2014/2222(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)

- having regard to Article 349 TFEU, concerning the specific measures for the Outermost Regions;

Amendment 10 #

Joëlle MÉLIN, Dominique MARTIN

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas despite of the economic and social context in the EU continues to be bleak, ~~with negative growth rates in the eurozone for the past two years, and with growth now stalled at around 0 %~~a turnaround has been experienced in the EU economy, where forecasts show a growth in all Member States for 2015 and 2016; whereas forecasts have systemically been revised downwards by the Commission, as has been done for 2015 and 2016; whereas recovery ~~is neither~~should be robust ~~nor~~and underpinned and reforms must continue to meet employment and social demands;

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to introduce a much-needed, e~~xpansionary e~~conomic policy breaking with the previous policy of austerity, in order to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to create quality jobs; stresses that low inflation is already increasing real interest rates as well as real public and private debt, which, together with high unemployment, depresses growth and increases poverty;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls ~~on the Commission to introduce a much-needed,~~for an ambitious expansionary economic policy to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to create quality jobs; stresses that low inflation is already increasing real interest rates as well as real public and private debt, which, together with high unemployment, depresses growth and increases poverty;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to introduce a much-needed, expansionary economic policy to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth ~~and to create quality jobs~~, to emphasise on social investment and to create quality jobs in the Eurozone through productive investment and increased productivity; stresses that low inflation is already increasing real interest rates as well as real public and private debt, which, together with high unemployment, depresses growth and increases poverty;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Title 1 – subheading 1 a (new)

(1) Decisive European Investment Strategy (This amendment intends to be a subheading inside the heading "Ambitious economic policies for growth, quality job creation and fighting deflation", between paragraphs 1 and 2)

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Notes that the ambitious structural reforms introduced by those Member States most affected by the crisis have not borne fruit; calls therefore for a review of the austerity policy in Europe and, given the context, for the encouragement of public investment;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Is aware of the link between fiscal responsibility, boosting investments and structural reforms in the member states, but recalls that the existing rules of the Stability and Growth Pact have to be respected.

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Welcomes that the new policy mix adds investment to the previous priorities of fiscal consolidation and structural reforms; considers, nevertheless, that the AGS should pay greater concern to aggregate demand and its connection to wage increases and social inequalities; underlines that the central priority regarding reducing macro-imbalances should not be to increase current account surpluses, but rather to raise the growth rate, the investment rate, the employment rate as well as to reduce the poverty rate;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Underlines that Member States which imposed the structural reforms necessary are successful in regaining competiveness in the global market, in creating growth and jobs, as well as in building up confidence on the financial markets;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Calls on the Commission and member States to ensure fiscal responsibility as a way to guarantee economic growth, job creation and the welfare state;

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Notes the Commission's recognition of the health and social care sectors as holding significant potential for growth and representing crucial areas for investment in pursuit of sustainable economies; invites the Commission to report on progress in developing initiatives, as part of the Europe 2020 Strategy, for investment in the health and social care sectors with regards to quality employment;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas ~~the economic and social context in the EU continues to be bleak, with negative growth ra~~according to the 2014 Autumn Economic forecast, the economic recovery that startesd in the eurozone for the past two years, and with growth now stalled at around 0 %; whereas forecasts have systemically been revised downwards by the Commission, as has been done for 2015 and 2016; whereas recovery is neither robust nor underpinnedsecond quarter of 2013 remains fragile and the economic momentum in many Member States is still weak; whereas the growth rate in the eurozone is expected to reach 0.8% for 2014 as a whole, while forecasts for 2015 and 2016 see a eurozone growth rate of 1.1% and 1.7% respectively;

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Stresses the need for reforms in the labour market to put a strong focus on promoting quality work, improved social security and fight social exclusion, enhancing existing and introducing new workers’ rights, promoting health and safety at work, better social risk management and the reconciliation of work and non-work life;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Is deeply concerned that slowing down structural reforms or withdrawing parts of them leads to imminent capital flight with sharp consequences for growth and job creation;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1 c. Calls on the partners to use the flexibility already built into the rules and agreements, if Member States should face excessive macroeconomic imbalances, without changing these rules and agreements;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Is concerned that the EU is caught in an investment trap whereby investments have fallen more than EUR 400 billion since they peaked in 2007, and are now close to 20 % below the pre-crisis level; warns that the decline has been even greater in peripheral Member States where fiscal consolidation was more acute; highlights again the job potential of the green economy which according to Commission estimates could create 5 million jobs by 2020 in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors alone, provided that ambitious climate and energy policies are put in place; calls on the Member States to ensure sufficient levels of investment in these sectors and to anticipate future skills of workers;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Is concerned that the EU ~~is caught in an investment trap whereby~~ investments have fallen more than EUR 400 billion since they peaked in 2007, and are now close to 20 % below the pre-crisis level; warns that the decline has been even greater in peripheral Member States where fiscal consolidation was more acute;

Amendment 115 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Is concerned that ~~the EU is caught in an investment trap whereby investments have fallen more than EUR 400 billion since they peaked in 2007~~investments in the EU have fallen significantly in recent years, and are now close to 20 % below the pre- crisis level; warns that the decline has been even greater in peripheral Member States where fiscal consolidation was more acute; welcomes the investment plan proposed by the President of the European Commission;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the fact that one of the three ~~main~~ pillars of the Commission’s strategy for 2015 is investment, and calls for its plan to be implemented without delay; considers it a step forward that Member States’ contributions to such a plan ~~are excluded from deficit targets;~~ , as established in the Commission Communication on Flexibility, are excluded from deficit targets; takes note of the Commission decision to allow Member States under the preventive arm of the Stability and Growth Pact to deviate temporarily from their Medium Term Objective (MTO) or adjustment pact towards it in order to accommodate investments in the fields of Structural and Cohesion policy, Trans- European Networks and the Connecting Europe Facility, as well as national co- financing of projects also co-financed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI);

Amendment 117 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the fact that one of the three main pillars of the Commission’'s strategy for 2015 is investment, provided that the investment is smart, inclusive and sustainable and complies with i.e. project selection criteria for cohesion policies and calls for its plan to be implemented ~~without delay~~; considers it a step forward that Member States’' contributions to such a plan are excluded from deficit targets; underlines the need to increase public social investment in adequate social protection systems and enabling social services as highlighted in the Commission's Social Investment Package;

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Welcom~~Notes the fact that one of the three main pillars of the Commission’s strategy for 2015 is investment, and calls for its plan to be implemented without delay; considers it a step forward that Member States’ contributions to such a plan are excluded from deficit targets;

Amendment 119 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the fact that one of the three main pillars of the Commission’s strategy for 2015 is investment, and calls for its plan to be implemented without delay; ~~considers it a step forward~~takes note of the fact that Member States’ contributions to ~~such a plan are excluded from deficit targets~~the EFSI will not be counted when defining the fiscal adjustment under either the preventive or the corrective arm of the Pact;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the economic and social context in the EU continues to be bleak, with negative growth rates in the eurozone for the past two years, and with growth now stalled at around 0 %; whereas forecasts have systemically been revised downwards by the Commission, as has been done for 2015 and 2016; whereas recovery is neither robust nor underpinned; whereas overall debt in the EU28 remains high even though overall EU28 debt has fallen from 4.5 % in 2011 to a forecast of 3 % in 2014 the need for further fiscal consolidation remains;

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Regrets the fact that a 'social Pillar' is not part of the integrated approach of the AGS 2015, which underestimates the need and the importance of developing social investment measures, in particular in the field of social innovation, social entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility;

Amendment 121 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Further calls for a 'golden rule' for sustainable and productive public investments aside from the investment plan to be excluded from deficit targets in order to narrow the investment gap and to boost economy and quality job creation;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure that the Investment Plan is used in sustainable areas which can create an added value in the EU economy;

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Considers that the three main pillars of the Commission´s strategy for 2015 have to be implemented jointly in order to boost investments in a responsible way in those areas with a real impact in growth and job creation, such as the digital economy, green sectors and health care:

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Regrets the fact that the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) will be based on recycled EU resources and will not raise public ‘fresh’ money, apart from an extra EUR 5 billion from the EIB; stresses the risks of an insufficient fund based on overly optimistic assumptions about the likelihood of attracting the bulk of the financing needed from private investors; calls on the Commission to consider using the EIB’s annual profits and undisbursed dividends to increase resources without endangering the bank’s AAA rating; calls on the Commission to explore ways of using the EU budget and other, new resources to ensure that it will not fail to deliver;deleted

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Regrets the fact that the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) will be based on recycled EU resources and will not raise public ‘fresh’ money, apart from an extra EUR 5 billion from the EIB; stresses the risks of an insufficient fund based on overly optimistic assumptions about the likelihood of attracting the bulk of the financing needed from private investors; calls on the ~~Commission~~EIB to consider ~~using the EIB’s annual profits and undisbursed dividends to increase resources without endangering the bank’s AAA rating~~a change in character from a purely commercial banking and AAA-rating methodology towards that of a project risk assessment model based on defined criteria and transparency; calls on the Commission to explore ways of using the EU budget and other, new resources to ensure that it will not fail to deliver;

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Regrets the fact that~~Welcomes the existence of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) will be based on recycled EU resources and will not raise public ‘fresh’ money, apart from an extra EUR 5 billion from the EIB; stresses the risks of an insufficient fund based on overly optimistic assumptions about the likelihood of attracting the bulk of the financing needed from private investors; calls on the Commission to consider using the EIB’s annual profits and undisbursed dividends to increase resources without endangering the bank’s AAA ratingand its important contribution of EUR 5 billion from the EIB; calls on the Commission to explore ways of using the agreed EU budget and ~~other, new~~possibly other unused resources to ensure that it will not fail to deliver;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Regret~~Welcomes the fact that the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) ~~will be based on recycled EU resources and~~ will not raise public ‘fresh’ money, apart from an extra EUR 5 billion from the EIB; s~~tresses the risks of an insufficient fund based on overly optimistic assumptions about the likelihood of~~upports the strategy of EC President Jean-Claude Juncker to attract~~ing~~ the bulk of the financing needed from private investors; calls on the Commission to consider using the EIB’s annual profits and undisbursed dividends to increase resources without endangering the bank’s AAA rating; calls on the Commission to explore ways of using the EU budget and other, new resources to ensure that it will not fail to deliver;

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Regrets the fact~~Notes that the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) will be based on ~~recycled~~existing EU resources and will not raise public ‘fresh’ money, apart from an extra EUR 5 billion from the EIB; stresses the risks of an insufficient fund based on overly optimistic assumptions about the likelihood of attracting the bulk of the financing needed from private investors; calls on the Commission to consider using the EIB’s annual profits and undisbursed dividends to increase resources without endangering the bank’s AAA rating; calls on the Commission to explore ways of using the EU budget and other, new resources to ensure that it will not fail to deliver;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Regrets the fact~~Notes that the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) will be based on recycled EU resources and will not raise public ‘fresh’ money, apart from an extra EUR 5 billion from the EIB; stresses the risks of an insufficient fund based on overly optimistic assumptions about the likelihood of attracting the bulk of the financing needed from private investors; calls on the Commission to consider using the EIB’s annual profits and undisbursed dividends to increase resources without endangering the bank’s AAA rating; calls on the Commission to explore ways of using the EU budget and other, new resources to ensure that it will not fail to deliver;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

A a. whereas the European Semester is a mechanism for coordinating economic, budgetary and social policies in the Member States, and underlines that the voluntary implementation of CSRs is beneficial for achieving financial stability in the EMU that is conducive to growth and jobs;

Amendment 130 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Regrets~~Takes note of the fact that the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) will be based on ~~recycled~~existing EU resources and will not raise public ‘fresh’ money, apart from an extra EUR 5 billion from the EIB; stresses the risks of an insufficient fund based on overly optimistic assumptions about the likelihood of attracting the bulk of the financing needed from private investors; calls on the Commission to consider using the EIB’s annual profits and undisbursed dividends to increase resources without endangering the bank’s AAA rating; calls on the Commission to explore ways of using the EU budget and other, new resources to ensure that it will not fail to deliver;

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on the Commission and the EIB to assess the effect of the economic crisis in relations with the banking system and the final recipients of EIB funding, in particular regarding SMEs, social economy sector and public companies;

Amendment 133 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Considers that in order for this investment strategy to exercise a real impact in the EU economy, the EFSI should not simply be an extraordinary financial instrument but instead should become a structural investment mechanism which would permit the EU to fill its investment gap accumulated throughout the years; also considers it necessary for the EU to develop a system of genuine EU own resources, which could be lifted from part of the EFSI revenues, that should be used to finance EU-wide welfare instruments, such as labour mobility and unemployment benefit schemes;

Amendment 134 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses the fact that the EFSI must be focused on creating new investments in areas where investor appetite is subdued rather than on substituting investments that would have been produced elsewhere (crowding out), or on focusing on highly profitable investments that would have occurred in any case (deadweight); calls on the Commission to include and promote social investments that not ~~only~~ generate financial returns ~~but~~and promote positive social spillovers, such as investments in human capital or investments with high impact in job creation or poverty reduction; reiterates its call for the implementation of the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP);

Amendment 135 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses the fact that the EFSI must be focused on creating new investments in areas where investor appetite is subdued rather than on substituting investments that would have been produced elsewhere (crowding out), or on focusing on highly profitable investments that would have occurred in any case (deadweight); calls on the Commission to include and promote social investments that not only generate financial returns but promote positive social spillovers, such as investments in human capital or, investments with high impact in job creation or ~~poverty reduction~~social inclusion and poverty reduction, such as social protection systems and social services, or investments in the social economy; reiterates its call for the implementation of the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP);

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses the fact that the EFSI must be focused on creating new investments in areas where investor appetite is subdued rather than on substituting investments that would have been produced elsewhere (crowding out), or on focusing on highly profitable investments that would have occurred in any case (deadweight); calls on the Commission to include and promote social investments that not only generate financial returns but promote positive social spillovers, such as investments in human capital or investments with high impact in job creation, social inclusion or poverty reduction; reiterates its call for the implementation of the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP);

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses the fact that the EFSI must be focused on creating new investments in areas where investor appetite is subdued rather than on substituting investments that would have been produced elsewhere (crowding out), or on focusing on highly profitable investments that would have occurred in any case (deadweight); calls on the Commission to include and promote social investments that not only generate financial returns but promote positive social spillovers, such as investments in human capital or investments with high impact in quality job creation and rights or poverty reduction; reiterates its call for the implementation of the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP);

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses the fact that the EFSI must be focused on creating new investments in areas where investor appetite is subdued rather than on substituting investments that would have been produced elsewhere (crowding out), or on focusing on highly profitable investments that would have occurred in any case (deadweight); calls on the Commission to include and promote ~~social~~ investments that not only generate financial returns but ~~promote positive social spillover~~will result in the creation of sustainable jobs, such as investments in human capital or investments with high impact in job creation or poverty reduction; reiterates its call for the implementation of the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP);

Amendment 139 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses the fact that the EFSI must be focused on creating new investments in areas where investor appetite is subdued rather than on substituting investments that would have been produced elsewhere (crowding out), or on focusing on highly profitable investments that would have occurred in any case (deadweight); calls on the Commission to also include and promote social investments that not only generate financial returns but promote positive social spillovers, such as investments in human capital or, investments with high impact in job creation or ~~poverty reduction~~social inclusion and poverty reduction or investments in the social economy; reiterates its call for the implementation of the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP);

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

A a. whereas global economy growth is estimated to be on a low level for 2015 and 2016: according to the IMF, 3.5% this year, compared to 3.7% 20161 a; __________________ 1a IMF World Economic Outlook UPDATE,20.01.15, http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2 015/update/01/pdf/0115.pdf

Amendment 140 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Stresses that once again, to re-launch growth and quality jobs in Europe, public capital is being used to offset the risk- aversion of the private sector by taking on the role of venture capital; recalls in this respect the very mixed results of the TLTRO operation launched by the ECB in 2014;

Amendment 141 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls for the EFSI to give priority to those projects which will create new quality jobs; calls also on the Commission to ensure that EFSI funded projects do not promote or sustain projects creating precarious jobs and social dumping;

Amendment 142 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

Amendment 143 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission to prioritise investments in economically weaker regions suffering from high unemployment, and in SMEs in such regions, given their very limited access to financing, to ensure that these efforts have a meaningful impact where they are most needed and to pay attention across the EIB to those projects which will enable quality jobs creation, with a special focus on projects related to youth employment creation, increasing the share of the labour market held by women, reducing long-term unemployment and improving the possibilities of disadvantaged groups to secure jobs;

Amendment 145 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission to ~~prioritis~~ensure investments in economically weaker regions suffering from high unemployment, and in SMEs in such regions, given their very limited access to financing, to ensure that these efforts have a meaningful impact where they are most needed;

