Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
2015/2223(INI) Meeting the antipoverty target in the light of increasing household costs
Lead committee dossier: EMPL/8/03784
Legal Basis RoP 052
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | EMPL | MESZERICS Tamás (Verts/ALE) | ROLIN Claude (EPP), KUMPULA-NATRI Miapetra (S&D), GERICKE Arne (ECR), CALVET CHAMBON Enrique (ALDE), BOYLAN Lynn (GUE/NGL), AGEA Laura (EFD), BIZZOTTO Mara (ENF) |
| Opinion | FEMM | WARD Julie (S&D) |
Legal Basis RoP 052
Activites
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2016/04/14
Debate in plenary scheduled
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2016/02/25
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
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A8-0040/2016
summary
The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Tamás MESZERICS (Greens/EFA, HU) on meeting the anti-poverty target in the light of increasing household costs. Between 2008 and 2013, the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU increased from 117 million to 122.6 million. In 2013, 16.7 % of the population of the EU was at risk of poverty after social transfers, 9.6 % were in a situation of serious material deprivation and 10.7 % of households were considered to have very low work intensity. This development runs counter to the strategic objective of the EU that is defined in its Europe 2020 Strategy and which aims to reduce the number of people in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion by at least 20 million by 2020. Based on the recommendations developed in this initiative report, Members called on the Commission and the Member States to: invest fully in the fight against poverty and social exclusion and to adopt an integrated strategy to combat its various forms by means of a holistic approach linking economic, education, employment, energy transport and social policies on the basis of best practices; sign up to a winter heating disconnection moratorium so as to ensure that during a defined winter period no household can be cut off from energy or that those who are must be reconnected emphasising that related costs are public responsibility in nature, since social policies are primarily the responsibility of governments; Member States should evaluate the measures needed to comply with the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for adequate housing temperature; carry out an impact assessment of minimum income schemes in the EU and to evaluate the manner and the means of providing at Member State level an adequate minimum income above the poverty threshold of 60% of national median income in all Member States in line with national practices and traditions respecting the characteristics of each of them; ensure a more efficient, targeted and more carefully monitored use of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) by national, regional and local authorities in order to tackle energy poverty, increasing living costs, social exclusion, housing deprivation, and the insufficient quality of the housing stock; the Commission should allow greater flexibility in this field; dedicate a summit to the reduction of poverty, extreme poverty and social exclusion and access to decent living standards. The initiative report aims to build bridges between social policy and energy policy in the European debate. In this regard, it called on the Commission and its Member States to: target funding and policies towards tackling poverty and energy poverty: Member States and the EU are urged to provide microcredits or loans free of interest or at low rates via (e.g. the EIB) to low-income households to support them in the upfront investment in renewables or energy efficiency, such as insulation, solar energy and energy efficient appliances. Any investment made, either in new homes or in improving existing homes, should be based on energy efficiency; evaluate, in the framework of the energy efficiency package, the application of relevant provisions in Directive 2012/27/EU to target households affected by energy poverty and social housing and on the basis of this evaluation to consider strengthening the provisions of the Directive so that Member States are encouraged to ;include social aims in their energy efficiency obligation schemes propose decisive measures on social housing and enhance energy efficiency investment in social rental housing through European funds: Members recommended that the Member States expand the supply of quality social housing in order to guarantee access for all, and in particular for the most disadvantaged, to adequate housing and to further use their opportunities to provide social housing with alternative legal constructions. The report also urged for measures to end the outrageous gender pay gap in the EU which is a key contributors to female poverty. It noted that lone parents, the majority of whom are women, are at a higher than average risk of poverty (34 %). Therefore, measures need to be taken to address female poverty and social exclusion through initiatives to guarantee high-quality jobs with a living wage in female-dominated sectors, as well as measures to legislate for a living wage that guarantees that workers’ basic needs can be met. The European Commission and the Member States are called upon to : press ahead with their efforts to tackle socio-economic inequalities, which would ultimately make it possible to reduce some of the inequalities relating to healthcare by focusing their attention on the needs of vulnerable groups such as people living in poverty; put in place strategies aimed at reducing the digital divide and promoting equal access to new information and communications technologies; do everything possible to ensure that all people have access to drinking water as soon as possible.
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A8-0040/2016
summary
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2016/02/17
Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
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2015/09/10
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
Documents
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A8-0040/2016
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 513 |
2015/2223(INI)
2015/11/18
EMPL
385 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 a (new) - having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular to Articles 1 and 34(3) thereof,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 12 a (new) Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2.a. calls on the Member States to guarantee the quality and efficiency of primary care and other welfare services, given that inadequate social protection (provided in the form of benefits and service provision) increases the risk that those in poverty will require long-term support;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 b. calls on the Commission and the Member States to create the conditions to guarantee all EU citizens basic social rights, such as the right to housing, and to contribute to ensuring that the universal concept of human dignity is reflected in every single moment of the life of every single person;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 b (new) 2 b. calls for the Commission and the Member States to establish in law that a primary residence is immune from seizure, in order to provide mandatory protection for EU citizens’ right to housing;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Invites the Commission
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Invites the Commission to
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Invites the Commission to
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 13 a (new) - having regard to the report of the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (2012) ‘Measuring Child Poverty: New league tables of child poverty in the world’s rich countries’1 a, __________________ 1 a http://www.unicef- irc.org/publications/pdf/rc10_fre.pdf
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Invites the Commission
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Invites the Commission to present, in the context of the announced social pillar, an EU framework directive on adequate minimum income in 2016 in order to support social convergence across the EU;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. invites the Commission to present in 2016 in the context of the announced social pillar an EU framework directive on adequate minimum income; which would enable every EU citizen to meet basic personal needs, such as food, clothing and housing, and guarantee them resources and social assistance sufficient to lead a life compatible with human dignity and thus to lift them out of poverty;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Member States to ensure a more efficient and targeted use of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) by national, regional and local authorities in order to tackle energy poverty, and the European Commission should allow greater flexibility in this field;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Member States to ensure a more efficient and targeted use of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) by national, regional and local authorities in order to tackle energy poverty, especially households living in inefficient housing stock and housing in bad condition;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Member States to ensure a more efficient and targeted use of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) by national, regional and local authorities in order to tackle energy poverty and other increasing living costs, such as a lack of affordable (social) housing;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Member States to ensure a more efficient and targeted use of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) by national, regional and local authorities in order to tackle
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Member States to ensure a more efficient and targeted use of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) by national, regional and local authorities in order to tackle energy poverty, especially amongst poor households living in poor quality and inefficient housing stock;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 13 b (new) Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. calls on the Member States to ensure a more efficient and targeted use of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) by national, regional and local
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Member States to ensure a more efficient and targeted use of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) by national, regional and local authorities in order to tackle energy poverty and housing deprivation especially amongst poor households;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to acknowledge that access to affordable energy is a basic social right and adopt a common definition on energy poverty;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Calls on the Member States to facilitate the access of anti-poverty associations to European financing from the FEAD without adding administrative burdens for these associations, which are often understaffed;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Calls the Commission to carefully assess the variations of costs to access to the items of the Severe Material Deprivation in relation with the level of income, and to subsequently launch the necessary legislations to adapt these costs for the households at risk of poverty, as already done in the field of basic access to bank accounts;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Calls on the Commission to clarify the problem of fuel poverty in the EU and support the Member States in developing planning;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Invites the Commission and the Member States to renew their commitment to reducing poverty by dedicating a Summit to the reduction of poverty and access to decent living standards;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Calls on the Commission to map the problem of homelessness, as well as fuel poverty in the EU, and in particular winter deaths amongst people living in cold homes; and to support the Member States in developing solutions;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Calls for a revision of the Almunia Package, which is hampering social/non- profit housing for lower and middle income households in several Member States;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 b (new) 4 b. Wishes the Commission to launch a consultation on the possibility of an initiative concerning the adequate minimum income which prevents poverty and serves as a basis for people to live in dignity, as stipulated in the European Parliament resolution of 15 November 20112 a; __________________ 2aThe EP Resolution of 15 November 2011 on the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 a (new) - having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 15 June 2011 on the ‘European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion: a European framework for Social and Territorial Cohesion’1 a, __________________ 1a OJ C248, 25.8.2011, p.130
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 2 EU policies to
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – introductory part 5. Finds regrettable th
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – introductory part 5. Finds regrettable that the EU2020 target to reduce poverty in Europe by lifting 20 million people out of poverty appears even further out of reach than when it was set, as the poverty index has shown improvement only in some Member States; reiterates that one of the target groups is people that face severe material
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – introductory part 5. Finds regrettable that the EU2020 target to reduce poverty in Europe by lifting 20 million people out of poverty appears even further out of reach than when it was set; reiterates that one of the target groups is people that face severe material deprivation; calls on
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – introductory part 5. Finds regrettable that the EU2020 target to reduce poverty in Europe by lifting 20 million people out of poverty appears even further out of reach than when it was set; reiterates that one of the target groups is people that face severe material deprivation; calls on the
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – introductory part 5.
