Activities of Evelyn REGNER related to 2013/2045(INI)
Legal basis opinions (0)
Amendments (39)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
- having regard to the Eurofound report of October 2012 entitled ‘NEETs: young people not in employment, education or training: characteristics, costs and policy responses in Europe’1, __________________ 1 Eurofound (2012), NEETs: young people not in employment, education or training: characteristics, costs and policy responses in Europe, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to the Eurofound report of 21 December 2012 entitled ‘Effectiveness of policy measures to increase the employment participation of young people’2, __________________ 2 Eurofound (2012), Effectiveness of policy measures to increase the employment participation of young people, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 b (new)
Citation 9 b (new)
- having regard to the Eurofound report of 29 April 2011 entitled ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities’3, __________________ 3 Eurofound (2011), Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas in January 2013 23 % of active young people were jobless, with the rates ranging from 15 % or less in Austria, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands to over 55 % in Greece and SpainSpain and 64.2 % in Greece (February 2013), indicating marked geographical differences; whereas the employment situation of young people in many parts of Europe is disastrous;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas these 14 million young people not in training or employment are equivalent to the total population of seven small and medium-sized Member States, and whereas this state of affairs calls for much greater efforts on the part of the Member States and the European institutions to (re-)integrate young people into the labour market; whereas young people in Europe have widely differing needs, so that any labour-market integration measures which are taken must be tailored accordingly;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas in 2011 the economic loss due to the disengagement of young people from the labour market was estimated at EUR 153 billion, corresponding to 1.2 % of EU GDP4; whereas this sum is more than 15 times more than the estimated EUR 10 billion which would be needed to create 2 million new jobs for young people; whereas this represents a serious social and economic burden;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas growth which creates jobs is needed to combat unemployment, and youth unemployment in particular; whereas, as a response to the economic, financial and banking crisis, austerity has not only failed to meet that objective, but has in fact significantly worsened the labour market situation in many Member States;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas major investment is needed in the European Union to create growth and jobs and boost domestic demand; whereas an investment package amounting to 2 % of EU GDP is needed to bring about a significant improvement in the short-term economic situation and in the situation on the labour markets of the Member States, a measure which would primarily benefit young people as the group hardest hit by the crisis;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas young people are particularly disadvantaged during economic crises, more so than most groups; whereas for many young people current unemployment can be expected to turn into long-term unemployment, which brings risks of social exclusion; whereas this has alarming consequences for young individuals, lowering their self-esteem, leaving their ambitions unrealised, reducing their earnings throughout their working lives and their career prospects and delaying their assumption of an independent adult life including starting a family, and consequently also for society, negatively impacting on the social, economic and demographic situation in Europe;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas young people are particularly disadvantaged during economic crises, more so than most groups; whereas for many young people current unemployment can be expected to turn into long-term unemployment, which brings risks of social exclusion; whereas this has alarming consequences for young individuals, lowering their self-esteem, leaving their ambitions unrealised, and delaying their assumption of an independent adult life including starting a family, and consequently also for society, negatively impacting on the social, economic and demographic situation in Europe; whereas the high level of youth unemployment poses a risk to democracy in the European Union, given that support for the European project, in particular among young people, is dwindling fast, and whereas the young people affected should be involved in the process of shaping solutions and measures;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the crisis has led to an increase in the number of people, and in particular young people, in insecure employment, and whereas many existing full-time jobs have been replaced by work performed by people on short-term contracts, part-time work and unpaid work;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas more and more young people are being forced to take both unpaid and paid traineeships, a state of affairs which is discriminatory towards those who are less well off; whereas the problem of the exploitation of trainees as cheap labour must be acknowledged, and whereas, therefore, a set of quality criteria for traineeships is needed;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas mobility across national borders is one of the key ideas underpinning the European project, so that measures to foster mobility among young people are intrinsically welcome; whereas, however, it is striking that in the countries hardest hit by (youth) unemployment only a very small minority of people who opt for mobility and migration do so voluntarily, rather than in response to economic imperatives; whereas young people also have the right to live and work in their home countries, and whereas jobs therefore need to be created in outlying regions in an effort to halt the unwilling flight of young people from, and the resulting brain drain in, the regions concerned;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas SMEs, which are a driving force for economic growth and job creation and for achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy, have shed more than 3.5 million jobs as a result of the economic crisis, with workplace closures affecting all workers, including the youngand young people hardest of all;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the transition from full-time education to the labour market is a turning point in the lives of young people and one which has a decisive bearing on their career prospects, lifetime earning potential and long-term social circumstances; whereas, in this context, education policy cannot be divorced from labour-market policy;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Gb. whereas employment agencies play a key role on the labour market and should therefore be required to meet stringent quality standards and to have their compliance with those standards checked by the competent