Amendment 146 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission to ~~prioritise investments in economically weaker regions suffering from high unemployment, and in SMEs in such region~~ensure an optimal allocation of capital and to prioritise investments that will have a positive impact on job-creation and in the business environment for SMEs, given their very limited access to financing, to ensure that these efforts have a meaningful impact where they are most needed;

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission to prioritise and monitoring investments in economically weaker regions suffering from high unemployment, and in SMEs in such regions, given their very limited access to financing, to ensure that these efforts have a meaningful impact where they are most needed;

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to tackle specific enhanced mechanisms to implement investment programmes in the outermost regions, whose remoteness, geographical fragmentation, fragile economies and natural constraints lead to heightened inequalities in accessing job opportunities, goods and services;

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Call on the Commission to take into account regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps when programming the Investment Plan, in particular the access to broadband;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

A a. whereas fiscal responsibility has to continue to guarantee not only the success and sustainability of the structural reforms carried out but also those needed to be implemented to foster economic growth and job creation;

Amendment 150 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Commission to review and improve the EU-EIB Project Bond Initiative, launched as a pilot project in 2012 to sum up the investment plan, with a view of giving it a greater role in promoting employment; ~~recalls, in this context, the social impact bonds included in the SIP;~~

Amendment 151 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Commission to review in- depth and improve the EU-EIB Project Bond Initiative, launched as a pilot project in 2012 to sum up the investment plan, with a view of giving it a greater role in promoting employment; recalls, in this context, also a detailed review of the social impact bonds included in the SIP;

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Commission to review and improve the EU-EIB Project Bond Initiative, launched as a pilot project in 2012 ~~to sum up the investment plan~~, with a view of giving it a greater role in promoting employment; ~~recalls, in this context, the social impact bonds included in the SIP;~~

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Title 2 – subheading 1 a (new)

(1) Responsible policy re-focused on investment, quality job creation and growth (This amendment intends to be a subheading inside the heading "Ambitious economic policies to boost growth, enhance quality job creation and fight deflation" between paragraphs 7 and 8)

Amendment 154 #

Krisztina MORVAI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Calls on the Commission to urgently develop a legal and policy framework based on the principle of equal treatment, to decrease the huge differences that presently exist between the remuneration (payment gap) and working conditions of workers employed in identical or basically similar positions and by the same company (group) in different Member States, in violation of the most fundamental values of the EU, including non-discrimination and cohesion;

Amendment 155 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Notes that the European Investment Plan is a necessary complement to efforts to boost job creation, ~~but~~and is in itself insufficient to fully compensate for the lack of private and national investments; welcomes the fact that the Annual Growth Survey (AGS) 2015 continues to call for more efforts from countries with fiscal margins of manoeuvre as a means of encouraging European demand andan important instrument to stimulate private investments;

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Notes that the European Investment Plan is a necessary complement to efforts to boost job creation, ~~but is in itself insufficient to fully compensate for the lack of private and national investments~~which need to be supported by private and public resources to succeed; welcomes the fact that the Annual Growth Survey (AGS) 2015 continues to call for more efforts from countries with fiscal margins of manoeuvre as a means of encouraging European demand and investment;

Amendment 157 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Insists in this respect on the establishment of a favourable climate for the development of public-sector investment; wishes in particular the neutralisation in calculations of the debt and deficits of public-sector investments made by public-sector operators of the Member States, in particular in view of the impact of the new accounting standards SEC2010 on the investment capacity of some public authorities; calls therefore for the European Central Bank to take appropriate decisions in this connection;

Amendment 158 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Welcomes the extension of the pace of fiscal consolidation, and the introduction of new headline targets – focusing more on structural than on cyclical deficits – that will have a positive effect on employment and growth; notes, however, that the size of fiscal multipliers in the current context is nevertheless still very high and that this will inevitably have a negative impact on economic growth and job creation; calls on the Commission to explore the possibility of introducing escape clauses, or of delaying these targets, in order to avoid weakening demand further and destroying jobs;deleted

Amendment 159 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Welcomes the extension of the pace of fiscal consolidation, and the introduction of new headline targets – focusing more on structural than on cyclical deficits – that will have a positive effect on employment and growth; notes, however, that the size of fiscal multipliers in the current context is nevertheless still very high and that this will inevitably have a negative impact on economic growth and job creation; ~~calls on the Commission to explore the possibility of introducing escape clauses, or of delaying these targets, in order to avoid weakening demand further and destroying jobs;~~

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

A a. whereas, the policies of fiscal consolidation and austerity adopted during the economic crisis have not had the desired effect and have led to the EU astray from its EU2020 targets;

Amendment 160 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

Amendment 161 #

Sofia RIBEIRO, Anne SANDER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Welcomes the extension of the pace of fiscal consolidation, and further efforts for structural reforms, as well as the introduction of new headline targets – focusing more on structural than on cyclical deficits – that will have a positive effect on employment and growth; notes, however, that the size of fiscal multipliers in the current context is nevertheless still very high and that this will inevitably have a negative impact on economic growth and job creation; calls on the Commission to explore the possibility of introducing escape clauses, or of delaying these targets, in order to avoid weakening demand further and destroying jobsunderlines that governments should do their utmost to regain competitiveness to create a significant positive impact on economic growth and job creation;

Amendment 162 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Welcomes the extension of the pace of fiscal consolidation, and ~~the introduction of new headline targe~~its – focus~~ing~~ more on structural than on cyclical deficits – that will have a positive effect on employment and growth; notes, however, that the size of fiscal multipliers in the current context is nevertheless still very high and that this will inevitably have a negative impact on economic growth and job creation; ~~calls on the Commission to explore the possibility of introducing escape clauses, or of delaying these targets, in order to avoid weakening demand further and destroying jobs;~~

Amendment 163 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Welcomes the extension of the pace of fiscal consolidation, and the introduction of new headline targets – focusing more on structural than on cyclical deficits – that ~~will~~should have a positive effect on quality employment and sustainable growth; notes, however, that the size of fiscal multipliers in the current context is nevertheless still very high and that this will inevitably have a negative impact on economic growth and job creation as well as on the sustainability of social systems; calls on the Commission to explore the possibility of introducing escape clauses, or of delaying these targets, in order to avoid weakening demand further ~~and~~, destroying jobs and damaging social protection systems and services;

Amendment 164 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Welcomes the extension of the pace of fiscal consolidation, and the introduction of new headline targets – focusing more on structural than on cyclical deficits – that will have a positive effect on employment and growth; ~~notes, however, that the size of fiscal multipliers in the current context is nevertheless still very high and that this will inevitably have a negative impact on economic growth and job creation;~~ calls on the Commission to explore the possibility of introducing escape clauses, or of delaying these targets, in order to avoid weakening demand further and destroying jobs;

Amendment 165 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Welcomes the extension of the pace of fiscal consolidation, and the introduction of new headline targets – focusing more on structural than on cyclical deficits – that will have a positive effect on employment and growth; notes, however, that the size of fiscal multipliers in the current context is nevertheless still very high and that this will inevitably have a negative impact on economic growth and job creation; calls on the Commission to ~~explore the possibility of introducing escape clauses, or of delay~~use the maximum flexibility withing the~~se targets, in order to avoid weakening demand further and destroying jobs~~ Stability and Growth Pact;

Amendment 166 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Welcomes the extension of the pace of fiscal consolidation, and the introduction of new headline targets – focusing more on structural than on cyclical deficits – that will have a positive effect on employment and growth; notes, however, that the size of fiscal multipliers in the current context is nevertheless still very high and that this will inevitably have a negative impact on economic growth and job creation; ~~calls on the Commission to explore the possibility of introducing escape clauses, or of delaying these targets, in order to avoid weakening demand further and destroying jobs;~~

Amendment 167 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the development of a European framework to assure that investments under the ~~Juncker Plan, which are excluded from national deficit targets,~~proposed Investment Plan have a significant impact in terms of stimulating economic growth and creating quality jobs;

Amendment 168 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the development of a European framework to assure that investments under the Juncker Plan~~, which are excluded from national deficit targets,~~ have a significant impact in terms of stimulating economic growth ~~and~~, creating quality jobs and fostering social progress;

Amendment 169 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the development of a European framework to assure that investments under the Juncker Plan, which are excluded from national deficit targets, have a significant impact in terms of stimulating economic growth and creating quality jobs; Considers that such a framework should, as a priority, exclude from deficit targets productive investments, such as expenditures for education, research and development, innovation and professional training;

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)

A b. whereas the sharp fall in oil prices can be an additional boost for the economy of many EU Member States;

Amendment 170 #

Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Jutta STEINRUCK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the development of a European framework to assure that all investments under the Juncker Plan, ~~which are excluded from national deficit targets, have a significant impact in terms of stimulating economic growth and creating quality jobs~~have a significant impact in terms of stimulating sustainable growth, creating quality jobs and fostering social progress; calls on the Commission to ensure that positive social impact is a key criteria in the selection of projects to be financed under the Juncker plan; calls on the Commission to include specialists on social policies in the expert committee of the new European Fund for Strategic Investment that will approve projects to be funded;

Amendment 171 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the development of a European framework to assure that investments under the Juncker Plan, which are excluded from national deficit targets, have a significant impact in terms of stimulating economic growth and creating quality jobs; calls on the Commission to include a specialist on social policies in the expert committee of the new European Fund for strategic investments that will approve projects to be funded;

Amendment 172 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

Amendment 173 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Marian HARKIN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

Amendment 174 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the development of a European framework to assure that investments under the Juncker Plan, which are excluded from national deficit targets, have a significant impact in terms of stimulating economic growth and creating quality jobs; calls on the European Commission to monitor and control the investments under the Junker Plan. A report should audit and measure the economic and social impact of the investments in real terms;

Amendment 175 #

Motion for a resolution
Title 2 – subheading 1 b (new)

(1) SMEs restored financing to boost private investment and job creation (This amendment intends to be a subheading inside the heading "Ambitious economic policies for growth, quality job creation and fighting deflation", between paragraphs 10 and 11)

Amendment 176 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Stresses the importance of flexibility which can be used within the existing Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) in order to ensure room of manoeuvre for social investments, namely social investments in people, providing them with the necessary skills and supporting conditions for productive and fulfilling participation in the economy and society throughout their lives; stresses, in this context, the potential role of Social Economy for the creation of sustainable, inclusive and quality jobs;

Amendment 177 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Stresses that while SMEs constitute the backbone of job creation in the EU, they are overtaxed and continue to face major difficulties in gaining access to financing, and they are worryingly over-indebted; welcomes the Commission’s new recommendations on SME’s access to finance, involving a new approach to insolvency and business failure; calls for further efforts to improve debt- restructuring schemes as a means to this end;

Amendment 178 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Stresses that while SMEs constitute the backbone of job creation in the EU, they continue to face major difficulties in gaining access to financing, and they are worryingly over-indebted; welcomes the Commission’s new recommendations on SME’s access to finance, involving a new approach to insolvency and business failure; calls for further efforts by Member States to improve debt-restructuring schemes as a means to this end;

Amendment 179 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Stresses that while SMEs constitute the backbone of job creation in the EU, they continue to face major difficulties in gaining access to financing with particular attention to women-led entrepreneurship and SMEs, and they are worryingly over- indebted; welcomes the Commission’'s new recommendations on SME’'s access to finance, involving a new approach to insolvency and business failure; calls for further efforts to improve debt- restructuring schemes as a means to this end;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)

A b. whereas fiscal policies should be differentiated and appropriated, depending on the situation of each Member State;

Amendment 180 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Stresses that while SMEs constitute the backbone of job creation in the EU, they continue to face major difficulties in gaining access to financing, and ~~they~~ are worryingly over-indebted due also to the excessive fiscal pressure; welcomes the Commission’s new recommendations on SME’s access to finance, involving a new approach to insolvency and business failure; calls for further efforts to improve debt-restructuring schemes as a means to this end;

Amendment 181 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Stresses that while SMEs constitute the backbone of job creation in the EU, they continue to face major difficulties in gaining access to financing, and they are worryingly over-indebted; welcomes the Commission’s new recommendations on SME’s access to finance, involving a new approach to insolvency and business failure; calls on the Commission for further efforts to foster the implementation of the principles set out in their Recommendation of 12.03.2014 to improve debt-restructuring and second chance schemes as a means to this end in the national level across the CSR when it being necessary;

Amendment 182 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. stresses the importance of creating a culture of entrepreneurship in Europe by reducing the barriers for self-employment and business foundation. This can be supported by an intelligent mix of financial support such as the microfinance and social entrepreneurship axis of the EaSI programme or One Stop Shop solutions in public administration for registering new business;

Amendment 183 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Is concerned that financial fragmentation in the Eurozone is, in some cases, jeopardising SMEs growth and sustainability; calls for a restoration of the economy's lending capacity, which allows SMEs to invest and create jobs, as well as for easing the access to entrepreneurship and the access of SMEs to programs such as COSME or Horizon 2020;

Amendment 184 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Calls on Member States to eliminate unnecessary administrative burdens and bureaucracy for the self-employed, micro- enterprises and SMEs and to facilitate start-ups conditions;

Amendment 185 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Welcomes the joint Commission-EIB SME lending scheme using Structural Funds to streamline investment in these companies so as to boost employment creation; calls on the ECB to ~~complement this policy action and to explore means of purchasing SME assets, or to serve as a guarantor for SME sources of financing~~explore innovative ways to further support SMEs;

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Welcomes the joint Commission-EIB SME lending scheme using Structural Funds to streamline investment in these companies so as to boost employment creation; calls on the ECB to complement this policy action and to explore means of purchasing SME assets, or to serve as a guarantor ~~for SME~~to sources of financing for SMEs, which generate up to 80% of employment in many Member States;

Amendment 187 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Welcomes the joint Commission-EIB SME lending scheme using Structural Funds to streamline investment in these companies so as to boost employment creation; calls on the ECB to complement this policy action and to explore means of purchasing SME assets and support SMEs development within the framework of QE programmes based on good practices seen in some Member States, or to serve as a guarantor for SME sources of financing;

Amendment 188 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Marian HARKIN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Welcomes the joint Commission-EIB SME lending scheme using Structural Funds to streamline investment in these companies so as to boost quality employment creation; calls on the ECB to complement this policy action and to explore means of purchasing SME assets, or to serve as a guarantor for SME sources of financing;

Amendment 189 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12 a. Takes note of the ECB´s expanded asset purchase programme which goes, once again, to the banking system, therefore calls on the ECB to optimise all its potential to improve the real economy and provide with credit in order to boost growth and tackle unemployment in Europe;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the EU needs to make a decisive change in an economic policy that has allowed the Union to drift away from the EU 2020 targets, and that has increased the risks of secular stagnation; whereas the EU is worryingly losing weight in the world economy, while m~~ost~~any other countries are showing solid signs of recovery; whereas in October 2014 the IMF estimated that the probability of a recession in the euro area had increased and would reach 35-40% at year’s end;

Amendment 190 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

Amendment 191 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Welcomes the measures announced by the Commission to boost job creation in SMEs by unlocking alternatives to bank loans to SMEs, and to improve the regulatory and fiscal framework in order to enhance long-term investment in SMEs; calls for these measures to be implemented without delay;

Amendment 192 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Welcomes the measures announced by the Commission to boost job creation in SMEs by unlocking alternatives to bank loans to SMEs, and to improve the regulatory framework in order to enhance long-term investment in SMEs; calls for these measures to be implemented without delay; calls on the Commission to consider financial cooperatives for funding SMEs (credit unions) as alternative funding instruments and to enable a better access for SMEs to EU- level and national public procurement and funding;

Amendment 193 #

Motion for a resolution
Title 2 – subheading 1 c (new)

(1) A more efficient use of the funds (This amendment intends to be a subheading inside the heading "Ambitious economic policies for growth, quality job creation and fighting deflation", between paragraphs 13a and 14)

Amendment 194 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Stresses the importance of the intermediary bodies linked to SMES, such as chambers of commerce as engines with a multiplier impact in the implementation of the EU policies related to SMES and calls the European Commission to launch a partnership dialogue with them on how EU policies related to SMES could be better implemented so as to boost quality job creation;

Amendment 195 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Stress that growth and jobs policies have differentiated territorial impacts, depending upon each EU region's specific situation, and that regional disparities have been widening since the beginning of the crisis; stresses that Country- Specific Recommendations should take into account territorial differentiations within Member States to boost growth and jobs while preserving territorial cohesion,

Amendment 196 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Considers that cohesion policy measures have an essential role to play in reducing internal competitive disparities and structural imbalances; calls on the Commission to find specific solutions for those Member States that, though facing very high unemployment, are obliged to return EU funds owing to co-financing problems; calls, therefore, on the Commission to apply the frontloading principle to all funds for these Member States in the 2014-2020 period;