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – introductory part 5. Finds regrettable that the EU2020 target to reduce poverty in Europe by lifting at least 20 million people out of poverty appears even further out of reach than when it was set; reiterates that one of the target groups is people that face severe material deprivation; calls on the Commission and
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – introductory part 5. Finds
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 1 Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 1 - prioritising
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 a (new) - having regard to the OECD report 'In It Together: Why Less Inequality Benefits All' of 21 May 20151 a, __________________ 1ahttp://www.oecd.org/social/in-it- together-why-less-inequality-benefits-all- 9789264235120-en.htm
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 1 - prioritising decent living standards and reducing poverty and social exclusion and devoting a summit to it;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 1 a (new) - adopting a common definition on energy poverty focussing on the inability of a household to support an adequate level of energy supply so as to guarantee basic levels of comfort and health, due to a combination of low income, high-energy prices and low quality housing stock;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 1 a (new) - taking measures to address extreme forms of poverty that currently fall beyond the scope of the target, namely homelessness;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 2 Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 2 - tackling in a more balanced way both income and expenditure of poor households
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 2 a (new) - taking measures to address extreme forms of poverty that currently fall beyond the scope of the target, i.e. homelessness;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 3 Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 3 - en
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 3 - ensuring that the Member States provide everyone with accessible adequate income support, including minimum income above the poverty threshold
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 3 - ensuring that the Member States provide everyone with accessible adequate income support, including minimum income above the poverty threshold throughout the life cycle, especially addressing non-take up ;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 b (new) - having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 18 September 2013 on ‘For coordinated European measures to prevent and combat energy poverty’1 a, __________________ 1 a EESC 2013, TEN/516
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 3 - ensuring that the Member States provide everyone with accessible adequate income support if it is necessary and justified based on the real material deprivation, including minimum income above the poverty threshold throughout the life cycle;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 3 a (new) - ensuring that the Member States provide incentives in the form of bonuses for those with few or no professional qualifications who undertake basic professional training, in order to improve their chances on the job market and gradually lift themselves out of absolute poverty;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 3 a (new) - ensuring that the Member States, in collaboration with the relevant local authorities, make unallocated social housing available to poor families, establishing an agreement by which the tenants carry out necessary refurbishments to the property instead of paying rent;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 4 Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 4 - targeting household expenditure so that disproportionately higher costs such as housing and energy spending can be reduced in a sustainable manner;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 4 - targeting household expenditure so that disproportionately higher costs such as housing or energy spending can be reduced in a sustainable manner;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 4 a (new) - ensuring a balance between supply and demand, since the productivity-pay gap is the principal cause of recession, unemployment and, consequently, increasing poverty;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 5 Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 5 Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 5 - ending any irresponsible policies in other policy areas and consumption habits that may lead to the rapid increase of poverty and debt on the level of individuals and families and the stability and balance of public finances;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 c (new) - having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 10 December 2013 on ‘European minimum income and poverty indicators’1 a, __________________ 1 a OJ C170, 05.06.2014, p.23
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 5 -
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 5 - ending any policies in other policy areas that may lead to increase poverty; such as pro-cyclical austerity, persistent wage moderation, lack of investment and decreasing social and health expenditure;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 5 a (new) - reviewing indicators for individual Member States and proceeding to adjust said indicators in those Member States which, by their own account, are already meeting the objectives they have set themselves;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 5 a (new) - guaranteeing financial compensation essential for the situation of poverty where costs cannot be lowered in the short term;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 5 a (new) - taking note of the situation of people suffering the effects of the economic crisis and as a result of this end up with extremely poverty and debt burden; encouraging Member States to prepare their legislation in a way that it prevents the formulation of the housing bubble, for example being able to change loan conditions;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 5 a (new) - taking measures to address extreme forms of poverty that currently fall beyond the scope of the target, namely homelessness;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 5 a (new) - taking measures to address extreme forms of poverty that currently fall beyond the scope of the target, namely homelessness;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 5 a (new) - acknowledging the idea that access to affordable energy is a basic social right;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 – indent 5 b (new) - highlighting the fact that Member States have several forms of social housing and these differences should be taken into regard;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Calls on the Commission to study the possibility of extending the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived beyond the programming period 2014- 2020, together with better co-ordination with other European Funds, in particular the ESF, and active employment policies, to facilitate the entry of the most deprived into the employment market;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 d (new) - having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 31 March 2011 on the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion1 a, __________________ 1 a CdR 402/2010_ECOS_V_012
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5 b. Calls on the Commission and on the Member States to introduce mechanisms for recognising skills acquired informally rather than formally
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Calls
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Calls for a Council recommendation similar to the Youth Guarantee on tackling poverty in order to re
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. stresses that initiatives such as the Youth Guarantee must be put into effect with a comprehensive understanding of the employment regions in which they are to be implemented; this means redefining the role of job centres, i.e. to assist users, to take account of all the specific circumstances of these users, to update skills and to focus attention on developing sectors through direct contact with businesses, in order to ascertain the competences that the latter require potential employees to possess
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to p
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to present a new social pillar
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to present a new social pillar
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 a (new) - having regard to the studies entitled "The State of Lending: The Cumulative Costs of Predatory Practices " 1a , June 2015 and "Le panier de la ménagère ... pauvre" 1b , August 2008 __________________ 1a Center for responsible lending, Durham, http://www.responsiblelending.org/state- of-lending/cumulative/ , http://www.uvcw.be/no_index/cpas/panier -etude-qualitative.pdf 1b Ricardo Cherenti, Belgian Federation of public local social action center, http://www.uvcw.be/no_index/cpas/panier -etude-quantitative.pdf
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7.
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to present a new social pillar; recalls that to deliver on Article 9 TFEU, such a pillar
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to present a new social pillar; recalls that to deliver on Article 9 TFEU, such a pillar should be aimed at
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to present a new social pillar; recalls that to deliver on Article 9 TFEU, such a pillar should be aimed at setting a European framework for a minimum income above the poverty level, continuing with a rights- based approach to social policy and improving implementation of existing social, labour and anti-discrimination legislation while ensuring sustainable and balanced public finances;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to present a new social pillar; recalls that to deliver on Article 9 TFEU, such a pillar should be aimed at setting a European framework for a minimum income above the poverty level, continuing with a rights- based approach to social policy and improving implementation of existing social, labour and anti-discrimination legislation whilst respecting the competence of Member States to regulate in social affairs;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7.
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to present a new social pillar; recalls that to deliver on Article 9 TFEU, such a pillar should be aimed at setting a European framework for a minimum income above the poverty level,
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to aim for a social triple A score for the Union;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 a (new) - having regard to the opinion of the Social Protection Committee of 15 February 2011 entitled ‘The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion: Flagship Initiative of the Europe 2020 Strategy’1 a, __________________ 1 a Opinionof the Social Protection Committee addressed to the Council, Council of the European Union, 649/11, SOC 124, 15 February 2011.
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to aim for a social triple A score for the Union; finds regrettable that this is currently out of reach owing to increasing inequality, high poverty and social exclusion and less and less availability of quality and affordable social, health and care services; recalls that a social triple A must be based on Article 9 TFEU aimed at a ‘high level of employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection, the fight against social exclusion and a high level of education, training and protection of human health’; recalls that achieving a social triple A as a benchmark requires assessing both policies that hinder and work towards achieving the benchmark;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to aim for a social triple A score for the Union; finds regrettable that this is currently out of reach owing to increasing inequality, high poverty and social exclusion and less and less availability of quality and affordable social, health and care services; recalls that a social triple A must be based on Article 9 TFEU aimed at a ‘high level of employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection, the fight against social exclusion and a high level of education, training and protection of human health’ with ensuring public finances that lead to a sustainable, balanced and responsible management; recalls that achieving a social triple A as a benchmark requires assessing both policies that hinder and work towards achieving the benchmark; finds regrettable that so far the latter has not been addressed at Union level;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to aim for a social triple A score for the Union; finds regrettable that this is currently out of reach owing to increasing inequality, high poverty and social exclusion and less and less availability of quality and affordable social, health and care services; recalls that a social triple A
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to aim for a social triple A score for the Union; finds regrettable that this is currently out of reach owing to increasing inequality, high poverty and social exclusion and less and less availability of quality and affordable social, health and care services and social protection; recalls that a social triple A must be based on Article 9 TFEU aimed at a ‘high level of employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection, the fight against social exclusion and a high level of education, training and protection of human health’; recalls that achieving a social triple A as a benchmark requires assessing both policies that hinder and work towards achieving the benchmark; finds regrettable that so far the latter has not been addressed at Union level;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop, adopt and implement an EU framework to reduce poverty and social exclusion in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy, consisting of concrete measures and actions, including energy poverty; considers that, in terms of the priorities for the reduction of poverty within the Europe 2020 Strategy, energy poverty should not be dealt with separately.
