financing, only a small proportion of high-quality projects in this field has received EU funding under the current MFF and social inclusion, competitiveness and employment;
Amendment 395 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 74
Paragraph 74
74. Underlines the importance of ensuring financing for completing the digital single market by making full use of the spectrum, 5G deployment and gigabit connectivity, and by making further progress on the harmonisation of EU telecom rules to create the right regulatory framework for the improvement of internet connectivity throughout the Union; stresses that CEF Telecom should continue to support the Digital Service Infrastructures and the broadband networks by enabling their accessibility, including in remote regions and rural areas, and by improving digital literacy, interconnectivity and interoperability; underlines the importance of improving the digital skills of Europe’s citizens and workforce;
Amendment 486 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81
Paragraph 81
81. Stresses that cohesion policy post- 2020 should remain the main investment policy of the European Union covering all EU regions while concentrating the majority of the resources on the most vulnerable ones; believes that, beyond the goal of reducing the disparities between levels of development and enhancing convergence in solidarity among Member States as enshrined in the Treaty, it should focus on the achievement of the broad EU political objectives and proposes, therefore, that under the next MFF, the three cohesion policy funds – the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion Fund – should concentrate mainly on providing support for innovation, digitalisation, reindustrialisation, SMEs, transport, climate change adaptation, employment and social inclumproving the living and working conditions of the EU citizens in those regions lagging behind, by focusing on innovation, digitalisation, reindustrialisation, SMEs, transport, climate change adaptation, employment, social inclusion and poverty reduction, and demographic challenges (including depopulation and population dispersion); calls, moreover, for a reinforced territorial cooperation component and an urban dimension for the policy;
Amendment 502 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82
Paragraph 82
82. Considers that maintaining the financing of cohesion policy post-2020 for the EU-27 at least at the level of the 2014- 2020 budget to be of the utmost importancewill not be enough to reduce divergences, especially social divergences originating from a decade of economic crisis; therefore calls for a substantial increase of these policy funds, especially the ESF; stresses that GDP should remain one of the parameters for the allocation of cohesion policy funds, but believes that it should be complemented by an additional set of social, environmental and demographic indicators to better take into account new types of inequalities between EU regions; supports, in addition, the continuation under the new programming period of the elements that rendered cohesion policy more modern and performance-oriented and targeted towards social inclusion under the current MFF;
Amendment 524 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83
Paragraph 83
83. Is strongly committed to the commitments arising from Article 9 TFEU for the delivery of a Social Europe and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and points to based on the sustainable growth of a highly competitive social market economy, aiming at full employment and social progress and promoting equality between women and men, solidarity between generations and protection of the rights of the child as enshrined in the Treaty; highlights that such implementation requires that social policies are properly financed, bearing in mind that, at present, expenditure on social matters is insufficient and underlines to the consequent need of increased funding of the existing instruments contributing to these goals, notably the ESF, the Youth Employment Initiative, the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, the EGF and EaSI; believeinsists that they should bare safeguarded in the next MFF and that they continue to be implemented predominantly through grants;
Amendment 532 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83 a (new)
Paragraph 83 a (new)
83a. Considers that an adequate share of the financial resources set aside for the Cohesion Policy should be allocated to the European Social Fund so that it is able both to successfully meet the new challenges such as those connected with the timely implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the development of social dialogue, as well as to continue promoting the creation of decent jobs, tackling long-term unemployment and integrating elderly workers into the labour market, skills development and life-long learning, encouraging social investments in quality social services and the social economy, combating poverty, inequalities and demographic change; insists that the autonomy of the ESF be maintained in order for it to further contribute to economic and social cohesion;
Amendment 535 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83 b (new)
Paragraph 83 b (new)
83b. Highlights in particular that the ESF should expand its support to the development of social dialogue, namely by improving the capacity building of social partners including European sectoral and intersectoral levels and that this commitment should become compulsory for Member States in all the regions of the EU and appropriate ESF resources should be allocated to bilateral and/or unilateral capacity building activities undertaken by social partners to strengthen the social dialogue; stresses that at all times, the needs of those beneficiaries who have little administrative capacities should be respected;
Amendment 539 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83 c (new)
Paragraph 83 c (new)
83c. Draws attention to the fact that the total number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion remains at a very high level – 118 million (23.5%) of the total EU population in 2016, which is far off-track to reach the Europe2020 poverty and social exclusion target; calls, therefore, for an increase in financial resources for social policy measures; calls on the Commission to consider introducing a minimum share of 30% of the ESF for fighting poverty and social exclusion, and to closely monitor that the earmarked share is effectively used for this purpose; stresses also the special role of FEAD for facilitating organizations supporting the most needy and tackling the structural problems of food poverty as well as the increasing problem of energy poverty;
Amendment 540 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83 d (new)
Paragraph 83 d (new)
83d. Points to the essential role played by the EaSI Programme for the development of adequate innovative policy solutions for successfully tackling the range of ever more complex employment and social challenges, as well as for providing the necessary support for institutional capacity building and the functioning of the various organisations involved in the implementation of social policy measures with special attention regarding enhanced social dialogue and collective bargaining, as well as for successfully promoting workers’ fair and voluntary cross-border mobility and further facilitating access to microfinance for vulnerable groups, micro-enterprises and social enterprises; therefore insists that the allocation of 55% to the Progress axis within EasI is upheld;
Amendment 547 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Emphasises in particular the continuous need to fight unemployment, especially among young people,Stresses that combating youth unemployment, especially among NEETs, should continue to be a top priority and calls, therefore, for a doubling of the Youth Employment Initiative envelope in the next programmingwhile ensuring quick and simplified deployment of funds and transforming it into a more stable EU financing instrument in the post-2020 period; considers that adequate investment tois vital for boosting education and training, especially the development of digital skills, remains one of the top priorities of the EUparticularly for supporting dual education and development of skills and especially of digital skills, promotion of entrepreneurship and quality apprenticeship among Young people as mechanisms to encourage job creation and direct access to employment, while ensuring in particular decent working conditions and social protection;
Amendment 555 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84 a (new)
Paragraph 84 a (new)
84a. Strongly believes that EU funding, particularly that under Heading 1a and 1b should not be used to subsidise national approaches, but should be used to provide additional support to people facing social exclusion and unemployment in a way that complements and enhances national programmes according to the decision of the Member States;
Amendment 562 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85
Paragraph 85
85. Expresses support for programmes in the areas of culture, education, media, youth, sports and citizenship that have clearly demonstrated their European added value and enjoy lasting popularity among beneficiaries; advocates, therefore, continuous investment in the Education and Training 2020 framework through the Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens programmes in order to pursue reaching out to young people and providing them with valuable competences and life skills through lifelong learning, learner-centred and non-formal education, as well as informal learning opportunities; calls in particular for a tripling of the Erasmus+ envelope in the next MFF with the aim of reaching many more yYoung people and learners across Europe, and achieving the full potential of the programme; recommends, moreover, the continuation of the European Solidarity Corps and to keep Erasmus+ as a strong and independent “EU trademark” and let their high expertise work autonomously; also reiterates its support for strengthening the external dimension of the Erasmus+ and Creative Europe programmes;
Amendment 574 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 85 a (new)
Paragraph 85 a (new)
85a. Notes that the Commission launched the European Solidarity Corps initiative before its discussion and approval by the Council and the European Parliament, which are currently working to improve the Commission proposal; recommends its continuation and insists that adequate resources are provided that do not come at the expense of the existing programmes or funds; in this context stresses in particular the need of a funding that must not weaken Erasmus+;