Amendment 197 #

Sofia RIBEIRO, Krzysztof HETMAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Considers that cohesion policy measures have an essential role to play in reducing internal competitive disparities and structural imbalances in regions that need it most; calls on the Commission to ~~find specific~~consider appropriate solutions for those Member States that, though facing very high unemployment, are obliged to return EU funds owing to co-financing problems; calls, therefore, on the Commission to identify the consequences of applying the frontloading principle to ~~all~~the relevant funds for these Member States in the 2014-2020 period, while always ensuring the principle of budgetary accountability is upheld;

Amendment 198 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Considers that cohesion policy measures have an essential role to play in reducing internal competitive disparities and structural imbalances; calls on the Commission to find specific solutions for those Member States that, though facing very high unemployment, are obliged to return EU funds owing to co-financing problems; ~~calls, therefore, on the Commission to apply the frontloading principle to all funds for these Member States in the 2014-2020 period;~~

Amendment 199 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Considers that cohesion policy measures have an essential role to play in reducing internal competitive disparities and structural imbalances; calls on the Commission to find specific solutions for those Member States that, though facing very high unemployment, are obliged to return EU funds owing to co-financing problems; cCalls~~, therefore,~~ on the Commission to ~~apply the frontloading principle to all~~consider pre-financing in order to facilitate the full use of funds ~~for~~by these Member States in the 2014-2020 period;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)

- having regard to the Commission Communication of 13 January 2015 entitled 'Making the Best Use of the Flexibility Within the Existing Rules of the Stability and Growth Pact'

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the EU needs to make a decisive change in an economic policy that has allowed the Union to drift away from the EU 2020 targets, and that has increased the risks of secular stagnation; whereas the EU is worryingly losing weight in the world economyis worryingly losing weight in the world economy due to low competitiveness, loss of its industrial base in many Member States and lack of a business- friendly environment and a culture of entrepreneurship, while most other countries are showing solid signs of recovery; whereas in October 2014 the IMF estimated that the probability of a recession in the euro area had increased and would reach 35-40% at year’s end;

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Calls for urgent action to be taken by the Commission to fight tax dumping, tax fraud and tax evasion and for the adoption at the Council level of an ambitious FTT, as both measures would enable public investment for growth and quality jobs;

Amendment 201 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Strongly supports the fight against tax fraud and tax evasion and stresses the necessity of a more efficient use of tax payers' money, and of further steps in the protection of the Union´s financial stability and sustainability;

Amendment 202 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Strongly believes that EU funding, particularly that under the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) and European Social Fund (ESF) should not be used to subsidise national approaches, but should be used to provide additional support in a way that complements and enhances national programmes according to the decision of the Member States;

Amendment 203 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Calls on the Commission, the Member States and the regions to ensure the full implementation of the EU funds 2007-2013 and to closely align the ESF and other European Structural Funds with the EU 2020 strategy; calls on the Commission for the strict monitoring of the 20% ring-fencing of ESF for poverty; calls on the Commission to introduce in the next AGS and in the CSRs a chapter related to the implementation of the FEAD;

Amendment 204 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Calls on the Commission to develop structural reforms in energy markets to achieve a resilient Energy Union, less dependent on external sources, and diversifying the sources of supply (for instance, Algerian gas)

Amendment 205 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Welcomes ECB's new expanded asset purchase programme to include bonds issued by euro area central governments, agencies and European institutions and recalls the fact that the ECB's dual-target mandate on monetary policy, as recognised in the Treaties, consists not only of safeguarding price stability (Article 2 of the ECB Statute), but also of pursuing the promotion of sustainable economic and social progress and full employment (Article 3 TEU).

Amendment 206 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2

~~Labour market r~~Reforms to expand growth potential, human capital and productivity

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes that decisive investment plans for growth and job creation can only be fully realised if they are coupled with national reforms that enhance quality labour participation, boost productivity, decrease taxation and develop human capital; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce internal flexibility measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, and provide unemployment benefit schemes that are based on activation requirements and linked to reintegration policies;

Amendment 208 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes that decisive investment plans for growth and job creation can only be fully realised if they are coupled with national reforms that enhance quality labour participation, boost productivity and develop human capital; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce internal flexibility measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, and provide unemployment benefit schemes that are based on activation requirements and linked to reintegration policies; emphasises that structural reforms such as reindustrialisation are much more important than labour market reforms;

Amendment 209 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes that decisive investment plans for growth and job creation can only be fully realised if they are coupled with national reforms that enhance quality labour participation, boost activity, productivity and develop human capital, including those people's in the most desperate situation and lacking any skills in the short run suitable for labour market demand; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce internal flexibility measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, and provide unemployment benefit schemes that are based on activation requirements and linked to reintegration policies;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the ~~EU needs to make a decisive change in an economic policy that has allowed the Union to drift away from the EU 2020 targets, and that has increased the risks of secular stagnation;~~ debt crisis forced the Union to drift away from the EU 2020 targets; whereas the EU is ~~worryingly~~ losing weight in the world economy, while ~~most other countries are showing solid signs of recovery;~~the IMF has reduced its expectations concerning the growth for many developed and emerging economies in the world over the next years, whereas in October 2014 the IMF estimated that the probability of a recession in the euro area had increased and would reach 35-40% at year’s end;

Amendment 210 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes that decisive investment plans for growth and job creation can only be fully realised if they are coupled with national reforms that enhance quality labour participation, boost productivity and develop human capital in all age groups; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce internal flexibility measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, and provide unemployment benefit schemes that are based on activation requirements and linked to reintegration policies;

Amendment 211 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. 15. Notes Notes that that decisive ~~investment plans for growth and job~~decisive investmentinvestment plans plans forand for growth growth and jobcan job creation creation can only only be fullyberealised fully realised if theyifarethey are coupled coupled with with national ~~reforms that enhance quality labour~~national reforms reforms thatthat enhance enhance quality quality labour labour participation, participation, boost boost productivity ~~and develop human capital; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce internal~~productivity andand develop develop humanhuman capital; capital; estime believes que les that réformes structural structurelles labour du marché market reforms du travail should doiventinternal introduce introduire des mesures flexibility de measures aimed ~~at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption,~~flexibilité interne destinées at maintaining employment à maintenir in times l'emploi en of economic période de disruption andtroubles ensureing job économiques, quality and security ~~in employment transitions, and provi~~à garantir la qualité for all types of et la sécurité de unl'emplo~~yment benefit schemes that are based on activation~~ i pour tous les types de contract; contrat; requirements and linked to reintegration policies;

Amendment 212 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes that decisive investment plans for growth and job creation ~~can only be fully realised~~as well as ECB measures can only be succesful if they are coupled with national structural reforms that enhance competitiveness, quality labour participation, boost productivity and develop human capital; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce internal flexibility measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, and provide unemployment benefit schemes that are based on activation requirements and linked to reintegration policies;

Amendment 213 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes that decisive investment plans for sustainable growth and quality job creation can only be fully realised if they are coupled with national reforms that enhance quality labour participation, boost productivity ~~and~~, develop human capital and support strong social protection systems and social services; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce internal flexibility measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, and provide unemployment benefit schemes that ~~are based on activation requirements and linked to~~ensure adequate support for redundant workers and that are linked to active labour market and reintegration policies;

Amendment 214 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes that decisive investment plans for growth and job creation can only be fully realised if they are coupled with national reforms that enhance quality labour and rights participation, boost productivity and develop human capital; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce internal flexibility measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, and provide unemployment benefit schemes that are based on activation requirements and linked to reintegration policiesshould be guaranteed access to employment with rights and worthy social support;

Amendment 215 #

Heinz K. BECKER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes that decisive investment plans for growth and job creation can only be fully realised if they are coupled with national reforms that enhance quality labour participation, boost productivity and develop human capital in all age groups; points out that the decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on enhancing co-operation in the network of Public Employment Services (PES) is a key element for improving the labour markets; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce internal flexibility measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, and provide unemployment benefit schemes that are based on realistic activation requirements and linked to reintegration policies;

Amendment 216 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes that decisive investment plans for growth and job creation can only be fully realised if they are coupled with national reforms that enhance quality labour participation, boost productivity and develop human capital; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce internal flexibility measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, and provide unemployment benefit schemes that are based on activation requirements and linked to reintegration policiesfoster a dynamic labour market, enhance labour-market participation, boost productivity and develop human capital;

Amendment 217 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes that decisive investment plans for growth and job creation can only be fully realised if they are coupled with national reforms that enhance quality labour participation, boost productivity and develop human capital in all age groups; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce internal flexibility measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, and provide unemployment benefit schemes that are based on realistic activation requirements and linked to reintegration policies;

Amendment 218 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes that decisive investment plans for growth and job creation can only be fully realised if they are coupled with national reforms that enhance quality labour participation, boost productivity and develop human capital; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce ~~internal flexibility~~ measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, and provide unemployment benefit schemes that are based on activation requirements and linked to reintegration policies;

Amendment 219 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Regrets that the focus of the Commission in structural reforms is excessively geared towards reduction of employment protection for existing as well as new jobs, reminds that data shows that it is exactly the insistent pursuit of incorrect policy responses, combining flexibility and lower income, which is delaying recovery; stresses that structural reforms should be designed in a broader and holistic perspective, adapted to each Member State, targeting different issues, such as, corporate, organization and labour market management, education, research and innovation, public administration, tax systems and aiming at fostering growth potential, sustainability and reducing social inequalities;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the EU needs to make ~~a decisive change~~investments and adjustments in an economic policy ~~that has~~in order to allowed the Union to ~~drift away from~~meet the EU 2020 targets, and ~~that has increased the risks of secular stagnation; whereas the EU is worryingly losing weight in the world economy, while most other countries are showing solid signs of recover~~overcome stagnation; whereas the EU shall aim at being a leader in the world's economy; whereas in October 2014 the IMF estimated that the probability of a recession in the euro area had increased and would reach 35-40% at year’s end;

Amendment 220 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to consider innovative ways to encourage investment in Europe; highlights the recent trend of companies returning production and services to Europe and the opportunities this brings for job creation, particularly for young people; believes that the economies of the EU have a unique opportunity to accelerate this trend of re-shoring jobs;

Amendment 221 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission to design tailor-made policies to support quality job creation for the long-term unemployed, senior unemployed people, women and other priority groups hit especially hard by the crisis, such as immigrants or people with disabilities; calls for CSR to systemically address gender pay and pension gaps reduction;

Amendment 222 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

Amendment 223 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to design tailor-made policies to support quality job creation for the long-term unemployed, senior unemployed people, women and other priority groups hit especially hard by the crisis, such as immigrants or people with disabilities;

Amendment 224 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. 16. Prie Calls on lathe Commission ~~to design~~Commission detofaire makeun meilleur better use of usage des Recommandations the European Semester par Pays dans le cadre country-specific du Semestre in recommendations Européen afin order to de concevoir design des politiques tailor- made policies ~~to support quality~~ sur to mesure pourquality support soutenirjobla creation ~~for~~création for d'emplois de the long- term ~~unemployed, senior unemployed~~qualité pour lessenior unemployed, chômeurs de longue durée, unemployed les chômeurs people, women and ~~other~~âgés, les priority ~~groups hit especially hard by the crisis, such as~~other femmesgroups et d'autres groupes prioritaires hit especially hard by the très durement crisis, touchés such as par la crise, immigrants commewith or people ~~with~~les disabilities; migrants et les personnes handicapées;

Amendment 225 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission to design tailor-made policies to support quality job creation for the long-term unemployed, senior unemployed people, women and other priority groups hit especially hard by the crisis, such as immigrants or people with disabilities, including measures in favour of promoting anti-discrimination policies on the workplace, work-life balance, lifelong learning and training;

Amendment 226 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to design tailor-made policies to support quality job creation for the long-term unemployed, senior unemployed people, women, people with disabilities and other priority groups hit especially hard by the crisis~~, such as immigrants or people with disabilities~~;

Amendment 227 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

Amendment 228 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

Amendment 229 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission to design tailor-made policies to support quality job creation for the long-term unemployed, senior unemployed people, women and other priority groups hit especially hard by the crisis, such as immigrants or people with disabilities; urges the Commission to demand from each Member State a National Job Plan for decent/quality job creation as agreed by Member States at the 2012 Spring Council;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the EU needs to make a decisive change in an economic policy that has allowed the Union to drift away from the EU 2020 targets, and that has increased the risks of secular stagnation and deflation; whereas the EU is worryingly losing weight in the world economy, while most other countries are showing solid signs of recovery; whereas in October 2014 the IMF estimated that the probability of a recession in the euro area had increased and would reach 35-40% at year’s end;

Amendment 230 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Marian HARKIN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission to design tailor-made policies to support ~~quality~~sustainable job creation for the long-term unemployed, senior unemployed people, women and other priority groups hit especially hard by the crisis, such as immigrants or people with disabilities;

Amendment 231 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission to design tailor-made policies to support ~~quality~~better and sustainable job creation for the long-term unemployed, senior unemployed people, women and other priority groups hit especially hard by the crisis, such as immigrants or people with disabilities focussing not only on unemployed people themselves but also on measures in favour of work-life balance, life-long learning and training; tailor-made policies should focus on combatting the low level of education that affects some of these groups, many of whom are at risk of social exclusion;

Amendment 232 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission to design tailor-made policies to support quality job creation for the long-term unemployed, senior unemployed people, women and other priority groups hit especially hard by the crisis, such as ~~immigrant~~youths or people with disabilities, and to support the establishment of contractual arrangements combating labour market segmentation;

Amendment 233 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Calls on the Commission and Member states to strengthen the policies against discrimination on the labour market, for better inclusion of groups hit especially hard by discrimination such as immigrants or people with disabilities;

Amendment 234 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Calls on Member States to ensure that employment policies reach also those furthest away from the labour market, including people with migrant background and the Roma and to take action to ensure that anti-discrimination legislation relating to employment matters is implemented;

Amendment 235 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)

16b. Calls on the Commission to launch a new initiative aimed at promoting employment opportunities for Roma in the Member States with measures to promote skills and qualifications and to fight discrimination as well as promoting job creation for example through self- employment and entrepreneurship and by using innovative financial instruments;

Amendment 236 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)

16c. Calls on the Member States to make it a priority to bridge the gender gaps in employment, particularly by addressing the gender pay gap and implementing measures to facilitate the reconciliation of work and family life inter alia through increasing the availability of childcare facilities;

Amendment 237 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. ~~Regrets that the European Semester has not been sufficiently aligned with~~Calls on the European Commission to better align the European Semester with the Europe 2020 strategy in respect to the midterm review of the Europe 2020 strategy foreseen in March 2015; calls for more determined efforts to guide and coordinate EU policies to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and create quality jobs; by aligning short term crisis management with long term economic goals.