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop, adopt and implement an EU framework to reduce poverty and social exclusion in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy, consisting of concrete measures and actions, including energy poverty, so as to enable convergence between social policy and energy policy;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 20 a (new) - having regard to its resolution of 11 June 2013 on Social housing in the European Union1 a __________________ 1 a Textes adoptés, P7_TA(2013)0246
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop, adopt and implement an EU framework to reduce poverty and social exclusion in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy, consisting of concrete measures and actions
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9.
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop, adopt and implement an EU framework to reduce poverty and social exclusion in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy, consisting of concrete measures and actions, including housing exclusion, homelessness and energy poverty;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop, adopt and implement an EU framework to reduce poverty and social exclusion in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy, consisting of
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop, adopt and implement an EU framework to reduce poverty and social exclusion in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy, consisting of concrete measures and actions, including housing exclusion and energy poverty;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop, adopt and implement an EU framework to reduce poverty and social exclusion
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. Recalls that employment is the principal means of escaping poverty and social exclusion and urges that active employment policies be strengthened with the aim of returning the unemployed, and, in particular, the long-term unemployed, to the employment market
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 A. Calls on the Commission to bear in mind the proposals contained in the Opinion published by the European Economic and Social Committee, ‘For coordinated European measures to prevent and combat energy poverty’, and to encourage the urgent adoption of a European energy security and solidarity commitment and, within this framework, the setting-up of a European Poverty Observatory and a European fund with the specific aim of eradicating energy poverty
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide information and help to people at risk of poverty and social exclusion to make educated choices regarding their energy consumption and support non-governmental actors working towards this goal;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9 b. Calls on the Member States to oblige energy providers to include information in their energy bills to households regarding measures to reduce energy consumption and to increase energy efficiency with the aim to reduce energy poverty;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 20 a (new) - having regard to its resolution of 11 June 2013 on Social housing in the European Union1 a __________________ 1 a Textes adoptés, P7_TA(2013)0246
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9 b. Considers that poverty and social exclusion have an intergenerational component and, accordingly, stresses the need to provide children from households below the poverty threshold with access to education and advocates policies aimed at preventing early school leaving;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 c (new) 9 c. Recalls the European Economic and Social Committee's opinion entitled 'For coordinated European measures to prevent and combat energy poverty' and supports in this context the idea of a European energy security and solidarity commitment as well as the setting up of a European poverty observatory and a European fund with the specific aim of eradicating energy poverty;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 c (new) 9 c. Calls on the European Commission and the Member States to create spaces for reflection and dialogue with those who are experiencing poverty, to ensure that they are able to contribute to the evaluation of policies which affect them;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Stresses that a decent income is a fundamental element for being able to live your life in dignity; recalls that 16.7 % of the population in the EU 28 in 2013 were at-risk-of-poverty after social transfers;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Stresses that a decent income is a fundamental element for being able to live your life in dignity; recalls that 16.7 % of the population in the EU 28 in 2013 were at-risk-of-poverty after social transfers;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Stresses that a
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Stresses that a decent income is a fundamental element for being able to live your life in dignity; recalls that 16.7 % of the population in the EU 28 in 2013 were at-risk-of-poverty after social transfers;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Stresses that a decent income is a fundamental element for being able to live your life in dignity and that a job is still the best way out of poverty; recalls that 16.7 % of the population in the EU 28 in 2013 were at
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Stresses that a
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. stresses that a decent income is a fundamental element for being able to live your life in dignity; recalls that 16.7 % of the population in the EU 28 in 2013 were at-risk-of-poverty after social transfers; invites the Commission to present in 2016 in the context of the announced social pillar an EU framework directive on adequate minimum income; also invites the Commission to promote the publication of statistical data concerning poverty that has been updated to 2015, to ensure that the measures taken are as effective as possible.
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas between 2010
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Stresses that a decent income is a fundamental element for being able to live your life in dignity; recalls that 16.7 % of the population in the EU 28 in 2013 were at-risk-of-poverty after social transfers; invites the Commission to present in 2016 in the context of the announced social pillar an EU framework directive on adequate minimum income to promote social convergence and level playing field;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Stresses that a decent income is a fundamental element for being able to live your life in dignity; recalls that 16.7 % of the population in the EU 28 in 2013 were at-risk-of-poverty after social transfers; invites the Commission to present in 2016 in the context of the announced social pillar an EU framework directive on adequate minimum income and review the efficiency of the current statistical surveys and methods which are based on voluntary interviews and do not take into proper consideration the actual financial situation (e.g. a possible dwelling, amount of debts);
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. stresses that a decent income is a fundamental element for being able to live your life in dignity; recalls that 16.7 % of the population in the EU 28 in 2013 were at-risk-of-poverty after social transfers, and that today, these people are more often than not also at risk of absolute poverty; invites the Commission to present in 2016 in the context of the announced social pillar an EU framework directive on adequate minimum income;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Stresses that a decent income is a fundamental element for being able to live your life in dignity; recalls that 16.7 % of the population in the EU 28 in 2013 were at-risk-of-poverty after social transfers, meaning that their disposable income was below their national at-risk-of-poverty threshold; invites the Commission to present in 2016 in the context of the announced social pillar an EU framework directive on adequate minimum income;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. calls on the Member States, to introduce, according to national practices, minimum income schemes to avoid pockets of social exclusion in order to ensure a minimum income to households and curb household poverty;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) 10 b. Calls for a comprehensive strategy to fight poverty based on access to decent jobs leading to quality employment, services, and the activation of minimum income and social protection according to the subsidiarity principle;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Recommends that
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Recommends that
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas between 2008 and 2013, the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU27 increased from 117 million to 121 million of which the number of people severely materially deprived increased from 42 to 45 million, the number of people at risk of poverty after social transfers increased from 82 to 86 million; whereas this development runs counter to the EU target to reduce poverty by 20 million by 2020; whereas certain groups are more at risk of poverty than others such as children, women, people with disabilities, Roma communities, and older people;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11.
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11.
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Recommends that
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Recommends that a
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Recommends that a
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. recommends that an EU framework directive on minimum income should specify which criteria Member States’ minimum income schemes would need to meet so as to lift people out of poverty; considers that such a framework would need to be rights-based, address the level of income, the non-discriminatory, efficient and easy access and the take-up
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Recommends that an EU framework directive on minimum income should specify which criteria Member States’ minimum income schemes would need to meet so as to lift people out of poverty; considers that such a framework would need to be rights-based, address the level of income, the non-discriminatory, efficient and easy access and the take-up, targeting especially those groups, who currently are excluded from or at risk of exclusion from minimum income schemes; points out that reference budgets reflecting household expenditure could be used to construct cash benefits and to test their adequacy; considers such an instrument to be of crucial value to revive the EU's social cohesion, reduce inequalities and achieve the Europe 2020 Poverty and Social Exclusion Target;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. recommends that an EU framework directive on minimum income should specify which criteria Member States’ minimum income schemes would need to meet so as to lift people out of poverty; proposes in particular that the concept of a minimum income be defined in more precise terms, taking account of new objectives and any updated data; considers that such a framework would need to be rights-based, address the level
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11 a. Recalls that, as the introduction and strengthening of these minimum income schemes must be based on the temporary nature of the instrument, such schemes must be accompanied by general policies and specific measures such as active policies aimed at assisting the unemployed to return to the employment market, or training and employment creation programmes; it is also essential to have an adequate housing policy, healthcare and quality public services;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas according to the Eurostat methodology the at-risk-of-poverty threshold is set at 60 % of national median equivalised disposable income;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses that minimum income schemes should
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses that minimum income schemes
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12.