authorities; whereas these quality standards and the requirement to undergo checks should apply in the same way to both public and private employment agencies;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that the policy measures implemented by Member States need to be diversified and centred around high- quality vocational education, training and work experience, and should tackle all potential obstacles in young people’s pathway to sustainable employment, paying particular attention to vulnerable groups that are more likely to suffer from multiple disadvantages;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls for the reduction of youth unemployment to be made a specific objective under the European Semester; calls too for the compulsory inclusion in the country-specific recommendations (CSRs) and national reform programmes (NRPs) of measures to combat youth unemployment; calls on the Commission closely to monitor and review the introduction of such measures; calls for Parliament to be comprehensively involved in this regard under the European Semester process;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Emphasises the need for an active, comprehensive and integrated labour- market policy with special measures for young people; calls on the Member States to check whether examples of best practice from other Member States could be applied to their own labour markets and to draw on those measures which are suitable in their fight against youth unemployment; emphasises that the Commission’s task is to give active support to such efforts;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Stresses that the success of measures to combat youth unemployment depends largely on national policies for ensuring that employment centres have sufficient infrastructure and capacity to offer young people tailored and personalised services; emphasises that the success of measures such as a Youth Guarantee is also heavily dependent on the efforts of employers and on close cooperation between the social partners;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the involvement of all relevant stakeholders, at local, regional, national and European levels, including training and education providers, individual employers, public and private employment services, social partners, third-sector organisations, and health and other authorities, is essential for the successful design, implementation, supervision and functioning of a variety of measures fostering youth employment and employability in an integrated fashion; emphasises that measures must be flexible so as to meet the continuously evolving needs on the labour market; urges, in the field of vocational education and the dual vocational training system in particular, that all relevant stakeholders should be involved, especially the social partners and educational institutions; stresses in this context, that enterprises and educational institutions have a responsibility for ensuring that pupils and students receive training with a focus on practical experience;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the involvement of all relevant stakeholders, including training and education providers, individual employers, public and private employment services, social partners, third-sector organisations, and health and other authorities, is essential for the successful implementation of a variety of measures fostering youth employment and employability in an integrated fashion; emphasises that measures must be flexible so as to meet the continuously evolving needs on the labour market; highlights the particular role of the social partners in vocational training and further training;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises the particularly difficult situation in certain regions where the level of unemployment among young people is above 25 %; welcomes the fact that EU support for youth employment will be further boosted through the proposed EU Youth Employment Initiative, with a budget of EUR 6 billion over the seven- year period 2014-2020; stresses at the same time that, according to the International Labour Organisation, EUR 21 billion will be needed to implement the Youth Guarantee effectively; recommends that the specific budget allocation for this employment initiative for young people and the corresponding allocation from the ESF should be made in equal instalments over the period to 30 June 2017;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Emphasises the importance of immediate action to combat youth unemployment and long-term unemployment; emphasises, too, the need to get young people into long-term, sustainable, high-quality jobs;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the decision of the EPSCO Council on 28 February 2013 to agree on a Council recommendation on implementing a Youth Guarantee; recommends extending eligibility to graduates aged under 30; recommends extending eligibility to NUTS 2 regions with a youth unemployment rate of more than 20%, and permitting Member States to earmark up to 10% of the available funding for young people living in sub-regions with a youth unemployment rate of more than 22.5%; recommends that a Youth Guarantee should take effect as soon as possible rather than after a four-month delay; stresses that the success of this measure will be highly dependent on other factors, e.g. the infrastructure and capacity of public and strengthened private employment services, the availability of student places, the provision of training and, apprenticeships, measures to make it easier for trainees to switch from one type of school or training to another, and the transferability and implementation of successful experiences from other Member States; stresses that the Youth Guarantee must be integrated within the broader framework of active labour market policies while ensuring high quality standards;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the decision of the EPSCO Council on 28 February 2013 to agree on a Council recommendation on implementing a Youth Guarantee; recommends extending eligibility to graduates aged under 30; stresses that the success of this measure will be highly dependent on other factors, e.g. the infrastructure and capacity of public and strengthened private employment services, the availability of student places, the provision of training and, apprenticeships, and the transferability and implementation of successful experiences from other Member States and adequate follow-up through the National Reform Programme of each Member State so that monitoring, evaluation and continuous improvement of the guarantee is possible; stresses that the Youth Guarantee must be integrated within the broader framework of active labour market policies while ensuring high quality standards, including appropriate pay, working conditions and health and safety standards;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Encourages the Member States to boost their support for enterprises, cooperatives and third-sector organisations wishing to participate in Youth Guarantee schemes in close cooperation with public and private employment services, including through tax incentives, subsidies for fixed employment costs, incentives in the context of public procurement and the