Activites

• 2003/09/03 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0369/2003 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the own-initiative report drafted by Ilda FIGUEIREDO (GUE/NGL, Portugal) on the scoreboard on implementing the social policy agenda. Parliament stated that the structural weaknesses identified on the labour market are largely to blame for lasting poverty and social exclusion, which are being aggravated by other factors such as health problems and disability, family break-ups, a lack of basic training and housing problems. The most recent income figures show that 15% of the population, that is to say about 56 million people, are at risk of poverty, since they are living below a threshold defined to be 60% of the national average income. 9% of the EU's population face a persistent risk of poverty, since they have remained in that position for at least two out of the last three years. Social security is vital to reduce the risk of poverty - without welfare transfers, the poverty risk would have amounted to 24% (if one excludes pensions from the definition of welfare transfers) or 40% (including pensions). Parliament went on to ask the Commission to implement the principle of equal treatment for men and women by submitting a proposal for a directive, based on Article 141(3) of the Treaty, recognising paid paternity leave as an inalienable individual right that cannot be forgone. It also asked the Commission and Member States to ensure the correct timely implementation of existing directives, in particular those adopted on the basis of Article 13 of the Treaty. The Commission must not hesitate in pursuing infringement actions against Member States in this regard.�

• #2520
• 2003/07/15 Council Meeting
• 2003/06/11 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0247/2003
• #2512
• 2003/06/02 Council Meeting
• 2003/05/15 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2003/02/06 Non-legislative basic document published
  • COM(2003)0057 summary

    PURPOSE : to present the scoreboard on implementing the social policy agenda (third update). CONTENT : the social policy agenda is the EU's roadmap for modernising and improving the European social model by investing in people and building an active welfare state. It should contribute to achieving the strategic objective defined at the Lisbon European Council which is to strengthen social policy as a productive factor as well as solidarity and social fairness. This is the third scoreboard the Commission presents to report on the implementation of the social policy agenda. This edition focuses essentially on the main achievements of the year 2002. This report shows that the agenda is still on schedule and that it has helped to make EU labour markets more employment-friendly with 2.5 million new jobs created in 2001-2002. The report also highlights that the EU cannot be complacent and must step up the rhythm of reform if, as the Lisbon summit has set out, 15 million more new jobs are to be created between now and 2010. The Commission particularly criticises Member States for failing to set national employment targets, which risks undermining progress towards the Lisbon employment targets. The report also calls for action to reduce unemployment rates which, nudged by the economic downturn, have crept up to 7.8% in the EU, and 8.5% in the eurozone. The report adds that labour market weaknesses are partly responsible for keeping people in social exclusion and poverty. Latest available income data show that 15% of the EU population are a poverty risk, and 9% are at persistent risk of poverty. However, the report underlines that 40% of the EU population would have been at risk of poverty if welfare transfers were to be taken out of the calculation. It also points forward to the midterm review of the Social Policy Agenda later this year, which will stress the need for 'better jobs' as a motor of growth, both through productivity gains and by attracting more people into work. It is estimated that if the EU gave the equivalent of one extra year of education and training to everyone, it would increase overall EU productivity by about 5% immediately and an additional 5% in the long run. By the same token, good health boosts productivity : healthy workers earn 15-30% more than workers in poor health. As for the year 2003, a number of important initiatives will be launched by the Commission. Among these initiatives, the following will issues will be dealt with: - key initiatives on employment; - legislative and non-legislative initiatives on change and the working environment; - several communications and reports on promoting social inclusion and fighting discrimination; - legislative initiatives on social protection; - the recasting of the directive on equal opportunities; - the follow-up of the enlargement preparations.�

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/social/', 'title': 'Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion'}],

Documents

• Non-legislative basic document published: COM(2003)0057
• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A5-0247/2003
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0369/2003

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)