Amendment 238 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Regrets that the European Semester has not been sufficiently aligned with the Europe 2020 strategy; calls on the Commission and the Member States to bring economic measures implemented in the course of the European Semester in line with the social and employment targets of the Europe 2020 strategy and the social principles set out in the Treaties; calls for more determined efforts to guide and coordinate EU policies to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and create good quality jobs;

Amendment 239 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Regrets that the European Semester has not been sufficiently aligned with the Europe 2020 strategy; calls for more determined efforts to guide and coordinate EU policies to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and create quality jobs; points out that these increases the EU´s structural weakness, given the mismatch between the growing need for high-skilled workers and the fact that in many Member States a high proportion of the workforce is currently low-skilled;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas ~~the EU needs to make a decisive change in an economic policy that has allowed the Union to drift away from the EU 2020 targets, and that has increased the risks of secular stagnation~~increased efforts by the EU and structural reforms in the Member States are crucial in order to achieve the EU 2020 targets; whereas the EU is worryingly losing weight in the world economy, while most other countries are showing solid signs of recovery; whereas in October 2014 the IMF estimated that the probability of a recession in the euro area had increased and would reach 35-40% at year’s end;

Amendment 240 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Regrets that the European Semester has not been sufficiently aligned with the Europe 2020 strategy; calls for more ambition and determined efforts to guide and coordinate EU policies to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and create quality jobs; calls on the European Commission to present the Europe 2020 Mid Term review without delay taking into account the urgent need to make more progress towards the poverty reduction and other social targets, and the need for improvement in meaningful stakeholder involvement;

Amendment 241 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. ~~Regrets that the European Semester has not been sufficiently aligned with the Europe 2020 strategy; c~~Calls for more determined efforts to guide and coordinate EU policies to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and create quality jobs;

Amendment 242 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

Amendment 243 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

Amendment 244 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 – point 1 (new)

(1) Education and active labour policies to expand human capital (This amendment intends to be a subheading inside the heading "Labour market reforms to expand growth potential, human capital and productivity", between paragraphs 17 and 18)

Amendment 245 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Believes that growing international competition driven by increasingly skilled workforces have left the EU facing serious skill shortages and skill mismatches which are acting as a brake on economic growth; Believes that if Member States are to have a realistic chance of reaching the EU2020 employment targets, they must focus on creating the right environment for job creation;

Amendment 246 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Reiterates its call on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to incorporate a gender pillar into the Europe 2020 framework;

Amendment 247 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. ~~Is concerned that the Commission’s strategy to regain competitiveness has been more focused on reducing costs than on raising productivity via investments in human capital; s~~Stresses that more than 20 Member States have reduced their education expenditures in relative terms (as percentages of their GDPs), thereby jeopardising their growth, job potential and competitiveness;

Amendment 248 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. ~~Is concerned that the Commission’s~~Welcomes the Juncker strategy to regain competitiveness ~~has been more focused on~~by reducing costs ~~than on~~and raising productivity via investments especially in human capital; ~~stresses~~is concerned that more than 20 Member States have reduced their education expenditures in relative terms (as percentages of their GDPs), thereby jeopardising their growth, job potential and competitiveness;

Amendment 249 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. ~~Is concerned that the Commission’s~~Points out that the strategy to regain competitiveness ~~has been more~~shouldn´t focused on ~~reducing costs than~~ly on labour costs but also on raising productivity via investments in human capital; stresses that more than 20 Member States have reduced their education expenditures in relative terms (as percentages of their GDPs), thereby jeopardising their growth, job potential and competitivenes and structural reforms;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the EU needs to make a decisive change in an economic policy that has allowed the Union to drift away from the EU 2020 targets, and that has increased the risks of secular stagnation; whereas the EU is worryingly losing weight in the world economy, while ~~most~~some other countries are showing solid signs of recovery; whereas in October 2014 the IMF estimated that the probability of a recession in the euro area had increased and would reach 35-40% at year’s end;

Amendment 250 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. ~~Is concerned~~Regrets that the Commission’s strategy to regain competitiveness has been more focused on reducing costs than on raising productivity via investments in human capital; stresses that more than 20 Member States have reduced their education expenditures in relative terms (as percentages of their GDPs), thereby jeopardising their growth, job potential and competitiveness;

Amendment 251 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Is concerned that the Commission’s strategy to regain competitiveness has been more focused on reducing costs than on raising productivity via investments in human capital; stresses that more than 20 Member States have reduced their education expenditures in relative terms (as percentages of their GDPs), thereby jeopardising their growth, job potential and competitiveness; emphasises that the root cause of these developments can be found in the application of Economic Governance principles;

Amendment 252 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

Amendment 253 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18a. Calls on the Member States to restore investment in human capital to pre-crisis level, particularly to smoothen the transition between education and work for young people, to invest in vocational training as well as lifelong learning programmes.

Amendment 254 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Welcomes the fact that in the AGS 2015 the Commission calls on the Member States to protect or promote longer-term investments in education, research and innovation; notes, however, that Member States with already-constrained budgets do not have sufficient means to accomplish that goal; ~~calls, therefore, on the Commission to exclude productive investments in education, research and development from the deficit targets established under EU rules;~~

Amendment 255 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

Amendment 256 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

Amendment 257 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Welcomes the fact that in the AGS 2015 the Commission calls on the Member States to protect or promote longer-term investments in education, research and innovation; notes, however, that Member States with already-constrained budgets do not have sufficient means to accomplish that goal; calls, therefore, on the Commission to exclude productive investments in education, research and development and the resources provided from ESF to accomplish with the Youth Guarantee from the deficit targets established under EU rules;

Amendment 258 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19a. Stresses the need to adequate working skills to markets needs and welcomes that the Commission emphasises vocational training, dual education and lifelong learning systems to reach that goal, involving public and private actors; points out that social partners must be involved in the assessment of the skills needs; calls Member States to consider lowering fiscal burden to enterprises, specially SME's, that establish a working contract with an higher degree worker, in cases where employers do not contract people according to their qualifications and skills;

Amendment 259 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Stresses the importance of active labour policies for some Member States in the current context; calls on those Member States to increase the coverage and effectiveness of active labour market policies;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the EU needs to ~~make a decisive change in an economic policy that has allowed the Union to drift away from the EU 2020 targets, and that has increased the risks of secular stagnation~~continue fiscal consolidation on order to create the necessary trust in the economy which will foster private investments in order to be able to reach the EU 2020 targets; whereas the EU is worryingly losing weight in the world economy, while most other countries are showing solid signs of recovery; whereas in October 2014 the IMF estimated that the probability of a recession in the euro area had increased and would reach 35-40% at year’s end;

Amendment 260 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Stresses the importance of active labour policies in the current context; calls on the ~~Member States to~~Commission to enable the Member States to create the conditions required for an increase in the coverage and effectiveness of active labour market policies;

Amendment 261 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Stresses the importance of personalised, active labour policies, as part of an integrated active inclusion approach, ensuring access to public services in the current context; calls on the Member States to increase the coverage and effectiveness of active labour market policies; stresses that the need for public services is steadily growing owing to the current climate of uncertainty over growth and jobs, while demographic change is giving rise to new needs; emphasises that the key challenge of the moment for the delivery of SSGI is maintaining their quality and scope and, given their importance and absolute necessity, that such services need to be enhanced in order to ensure they play their important role in achieving the EU 2020 social and economic targets for employment and poverty reduction;

Amendment 262 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 – point 1 (new)

(1) Quality jobs and wages as engines of productivity and growth (This amendment intends to be a subheading inside the heading "Labour market reforms to expand growth potential, human capital and productivity", between paragraphs 20 and 21)

Amendment 263 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20a. Calls on the Member States to pay special attention to high unemployment rates among disadvantaged groups, giving priority to access and integration into the labour market and the mainstreaming of accession and integration policies, as employment is the key to successful integration;

Amendment 264 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Recalls that decent wages are important not only for social cohesion, but also for maintaining a strong economy and a productive labour force; calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European framework for minimum wages with a view to reducing wage inequalities and limiting nominal imbalances in competitiveness;deleted

Amendment 265 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Recalls that decent wages are important not only for social cohesion, but also for maintaining a strong economy and a productive labour force; ~~calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European framework for minimum wages with a view to reducing wage inequalities and limiting nominal imbalances in competitiveness;~~

Amendment 266 #

Ole CHRISTENSEN, Marita ULVSKOG, Miapetra KUMPULA-NATRI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Recalls that decent wages and social protections are important not only for social cohesion through fight against social dumping, but also for maintaining a strong economy with high internal demand and a productive labour force; calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for an ambitious European framework for minimum wages with a view to reducing wage inequalities and limiting nominal imbalances in competitiveness as well as an ambitious framework for minimum social protection thresholds;

Amendment 267 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Recalls that decent wages are important not only for social cohesion, but also for maintaining a strong economy and a productive labour force; ~~calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European framework for minimum wages~~underlines that in those countries where minimum wages are statutory they should be set at a level that allow for decent standards of living with a view to reducing wage inequalities and limiting nominal imbalances in competitiveness;

Amendment 268 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Recalls that decent wages are important not only for social cohesion, but also for maintaining a strong reco~~nom~~very and a productive ~~labour force~~economy; calls on the Commission to ~~submit a proposal for a European framework for minimum wages with a view to reducing wage inequalities and limiting nominal imbalances in competitivenes~~ensure that the European Semester in all recommendations and policy instruments respects and supports collective bargaining and its coverage as well as wage floors in the form of decent minimum wages with the aim to ensure price stability, to fight deflation, to stop the competitive race to the bottom on wages, to support aggregate demand and economic recovery, and to reduce wage inequalities;

Amendment 269 #

Monika VANA, Tamás MESZERICS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the EU needs to make a decisive change in an economic policy that has allowed the Union to drift away from the EU 2020 targets, and that has increased the risks of secular stagnation as well as negative social impact and insufficient environmental progress, which is undermining credibility and support for the EU; whereas an ecological transformation is needed to ensure a shift towards a resource efficient economy and ensure sustainable development; whereas the EU is worryingly losing weight in the world economy, while most other countries are showing solid signs of recovery; whereas in October 2014 the IMF estimated that the probability of a recession in the euro area had increased and would reach 35-40% at year’'s end;

Amendment 270 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Recalls that ~~decent wages are~~aligning wages with productivity is important not only for social cohesion, but also for maintaining a strong economy and a productive labour force; ~~calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European framework for minimum wages with a view to reducing wage inequalities and limiting nominal imbalances in competitiveness;~~

Amendment 271 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Recalls that decent wages are important not only for social cohesion, but also for maintaining a strong economy and a productive labour force; calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European framework for minimum wages with a view to reducing wage inequalities ~~and~~, limiting nominal imbalances in competitiveness and achieving the EU2020 poverty reduction targets;

Amendment 272 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Recalls that decent wages are important not only for social cohesion, but also for maintaining a strong economy and a productive labour force; calls onfor the ~~Commission to submit a proposal for a European framework for minimum wages with a view to reducing wage inequalities and limiting nominal imbalances in competitiveness~~establishment in each Member State, either by law or through collective bargaining, of a minimum wage of which the level is set by the individual Member States and which corresponds to the socioeconomic situation of the respective Member State;

Amendment 273 #

Marita ULVSKOG

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Recalls that decent wages are important not only for social cohesion, but also for maintaining a strong reco~~nom~~very and a productive ~~labour force~~economy; calls on the Commission to ~~submit a proposal for a European framework for minimum wages with a view to reducing wage inequalities and limiting nominal imbalances in competitiveness;~~ensure that the European Semester in all of its recommendations and policy instruments respects and promotes collective bargaining and its coverage as well as wage floors in the form of decent minimum wages, where applicable, and this with a view to anchor price stability and fight deflation, stop the competitive wage race to the bottom, to support aggregate demand and economic recovery, and reduce wage inequalities

Amendment 274 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Recalls that decent wages are important not only for social cohesion, but also for maintaining a strong economy and a productive labour force; calls on the Commission to ~~submit a proposal for~~organise a conference on a European framework for minimum wages with a view to reducing wage inequalities and limiting nominal imbalances in competitiveness by taking into account the productivity as well as the danger of possible crowding out effects in Member States;

Amendment 275 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Recalls that decent wages are important not only for social cohesion, but also for maintaining a strong economy and a productive labour force; calls on the Commission to ~~submit a proposal for a European framework for minimum wages with a view to reducing wage inequalities and limiting nominal imbalances in competitivenes~~investigate the impact of Member States introducing minimum wages particularly in the context of reducing wage inequalities;

Amendment 276 #

Sofia RIBEIRO, Krzysztof HETMAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

Amendment 277 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

Amendment 278 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. ~~Is concerned that labour market reforms in many Member States have mainly promoted precarious jobs; observes that 50 % of jobs created in 2014 were temporary jobs;~~ notes that, according to the Commission, in-work poverty persists, and that for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty, nor does it raise productivity; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make job quality a priority and to address labour market segmentation;

Amendment 279 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Is concerned that labour market reforms in many Member States have ~~mainly promoted~~resulted in some cases in precarious jobs; observes that 50 % of jobs created in 2014 were temporary jobs; notes that, according to the Commission, in-work poverty persists, and that for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty, nor does it raise productivity; calls on the ~~Commission and the~~ Member States to make job quality a priority and to address labour market segmentation;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas Member States have the primary role in delivering employment policies including youth employment policies and that such measures are best delivered at the national level;

Amendment 280 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

Amendment 281 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Is concerned that labour market reforms in many Member States have mainly promoted precarious jobs; observes that 50 % of jobs created in 2014 were temporary jobs; notes that, according to the Commission, in-work poverty persists, and that for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty, nor does it raise productivity; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make job quality a priority and to address labour market segmentation; calls on the Commission to ensure that in their policy guidance labour market reforms are aimed at, amongst others, reducing segmentation, promoting transition between jobs, advancing the inclusion of vulnerable groups in the labour market, reducing in-work poverty, promoting gender equality, strengthening the rights of workers with a-typical contracts and provide more social protection for self- employed workers;

Amendment 282 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Is concerned ~~that labour market reforms in many Member States have mainly promoted precarious~~with the high levels of precarious jobs; observes that 50 % of jobs created in 2014 were temporary jobs; observes that 50 % of jobs created in 2014 were temporary jobs; notes that, according to the Commission, in-work poverty persists, and that for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty, nor does it raise productivity; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make job quality a priority and to address labour market segmentation;

Amendment 283 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Is concerned that labour market reforms in many Member States have ~~mainly promoted~~not managed to decrease the level of precarious jobs; observes that 50 % of jobs created in 2014 were temporary jobs; notes that, according to the Commission, in-work poverty persists, and that for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty, nor does it raise productivity; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make job quality a priority and to address labour market segmentation;

Amendment 284 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. ~~Is concerned that labour market reforms in many Member States have mainly promoted precarious jobs;~~ observes that 50 % of jobs created in 2014 were temporary jobs; notes that, according to the Commission, in-work poverty persists, and that for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty, nor does it raise productivity; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make job quality a priority and to address labour market segmentation;

Amendment 285 #

Marita ULVSKOG

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

Amendment 286 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

Amendment 287 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. ~~Is concerned that labour market reforms in many Member States have mainly promoted precarious jobs; o~~Observes that 50 % of jobs created in 2014 were temporary jobs; notes that, according to the Commission, in-work poverty persists, and that for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty, nor does it raise productivity; calls on the ~~Commission and the~~ Member States to make job ~~quali~~-creation and the fight against in-work poverty a priority and to address labour market segmentation;

Amendment 288 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

Amendment 289 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Believes that Member States can only create jobs if the market allows for it, if they can rely on a qualified workforce, if labour markets are sufficiently flexible, if labour costs including wages are in line with productivity, if social protection systems make work more attractive and if regulation is proportionate and evidence based;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas Europe has to tackle the rapid ageing of its population as soon as possible;

Amendment 290 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to reinforce their efforts to tackle social and wage dumping in the EU, which causes significant harm to workers affected and to Member States' welfare systems; further calls to include social partners at all levels in these efforts;

Amendment 291 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Regrets that the Annual Growth Survey fails to give any attention to the gender dimension and the need to integrate this into all aspects of the governance framework; calls on the Commission to address labour market segregation, the effects of fiscal consolidation on women and unequal distribution of care responsibilities in its policy guidance;

Amendment 292 #

Agnes JONGERIUS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Calls on the Commission to put a halt to the downward pressure on labour conditions as a way to gain a competitive advantage; urges the Commission in this respect to come up with a proposal for a full review of the Posting of Workers Directive in order to close existing loopholes;

Amendment 293 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Welcomes the initiative regarding a European platform on undeclared work; reiterates its call on the Member States to ensure that people with precarious contracts, or who are self-employed, enjoy a core set of rights and adequate social protection; calls on the Commission to make dedicated efforts to address the additional problems caused by involuntary part-time and temporary employment and by bogus self-employment, calls on the Commission to ensure that Member States remain competent to make decision about their level of involvement in the initiatives approved at plenary level by the Platform as well as any initiative of the Platform should conform to its objectives and mission, and respect the relevant provisions of the Treaties and the legal base ;

Amendment 294 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 295 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 296 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 297 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 298 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 – point 1 (new)

(1) Youth unemployment and labour mobility (This amendment intends to be a subheading inside the heading "Labour market reforms to expand growth potential, human capital and productivity", between paragraphs 23a and 24.)

Amendment 299 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Is concerned about the Commission approach towards social and employment indicators; regrets the fact that there is hardly any mention of the quality or sustainability of jobs that are been created, especially in what concerns employment of women, who are over represented in part-time work due to difficulties of conciliation between professional and private life;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 15 July 2014 on "Youths Employment"7 a, __________________ 7a Texts adopted P8_TA(2014)0010.