possibility of accessing funding for on-site training, which will support enterprises in providing high-quality employment and training offers, and will represent an investment in young people’s potential in an effective and targeted way; stresses that enterprises have a particular responsibility to make such offers available;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses that the transition from school to work is a turning point in young people’s lives; calls on the Member States, therefore, to strengthen guidance and advisory measures so as to give young people the information they need at a sufficiently early stage for decision- making about their future working lives; stresses that the provision of such guidance and advice should begin early in the secondary cycle; calls on Member States to take measures to facilitate the transition from education to the labour market; also urges Member States to strengthen programmes that offer pupils and students vocational training and work experience and to promote programmes providing them with vocational guidance and support in the choice of a career;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Supports the establishment of the Erasmus for All Programme and the creation of a separate chapter for youth as well as a separate budget allocation, together with increased support for those who are active in youth work but not in an , including non-institutionalised fashionyouth work; is of the opinion that acquiring more and different skills, also by studying abroad, will promote young people’s participation in society and improve their prospects on the labour market;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Emphasises the great success of ‘dual training’ systems, especially in curbing youth unemployment, and recommends that those Member States which do not have such a system should introduce one as part of their measures to combat youth unemployment; stresses in this regard that it is essential fully to involve the social partners in such systems at an early stage;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Member States to support self-employment among young people by creating facilities and preferential conditions for starting up their own businesses, through, e.g., cutting red tape and introducing favourable tax policies; stresses also that, while self-employment can be a highly feasible and desirable choice for young people, it is urgently necessary to deal with the numerous practical problems arising in this connection, including the increased risk of businesses set up by young people going bankrupt, the increased risk of poverty for self-employed young people despite the fact that they are working (‘working poor’), the widespread business practice of replacing the services of employees with those provided by young self-employed entrepreneurs, thereby saving on ancillary wage costs at their expense, and the growing problem of bogus self-employment; __________________ 5 Eurofound (2010), Working poor in Europe. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for an ambitious holistic policy approach which looks at education, training, employment and self-employment initiatives, for all young people at all the various levels, in an integrated way; highlights that youth unemployment is linked to a general lack of economic growth in the EU; stresses therefore the urgent need to prioritise a job-friendly growth that will benefit young people as well, and to address structural barriers for young peoples' entry into the labour market;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Member States to ensure high-quality frameworks for traineeships, backed up by financial support and mandatory monitoring, as well as a common quality standard for traineeships and work placements including criteria for appropriate pay, working conditions and health and safety regardless of the length of the traineeship or the work placement; stresses that active promotion and awareness-raising in respect of such programmes is needed among entrepreneurs;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Member States to ensure high-quality frameworks for traineeships, backed up by financial support and mandatory monitoring and control to prevent cases where interns are used instead of full time employees, as well as a common quality standard for traineeships and work placements; stresses that active promotion and awareness-raising in respect of such programmes is needed among entrepreneurs;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Member States to ensure high-quality frameworks for traineeships, backed up by financial support and mandatory monitoring, as well as a common quality standard for traineeships and work placements; stresses that active promotion and awareness-raising in respect of such programmes is needed among entrepreneurs; stresses that young people must not be exploited through unpaid traineeships and that such schemes should be designed as part of a training programme of limited duration with counselling, supervision and training objectives;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Emphasises that the Alliance for Apprenticeship should also support European and national campaigns for changing perceptions of vocational education, and should organise a regular forum for discussions on the monitoring of the European apprenticeship strategy with all relevant European and national stakeholders; stresses that incentives should also be provided to facilitate funding for crossborder training activities enabling companies and social partner organisations to become involved in establishing dual education systems; calls on the Commission to come forward with a legislative proposal for an Alliance for Apprenticeship and a Quality Framework for Traineeships including a definition of high-quality traineeships with criteria for appropriate pay, working conditions and health and safety standards regardless of the length of the traineeship;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that the problem of ‘brain waste’ needs to be addressed, since having highly qualified and skilled young people working far below their potential results in non-use of their actual skills and qualifications, while at the same time having negative effects on them in social, economic and psychological terms;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Stresses the need to take action to halt the ‘brain drain’ resulting chiefly from emigration, since this is greatly undermining the development of the regions concerned in economic, social and demographic terms; calls on the Council and Commission accordingly to invest more funds in long-term investment and rural development, particularly with a view to providing young people with employment opportunities in their home areas;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the Member States to develop personalised career counselling and guidance, starting already during an early phase of secondary school,education with the aim of enabling young people to make well-informed choices about their higher education or vocational training, while introducing mechanisms that can monitor the opportunities offered and assess the success rate of those young people’s subsequent transition to work;