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses that where applicable, minimum income schemes should
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses that minimum income schemes should prevent and lift households out of severe material deprivation and allow for an income above the poverty threshold; recalls that a minimum income is a key instrument for delivering on Article 9 TFEU guaranteeing adequate social protection
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses that minimum income schemes should prevent and lift households out of severe material deprivation and allow for an income above the poverty threshold; recalls that a minimum income
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses that minimum income schemes should prevent and lift households out of severe material deprivation and allow for an income above the poverty threshold; recalls that a minimum income is a key instrument for delivering on Article 9 TFEU guaranteeing adequate social protection as well as on the fundamental right to decent living conditions, participating in society and protection of human health. Yet, the issue is not only income, but also access to services. In several countries people with debt problems have been left without insurance coverage and unable to pay for healthcare services;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. calls for recognition of the importance of affordable rented accommodation as a means of facilitating access to housing for people on low income, and urges Member States to build a sufficient number of affordable homes. Affordable housing reduces people’s housing expenditure and therefore also has a positive effect on energy poverty;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. Underlines that poverty among older persons is a major problem in many Member States; calls therefore on EU countries to reform pension systems in order to guarantee an adequate level of pension incomes as well as sustainability and security of pension systems;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. Calls upon Member States to take into account the fluctuations of living costs in their national support schemes for financially vulnerable groups such as unemployed, students, single-parent families, low-income families, widowed, permanently ill;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas more than 50 million people are affected by energy poverty in Europe, which represents around 30% of households in the EU;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. Calls on Member States to reassess their progress towards ending homelessness given that rising rental costs and decreasing social housing stock in some Member States have caused the homelessness rate to rise;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. Given that 22, 348,834 households (approximately 11% of the EU population) spend more than 40 % of disposable income on housing ; that the European Semester has identified housing cost overburden as a 'social trend to watch' ; and that 21,942,491 households (approximately 10.8% of the EU population) experience difficulty maintaining adequate household temperature, calls on the European Commission and the Member States to urgently identify, implement and maintain policy measures that enable households to meet housing costs, including housing allowances;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. Calls on Member States to ensure that dissemination of information is reaching the most vulnerable groups which are often left untouched by relying on client-based dissemination; recalls that dissemination of information is often restricted to people who are al-ready receiving some sort of social support but that it is important to reach beyond them;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) 12 b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to urgently identify, implement and maintain policy measures that enable households to meet housing costs, including provision of housing allowances, given that 22, 348,834 households (approximately 11% of the EU population) spend more than 40% of their disposable income on housing and 21,942,491 households (approximately 10.8% of the EU population) experience difficulty maintaining adequate household temperature;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 c (new) 12 c. Notes that contributing factors to housing stress and the risk of homelessness include: a lack of social housing stock; uncontrolled rental costs; high mortgage interest rates; insufficient rental, housing and mortgage allowances; and a lack of restrictions on banks in repossessing homes of households in poverty;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 d (new) 12 d. Stresses that while rent controls and higher housing allowances can lower housing costs for households at risk of poverty in the short term, these measures should also be accompanied by long-term housing and community programmes to increase the housing stock for different socially disadvantaged target groups and middle income households;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 e (new) Notes that low-income households and those in or at risk of poverty are more dependent on the provision of free, high- quality public services; stresses that the austerity measures implemented by many Member States since 2008 including funding cuts to, and privatisation of, public services has had a detrimental and disproportionate impact on low-income households and those in or at risk of poverty; urges Member States to act to halt and reverse these cuts and privatisations; (Note: to be inserted after subheading 4)
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13.
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. calls on the Commission and the Member States to address in a more
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. having regard to the importance of the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) and of its continued existence at a time when the social crisis is affecting more and more Europeans;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to address in a more balanced way and by applying the approach based on actual data both income and expenditure of poor households; points to shortcomings in addressing increasing household cost in most Member States and considers the Commission’s work on a reference budget a step in the right direction; stresses that lowering household expenditure for poor households will impact positively on the concerned households as well as on the - mainly local - economy and on social cohesion, if tools that influence and enhance consumption are used in parallel;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Calls on the
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13 a. Expresses its concern that since 2008, due to the financial and economic crisis and the austerity policies which have increased poverty and the number of low-income households in Europe, an increasing number of people have been facing difficulties in paying their water bills and affordability is becoming a matter of growing concern; deplores the fact that in the EU-28 more than 1 million people still lack access to a safe and clean drinking water supply and nearly 2% of the population lacks access to sanitation, according to the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), and therefore urges the Commission to act immediately;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13 a. Recalls that housing cost are a large share of household expenditure; reminds the Commission, the Member States and local and regional authorities that spending on social and affordable housing is in keeping with fundamental rights, enables urgent social needs to be met and, as strategic social investment, helps in a sustainable way to provide local jobs that cannot be 'off-shored', to stabilise the economy by reducing the risk of property bubbles and household over- indebtedness; points out that acknowledging and implementing the right to housing affect the implementation of other fundamental rights, including political and social rights;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 b (new) 13 b. Rejects water cut-offs and the enforced switching-off of the water supply of households unable to pay water bills as a violation of human rights, and calls on Member States to put an immediate end to these situations when they are due to socioeconomic factors in low-income households; welcomes the fact that in some Member States 'water banks' or minimum water quotas are being used in an effort to help the most vulnerable with their utility costs, to guarantee water as an inalienable component of fundamental rights;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 b (new) 13 b. Stresses that lowering the housing costs for the vulnerable cannot only be achieved with stricter rent controls or higher housing benefits but should be accompanied by long-term housing and community programmes to increase the housing stock for different socially disadvantaged target groups and middle income households;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 c (new) 13 c. Notes that the gender pay gap in the EU is on average 16%, and stresses that the cumulative effect of lower earnings for women (including interruptions from work due to caring responsibilities) is a far wider gender pension gap of 39%, which puts older women at a much greater risk of poverty than older men;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 d (new) 13 d. Notes that lone parents, the majority of whom are women, are at a higher than average risk of poverty (34%); notes that a major contributing factor to this increased risk is the fact that due to childcare costs lone parents either face exclusion from employment or are in precarious, low- paid employment; urges Member States to act to legislate for a living wage that guarantees workers' basic needs can be met;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 e (new) 13 e. Urges Member States to implement policies that can ensure quality and affordable childcare is available to all who require it, including through the provision of subsidised childcare and childcare allowances for lone parents and low-income households;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Recalls that poor households spend the largest share of their income on housing,
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the number of long-term unemployed exceeds 12 million, of whom 62 % have been out of work for more than two consecutive years; whereas the long- term unemployed are more likely to be affected by poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Recalls that poor households spend the largest share of their income on housing, utilities and food;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Recalls that poor households spend the largest share of their income on housing, utilities and food; stresses that one dimension of household expenditure of poor households – the cost of energy and the related issue of energy poverty lacks an in-depth assessment
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Recalls that poor households spend the largest share of their income on
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. recalls that poor households spend the largest share of their income on housing, utilities and food; stresses that one dimension of household expenditure of poor households
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Recalls that poor households spend the largest share of their income on housing, utilities and food; stresses that one dimension of household expenditure of poor households – the cost of energy and the related issue of energy poverty lacks an in-depth assessment at Union level; calls on the Commission to improve internal cooperation and the exchange of good practices so as to better link the energy policy and the poverty policy;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14 a. Notes that 55 million EU citizens (9.6% of the population) are not able to afford a quality meal every second day (Eurostat 2014.) The inability to afford nutritious meals has a serious detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of affected individuals and in turn erects obstacles in terms of employment, job- seeking and caring responsibilities; urges the Commission and Member States to enact policies that will end food poverty including the provision of subsidised food for those in poverty in the short term, and the provision of an adequate minimum income;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14 a. Recalls that, in combating child poverty, social housing policies play an important role through the eradication of family poverty and the prevention of the intergenerational transmission of socio- economical disadvantages; and that rising housing and energy costs are aggravating the risks of disease, poverty and social exclusion; notes the increase in several Member States in the number of evictions and properties seized by banks; urges that measures be taken in response to these challenges
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Stresses that there is so far no definition of poverty or energy poverty at Union level and therefore it is very difficult to properly assess the seriousness, the causes and the consequences of
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Stresses that there is so far no definition of energy poverty at Union level and therefore it is very difficult to properly assess the seriousness, the causes and the consequences of energy poverty of poor households in the Union; calls on the Commission to develop with stakeholders a common definition of energy poverty