Amendment 30 #

Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Brando BENIFEI

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

Amendment 300 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Considers that the achievement of reindustrialization targets paramount for the competitiveness of the EU and that the relaunch of a genuine European industrial policy could foster growth and create new high quality jobs;

Amendment 301 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)

23b. Regrets the fact that, when referring to unemployment rates, other factors are not dully taken into consideration, such as increased rates of inactive people, mobility and migration;

Amendment 302 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Welcomes the reduction in youth unemployment rates, but points out that they~~Is concerned that youth unemployment rates are still alarming; stresses that job insecurity and underemployment have also risen, and that 43 % of the young find themselves working under precarious conditions, on involuntary part-time contracts or as bogus self-employed;

Amendment 303 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Welcomes the reduction in youth unemployment rates, in some Member States in particular who achieved a greater success in doing so, but points out that they are still alarming; stresses that job insecurity and underemployment have also risen, and that 43 % of the young find themselves working under precarious conditions, for example, on involuntary part-time contracts ~~or as bogus self-employed~~;

Amendment 304 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Welcomes the reduction in youth unemployment rates, but points out that they are still alarming and not necessarily based on net employment creation; stresses that job insecurity and underemployment have also risen, and that 43 % of the young find themselves working under precarious conditions, on involuntary part-time contracts or as bogus self-employed;

Amendment 305 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Welcomes the reduction in youth unemployment rates, but points out that they are still alarming; stresses that job insecurity and underemployment have also risen, and that 43 % of the young find themselves working under precarious conditions, on involuntary part-time contracts or as ~~bogus~~falsely self-employed;

Amendment 306 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Welcomes the reduction in youth unemployment rates in some member- states, but points out that they are still alarming; stresses that job insecurity and underemployment have also risen, and that 43 % of the young find themselves working under precarious conditions, on involuntary part-time contracts or as bogus self-employed;

Amendment 307 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Welcomes the reduction in~~Expresses concern at youth unemployment rates, ~~but points out that they~~which are still alarming; stresses that job insecurity and underemployment have also risen, and that 43 % of the young find themselves working under precarious conditions, on involuntary part-time contracts or as bogus self-employed;

Amendment 308 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Calls on the Commission to propose a European framework introducing minimum standards for the implementation of Youth Guarantees ~~covering young people aged 25-30~~; calls on the Member States to use the available budget efficiently and to implement the Youth Guarantees without delay; calls for the available budget to be increased during the promised mid-term review of the MFF in accordance with ILO recommendations;

Amendment 309 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Calls on th~~e Commission to propose a European framework introducing minimum standards for the implementation~~ose Member States affected by high levels of Yyouth ~~Guarantees covering young people aged 25-30; calls on the Member States to use the available~~unemployment to use the existing allocated budget efficiently and to implement the Youth Guarantees without delay; ~~calls for the available budget to be increased during the promised mid-term review of the MFF in accordance with ILO recommendations;~~

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

Amendment 310 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Calls on the Commission to propose a European framework introducing minimum standards for the implementation of Youth Guarantees covering young people aged 25-30; calls on the Member States to use the available budget efficiently and to implement the Youth Guarantees without delay; calls to explore the possibility for the available budget to be increased during the promised mid-term review of the MFF in accordance with ILO recommendations;

Amendment 311 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Calls on the Commission to propose a European framework introducing minimum standards for the implementation of Youth Guarantees covering young people aged 25-30; calls on the Member States to use the available budget efficiently and to implement the Youth Guarantees without delay and make sure that they also reach young people coming from a disadvantaged social background; calls for the available budget to be increased during the promised mid-term review of the MFF in accordance with ILO recommendations;

Amendment 312 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Calls on the Commission to propose a European framework introducing fix minimum ~~standard~~requirements for the implementation of Youth Guarantees covering young people aged 25-30 and concrete measures to raise public awareness; calls on the Member States to use the available budget efficiently and to implement the Youth Guarantees without delay; calls for the available budget to be increased during the promised mid-term review of the MFF in accordance with ILO recommendations;

Amendment 313 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Calls on the Commission to propose a European framework introducing minimum standards for the implementation of Youth Guarantees covering young people aged 25-30; calls on the Member States to use the available budget efficiently and to implement the Youth Guarantees without delay; calls for the available budget to be increased during the promised mid-term review ~~of the MFF in accordance with ILO recommendations~~; notes ILO estimated EUR 21 billion are necessary to resolve the problem of youth unemployment;

Amendment 314 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Calls on the Commission to propose a European framework introducing minimum standards for the implementation of Youth Guarantees covering young people aged 25-30; calls on the Member States to use the available budget efficiently and to implement the Youth Guarantees without delay; calls for ~~the available budget to be increased during the promised~~an adequate budget in the mid-term review of the MFF in accordance with ILO recommendations;

Amendment 315 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Calls on the ~~Commission to propose a European framework introducing minimum standards for the implementation of Youth Guarantees covering young people aged 25-30; calls on the~~ Member States to use the available budget efficiently and to implement the Youth Guarantees without delay; calls for ~~the available budget to be increased during the promised~~adequate budget in the mid-term review of the MFF in accordance with ILO recommendations;

Amendment 316 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Calls on the Commission to propose a European framework introducing minimum standards for the implementation of Youth Guarantees covering young people aged 25-30; calls on the Member States to use the available budget efficiently and to implement the Youth Guarantees without delay; calls for the available budget to be increased during the promised mid-term review of the MFF in accordance with ILO recommendationsMember States, in the framework of the Youth Guarantees, to use the available budget efficiently and to implement the Youth Guarantees without delay;

Amendment 317 #

Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Jutta STEINRUCK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25a. Calls on the Member States, in proportion to the size and situation of their Roma population, to ensure that young Roma should be regarded as among the key target groups for their Youth Guarantee Implementation Plans;

Amendment 318 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25a. Urges the European Commission to go above and beyond the March 2014 Council recommendation on a quality framework for traineeships and to propose a new Quality Framework with a view to preventing discrimination and exploitation of young workers

Amendment 319 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25a. Calls on Member States to make labour markets more inclusive for those who have family duties such as raising children and caring for family members who need care; therefore calls for measures favouring the reconciliation of work and family life as part of the labour market reforms promoted by the European Semester;

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas in spite of ~~mild~~ improvements in some Member States, the unemployment rate remains historically high~~, with~~ in other, with nearly 25 million people out of work in the EU; whereas long-term unemployment is worryingly high, and 12 million people have been unemployed for more than a year (up 4 % over the previous year); whereas the labour market situation is particularly critical for young people, regardless of their level of education;

Amendment 320 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)

25b. Reiterates the call on Member States to invest in opportunities for life-long learning, vocational training and on the job training; calls for national life-long learning systems to be assessed as part of the European Semester's strategies of labour market reform;

Amendment 321 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Stresses that, according to the Commission, despite high unemployment rates there are 2 million job vacancies in the EU, and that only 3.3 % of the active population works in another Member State; recalls that divergences in labour mobility rates range up to 10 percentage points, notably in those Member States hardest hit by the crisis;deleted

Amendment 322 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Stresses that, according to the Commission, despite high unemployment rates there are 2 million job vacancies in the EU, and that only 3.3 % of the active population works in another Member State which still indicates a still low level of mobility in comparison to the USA or Japan; recalls that divergences in labour mobility rates range up to 10 percentage points, notably in those Member States hardest hit by the crisis, while recognising the positive contributions of mobility to the labour markets of the EU, it needs to be highlighted that mobility remains only one of the many potential responses to labour market mismatches, and its eventual side-effects, such as brain-drain need to be minimised for maintaining or improving a higher level of social cohesion in the European Union;

Amendment 323 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Stresses that, according to the Commission, despite high unemployment rates there are 2 million job vacancies in the EU, and that only 3.3 % of the active population works in another Member State; recalls that divergences in labour mobility rates range up to 10 percentage points, notably in those Member States hardest hit by the crisis; Expresses its continuous support of the principle free movement;

Amendment 324 #

Sofia RIBEIRO, Heinz K. BECKER, Krzysztof HETMAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Stresses that, according to the Commission, despite high unemployment rates there are 2 million job vacancies in the EU, and that only 3.3 % of the active population works in another Member State; recalls that divergences in labour mobility rates range up to 10 percentage points, notably in those Member States hardest hit by the crisis; Notes though that mobility should be voluntary and not a necessity in order to find a job;

Amendment 325 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Stresses that, according to the Commission, despite high unemployment rates there are 2 million job vacancies in the EU, and that only 30.3 % of the active population works in another Member State; recalls that divergences in labour mobility rates range up to 10 percentage points, notably in those Member States hardest hit by the crisis, can be overcome also using the tool of the EURES platform;

Amendment 326 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

Amendment 327 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure the proper functioning of Public Employment Services to facilitate and stimulate job seeking abroad;

Amendment 328 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)

26b. Calls on the Commission and Member States to work jointly in improving EURES, in order to develop a real job seeking tool, and facilitate the balance between supply and demand in all Member States;

Amendment 329 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas in spite of ~~mild~~ improvements, the unemployment rate remains historically high, with 25 million people out of work; whereas long-term unemployment is worryingly high, and 12 million people have been unemployed for more than a year (up 4 % over the previous year); whereas the labour market situation is particularly critical for young people, in some cases, regardless of their level of education;

Amendment 330 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 331 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 332 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 333 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 334 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 335 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Given the number of workers, particularly young people, who are now leaving their countries of origin ~~for other Member States in search of employment opportuniti~~to take up employment in other Member States, there is a~~n urgent~~ need to ~~develop appropriate measures to guarante~~ensure that no worker is left uncovered by social and labour rights protection; calls, in this regard, on the Commission and the Member States to further improve EU labour mobility while upholding the principle of equal treatment and safeguarding wages and social standards; calls on each Member State to establish social and employment policies for equal rights and equal pay at the same place of work;

Amendment 336 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Given the number of workers, particularly young people, who are now leaving their countries of origin for other Member States in search of employment opportunities, there is an urgent need to develop appropriate measures to guarantee that no worker is left uncovered by social and labour rights protection; calls, in this regard, on the Commission and the Member States to further improve EU labour mobility while upholding the principle of equal treatment and safeguarding wages and social standards; calls on each Member State to establish social and employment policies for equal rights and equal pay at the same place of work; reminds the Commission that while wages are considered as an important element in resolving euro-area macro- economic imbalances, they are not merely a tool for economic adjustment, but above all the income that workers need to live on; calls on the Commission to ensure that recommendations in the field of wages do not increase in-work poverty or wage inequalities within Member States, or harm low-income groups;

Amendment 337 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 338 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 339 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas ~~in spite of mild~~for the first time since 2011, there has been a small increase in full time contracts and improvements in the situation of young people; whereas however, many of the new jobs created are part-time or temporary1 a ; whereas EU employment is foreseen to start growing, leading to a decline in the overall EU unemployment rate towards 9.5 % by 20161 b ; whereas in spite of these improvements, the unemployment rate remains historically high, with 25 million people out of work; whereas long- term unemployment is worryingly high, and 12 million people have been unemployed for more than a year (up 4 % over the previous year); whereas the labour market situation ~~is particularly critical for young people~~has improved for young people, with significant reductions in unemployment rates in most Member States; whereas nevertheless, youth unemployment remains very high in countries such as Greece and Spain, regardless of their level of education; __________________ 1a http://europa.eu/rapid/press- release_IP-14-1096_en.htm 1b Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2014, European Commission, 15th January 2015, http://ec.europa.eu/social, pages 15-17

Amendment 340 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 341 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 342 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

Amendment 343 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27a. Recalls the EU objectives in gender matter, notably the 75% employment rate of women and men by 2020 and the reduction by 20 millions of people in or at risk of poverty;

Amendment 344 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27a. Considering that Europe is rapidly ageing, putting in stage the necessary generations renewable to maintain social services, urges the Commission to present a proposal referring to the parental leave in order to contribute to equal gender working conditions; calls the Commission and Member States to implement more policies that contribute to an European demographic raise, referring either to birth rates and immigrations;

Amendment 345 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27a. Stresses the importance of emphasizing practical skills and the dual system of vocational training which makes young people more employable;

Amendment 346 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27a. Regrets that the austerity measures imposed by the EU aimed at restoring investor confidence have only led for a worsening of the employment and social conditions throughout Europe with higher unemployment, poverty and inequality levels;

Amendment 347 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27b. Calls on the Member States to improve cooperation between businesses and the education sector at all levels;

Amendment 348 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Reiterates its warning of the socioeconomic challenges facing the Union and the risks to its sustainability and its stable growth potential posed by a reversal in regional convergence; recalls that more than 122 million EU citizens are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including in- work poverty and child poverty, and that these levels are unacceptable and need to be reduced immediately; ~~calls for a true ‘social pillar’ to be implemented within the EMU as part of the process of improving economic governance mechanisms;~~

Amendment 349 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Reiterates its warning of the socioeconomic challenges facing some Member States of the Union and the risks to its sustainability and its stable growth potential posed by a reversal in regional convergence; recalls that more than 122 million EU citizens are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including in- work poverty and child poverty, and that these levels are unacceptable and need to be reduced immediately; calls for a true ‘social pillar’ to be implemented within the EMU as part of the process of improving economic governance mechanisms;

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas ~~in spite of mild improvements,~~ the unemployment rate remains historically high, with 25 million people out of work; whereas long-term unemployment is worryingly high, and 12 million people have been unemployed for more than a year (up 4 % over the previous year); whereas the labour market situation is particularly critical for young people, regardless of their level of education;

Amendment 350 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

Amendment 351 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Reiterates its warning of the socioeconomic challenges facing the Union and the risks to its sustainability and its stable growth potential posed by a reversal in regional convergence; recalls that more than 122 million EU citizens are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including in- work poverty and child poverty, and that these levels are unacceptable and need to be reduced immediately; calls for a true ‘social pillar’ to be implemented within the EMU as part of the process of improving economic governance mechanisms, including effective social impact assessments as promised by President Juncker;

Amendment 352 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Reiterates its warning of the socioeconomic challenges facing the Union and the risks to its sustainability and its stable growth potential posed by a reversal in regional convergence; recalls that more than 122 million EU citizens are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including in- work poverty and child poverty, ~~and that~~19% of children in the EU are currently estimated to be at risk of poverty, these levels are unacceptable and need to be reduced immediately; calls for a true ‘social pillar’ to be implemented within the EMU as part of the process of improving economic governance mechanisms;

Amendment 353 #

Sofia RIBEIRO, Anne SANDER, Verónica LOPE FONTAGNÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Reiterates its warning of the socioeconomic challenges facing the Union and the risks to its sustainability and its stable growth potential posed by a reversal in regional convergence; recalls that more than 122 million EU citizens are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including in- work poverty and child poverty, and that these levels are unacceptable and need to be reduced immediately; calls for a ~~true~~ ‘social pillar’ to be ~~implemented within the EMU as~~a part of the process of improving economic governance mechanisms;

Amendment 354 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Reiterates its warning of the socioeconomic challenges facing the Union and the risks to its sustainability and its stable growth potential posed by a reversal in regional convergence; recalls that more than 122 million EU citizens are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including in- work poverty and child poverty, and that these levels are unacceptable and need to be reduced immediately; calls ~~for a true ‘social pillar’ to be implemented with~~on the Commission to continue developing the ~~EMU as part of the process of improving~~social dimension into the economic governance mechanisms;

Amendment 355 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Reiterates its warning of the socioeconomic challenges facing the Union and the risks to its sustainability and its stable growth potential posed by a reversal in regional convergence; recalls that more than 122 million EU citizens are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including in- work poverty and child poverty, and that these levels are ~~unacceptable~~alarming and need to be reduced ~~immediately; calls for a true ‘social pillar’ to be implemented within the EMU as part of the process of improving economic governance mechanisms~~without delay;

Amendment 356 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)

28a. Is deeply concerned that, up to now, the recommendations made as part of the European Semester have taken us further away from achieving the employment and social targets of the Europe 2020 strategy, with especially the poverty reduction target lagging behind as poverty is increasing rather than decreasing; calls on the new Commission to adopt a consistent approach and to ask immediately that the Member States report on national progress on the Europe 2020 strategy and its targets and correct this discrepancy in their national reform programmes (NRPs) to be presented as part of the next European Semester and to aim Country Specific Recommendations at poverty reduction in all those Member States where more should be done in this area; furthermore calls for more transparency and policy coherence with regard to the overlapping EU economic and employment strategies;

Amendment 357 #

Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Jutta STEINRUCK, Brando BENIFEI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)

28a. Regrets that there are no indicators and clear definitions of absolute poverty, which concerns many EU countries;

Amendment 358 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)

28a. Recalls on the Commission that employment and social policies to promote the European Social Acquis should govern all European policies, under Article 9 TFEU; requests the Commission to fulfil its obligation to link the European Semester with the objectives of the EU2020 Strategy;

Amendment 359 #

Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Javi LÓPEZ, Brando BENIFEI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Points out that social protection and social policy – in particular unemployment benefits, minimum income support and progressive taxation – initially helped to reduce the depth of the recession and stabilised labour markets and consumption in some Member States; stresses, however, that social stabilisers have been widely used as adjustment factors by those EMU members experiencing negative economic shocks;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas in spite of mild improvements, the unemployment rate remains historically high, with 25 million people out of work; whereas long-term unemployment is worryingly high, and 12 million people have been unemployed for more than a year (up 4 % over the previous year); whereas youth unemployment rates have not decreased significantly (they have only been reduced by 1.9% compared to 2013) reaching the EU average at 21,2%; whereas 75% of the long-term unemployed in the EU are under 35 years old; whereas the labour market situation is particularly critical for young people, regardless of their level of education;

