Activites

• 2010/06/16 Results of vote in Parliament
  • Results of vote in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
  • T7-0223/2010 summary

    The European Parliament adopted by 562 votes to 57, with 24 abstentions, a resolution on the EU 2020 Strategy.The resolution was tabled by the EPP, S&D, ALDE, Greens/ALE and ECR groups.Parliament expresses its disappointment at the main elements of the new EU 2020 strategy agreed by the European Council on 26 March 2010. It calls for the EU 2020 strategy to pursue a broad political concept for the future of the EU as a competitive, social and sustainable Union putting people and the protection of the environment at the centre of policy making.The Council is urged to endorse the key elements of the EU 2020 strategy at its June 2010 meeting but Members insist that it should not adopt final decisions on the key instruments, targets and indicators of the EU 2020 strategy without having properly consulted Parliament as soon as possible. In the same spirit, they take the view that national parliaments, regions, municipalities, the social partners and NGOs should be actively involved in defining and implementing the strategy.Parliament notes the five headline targets agreed by the European Council on: (i) employment rate; (ii) research and development; (iii) greenhouse gas emissions; (iv) education levels; (v) social inclusion. It stresses that these headline targets should be formulated in the framework of a consistent and coherent sustainable development strategy combining the economic, social and environmental policy agendas.Relaunching the single market: Members emphasise that the single market is one of the main drivers of European growth and that it still needs to be fully completed. They emphasise that it is important to keep free trade and access to the global market at the core of policy making and to eschew any movement towards protectionism, as innovative entrepreneurs and companies can thrive in a free and global market.The resolution stresses that bolder initiatives are needed to complete the single market and to win greater public acceptance for it. The Commission must produce a clear set of political priorities through the adoption of a ‘Single Market Act’, which should cover both legislative and non-legislative initiatives designed to create a highly competitive social market economy. SMEs in a social market economy: Members emphasise that the EU should stimulate and encourage SMEs and entrepreneurship, which are crucial to job conservation and creation, that it should reduce administrative and regulatory burdens and simplify rules. They highlight the fact that SMEs are the backbone of the social market economy, creators of jobs and essential players in reinvigorating sustainable economic growth, and that priority should therefore be given to further efforts in the area of reform, such as SME-friendly legislation, creating a vibrant environment for start-ups, encouraging entrepreneurship and improving access to finance. They also consider that the EU 2020 strategy should include targets and initiatives to encourage increased average levels of equity and venture capital in companies.The resolution points out that micro-businesses can often help in combating unemployment, and setting up a business is often a way to succeed despite social inertia, that the first pre-condition for the development of SMEs is their ability to raise adequate funds for their activities, and that maintaining guarantee mechanisms for SMEs, dynamic second markets and a banking sector that promotes economic activity in Europe are prerequisites for the development of SMEs.Employment target: Parliament reiterates that high-quality employment should be a key priority in a 2020 strategy and that a stronger focus on properly functioning labour markets and on social conditions is vital to improve employment performance. It calls, therefore, for a new agenda to promote decent work, ensure workers’ rights throughout Europe and improve working conditions.  Research target: Parliament urges the Commission and the Member States to retain the overall target of 3% of GDP for R&D. It calls on the Member States to make better use of the potential for synergy between cohesion-policy funding and R&D funding and to ensure that these instruments translate into innovation that delivers real benefits to society.The resolution emphasises that major R&D projects, key energy infrastructure investments and the new EU competence on space policy, as well as EU innovation policy, require solid, credible and sustainable EU financial support if the Union’s key 2020 objectives are to be met. In order to make European research more efficient, Members take the view that it is crucial that existing structures are better streamlined and that a more research-friendly and innovation-friendly investment climate is created in both the public and the private sector. They call on the Commission to put forward practical measures to improve access to financing, and especially the availability of risk capital.Climate/energy targets: Parliament deplores the fact that the European Council's headline targets on climate change greenhouse lack ambition and, in this respect, are not geared towards leadership in a world which is facing climate change. It calls therefore for the immediate and simultaneous adoption of the following binding targets for the EU:a domestic greenhouse gas reduction target of 30% for 2020 and substantial further reduction in the long run provided that other countries are also ready to commit themselves to taking adequate action;a resource-efficiency improvement target;a 20% reduction target for energy consumption and an increase in the share of renewable energies to at least 20% by 2020, while removing technical and non-technical barriers to the further development of sustainable renewable energies, as a first step towards creating, by 2050, a non-CO2-emitting, highly efficient economy mostly based on renewable energies;measurable targets geared towards halting the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services and restoring them where possible by 2020.Education target: noting the headline target on improving education, Parliament deplores the absence of numerical targets and urges the European Council to set a 100% target for secondary education, as well as clear qualitative targets and indicators for primary and secondary education. It asks Member States to adopt the ambitious targets set out in the Commission's communication on EU 2020 so that, by 2020, school drop-out rates should be below 10% of the age cohort and at least 40% of the population should have completed tertiary or equivalent education.Members stress the need for robust lifelong-learning policies and to maintain the number of active people on the labour market and to strengthen social inclusion.Poverty target:Parliament insists that the EU 2020 strategy should include a target for reducing poverty in the EU by half, and points out that a majority of Europeans currently living in poverty, or at risk of poverty, are women, in particular older women, migrant women, single mothers and carers. It calls for an ambitious long-term strategy against poverty, with far-reaching targets for poverty reduction. Gender equality: Parliament calls for a programme for gender equality to eradicate the existing pay gap between men and women and to ensure full participation by women in the labour market and in politics, while promoting women's career opportunities and to improve conditions with a view to reconciling work and family life.Cohesion policy: Parliament considers that a strong and well-financed cohesion policy, embracing all European regions, should be fully in line with the EU 2020 strategy. It considers that the global crisis should be used as an opportunity to re-found our European social market economy as a model of society based on sustainability, solidarity, knowledge, a decisive decrease in poverty and the creation of jobs, and that the EU 2020 strategy should develop the employment potential of the transition towards a sustainable economy. Common Agricultural Policy: Members point out that CAP reform by 2013 and a sustainable forestry strategy should be considered within the framework of the EU 2020 strategy. External action by the European Union: Parliament urges the Commission to take a broader and more comprehensive approach in its external action, in line with the EU concept of policy coherence for development and to use its trade strategy for EU 2020 to promote the Union's core values, such as the promotion of human rights, democracy, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms and the defence of the environment.