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. having regard to Article 34(3) of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which provides that in order to combat social exclusion and poverty, the Union recognises and respects the right to social and housing assistance so as to ensure a decent existence for all those who lack sufficient resources;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Stresses that there is so far no definition of
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Stresses that there is so far no definition of energy poverty at Union level and therefore it is very difficult to properly assess the seriousness, the causes and the consequences of energy poverty of poor households in the Union; calls on the Commission to develop with stakeholders a common definition of energy poverty which should aim at assessing at least the following elements: material scope, difficulty for a household to gain access to essential energy, including the difficulty and costs of access to energy markets on individual and Member State level, affordability and share of total household cost, impact on basic household needs such as heating, cooling, cooking, lighting and transport;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15 a. Calls the Commission to come up with a definition of vulnerable consumers; ask the Commission to gather impact assessments and collection of best practices of measures taken at national level to fight energy poverty;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 b (new) 15 b. Emphasises that energy must be made affordable to all citizens of the EU; considers that avoiding unnecessary consumption by undertaking efficiency improvements, stronger interconnections, higher market integration and sustainable energy investment, particularly in buildings, would enable many households to access on equal conditions a single, sustainable, competitive and secure energy market and escape energy poverty, which in 2012 affected one in four EU citizens; invites the Commission to present a communication on energy poverty in Europe, accompanied by an action plan to fight against it, which contains a definition and indicators of energy poverty;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 c (new) 15 c. Underlines that already now there is a lost generation; therefore it is extremely important to prevent the threat for future where even more youth slip under the energy poverty;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses that
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses that there is a lock-in effect as regards energy poverty, as poor households cannot afford the initial upfront investment needed to combat energy poverty; points out that this creates a vicious circle of continuously spending a larger share of household income than needed on the utilities bill while the root of the problem - energy inefficiency or lack of energy - can't be tackled;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses that there is a lock-in effect as regards energy poverty, as poor households cannot afford
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses that there is a structural lock- in effect as regards energy poverty, as poor households cannot afford the initial upfront investment, such as insulation and energy efficiency appliances, needed to combat energy poverty;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Aa (new) Aa. whereas the prices of essential goods and services, at certain times and in certain countries, have increased relatively rapidly, and, accordingly, family expenditure;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16 a. Recalls that the development of a European sector for the exploitation of coalbed methane, known as ‘coal gas’, would constitute a significant tool for lowering energy prices by enabling the production of autochthonous methane, of which Western Europe is a net importer. In Lorraine, the reserves of this gas which is trapped in the coal matrix of deposits that have not been exploited are said to amount to 350 billion cubic metres, i.e. enough to cover French consumption for approximately 9 years;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16 a. Recalls that Directive 2012/27/EU emphasised the need to renew the national building stock, including housing; therefore calls on the Member States to evaluate poor households with special attention in their national energy efficiency plans;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16 a. Calls on the Commission to map the problem of fuel poverty in the EU, and in particular winter deaths amongst people living in cold homes; and to support the Member States in developing effective solutions;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16 a. Calls on the Member States and the EU to provide microcredits or loans free of interest or at low rates via e.g. the EIB to low-income households to support them in the upfront investment in renewables or energy efficiency, such as insulation, solar energy and energy efficient appliances;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16 b. Urges the Member States to ensure that any investment made, either in new homes or in improving existing homes, is based on energy efficiency;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16 b. Stresses that poor people living in poor quality and energy inefficient housing are particularly vulnerable to fuel poverty, that investment in this target group can leverage maximal social, health and energy impacts, and that specific measures are required to reach them;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16 b. Calls on the Member States and regional authorities to provide targeted energy advice, and train energy advisors to work with poor households on how to save energy and how to use renewable energies;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 5 Targeting funding and policies towards energy poverty - a
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 5 Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 c (new) 16 c. Calls on the Commission, in combination with the collection of data, to collect best practice between local authorities, regions and Member States and to promote those practices in both a top-down and bottom-up approach; (to be inserted after subheading 5)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 3 Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the "chronic poor", often long-term unemployed, but sometimes employed on low salaries and whereas single people living alone with children who are not in employment or who are working less hours on average than the primary earner are consistently identified as among the most vulnerable groups;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 c (new) 16 c. Emphasises that there are a range of barriers to ensuring that the EU Structural and In-vestment Funds available for energy efficiency reach those living in the poorest quality and most energy inefficient housing, including limited household savings for those living in cold homes and the split incentive between landlords and tenants ; Calls therefore on the Com-mission, national, regional and local authorities, and the European Investment Bank to develop innovative funding mechanisms which overcome these barriers, working with stake-holders and building on existing good practice;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recalls that targeting certain policies and Union funding towards
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recalls that targeting Union funding
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recalls that targeting and making Union funding more flexible towards reducing energy costs of poor households by investing in renewables or energy efficiency has multiple positive effects: at household level, it improves living conditions and the health of those concerned as well as decreasing household
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recalls that targeting Union funding towards reducing energy costs of poor households living in inefficient housing an poor quality by investing in renewables or energy efficiency has multiple positive effects: at household level, it improves living conditions and the health of those concerned as well as decreasing household costs and therefore provides budgetary relief for poor families; at regional and local level, funding will provide for local investment, which will create jobs; at Union level it helps to
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recalls that targeting Union funding towards reducing energy costs of poor households by investing in renewables or energy efficiency has multiple positive effects: at household level, it improves living conditions and the health of those concerned as well as decreasing household costs and therefore provides budgetary relief for poor families; at regional and local level, funding will provide for local investment; supporting the local labour market, the economy and progressing towards energy sustainability; at Union level it helps to both decrease poverty, improve energy efficiency and decrease energy emissions thereby delivering towards the EU 2020 targets on climate change and energy sustainability and on fighting poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Emphasises that energy must be made affordable to all citizens of the EU; considers that avoiding unnecessary consumption, efficiency improvements and sustainable energy investment, particularly in buildings, would enable many households to escape energy poverty;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Insists on the importance of addressing poverty not just from a social or political, but also from an economic point of view, with effects in the medium term; the Commission must include in its priorities the need to tackle the dynamic of inequality which currently exists and seriously limits growth and has a very negative impact on cohesion and poverty;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to exploit the full potential of the European Funds with regard to tackling energy poverty;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. considering that there are as yet no established indicators of absolute poverty;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Emphasises that there are a range of barriers to ensuring that the EU Structural and Investment Funds available for energy efficiency reach those living in the poorest quality and most energy inefficient housing, including limited household savings for those living in cold homes and the split incentive between landlords and tenants; calls therefore on the Commission, national, regional and local authorities, and the European Investment Bank to develop innovative funding mechanisms that overcome these barriers, working with stakeholders and building on existing good practice;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. stresses that, while such investments are necessary, measures are considered to support families who do not yet have a home;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17 b. Highlights that the problem is likely to worsen given unstable energy security and underlines that while fuel subsidies can provide a respite, this is a temporary solution and subsidies alone remain an unsustainable option for reducing energy poverty;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17 b. Considers that as part of any review of the retail energy markets, serious consideration should be given to further measures to protect consumers;
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17 b. stresses also the need to monitor the use of funds and to simplify information and access to these resources;
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 c (new) 17 c. Highlights the inequality of energy poverty in that the pricing structure for customers means that the poorest people often pay more for their energy;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 c (new) 17 c. considers deplorable financial speculation concerning natural resources and energy sources, particularly those that are non-relocatable, such as hydroelectric power, for example, and, consequently, calls for the Commission and the Member States to take the necessary steps to reduce energy costs sustained by poor families, for example by using revenue obtained from the imposition of appropriate taxation;
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 d (new) 17 d. Stresses the importance of data collection in order to drive evidence-based policy objectives;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Welcomes the fact that
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Aa (new) Aa. whereas bad or inadequate housing greatly reduces chances to lead a normal life; whereas quality of housing (including appropriate insulation, etc.) of groups in vulnerable situations has decreased during the crisis, because of inability to fund maintenance;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Stresses that stakeholders have identified t
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Calls
Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21 a. Calls on the Commission to prioritise measures for the retrofitting of existing housing among the most vulnerable consumers; calls on the Commission to work with local authority partners to set clear targets for the renovation of housing stock across the EU;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21 a. Draws attention to the major effort required of the EU and the Member States to reduce energy costs in household budgets, the former by ensuring security of supply to protect against major price fluctuations in the energy market, and the latter by strengthening their policies in support of household energy efficiency;
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21 a. Calls on the Commission to assess in its midterm review of the ESIF 2014-2020 the use of funds for energy poverty- related measures and make full use of the relevant ex-ante conditionalities relating to poverty, housing and energy efficiency; recalls that so far the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) have not been used to their full potential when tackling energy poverty;
Amendment 329 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 b (new) 21 b. Stresses that the housing quality of low income households in rural regions tends to be very poor, be it for tenants or owners; recalls that this adds to the so- called lock-in effect of high utility cost with no room for investment in lowering energy cost; calls on the Commission and the Member States to improve targeting of LEADER and EAFRD towards tackling energy poverty in rural areas, by directing the Operational Programs and the funding towards especially generating diversified renewable energy within local networks that includes energy efficiency measures for buildings targeted at energy poor households;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) A b. whereas bad or inadequate housing greatly reduces chances to lead a normal life; whereas living for extended period of time in low-quality housing can affect physical health;
Amendment 330 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 c (new) 21 c. Reminds that tenants have limited access to energy efficiency funding as they are not the property owners; recalls that tenants may have a lower incentive to invest as they move out more easily and frequently than homeowners; welcomes the Commission Pilot project on "Fuel/Energy poverty - assessment of the impact of the crisis and review of existing and possible new measures in the Member States "which is meant to tackle this issue; based on the outcomes of this pilot project calls on the Commission to develop provisions to open EU funding for energy efficiency measures taken by tenants;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 d (new) 21 d. Reminds Member States that at least 20% of the total ESF resources in each Member State shall be allocated to the thematic objective "promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and any discrimination" and that the European Fund for European Aid for the most deprived can also be used for social inclusion measures;
Amendment 332 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 e (new) 21 e. Stresses the immediate relief and the improved living conditions for the most deprived households when those households are provided with small-scale low cost renewable energy resources such as solar panels for houses not connected to the energy grid;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 6 Linking social aims and
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Welcomes the fact that European energy policy legislation recognises social aims in energy efficiency policies; finds regrettable that the relevant provisions of Directive 2012/27/EU to target households affected by energy poverty and social housing (Article 7(7)) are not used to their full potential by the Member States; calls on the Commission in its review and impact assessment of the energy efficiency package to evaluate the implementation and use of Articles 7(7) and 5(7); calls also on the Commission based on this evaluation to consider strengthening Article (7), in particular paragraph 7 thereof, so that the Member States in their energy efficiency obligation schemes are
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Welcomes the fact that European energy policy legislation recognises social aims in energy efficiency policies, notably in Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency and Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings; finds regrettable that the relevant provisions of Directive 2012/27/EU to target households affected by energy poverty and social housing (Article 7(7)) are not used to their full potential by the Member States; calls on the Commission in its review and impact assessment of the energy efficiency package to evaluate the implementation and use of Articles 7(7) and 5(7); calls also on the Commission based on this
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22 a. Recalls that local authorities also have a role to play in promoting alternative financing instruments including co-operative models and in the promotion of collective buying agreements to enable consumers to combine their energy demands and therefore lead to cheaper energy prices; calls on the Commission and Member States to promote the role of local authorities in alleviating energy poverty;
Amendment 338 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22 a. recalls finally that energy policy alone will not effectively combat the issue of household expenditure; recalls that only a policy implemented with cooperation between the various players involved will allow decisive action to be taken against poverty;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22 a. Calls on the Commission to assess in its energy and cost report the distributionary aspects as regards social aims and meeting the EU antipoverty target; calls on the Commission to ensure that the Member States must invest a minimum share of 30% of energy efficiency measures to be implemented as a priority in households affected by energy poverty or in social housing;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) A b. having regard to the strategic objective of the European Union that is defined in its Europe 2020 Strategy and which aims to reduce the number of people in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion by at least 20 million;
Amendment 340 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 Amendment 341 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 Amendment 342 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Calls on the
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Calls on the Member States
Amendment 345 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23.
Amendment 346 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Calls on the Member States
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23 a. Calls on Member States to develop energy policies which are at the service of economic development and populations, which reduce consumption and energy deficits, and which can be seen as a factor for inclusion and not as a constraint on the development of small and medium- sized enterprises and the well-being of peoples;
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23 a. Calls on the Member States to use among others the Funds for capacity- building under the Structural Funds to organise seminars and programmes in schools and lifelong-learning infrastructures on energy efficiency/saving in the private sphere, including on how to save household and transport costs;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) A b. Whereas the increase in family expenditure, associated with the cost of accommodation, food, utilities (electricity, gas, water), transport, medical costs or costs associated with education, makes it difficult to achieve the objective of reducing poverty laid down in the Europe 2020 Strategy;
Amendment 350 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24.
Amendment 351 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Calls on the Member States to
Amendment 352 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24.
Amendment 353 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Calls on the Member States to
Amendment 354 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Calls on the Member States to sign up to a European winter heating and electricity disconnection moratorium so as to ensure that during a defined winter period no household can be cut off from energy or that those who are must be reconnected to energy needed for heating that meets World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for adequate housing temperature; points out that such a moratorium aims to decrease excess winter mortality, supporting the most vulnerable groups, especially young children, the elderly and permanently sick and disabled people so as to protect their
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24 a. Stresses that, while such a moratorium is an important emergency tool to support the poorest in a crisis situation, it has to be complemented by an appropriate action plan to lift people out of poverty or social exclusion, including the provision of adequate income support throughout the life-cycle; points out that reference budgets reflecting household expenditure can be used to construct cash benefits and to test their adequacy;
Amendment 356 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24 a. Urges the Commission and Member States to take immediate action to tackle precarious work which prevents individuals from having a regular and secure income, therefore creating a barrier to successful budgeting and paying household bills;
Amendment 357 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24 a. reiterates that energy must be ‘clean’, economical and accessible to all, and for these reasons, the Commission and the Member States must increase investment in research into ‘clean’ energy.
Amendment 358 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 b (new) 24 b. Calls on the Commission and Member States to put measures in place to end the outrageous gender pay gap in the EU which currently stands at 16% and raises to 39% for pensions, and highlights the key importance of this measure for single female parents whose households costs may prove to be truly burdensome;
Amendment 359 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 c (new) 24 c. Highlights the importance of quality and accessible childcare in allowing parents to return to work and increase their incomes, stresses the importance of this for single parents in particular and calls on the Commission and Member States to put measures in place to improve childcare provisions immediately;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) A b. considering that one possible solution is to reduce mortgage or rent payments for families living in inadequate housing, so that they can spend money on refurbishing and improving their home instead;
Amendment 360 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 6 a (new) Housing and poverty (To be considered as a heading)
Amendment 361 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 b (new) 24 b. Recommends to the Member States a proactive policy in relation to decent housing so as to ensure universal access to quality housing at an affordable cost or a preferential purchase price, since a lack of housing constitutes a serious affront to dignity, as well as a proactive energy policy strengthening the use of renewables and energy efficiency so as to combat energy poverty; calls, in the context of housing, for more attention to be paid to migrants, who are often exploited and forced to live in sub- standard housing; recalls Protocol 26 annexed to the Treaty of Lisbon, which concerns social housing, and calls for its provisions to be respected, in particular as regards the Member States’ freedom to organise social housing, including the question of financing; encourages the Member States to implement special housing programmes and opportunities for homeless people, with a view to guaranteeing the most basic living standards for the most vulnerable members of society;
Amendment 362 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 c (new) 24 c Recommends that the Member States expand the supply of quality social housing in order to guarantee access for all, and in particular for the most disadvantaged, to decent, affordable housing; considers that it costs society and the community more to rehouse people who have been evicted from their accommodation than it does to keep them there; invites the Member States to apply to the European Fund for Strategic Investments for the purposes of their qualitative and quantitative improvement projects in relation to their social housing offering, in view of the added value on a European level and the socio-economic benefits that they represent; recommends the implementation of policies for preventing evictions;
Amendment 363 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 b (new) 24 b. Calls on the Commission to develop an Observatory on Energy Poverty with the following duties: 1) assess and monitor the causes and consequences of energy poverty, 2) record the energy consumption of households, 3) provide reliable socio-economic indicators 4) ensure coordinated action plans are developed, and implemented with progress monitored;
Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 c (new) 24 c. Points out that the "split incentive" problem may hinder investment in energy efficiency in rented housing; considers that gross lease schemes, where the rent includes the cost of the utility bills, could be considered one effective tool to incentivise the landlord to decrease utility household costs through renewable and energy efficiency retrofits;