Amendment 360 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Points out that social protection and social policy – in particular unemployment benefits, minimum income support and progressive taxation – initially helped to reduce the depth of the recession and stabilised labour markets and consumption; stresses, however, that social stabilisers have been widely used as adjustment factors by those EMU members experiencing negative economic shocks; Stresses that social protection and social policies are the competence of Member States;

Amendment 361 #

Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Brando BENIFEI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 – point 1 (new)

(1) European Social Stabilizers (This amendment intends to be a subheading inside the heading "A decisive call for the EU Social Dimension and Convergence", between paragraphs 29 and 29a)

Amendment 362 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)

29a. Calls on the Commission to restore the EMU reform agenda as launched in 2012 and make concrete proposals based on the recommendations outlined in the EU Presidents report "Towards a Genuine EMU" and the Commission´s "blueprint for a deep and Genuine EMU". Stresses that most important among them is the need for the Eurozone to acquire its own fiscal capacity to operate as a main instrument of macroeconomic stabilisation in the face of crises hitting Member States in an asymmetric manner;

Amendment 363 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

Amendment 364 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

Amendment 365 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

Amendment 366 #

Guillaume BALAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Considers it regrettable that the AGS 2015 does not mention European social stabilisers; recalls the importance of such stabilisers in addressing asymmetrical shocks, in avoiding excessive depletion of national welfare states and, thus, in strengthening the sustainability of the EMU; reiterates its call on the Commission to produce a Green Paper on automatic stabilisers in the eurozone such as an unemployment benefit scheme;

Amendment 367 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Considers it regrettable that the AGS 2015 does not mention European social stabilisers; recalls the importance of such stabilisers like labour mobility in addressing asymmetrical shocks, in avoiding excessive depletion of national welfare states and, thus, in strengthening the sustainability of the EMU; reiterates its call on the Commission to produce a Green Paper on automatic stabilisers in the eurozone; underlines that an Unemployment Insurance Scheme for the Euro zone is no suitable instrument, as it would base on fiscal transfers in monetary union, and because of the heterogeneity in labour market systems of the Member States;

Amendment 368 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

Amendment 369 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

Amendment 37 #

Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas the European Social Fund with the Youth Guarantee and the Youth Employment Initiative have to be correctly and fully used to finance sustainable projects in order to fight unemployment and more particularly youth unemployment

Amendment 370 #

Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Jutta STEINRUCK, Agnes JONGERIUS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. ~~Not~~Welcomes the Commission ~~objective~~commitments set out in REFIT ‘to make EU law lighter, simpler and less costly for the benefit of citizens and enterprises’; stresses that this removal of regulatory b~~arrier~~urdens should ~~under~~not comprominse ~~neither the European social acquis, the ILO core conventions nor the European Social Charter~~health, safety and employment standards;

Amendment 371 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Notes the Commission objective ‘to make EU law lighter, simpler and less costly for the benefit of citizens and enterprises’; stresses that this removal of regulatory barriers should undermine neither the European social acquis~~, the ILO core conventions nor the European Social Charter~~ in fields such as occupational health and safety or information and consultation of workers, nor the ILO core conventions nor the European Social Charter, and should respect the autonomy of social partners as foreseen in the Treaty;

Amendment 372 #

Agnes JONGERIUS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Notes the Commission objective ‘to make EU law lighter, simpler and less costly for the benefit of citizens and enterprises’; stresses that this removal of regulatory barriers should undermine neither the European social acquis~~, the ILO core conventions nor the European Social Charter;~~ in fields such as occupational health and safety, information and consultation of workers, the ILO core conventions nor the European Social Charter and should respect the autonomy of the social partners as foreseen in the Treaty; urges the Commission to make credible efforts to ensure the protection of pregnant workers and workers that have recently given birth;

Amendment 373 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 – point 1 (new)

(1) Social Indicators (This amendment intends to be a subheading inside the heading "A decisive call for the EU Social Dimension and Convergence", between paragraphs 31 and 32)

Amendment 374 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Welcomes the fact that the Joint Employment Report annexed to the AGS includes a scoreboard for employment and social policies; considers it regrettable, however, that these indicators are not sufficient and that the~~y have not been made binding~~ Commission is not bound to automatically readjust its macroeconomic analysis taking into account these indicators, which would allow them to be used more forcefully; asks the Commission to remedy this situation;

Amendment 375 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

Amendment 376 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

Amendment 377 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Welcomes the fact that the Joint Employment Report annexed to the AGS includes a scoreboard ~~for~~of key employment and social ~~policie~~indicators; considers it regrettable, however, that these indicators are not sufficient and that they have not been made binding, which would allow them to be used more forcefully; ~~asks the Commission to remedy this situ~~highlights the importance of understanding the dynamics and consequences of household income developments and rising income inequalities; regrets that much of the data presented in this year’s edition of the scoreboard is outdated; asks the Commission to make greater use of this scoreboard in policy formulation;

Amendment 378 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

Amendment 379 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas the share of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) has remained high and whereas young Roma are over-represented in this group;

Amendment 380 #

Sofia RIBEIRO, Anne SANDER, Heinz K. BECKER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Welcomes the fact that the Joint Employment Report annexed to the AGS includes a scoreboard for employment and social policies; considers it regrettable, however, that these indicators are not sufficient and that they have not been made binding, which would allow them to be used more forcefully; ~~asks the Commission to remedy this situation;~~ emphasises that including the social indicators scoreboard in the Alert Mechanism Report is a first step in order to identify, in advance, the social impact of measures designed to correct macroeconomic imbalances; stresses that this so far has no policy impact and therefore calls as a next step on the Commission and the Council to put all social indicators, including those regarding poverty and social exclusion, on a par with macroeconomic ones; calls on the Commission to assess and improve its scope and effectiveness as well as to make sure that the findings of the Scoreboard of employment and social indicators are taken fully into account when developing country specific recommendations and when assessing their implementation in Member States; calls on the Commission to put in place a system that triggers preventive and corrective actions once the social indicators reach a set threshold.

Amendment 381 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

Amendment 382 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

Amendment 383 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Welcomes the fact that the Joint Employment Report annexed to the AGS includes a scoreboard for employment and social policies; ~~considers it regrettable, however,~~notes that these indicators are not sufficient and that they ~~have not been made binding, which would allow them to be used more forcefully; asks the Commission to remedy this situation~~are analytical;

Amendment 384 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

Amendment 385 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

Amendment 386 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Welcomes the fact that the Joint Employment Report annexed to the AGS includes a scoreboard for employment and social policies; c~~onsiders it regrettable, however, that~~alls on the Commission to encourage these i~~ndicators are not sufficient and that they have not been made binding, which would allow them to be used more forcefully; asks the Commission to remedy this situation~~dentification and exchange of best practices, calls for a detailed overview of Member States' choices in different policy fields and the corresponding results;

Amendment 387 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 – point 1 (new)

(1) Poverty and Social exclusion (This amendment intends to create a subheading inside the heading "A decisive bet for the EU Social Dimension and Convergence", between paragraphs 32 and 33)

Amendment 388 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

32a. Calls for the identification of the major macro-economic and macro-social imbalances within the EU and Euro-area economies and articulation of Country- Specific Recommendations in the European Semester on that basis, including steps towards coordination of wage-setting and convergence on labour and social standards;

Amendment 389 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

32a. Calls on the Commission to present as soon as possible a revision of the Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure and the Alert Mechanism in Regulations 1176/2011/EU and 1174/2011/EU addressing a) a change of indicators and thresholds, moving from cost competiveness to a broader understanding of competitiveness including the quality of human capital, labour market participation, capital costs, resource efficiency and inequality; b) symmetry in the MIP procedure regarding current accounts treating surpluses similarly to deficits; calls on the Commission, therefore, to put them on an equal footing with macroeconomic indicators, and to include additional indicators – such as child poverty levels, access to healthcare, homelessness, and a decent work index – in the scoreboard in order to allow more effective analysis of Member States' employment and social concerns;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas high unemployment levels, heavy austerity politics, excessive focus on wage depression to regain competitiveness, and a decline in spending on social protection in almost all Member States, have led to significant reductions in household gross disposable incomes, leaving millions of European families at risk of exclusion, and have increased inequalities alarmingly; whereas one in four Europeans are at risk of poverty; whereas underemployment and precariousness has peaked and, for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty;

Amendment 390 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

32a. Regrets that the Annual Growth Survey and the Joint Employment Report do not contain any measure or policy framework to meet the Europe 2020 Strategy objective on poverty reduction; calls on the European Commission and Member States to better reflect this objective in the European Semester;

Amendment 391 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)

32b. Underlines the need to enforce the social acquis, the horizontal social clause and the protocol on services of general interest;

Amendment 392 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

~~33. Calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European minimum income, as announced by its President during the investiture debate, with the aim of reducing poverty in EU;~~deleted

Amendment 393 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

~~33. Calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European minimum income, as announced by its President during the investiture debate, with the aim of reducing poverty in EU;~~deleted

Amendment 394 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

~~33. Calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European minimum income, as announced by its President during the investiture debate, with the aim of reducing poverty in EU;~~deleted

Amendment 395 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

~~33. Calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European minimum income, as announced by its President during the investiture debate, with the aim of reducing poverty in EU;~~deleted

Amendment 396 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

~~33. Calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European minimum income, as announced by its President during the investiture debate, with the aim of reducing poverty in EU;~~deleted

Amendment 397 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

~~33. Calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European minimum income, as announced by its President during the investiture debate, with the aim of reducing poverty in EU;~~deleted

Amendment 398 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European framework directive on minimum income, as announced by its President during the investiture debate, with the aim of reducing poverty in EU;

Amendment 399 #

Rolandas PAKSAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Calls on the Commission to s~~ubmit a proposal for a European minimum income, as announced by its President during the investiture debate, with the aim of reducing poverty in EU~~et the minimum basic income in the EU; stresses the urgent need to guarantee an adequate minimum income in the European Union under a framework directive and submit a proposal for a European minimum income, as announced by its President during the investiture debate, with the aim of reducing poverty in EU, ensuring economic and territorial cohesion, protecting the fundamental rights of the individual, guaranteeing a balance between economic and social objectives;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 b (new)

- having regard to its Motion for Resolution on Employment and Social aspects of the Europe 2020 Strategy, of 19 November 20148 a , __________________ 8a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2014)0060

Amendment 40 #

Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Jutta STEINRUCK

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas due to the debt crisis, high unemployment levels, ~~excessive~~a focus on wage ~~depression~~s to regain competitiveness, and a decline in spending on social protection ~~in almost all~~, have led in some Member States~~, have led~~ to significant reductions in household gross disposable incomes, leaving millions of ~~European famili~~families in those States at risk of exclusion, and have increased inequalities alarmingly there; whereas one in four Europeans are at risk of poverty; whereas underemployment and precariousness has peaked and, for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty;

Amendment 400 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European minimum income, as announced by its President during the investiture debate, with the aim of reducing poverty in EU, in this sense, reiterates its call for progress towards an EU Framework Directive;

Amendment 401 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. ~~Calls~~Welcomes the appeal by the President onf the European Commission ~~to submit a proposal for a European minimum income, as announced by its President during the investiture debate, with the aim of reducing poverty in EU~~on the EU Member States to introduce a minimum wage and basic guaranteed income, with the aim of reducing poverty in EU; stresses that it is up to the individual Member States to set the level of the minimum wage and this level also corresponds to the socioeconomic situation of the respective Member State;

Amendment 402 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)

33a. Regrets the fact that the Commission approach aimed at tackling gender inequalities mainly treats conciliation between professional and family life as a women’s issue; notes that measures aimed at promotion of conciliation , for both men and women, are crucial for the creation of jobs and have a direct influence in the quality of jobs created; notes that access to affordable and quality childcare services is still a major barrier to conciliation, therefore it calls on the Commission to pay attention to this indicator when analysing the scoreboard of key employment and social indicators;

Amendment 403 #

Rolandas PAKSAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)

33a. calls on the Commission to put forward specific minimum basic income schemes and recommendations for each country;

Amendment 404 #

Rolandas PAKSAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 b (new)

33b. calls on the Commission to examine funding possibilities for a European minimum income focusing in particular on the prospect of setting up an appropriate European Fund;

Amendment 405 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Calls on the Commission to tackle immediately the alarming increase in child poverty throughout the EU through the introduction of a child guarantee against poverty based on good practices in some Member States, especially in increasing the state support for school feeding;

Amendment 406 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Calls on the Commission to tackle immediately the alarming increase in child poverty throughout the EU ~~through the introduction of a child guarantee against poverty~~;

Amendment 407 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Calls on the Commission to ~~tackle~~work with Member States to immediately tackle the alarming increase in child poverty throughout the EU ~~through the introduction of a child guarantee against poverty~~;

Amendment 408 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Calls on the Commission to tackle immediately the alarming increase in child poverty throughout the EU ~~through the introduction of a child guarantee against poverty~~by supporting existing welfare protection systems at Member State level;

Amendment 409 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Calls on the Commission to tackle immediately the alarming increase in child poverty throughout the EU through the introduction of a child guarantee against poverty, implementing the three pillared Commission recommendation from the Social Investment Package: "Investing in Children";

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas high unemployment levels, excessive focus on wage depression to regain competitiveness, and a decline in spending on social protection in almost all Member States, have led to significant reductions in household gross disposable incomes, leaving millions of European families at risk of exclusion, and have increased inequalities, including gender inequalities, alarmingly; whereas one in four Europeans are at risk of poverty; whereas underemployment and precariousness has peaked and, for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty;

Amendment 410 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Calls on the Commission to tackle immediately the alarming increase in child poverty throughout the EU through ~~the introduction of a child guarantee against poverty;~~long- term and holistic measures.

Amendment 411 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Calls on the Commission and Member States to tackle immediately the alarming increase in child poverty throughout the EU e.g. through the introduction of a child guarantee against poverty;

Amendment 412 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Calls on ~~the Commission~~Member States to tackle immediately the alarming increase in child poverty throughout the EU ~~through the introduction of a child guarantee against poverty~~;

Amendment 413 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Points out that emerging new forms of poverty – such as in-work poverty – are compounding difficulties ~~such as e.g. paying mortgages, or high utility prices creating energy poverty – have resulted in an increase in the number of evictions, foreclosures and homeless people~~; calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement integrated policies favouring social and affordable housing, effective prevention policies aimed at reducing the number of evictions, and policies tackling energy poverty;

Amendment 414 #

Amendment 415 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

Amendment 416 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Points out that ~~emerging~~ new forms of poverty emerged due to the debt crisis – such as in- work poverty compounding difficulties such as e.g. paying mortgages, or high utility prices creating energy poverty – have resulted in an increase in the number of evictions, foreclosures and homeless people; calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement integrated policies favouring social and affordable housing, effective prevention policies aimed at reducing the number of evictions, and policies tackling energy poverty;

Amendment 417 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

Amendment 418 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Points out that ~~emerging new forms of poverty –~~the increase in poverty – including growing trends such as in- work poverty compounding difficulties such as e.g. paying mortgages, or high utility prices creating energy poverty – have resulted in an increase in the number of evictions, foreclosures and homeless people; calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement integrated policies favouring social and affordable housing, effective prevention policies aimed at reducing the number of evictions, and policies tackling energy poverty and to stop criminalising homeless people; calls on the Commission to launch immediately an EU action plan on homelessness as requested several times by the EP, and called for by other EU bodies such as the EPSCO Council, EESC and CoR, to help member states to tackle the urgent and rapidly growing problem of homelessness;

Amendment 419 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas ~~high unemployment levels, excessive focus on wage depression to regain competitiveness, and a decline in spending~~measures carried out have been necessary to avoid bankruptcy onf social protection in almost all Member States, have led to significant reductions in household gross disposable incomes, leaving millions of European families at risk of exclusion, and have increased inequalities alarmingly; whereasme Member States and to guarantee the sustainability and viability of the EU economy and the welfare state, one in four Europeans are at risk of poverty; whereas underemployment and precariousness has peaked and, for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty;

Amendment 420 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Points out that emerging new forms of poverty – such as in-work poverty compounding difficulties such as e.g. paying mortgages, or high utility prices creating energy poverty – have resulted in an increase in the number of evictions, foreclosures and homeless people; calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement integrated policies favouring social and affordable housing, effective prevention policies aimed at reducing the number of evictions, and policies tackling energy poverty; calls on the Commission to extend their Recommendation on a new approach to business failure and insolvency (12.03.2014) towards the household over-indebtedness in order to allow "second chance" for individual and families and tackle honest and unforeseen indebtedness induced by economic crisis what has raised poverty and social exclusion in Europe and it has led to civil death of many people.