• #3020
• 2010/06/08 Council Meeting
• #3019
• 2010/06/07 Council Meeting
  • 3019 summary

    With a view to preparing the European Council of 17 June 2010 the ministers held a policy debate on Europe 2020 - A new Strategy for Jobs and Growth and agreed on an EU target on social inclusion/poverty reduction and appropriate indicators. Based on a presidency note and a contribution by the Social Protection Committee (SPC) (doc. 9964/10), the Council agreed to propose to the European Council: that the quantified target of the Europe 2020 Strategy to promote social inclusion, in particular through the reduction of poverty, be formulated in such a way that it would aim at lifting at least 20 million people from the risk of poverty and exclusion by 2020; to accept the three set up indicators established by the Social Protection Committee. Likewise, the Council agreed that in the fight against poverty and exclusion it is necessary to boost inclusion in the labour market as well as in society. During the process of implementation of the EU 2020 Strategy, there will be scope for strengthening the current instruments for measuring progress in the reduction of poverty and deprivation and for understanding the phenomenon of exclusion from the labour market. The relationships between labour market exclusion and the situation of poverty at individual level will have to be better taken into account.Member States are free to set their national targets on the basis of the most appropriate indicators taking into account their national circumstances and priorities. In this process they will take into consideration that their national targets should contribute to the achievement of the target at EU level.The Council also considers that the mid-term review of the EU headline target in 2015, as suggested by the Social Protection Committee, would also include a review of the indicators, while fully respecting Member States’ role. This review could further allow taking into account economic developments and improved measurement instruments.The Commission informed the Council of the outcome of the bilateral meetings it held with Member States on the national targets.The Council also agreed a general approach on guidelines for Member States' employment policies (doc. 10380/10 + doc. 10380/10 COR 1) as part of the integrated guidelines, pending the receipt of the opinions from the European Parliament and the Committee of Regions. After receiving the outstanding opinions the Council will formally adopt the decision, most likely in October 2010.

• #3016
• 2010/05/25 Council Meeting
• 2010/05/19 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2010/05/05 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    The House held a debate, following on the Council and Commission statements, on Europe 2020, a new European Strategy for Jobs and Growth. See also COM(2010) 2020.A motion for a resolution closing this debate was due to be put to the vote at the next part-session.

• #3010
• 2010/04/26 Council Meeting
  • 3010 summary

    The Council took stock of the follow-up to be given to the spring meeting of the European Council as regards the EU's new strategy for jobs and growth.At its spring meeting (25 and 26 March 2010), the European Council established a general framework for the new strategy, and set out further work to be carried out so as to enable it to adopt the strategy at its next scheduled meeting, on 17 and 18 June 2010.The EU's existing strategy for jobs and growth, launched in Lisbon in March 2000 and renewed in 2005, was instrumental in setting the agenda for growth-oriented structural reforms in Europe but it fell short however on delivery. In view of the economic crisis that has developed meanwhile, and the challenges posed by ageing populations, increased inequalities and climate change, a new approach is now considered necessary.The new strategy will be aimed in particular at:ensuring sustainable public finances whilst preserving investment and social welfare;establishing inclusive and efficient labour markets;promoting a sustainable economy;further strengthening the EU's internal market;fully exploiting the reciprocal benefits of foreign trade and openness.Work will be taken forward within the various configurations of the Council in the run-up to the June 2010 European Council.

• #3000
• 2010/03/08 Council Meeting
  • 3000
• #2999
• 2010/03/01 Council Meeting
  • 2999

Documents

• Debate in Council: 2999
• Debate in Council: 3000
• Debate in Council: 3010
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Debate in Council: 3019
• Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0223/2010

History

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