Amendment 365 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 d (new) 24 d. Highlights that effective consumer alliances can ensure that rental costs will not increase after successful energy efficiency investments and improvements;
Amendment 366 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 e (new) 24 e. Highlights that public support and facilitation of agreements between tenants and landlords associations can ensure that total housing costs will not increase after successful energy efficiency investments and improvements;
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 f (new) 24 f. Calls on the European Commission to prioritise energy efficiency investment in social rental housing through EFSI spending in the next three years;
Amendment 368 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 g (new) 24g. Calls on the Commission and the Council to acknowledge all EU citizens' universal right of access to energy as an essential commodity;
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 h (new) 24 h. Calls on the Commission to map the problem of fuel poverty in the EU, and in particular winter deaths amongst people living in cold homes; and to support the Member States in developing solutions; Calls on the Commission to ensure that Eurostat collects relevant data from Member States on the different forms of energy poverty (energy deprivation, severe energy poverty, constraining energy poverty) and that Eurostat monitors regularly the development of SILC energy poverty indicators the framework of Energy Efficiency Directive Review;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A c (new) A c. whereas the conjunction of the financial and economic crisis, austerity measures, rising housing prices and falling households’ revenues have increased unemployment and social exclusion within the EU, especially among the most vulnerable groups of people, thereby increasing the burden on welfare services;
Amendment 370 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 6 b (new) Poverty and access to healthcare (To be considered as a heading)
Amendment 371 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 e (new) 24 e. Recalls that equal access to high- quality universal healthcare is internationally recognised – especially within the EU – as a fundamental right;
Amendment 372 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 f (new) 24 f. Recalls that access to healthcare is very often limited as a consequence of financial or regional constraints (for example in sparsely populated regions), especially in relation to routine care (such as dental or optical care) and preventative measures relating thereto;
Amendment 373 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 g (new) 24 g. Stresses that the combination of poverty and other forms of vulnerability, such as childhood or old age, disability or minority background, further increases the risks of health inequalities, and that ill health can lead to poverty;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 h (new) 24 h. Stresses the importance of health and care services for bridging gaps relating to capabilities, through promoting people’s social integration and combating poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 375 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 i (new) 24 i. Welcomes the Commission’s Communication entitled ‘eHealth Action Plan 2012-2020: Innovative healthcare for the 21st century’, which puts in place additional initiatives, in particular with a view to improving access to health services, reducing health costs and ensuring greater equality between European citizens;
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 j (new) 24 j. Calls on the Commission and Member States to press ahead with their efforts to tackle socio-economic inequalities, which would ultimately make it possible to reduce some of the inequalities relating to healthcare; also calls on the Commission and the Member States, on the basis of the universal values of human dignity, liberty, equality and solidarity, to focus their attention on the needs of vulnerable groups such as people living in poverty;
Amendment 377 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 k (new) 24 k. Calls on the Member States to solve problems of inequality in access to healthcare that affect people’s everyday lives, for example in the areas of dentistry and ophthalmology;
Amendment 378 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 l (new) 24 l. Urges the Commission to do its utmost to encourage Member States to offer reimbursements to patients and to do everything necessary to reduce inequalities in access to medication for the treatment of those conditions or illnesses, such as post-menopausal osteoporosis and Alzheimer's Disease, which are not reimbursable in certain Member States, and to do so as a matter of urgency;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 6 c (new) Information and communications technology and poverty (To be considered as a heading)
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A c (new) A c. whereas quality of housing (including appropriate insulation, etc.) of groups in vulnerable situations has decreased during the crisis, because of inability to fund maintenance;
Amendment 380 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 n (new) 24 n. Deplores that the Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe published by the Commission does not take account of the need to ensure universal, equal and unrestricted access to new digital technologies, markets and telecommunications, in particular with regard to people at risk of poverty or social exclusion;
Amendment 381 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 o (new) 24 o. Encourages the Member States and the Commission to put in place strategies aimed at reducing the digital divide and promoting equal access to new information and communications technologies, in particular for people at risk of poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 382 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 p (new) 24 p. Water and poverty (To be considered as a heading)
Amendment 383 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 q (new) 24 q. Recalls that the General Assembly of the United Nations recognises the right to clean and high-quality drinking water and to sanitation facilities as a human right that is essential for full enjoyment of the right to life;
Amendment 384 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 r (new) 24 r. Recognises, however, that in certain regions, especially rural and remote regions, access to drinking water is not guaranteed;
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 s (new) 24 s. Encourages, therefore, the Member States to do everything possible to ensure that all of their people have access to drinking water as soon as possible;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A d (new) A d. whereas certain groups in society, such as one-parent families, the elderly, minorities, people with disabilities and young people, are among the most vulnerable to be at risk of poverty;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 3 a (new) - having regard to the Communication from the Commission of 27 October 2015, entitled ‘Commission Work Programme 2016 – No time for business as usual’ (COM(2015)610),
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A e (new) A e. whereas unemployment among young people, which is already higher than for other age groups, has exploded in the European Union since the crisis and is now running at over 20%, and whereas it has now reached a critical level in all the Member States, putting young people at risk of falling into poverty from a very early age; having regard to the Concluding Observations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child regarding the most recent periodic reports of certain European countries in relation to the increase in poverty and/or the level of risk of poverty for children as a consequence of the economic crisis; whereas this increase affects the rights to health, education and social protection;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A f (new) A f. whereas poverty, which has been at a high level in the Member States over very many years, has an ever more significant effect on the economy, damages economic growth, increases public budget deficits and reduces European competitiveness;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas not having adequate housing and heating ha
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. Whereas
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas not having adequate
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. Whereas one of the consequences of rising energy prices is that many families live in houses without heating and that not having adequate heating has a negative impact on a person’s health, in particular for children and older persons;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas not having adequate heating and housing has a negative impact on a person’s health, in particular for children and older persons;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) B a. whereas energy poverty is linked to general poverty and is the result of a number of underlying conditions including high-energy prices, aggressive commercial and marketing techniques, issues concerning health and disability, a lack of access to tailored offers or online services, low incomes, the type of heating system in use in the household and the quality and energy performance of the housing stock;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) B a. whereas financially vulnerable groups, such as unemployed, students, single-parent families, low-income families, widowed, permanently ill, suffer particularly of high level on living costs;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) B a. whereas the wide gap between Member States in the provision of welfare and a minimum income means that in some Member States welfare reduces the risk of poverty by 60% and in others by only 15%; whereas the average impact of the provision of welfare on reducing the risk of poverty in the EU is 35%;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 a (new) - having regard to Directive 2014/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 on the comparability of fees related to payment accounts, payment account switching and access to payment accounts with basic features,
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) B a. considering that energy poverty can be defined as the inability of a household to support an adequate level of energy supply so as to guarantee basic levels of comfort and health, due to a combination of low income, high energy prices and low quality housing stock;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) B a. whereas Eurofound's forthcoming report Housing in Europe will include a model estimating that due to existing levels of housing (dwelling) inadequacies (as per 2011 data), total cost of the medical expenditure is over EUR170 billion per annum to the economies of EU28; whereas if all the repair work was undertaken, there would be medical cost savings of some EUR8 billion in the first year, which will continue to accrue benefits in the future;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B b (new) Bb. whereas EU-SILC figures show that housing cost overburden (by tenure status) is higher for tenants housed in the private rented sector, which may be explained by low housing quality and high prices;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B b (new) Bb. whereas the UN has affirmed that the human right to water and sanitation entitles everyone to water for personal and domestic uses which is of good quality, safe, physically accessible, affordable, sufficient and acceptable; whereas a further UN recommendation has stated that 3% of household income should be seen as a maximum for water payments where payments apply; whereas the privatisation of water services has a negative impact on households living in, or at risk of, poverty;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B b (new) Bb. considering that energy poverty is becoming an increasingly widespread problem in Europe, and that the situation is likely to get worse in the next few years due to the forecast increases in energy prices, the corresponding increase in income inequality and in poverty in general, the lack of adequate heating systems and the general poor quality of housing insulation, in particular in Mediterranean countries;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B c (new) Bc. whereas there are 12 million more women than men living in poverty in the EU; whereas factors contributing to this inequality include the gender pay and pension gaps, the large proportion of women in precarious work, and the fact that women are often forced to be economically inactive due to the prohibitive cost of childcare;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B c (new) Bc. considering that the Energy Union must provide an effective response to energy poverty, which affects more than 100 million Europeans, through strengthening the position of the most vulnerable consumers, improving energy efficiency for the most vulnerable and developing corrective measures to provide access to affordable energy for people in need;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. Whereas
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C.