Amendment 421 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

Amendment 422 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

Amendment 423 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 – point 1 (new)

(1) Sustainable pensions and health (This amendments intends to create a subheading inside the heading "A decisive bet for the EU Social Dimension and Convergence", between paragraphs 35 and 36)

Amendment 424 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)

35a. Ask the European Commission to develop a strategy that would support Member States to tackle homelessness through integrated policies and appropriate social investment;

Amendment 425 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)

35a. Calls on the European Commission and the Member States to take urgent action to address homelessness. This extreme manifestation of poverty and social exclusion violates fundamental rights and has increased in a large majority of MS. The European Commission should propose concrete mechanisms to monitor and support Member States' efforts to confront homelessness, as called for by the European Parliament's Resolution on an EU homelessness strategy;

Amendment 426 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 b (new)

35b. Calls on The Commission to evaluate if it is possible to increment the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived during the mid-term review of the multiannual financial framework;

Amendment 427 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 c (new)

35c. Calls for affordable and quality public services in the field of child and dependent people care which will permit, especially for women, the return to employment and to facilitate the conciliation of work and private life;

Amendment 428 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Reminds the Commission that in order to ensure both the sustainability and the adequacy of pensions, pension reforms need to be accompanied by policies that: limit ~~acces~~incentives to early retirement schemes and other early exit pathways; develop employment opportunities for older workers; guarantee access to life-long learning; introduce tax benefit policies offering incentives to stay in work longer; and support active healthy ageing; stresses that pension reforms require national political and social cohesion, and should be negotiated with the social partners in order to be successful;

Amendment 429 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Reminds the Commission that in order to ensure both the sustainability and the adequacy of pensions, pension reforms need to be accompanied by policies that: limit access to early retirement schemes and other early exit pathways; develop employment opportunities for older workers without impeding the social rights of young workers, in order to contribute to a sustainable pension system and to ensure high quality health care; guarantee access to life-long learning; introduce tax benefit policies offering incentives to stay in work longer; and support active healthy ageing; stresses that pension reforms require national political and social cohesion, and should be negotiated with the social partners in order to be successful;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas high unemployment levels, ~~excessive~~ focus on wage depression to regain competitiveness, and a decline in spending on social protection in almost all Member States, have led to significant reductions in household gross disposable incomes, leaving millions of European families at risk of exclusion, and have increased inequalities alarmingly; whereas one in four Europeans are at risk of poverty; whereas underemployment and precariousness has peaked and, for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty;

Amendment 430 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Reminds the Commission that in order to ensure both the sustainability and the adequacy of pensions, pension reforms need to be accompanied by policies that: limit access to early retirement schemes and other early exit pathways; develop employment opportunities for older workers; guarantee access to life-long learning; introduce tax benefit policies offering incentives to stay in work longer; and support active ~~healthy~~ ageing; stresses that pension reforms require national political and social cohesion, and should be negotiated with the social partners and in accordance with life expectancy in order to be successful;

Amendment 431 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Reminds the Commission that in order to ensure both the sustainability and the adequacy of pensions, pension reforms need to be accompanied by policies that: limit access to early retirement schemes and other early exit pathways; develop employment opportunities for older workers; guarantee access to life-long learning; introduce tax benefit policies offering incentives to stay in work longer~~; and support active healthy ageing~~ as well as reinforcing or introducing the higher level of participation of people with disabilities in the open labour market based on good practices; and support active healthy ageing by taking into account the factor in accessing to tobacco and junk food; stresses that pension reforms require national political and social cohesion, and should be negotiated with the social partners in order to be successful;

Amendment 432 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Reminds the Commission that in order to ensure both the sustainability and the adequacy of pensions, pension reforms need to be accompanied by policies that: develop employment opportunities for older workers; limit access to early retirement schemes and other early exit pathways; develop employment opportunities for older workers; guarantee access to life-long learning for both employed and unemployed people of all ages; enhance healthy ageing at the workplace, considering physical and psycho-social risks to health and safety; introduce tax benefit policies offering incentives to stay in work longer; and support active healthy ageing; stresses that pension reforms require national political and social cohesion, and should be negotiated with the social partners and representatives of younger and elder generations as the directly affected population groups in order to be successful;

Amendment 433 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Reminds the Commission that in order to ensure both the sustainability and the adequacy of pensions, pension reforms need to be accompanied by policies that: limit access to early retirement schemes and other early exit pathways; provide for the compensation of times spent caring for children or dependent family members; develop employment opportunities for older workers; guarantee access to life-long learning; introduce tax benefit policies offering incentives to stay in work longer; and support active healthy ageing; stresses that pension reforms require national political and social cohesion, and should be negotiated with the social partners in order to be successful;

Amendment 434 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Reminds the Commission that in order to ensure both the sustainability, safety and the adequacy of pensions, pension reforms need to be accompanied by policies that: limit access to early retirement schemes and other early exit pathways; develop employment opportunities for older workers; guarantee access to life-long learning; introduce tax benefit policies offering incentives to stay in work longer; and support active healthy ageing; stresses that pension reforms require national political and social cohesion, and should be negotiated with the social partners in order to be successful; stresses that pension reforms should take into full account Parliament's position on the Green and White Papers on pensions, in particular with regard to Parliament's recommendation of collective, solidarity- based supplementary occupational pension savings, preferably resulting from collective agreements and established at the national, sectoral or company level;

Amendment 435 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Takes note of the Commission’s recommendation to reform healthcare systems so that they meet their objectives of providing universal access to high- quality care – including affordable access to medicines, especially those that are life- saving – and to secure respect for the rights of health staff; observes that, as a consequence of the crisis, some Member States have failed to ensure full coverage of public health; calls for this situation to be corrected without delayWhile fully respecting Article 168 TFEU, takes note of the Commission’s recommendation to reform healthcare systems;

Amendment 436 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Takes note of the Commission’'s recommendation to reform healthcare systems so that they meet their objectives of providing universal access to high- quality care – including affordable access to medicines, especially those that are life- saving – and to secure respect for the rights of health staff; observes that, as a consequence of the crisis, some Member States have failed to ensure full universal coverage of public health~~; call~~, including sexual and reproductive health; calls on the Commission to issue concrete recommendations for this situation to be corrected without delay;

Amendment 437 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Takes note of the Commission’s recommendation to reform healthcare systems so that they meet their objectives of providing ~~universal~~public access to high- quality care – including affordable access to medicines, especially those that are life- saving – and to secure respect for the rights of health staff; observes that, as a consequence of the crisis, some Member States have failed to ensure full coverage of public health; calls for this situation to be corrected without delay;

Amendment 438 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Takes note of the Commission’s recommendation to reform healthcare systems so that they meet their objectives of providing universal access to high- quality care – including affordable access to medicines, especially those that are life- saving – and to secure respect for the rights of health staff; ~~observes~~with that, a~~s a consequence~~im in view, calls ofn the ~~crisis, some Member States have failed to ensure full coverage of public health; calls~~ Commission to encourage the Member States to organise a health insurance moratorium in an effort t~~his situation to be corrected without delay~~o remedy existing abuses in the area of welfare cover;

Amendment 439 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Takes note of the Commission’s recommendation to ~~reform healthc~~modernise welfare systems sto ~~tha~~meet the~~y meet their objectives~~ challenges of the rapid ageing of our population, focusing on of providing universal access to high- quality care – including affordable access to medicines~~, especially those that are life- saving~~ – and to secure respect for the rights of health staff; ~~observes that, as a consequence of the crisis, some Member States have failed to ensure full coverage of public health; calls for this situation to be corrected without delay;~~

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas various factors including failure to create a positive environment to boost investment and growth, high unemployment levels, ~~excessive focus~~lowering onf wage ~~depression~~s in some countries to regain competitiveness, and a decline in spending on social protection in almost all Member States, have led to significant reductions in household gross disposable incomes, leaving millions of European families at risk of exclusion, and have increased inequalities alarmingly; whereas one in four Europeans are at risk of poverty; whereas underemployment and precariousness has peaked and, for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty;

Amendment 440 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Takes note of the Commission’s recommendation to reform healthcare systems so that they meet their objectives of providing universal access to high- quality care – including affordable access to medicines, especially those that are life- saving – and to secure respect for the rights of health staff; observes that, as a consequence of the crisis, some Member States have failed to ensure full coverage of public health; ~~calls for this situation to be corrected without delay;~~

Amendment 441 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Takes note of the Commission’s recommendation to reform healthcare systems so that they meet their objectives of providing universal access to high- quality care – including affordable access to medicines, especially those that are life- saving – and to secure respect for the rights of health staff; observes that, as a consequence of the crisis, some Member States have failed to ensure full coverage of public health; calls for this situation to be corrected without delay; calls for further reform efforts to ensure that the quality and financial accessibility of health infrastructure is not put at risk;

Amendment 442 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 – point 1 (new)

(1) Fairer Taxation labour systems (This amendments intends to create a subheading inside the heading "A decisive bet for the EU Social Dimension and Convergence", between paragraph 37 and 38)

Amendment 443 #

Heinz K. BECKER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)

37a. calls to foster, strengthen and develop effective health prevention measurements such as "lifetime healthy ageing", in order to increase life quality and at the same time to reduce costs of the national health systems for medical treatments and pharmaceutics in the late years;

Amendment 444 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38

38. Stresses that the tax wedge has b~~een much higher~~igger impact for low-wage and second- income earners, and that this remains an issue; calls on the Commission to take note of the IMF’s October 2013 tax report, which points out that there is scope for better and more progressive forms of taxation;

Amendment 445 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38

38. ~~Stresses that the tax wedge has been much higher for low-wage and second- income earners, and that this remains an issue;~~ calls on the Commission to take note of the IMF’s October 2013 tax report, which points out that there is scope for better and more progressive forms of taxation;

Amendment 446 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38

38. Stresses that the tax wedge has been much higher for low-wage and second- income earners, and that this remains an issue; notes however, that only a few countries have taken steps to address this problem, not least on account of the limited fiscal margin; calls on the Commission to take note of the IMF’s October 2013 tax report, which points out that there is scope for better and more progressive forms of taxation;

Amendment 447 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)

38a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to effectively combat tax fraud and tax evasion; further calls on the Commission to examine the possibility of harmonising certain fields of taxation, such as company taxation, for the benefit of all Member States and their citizens;

Amendment 448 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

Amendment 449 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Notes the importance of reducing taxation on labour, especially by low-paid and low-skilled workers, the long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups, while ensuring the long-range sustainability of public pension systems; calls on the Commission to shift the tax burden away from labour while making sure not to endanger social benefits; notes that such shifts should be left to the Member States’ discretion and should not affect taxes with regressive effects such as consumption taxes, but should focus instead on taxes on capital, wealth, energy ~~and~~or natural resources;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas ~~high unemployment levels, excessive focus~~various factors including failure to create a positive environment to boost investment and growth, high unemployment levels, loss of competitiveness, lowering onf wage ~~depression to regain competitiveness,~~s in some countries and a decline in spending on social protection in almost all Member States, have led to significant reductions in household gross disposable incomes, leaving millions of European families at risk of exclusion, and have increased inequalities alarmingly; whereas one in four Europeans are at risk of poverty; whereas ~~underemployment and precariousness has peaked and,~~ for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty;

Amendment 450 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Notes the importance of reducing taxation on labour, especially by low-paid and low-skilled workers, the long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups like women with children or people with disabilities, while ensuring the long-range sustainability of public pension systems; calls on the Commission to shift the tax burden away from labour while making sure not to endanger social benefits; notes that such shifts should ~~not affect taxes with regressive effects such as consumption taxes, but should focus instead on taxes on capital, wealth,~~focus on tax evasion and fraud, extra profits and wealth of unknown origin, overpriced energy and natural resources;

Amendment 451 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Notes the importance of reducing taxation on labour, especially by low-paid and low-skilled workers, the long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups, while ensuring the long-range sustainability of public pension systems; calls on the Commission to suggest Member States to shift the tax burden ~~away~~ from labour to consumption while making sure not to endanger social benefits; ~~notes that such shifts should not affect taxes with regressive effects such as consumption taxes, but should focus instead on taxes on capital, wealth, energy and natural resources;~~

Amendment 452 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Notes the importance of reducing taxation on labour, especially by low-paid and low-skilled workers, the long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups, while ensuring the long-range sustainability of public pension systems; calls on the ~~Commission to shift the tax burden away from labour while making sure not to endanger social benefits; notes that such shifts should not affect~~Member States to shift taxes from labour to consumption, capital and environmental taxes, w~~ith regressive effects such as consumption taxes, but should focus instead on taxes on capital, wealth, energy and natural resource~~hile paying due regard to potential redistributive effects;

Amendment 453 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Notes the importance of reducing taxation on labour, especially by low-paid and low-skilled workers, the long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups, while ensuring the long-range sustainability of public pension systems; calls on the Commission to shift the tax burden away from labour while making sure not to endanger social benefits; notes that such shifts should not affect taxes with regressive effects such as consumption taxes, but should focus instead on taxes on capital, wealth, energy and natural resources; calls on the Commission to issue Commission's Country Specific Recommendations in the field of environmental taxation and calls on Member States to implement this recommendation while ensuring that this will benefit lower incomes in particular;

Amendment 454 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

Amendment 455 #

Siôn SIMON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39

39. Notes the importance of reducing taxation on labour where appropriate, especially byon low-paid and low-skilled workers, the long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups, while ensuring the long-range sustainability of public pension ~~systems; calls on the Commission to shift the tax burden away from labour~~and social security systems; and while making sure not to endanger social benefits; notes that such ~~shifts~~any corresponding shifts in taxation should not affect taxes with regressive effects such as consumption taxes, but should focus instead on taxes on capital, wealth, energy and natural resources;

Amendment 456 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)

39a. Calls for urgent action to be taken by the Commission to fight tax fraud and tax evasion and calls on the Member States to reach agreement on the proposal on a common consolidated corporate tax basis as an important instrument in that fight; calls in general for a tax system that is simple and transparent;

Amendment 457 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40

40. Expresses its deep concern over the limited role that it, the national parliaments as well as local and regional authorities and civil society have to play in the formulation of economic and social priorities in the European Semester; stresses that the persistent lack of democratic accountability in the measures and reforms that have been implemented is significantly reducing confidence in the EU project, as witnessed in the last European elections;

Amendment 458 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40

40. Expresses its deep concern over the limited role that it, the national parliaments as well as civil society have to play in the formulation of economic and social priorities in the European Semester; stresses that the persistent lack of democratic accountability in the measures and reforms that have been implemented is significantly reducing confidence in the EU project, as witnessed in the last European electioncitizens' confidence in the EU project is crucial for the success of reforms by the Member States to overcome the debt crisis;

Amendment 459 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40

40. Expresses its deep concern over the limited role that it, the national parliaments as well as civil society and social partners have to play in the formulation of economic and social priorities in the European Semester; stresses that the persistent lack of democratic accountability in the measures and reforms that have been implemented is significantly reducing confidence in the EU project, as witnessed in the last European elections; reiterates its call for increased and structured involvement of civil society and social partners at EU as well as national level, so as to safeguard the legitimacy of the European Semester process by developing concrete guidelines and monitoring mechanisms;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas th~~igh unemployment levels, excessiv~~e focus on wage depression to regain competitiveness, and athe decline in spending on social protection in ~~almost all~~the Member States that needed to restore their economic balance due to excessive spending, have led to significant reductions in household gross disposable incomes, ~~leaving millions~~which contribute to the increase of number of European families at risk of exclusion, and have increased inequalities alarmingly; whereas one in four Europeans are at risk of poverty; whereas underemployment and precariousness has peaked and, for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty;

Amendment 460 #

Marita ULVSKOG

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40

40. Expresses its deep concern over the limited role that it, the national parliaments as well as the social partners and civil society have to play in the formulation of economic and social priorities in the European Semester; stresses that the persistent lack of democratic accountability in the measures and reforms that have been implemented is significantly reducing confidence in the EU project, as witnessed in the last European elections;

Amendment 461 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40

40. Expresses its deep concern over the limited role that it, the national parliaments as well as ~~civil society have to play in the formul~~social partners and civil society organizations have to play in the formulation, monitoring and implementation of economic and social priorities in the European Semester; stresses that the persistent lack of democratic accountability in the measures and reforms that have been implemented is significantly reducing confidence in the EU project, as witnessed in the last European elections;

Amendment 462 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)

40a. Calls for the involvement of subnational parliaments and local and regional authorities in the design and implementation of the National Reform Programmes, including through multi- level governance arrangements;

Amendment 463 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)

40a. Urges the Commission to involve social partners more closely in the preparation of the AGS and more generally to formalize the role of social partners in the European Semester process;

Amendment 464 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41

41. Calls on the Commission and the Council to enter into an interinstitutional agreement with Parliament in order to give Parliament a full role in the drafting and approval of the AGS and the Economic Policy and Employment Guidelines;deleted

Amendment 465 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41

Amendment 466 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41

41. Calls ~~on the Commission and the Council to enter into~~for an interinstitutional agreement ~~with Parliament in order to gi~~to involve Parliament ~~a full role~~ in the drafting and approval of the AGSnnual Growth Survey and the Economic Policy and Employment Guidelines;

Amendment 467 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41

41. CReiterates its calls on the Commission and the Council to enter into an interinstitutional agreement with Parliament in order to give Parliament a full role in the drafting and approval of the AGS and the Economic Policy and Employment Guidelines;

Amendment 468 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41

41. Calls ~~on the Commission and the Council to enter into~~for an interinstitutional agreement ~~with Parliament~~ in order to ginvolve Parliament ~~a full role~~ in the drafting and approval of the AGS and the Economic Policy and Employment Guidelines;

Amendment 469 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41

41. Calls on the Commission and the Council to enter into an interinstitutional agreement with Parliament in order to give Parliament a ~~full~~more significant role in the drafting and approval of the AGS and the Economic Policy and Employment Guidelines;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. whereas the latest figures of 2013 portray long-term unemployment at a historically high level of 5.1% of the labour force in EU-28; Whereas long- term unemployment has crucial individual consequences throughout the life-cycle as well as can turn into structural unemployment in the EU;

Amendment 470 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41

41. Calls on the Commission and the Council to enter into an interinstitutional agreement with Parliament in order to ~~give Parliament a full role in the drafting and approval of~~better involve the Parliament in the AGS and the Economic Policy and Employment Guidelines;

Amendment 471 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41

Amendment 472 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 a (new)

41a. Calls on the Commission to develop and implement the EU guidelines on stakeholders engagement in the Semester at EU and national level;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. whereas the unemployment rate of the Roma population in the European Union tends to be three times higher than for the majority population and whereas discrimination on the labour market makes Roma particularly exposed in times of increasing levels of unemployment;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. whereas the lack of adequate social protection schemes, such as citizenship and minimum wage, increases poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)

- having regard to its resolutions of 14 September 2011and of 16 January 2014 on an EU Homelessness Strategy;

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas 25.1 % of the EU population is currently at risk of poverty or social exclusion; whereas the average growth rate of child poverty is higher than the average growth rate of poverty overall, and whereas in some Member States one in three children live below the poverty line, it also notes that when comparing the EU to the USA, a much higher level of inequality can be seen in the latter;

Amendment 51 #

Heinz K. BECKER

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

E a. whereas older workers are the most likely group to be long-term unemployed; whereas only half of the workers aged between 55 and 65 were working in 2012; whereas older people suffer more from the reduction of public expenditure in social and health services and in social benefit; whereas some categories of older people, such as people aged 80+, older women, older migrants or older members of ethnic minorities are especially at risk of falling into poverty;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

E a. whereas the economic governance in recent years has failed to approximate the EU2020 targets and austerity measures have counteracted these targets, in particular by aggravating the employment and poverty situation in the Member States hardest hit by the crisis;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

E a. whereas the labour market is still marked by significant inequalities with prevailing gender gaps in employment, number of hours worked and pay resulting in lower pension earnings for women and whereas women run a greater risk than men of living in poverty or social exclusion above the age of 55;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

E a. whereas poverty reduction is not just one of the main goals in Europe 2020 but also a social responsibility for Member States;

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

E a. whereas to tackle the crisis certain Member States have made severe cuts in public expenditure at the same time as demand for social protection has increased in response to the rise in unemployment; whereas national budget allocations for social security cover have been further stretched as contributions have fallen in the wake of large-scale jobs or wage cuts, thus seriously jeopardising the European Social Model; whereas the demanded reforms do not meet citizens' needs and expectations in the employment and social sphere;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)

E b. whereas employment is the best way out of poverty, efforts must be focused on facilitating its access, in particular to those furthest away from the labour market

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas socioeconomic imbalances between Member States have deepened further, while the reverse is true with regard to the goal of regional convergence; whereas the core-periphery gap in unemployment has increased from 3.5 % in 2000 to 10 % in 2013; whereas this divergence increases the risk of fragmentation and threatens EU economic stability and social cohesion; whereas the 6th cohesion report highlights the role structural funds play in overcoming inequality especially during the crisis;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

F a. whereas Art. 174 TFUE provides that "In order to promote its overall harmonious development, the Union shall develop and pursue its actions leading to the strengthening of its economic, social and territorial cohesion. In particular, rural areas, areas affected by industrial transition, and regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps such as the northernmost regions with very low population density and islands, cross- border and mountain regions";

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

F a. whereas austerity measures have caused a wider recession, business closures and job losses and have led to diminished employment protection, dismantled labour rights, increased poverty risks and income inequality;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)

- having regard to Commission communication of 7 July 2014 entitled 'Green Employment Initiative: Tapping into the job creation potential of the green economy' COM(2014) 446;

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)

F b. whereas regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps usually have higher unemployment rates, less economic growth and a lack of significant investment aimed to improve their potential;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas Parliament has for the past two years warned of the social risks of deflation in a context of low growth, high unemployment and downward pressure on wages; whereas the ECB has forecast low inflation in the long run, and has warned of the consequences of this on internal demand, growth and employment; whereas deflation has become a reality since August 2014 in eight Member States (six in the Eurozone); whereas demand and job creation in the EU is heavily constrained by the prevailing weakness of credit provision to SMEs and the need to reduce excessive public and private debt with special regards to mortgage loans; whereas the drop in inflation rates significantly increases these difficulties, by raising real interest rates and the real debt burden, and could lead to a vicious circle of economic depression;

Amendment 62 #

Sofia RIBEIRO, Anne SANDER

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas Parliament has for the past two years warned of the social risks of deflation in a context of low growth, high unemployment and downward pressure on wages; whereas the ECB has forecast low inflation in the long run, and has warned of the consequences of this on internal demand, growth and employment; whereas deflation has become a reality since August 2014 in eight Member States (six in the Eurozone); whereas demand and job creation in the EU is heavily constrained by the prevailing weakness of credit provision to SMEs and the need to reduce excessive public and private debt; whereas the drop in inflation rates significantly increases these difficulties, by raising real interest rates and the real debt burden, and could lead to a vicious circle of economic depression; whereas ECB reacted on all these aspects 22 January 2015 by the implementation of an expanded asset purchase programme with a combined monthly asset purchases to amount to 60 billion Euro, intended to be carried out until at least September 2016;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas Parliament has for the past two years warned of the social risks of deflation in a context of low growth, high unemployment and downward pressure on wages; whereas the ECB has forecast low inflation in the long run, and has warned of the consequences of this on internal demand, growth and employment; whereas deflation has become a reality since August 2014 in eight Member States (six in the eurozone); whereas demand and job creation in the EU is heavily constrained by the prevailing weakness of credit provision to SMEs ~~and the need to reduce excessive public and private debt~~; whereas the drop in inflation rates significantly increases these difficulties, by raising real interest rates and the real debt burden, and could lead to a vicious circle of economic depression;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas Parliament has for the past two years warned of the social risks of deflation in a context of low growth, high unemployment and downward pressure on wages; whereas the ECB has forecast low inflation in the long run, and has warned of the consequences of this on internal demand, growth and employment; whereas deflation has become a reality since August 2014 in eight Member States (six in the eurozone); whereas demand and job creation in the EU is heavily constrained by the prevailing weakness of credit provision to SMEs and the need to reduce excessive public and private debt; whereas the drop in inflation rates significantly increases these difficulties, by raising real interest rates and the real debt burden, and could lead to a vicious circle of economic depression, in particular for the falling in energy prices, mainly oil, but it is expected to increase moderately in the coming years;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

G a. whereas an expansionary monetary policy can be used to foster exportations as a way to improve the EU economy in the short term;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)

G b. whereas low interest rates can be used to boost investments in the EU;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas austerity has lessened as the pace of fiscal consolidation has increased, and as new headline targets – focusing more on structural than on cyclical deficits – have been introduced; whereas, in spite of this, the size of fiscal multipliers in the current context is still very high, and the need to accomplish the medium-term objective and the debt objective will inevitably have a significant negative impact on economic growth and job creation;deleted

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas austerity has ~~less~~deepened as the pace of fiscal consolidation has increased, and as new headline targets – focusing more on structural than on cyclical deficits – have been introduced which have not systematically taken into account the social, environmental and gender impact; whereas, in spite of this, the size of fiscal multipliers in the current context is still very high, and the need to accomplish the medium-term objective and the debt objective will inevitably have a significant negative impact on economic growth and job creation;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)

-A. whereas Europe must be committed to the model of the social market economy, ensuring sustainable growth in order to provide the next generation with jobs instead of debts;

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas austerity ~~has~~may lessen~~ed as~~ if the pace of fiscal consolidation ~~has increased, and~~ and structural reforms are increased to regain competitiveness; whereas new headline targets – focusing more on structural than on cyclical deficits – have been introduced; whereas~~, in spite of this, the size of fiscal multipliers in the current context is still very high, and the need~~ governments should do their utmost to accomplish the medium-term objective and the debt objective ~~will inevitably hav~~to create a significant ~~nega~~positive impact on economic growth and job creation;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas ~~austerity has lessened as the pace of~~ fiscal consolidation has increased, and as new headline targets – focusing more on structural than on cyclical deficits – have been introduced; whereas, in spite of this, the size of fiscal multipliers in the current context is still very high, and the need to accomplish the medium-term objective and the debt objective ~~will inevitably have a significant negative impact on~~to create an environment which will foster economic growth and job creation;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

H a. whereas the diverse fiscal policies in the European Union are often forcing SMEs to close or to delocalize, causing job losses and mandatory labour mobility;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas structural reforms, intense fight against corruption, investment in quality jobs, human capital, research and innovation must be the top priority for both the Commission and the Member States, as investment in these areas are essential not only to ensuring a recovery but also to expanding the EU’s economic potential to grow and to create prosperity;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas investment in quality jobs, human capital, research and innovation, including in smaller scale projects, must be the top priority for both the Commission and the Member States, as investment in these areas are essential not only to ensuring a recovery but also to expanding the EU’'s economic potential to grow and to create prosperity;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas investment in quality jobs, human capital, research and innovation must be ~~the top~~one of the priorityies for both the Commission and the Member States, as investment in these areas are essential not only to ensuring a recovery but also to expanding the EU’s economic potential to grow and to create prosperity;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas excessive austerity has led to an alarming decrease in the EU public and private investment which is now close to 20% below its pre-crisis level and is lower than among its main economic partners elsewhere in the world; whereas investment in quality jobs, human capital, research and innovation must be the top priority for both the Commission and the Member States, as investment in these areas are essential not only to ensuring a recovery but also to expanding the EU’s economic potential to grow and to create prosperity;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas investment in ~~quality~~sustainable jobs, human capital, research and innovation and in particular in a resource efficient energy union, digital single market, promoting entrepreneurship and a better business environment for SME's must be the top priority for both the Commission and the Member States, as investment in these areas are essential not only to ensuring a recovery but also to expanding the EU’s economic potential to grow and to create prosperity;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas investment in ~~quality~~better and sustainable jobs, human capital, research and innovation, resource efficient energy union, the digital single market and promoting entrepreneurship must be the top priority for both the Commission and the Member States, as investment in these areas are essential not only to ensuring a recovery but also to expanding the EU’s economic potential to grow and to create prosperity;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

I a. whereas Digital Single Market is essential for jobs, growth and innovation and that a connected Digital Single Market could generate up to EUR 260 billion per year;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the economic and social context in the EU continues to be bleak, with negative growth rates in the eurozone for the past two years, and with growth now stalled at around 0 %; whereas forecasts have systemically been revised downwards by the Commission, as has been done for 2015 and 2016 and only few Member States have brighter prospects; whereas recovery is neither robust nor underpinned;

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas the insufficient involvement of national parliaments, the European Parliament local and regional authorities and social partners in EU decision making has impeded the ownership of reforms by the Member States, and has reduced citizens’ confidence in the EU project as shown in past European elections;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas the insufficient involvement of ~~national parliaments,~~ the European Parliament and social partners in ~~EU decision making has imped~~the European Semester, as well as in the EU decision making as a whole, has reduced the ownership of reforms by the Member States, and has ~~reduced~~the citizens’ confidence in the EU project, as shown in past European elections;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas the insufficient involvement of national parliaments, the European Parliament and social partners in EU decision making has impeded the ownership of reforms by the Member States, and has reduced citizens’ confidence in the EU project as shown in past European electioncitizens’ confidence in the EU project is crucial for the success of reforms by the Member States to overcome the debt crisis;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas the insufficient involvement of national parliaments, the European Parliament, civil society organisations and social partners in EU decision making has impeded the ownership of reforms by the Member States, and has reduced citizens’' confidence in the EU project as shown in past European elections;

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas EU policies and reforms have significantly constrained national policies with high impact on people´s living standards while democratic accountability has been undermined; whereas the insufficient involvement of national parliaments, the European Parliament and social partners and civil society organizations at the national and EU level in EU decision making has impeded the ownership of reforms by the Member States, the development of inclusive, social and sustainable solutions and has reduced citizens’ confidence in the EU project as shown in past European elections;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)

J a. whereas the setting of wages is a competence of the Member States;

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1

Ambitious economic policies for growth, and quality job creation ~~and fighting deflation~~

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Welcomes the Commission integrated approach to growth, funded on three main pillars: an Investment Plan for Europe; the aim of implementing structural reforms; and pursuing fiscal responsibility;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Emphasises, that as a principle countries in the Euro zone that received support from the partners to finance their economies must fulfil the according rules and agreements; underlines that this is a matter of respect for the tax payers in the partner countries in return for their big solidarity efforts;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 b (new)

-1 b. Underlines that solidarity is the core value on which the European Union is built on; thanks therefore the people and tax payers in Europe for showing great solidarity with the people in countries effected by the debt crisis;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the economic and social context in thsome EU continues to be bleak, with negative growth rates in the eurozone for the past two years, and with growth now stalled at around 0 %; whereas forecasts have systemically been revised downwards by the Commission, as has been done for 2015 and 2016; whereas recovery is neither robust nor underpinned;Member States is difficult, due to negative or stalled growth rates; whereas recovery is not strong but will continue, according to the IMF, which estimates a growth of 1.2% in the Euro area 2015 and 1.4% in 20161 a; __________________ 1a IMF World Economic Outlook UPDATE,20.01.15, http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2 015/update/01/pdf/0115.pdf

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 c (new)

-1 a. Calls on those Member States still suffering from the debt crisis to fully implement the structural reforms and to fulfil the obligations to regain competitiveness;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to change the direction of economic policies and to introduce a much-needed, expansionary economic policy to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to create good quality jobs; stresses that low inflation is already increasing real interest rates as well as real public and private debt, which, together with high long-term, youth unemployment, depresses growth and increases poverty;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Calls on~~Welcomes the Commission ~~to introduce a much-needed, expansionary economic policy~~commitment to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to create quality jobs; stresses that low inflation is already increasing real interest rates as well as real public and private debt, which, together with high unemployment, depresses growth and increases poverty;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to ~~introduce a much-needed, expansionary~~support Member States efforts to cope with the debt crisis by an economic policy to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to create quality jobs; stresses that low inflation is already increasing real interest rates as well as real public and private debt, which, together with high unemployment, depresses growth and increases poverty;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to introduce a much-needed, expansionary economic policy to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to create quality jobs; stresses that low inflation is already increasing real interest rates as well as real public and private debt, which, together with high unemployment, depresses growth and increases povertywork with Member States to create policies that will boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to introduce a much-needed, expansionary ~~economic~~monetary policy to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to create quality jobs; ~~stresses that low inflation is already increasing real interest rates as well as real public and private debt, which, together with high unemployment, depresses growth and increases poverty;~~

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to introduce a much-needed, expansionary economic policy to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to create quality and sustainable jobs; stresses that low inflation is already increasing real interest rates as well as real public and private debt, which, together with high unemployment, depresses growth and increases poverty;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to introduce a much-needed~~, expansionary economic~~ economic and fiscal policy to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to create quality jobs; stresses that low inflation is already increasing real interest rates as well as real public and private debt, which, together with high unemployment, depresses growth and increases poverty;

Amendment 98 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to ~~introduce a much-needed, expansionary economic policy to boost smart~~ensure concrete recommendations to the Member States and for the EU as a whole, including those under economic adjustment programmes, so that they not only address fiscal consolidation but also structural reforms that lead to real, sustainable and ~~inclusive~~socially balanced growth, an~~d to~~ increatse in quality jobs, strengthened competitiveness and increasing convergence; stresses that low inflation is already increasing real interest rates as well as real public and private debt, which, together with high unemployment, depresses growth and increases poverty;

Amendment 99 #