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 a (new) - having regard to its resolution of 15 July 2015 on the follow-up to the European Citizens' Initiative Right2Water1 a; __________________ 1 a Text adopted, P8_TA(2015)0294
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) C a. whereas for the 9 items of the Severe Material Deprivation indicator (to pay rent or utility bills, to keep home adequately warm, to face unexpected expenses, to eat meat, fish or a protein equivalent every second day, to take a week's holiday away from home, run a car, a washing machine, a colour TV, or a telephone), several studies suggests that market prices are finally higher for the households at risk of poverty;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) C a. Considering the situation of poverty of a family as indivisible, the effect which the energy aspect has on poverty must be highlighted;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) C a. Whereas the renewal of the national building stock with the aim of improved efficiency of energy use will have a direct impact on the cost of energy, particularly for less well-off families, and will encourage the creation of employment;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) C a. whereas 22,348,834 households (approximately 11% of the EU population) spend more than 40 % of disposable income on housing ; whereas the European Semester has identified housing cost overburden as a 'social trend to watch'; and whereas 21,942,491 households (approximately 10.8% of the EU population) experience difficulty maintaining adequate household temperature, whereas the EU and the Member States should urgently identify, implement and maintain policy measures that enable households to meet housing costs, including housing allowances.
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D.
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) D a. whereas EU energy policies, VAT and green taxes are making energy prices much higher and increasing household costs which leads to an increase in fuel poverty; Therefore energy policy should be completely repatriated back to Member States to ensure energy costs are kept as low as possible and also ensure that businesses remain competitive;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) D a. whereas access to housing is a fundamental right that can be seen as a precondition to the exercise of, and to access to, other fundamental rights and to a life in conditions of human dignity; whereas guaranteeing access to assistance for decent and adequate housing is an international obligation incumbent on the Member States, to which the Union must have regard, given that the right of access to housing and to housing assistance is recognised in Article 34 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Articles 30 and 31 of the revised European Social Charter adopted by the Council of Europe and Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human rights, as well as in many Member States’ constitutions;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) D a. whereas the European Parliament in its resolution 'Towards a genuine Economic and Monetary Union' of 20 November 2012 (Thyssen report) called for a European Social Pact as the fifth pillar of the EMU in order to promote amongst others decent living wages with minimum incomes preventing in-work poverty;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) D a. whereas the distribution of population in different dwelling types shows a high diversity across Europe with 50% or more share of detached houses in most of the central and eastern European and Balkan countries and significantly larger portion of flats and semi-detached houses in other regions of Europe;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Da (new) D a. Whereas privatisation and deregulation of energy services have contributed to the rise in prices, which prevents growing numbers of the population from having access to these services;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 a (new) - having regard to its resolution of 20 October 2010 on the role of minimum income in combating poverty and promoting an inclusive society in Europe,1 a, __________________ 1a OJ C70E, 8.3.2012 p.8
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D b (new) D b. whereas housing represents the most significant expenditure item for European households; whereas the rise in prices associated with housing (land, property, rents, energy consumption) constitutes a source of instability and anxiety and must be regarded as an issue of major concern;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D b (new) D b. Housing deprivation and energy poverty are higher in countries with a lower share of social rental housing i.e. Eastern and Mediterranean countries;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D b (new) D b. whereas the social rental stock as a percentage of total housing stock indicates that Western and Northern countries have a higher share of public social housing compared to the EU average, while Mediterranean and Eastern countries maintain minimal (around 5%) social housing stock or lacking social housing sector completely; housing deprivation and energy poverty are higher in countries with a lower share of social rental housing i.e. Eastern and Mediterranean countries;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D c (new) D c. whereas there is a shortage of social housing facilities, and an increasing need of affordable housing, in certain EU Member States;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D c (new) D c. whereas Eurofound research argues that for many people with low incomes, 'utility arrears' are a principal type of debts which is sometimes overlooked;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D d (new) D d. whereas social housing plays an essential role in achieving the objective from the Europe 2020 Strategy of reducing poverty, because it contributes to guaranteeing high levels of employment and of social inclusion and cohesion, promotes occupational mobility and enables poverty to be combated;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D d (new) Dd. whereas Eurofound report on "Access to benefits: reducing non-take- up" clearly highlights the problem that social benefits and minimum income schemes do not always reach those who are entitled to it, so it's not enough to establish such systems, but take-up should be ensured by those who are entitled; whereas the savings realised in the longer term as a result of benefits reaching their target populations promptly, effectively and efficiently, must also be taken into account;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D e (new) D e. whereas the crisis has had consequences for the conditions of access to housing for households, and for investment in social housing within the Union, whereas the public expenditure dedicated to investments in social housing has been greatly affected by this, and whereas this places an obligation on the Member States and the Union to act urgently so as to guarantee the right of access to decent and affordable housing;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D f (new) D f. whereas poverty and social exclusion remain a key social determinant of the state of health and living conditions, including life expectancy, in particular in view of the impact of child poverty on the health and well-being of children, and whereas the gap in terms of health between rich and poor remains significant as far as affordable access to health services is concerned, income and wealth, and continues to widen in certain areas, and whereas the gap in terms of health between rich and poor remains significant, in particular as far as affordable access to health services is concerned, and continue to widen in certain areas;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D g (new) D g. whereas the Social Protection Committee of the European Union, in its opinion of 20 May 2010, was concerned about the fact that the current economic and financial crisis could have negative effects on citizens’ access to healthcare and on the health budgets of the Member States;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 b (new) - having regard to its resolution of 27 November 2014 on the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child1 a, __________________ 1 a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0070
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D h (new) D h. whereas the current economic and financial crisis may have a severe impact on the healthcare sector in several EU Member States, on both the supply and the demand sides;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D i (new) D i. whereas the restrictions caused by the current economic and financial crisis could be seriously detrimental to the long- term financial and organisational viability of the healthcare systems of Member States and, therefore, impede equality of access to care on their territories;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D j (new) D j. whereas the combination of poverty and other forms of vulnerability, such as childhood or old age, disability or minority background, further increases the risks of health inequalities, and whereas, vice versa, ill health can lead to poverty and/or social exclusion,
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D k (new) D k. whereas, according to the latest figures from Eurostat, 21% of households in the EU-28 do not have Internet access and whereas 20% of 16 to 74 year-olds say that they have never used the Internet; whereas the Netherlands has the highest proportion of households which have Internet access (95%), while Bulgaria is at the bottom of the list, with 54% of households having Internet access;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D l (new) D l. whereas the Digital Single Market is one of the 10 priorities of the new Commission and whereas, in future, 90% of jobs will require some degree of IT skills; whereas, while 59% of European citizens have access to the 4G network, in rural areas this percentage does not exceed the 15% mark;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D m (new) D m. whereas a decent job remains the best way of staying clear of the risk of poverty and social exclusion, and whereas expertise in and access to information and communications technology are undeniable assets in the search for a job;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D n (new) D n. having regard to the Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly of 28 July 2010 on ‘the human right to water and sanitation’1 a which recognises the right to safe and clean drinking water as a fundamental right essential to the full exercise of the right to life and of all human rights; ________________ 1a http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc. asp?symbol=A/RES/64/292&Lang=F
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt integrated frameworks to combat energy poverty by linking energy and poverty/social inclusion policies more closely; hopes to see a deeper commitment from the European Parliament to tackling this issue, particularly in the form of more dialogue between the parliamentary committees concerned, ENVI and EMPL;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 12 a (new) - having regard to its resolution of 4 July 2012 with recommendations to the Commission on access to Basic Banking Services1 a, __________________ 1 a OJ C34E, 29.11.2013, p.74
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt integrated frameworks to combat energy poverty on the basis of best and good practices by linking energy and poverty/social inclusion policies more closely;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt integrated frameworks to combat
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt integrated frameworks to combat energy poverty by linking energy and poverty/social inclusion policies more closely; invites the Commission also to present a Communication on energy poverty in Europe, accompanied by an action plan to fight against it, which contains a definition and indicators of energy poverty;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. In many cases, the most important costs in this area are those of renting or buying housing. The social pillar should put forward decisive measures in relation to social housing and the treatment of homeless families.
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Member States to
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Member States to
source: 571.431
2015/12/14
FEMM
89 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas there are 12 million more women than men living in poverty conditions in EU; whereas 22 % of women and their dependent children are
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas many single mothers also experience poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Recital B B. whereas the intersectionality of the
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Recital B B. whereas the intersectionality of the gender aspects of poverty requires a holistic approach to tackle multiple discrimination, and issues such as housing, energy costs, public services, job security, precarious employment, and taxation policies;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas the objective of the Union’s fiscal policy is to ensure the smooth functioning of the internal market, while the power to levy taxes is a sovereign competence of the Member States;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas many women and families live below the poverty line in that they do not have enough income to meet their basic needs, as a result of the worsening crisis and increasing household costs;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Recital B b (new) Bb. whereas a basic income would enable families to escape poverty and would help women in particular to bridge the economic and social divide between them and men;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Recital B c (new) Bc. whereas gender-related tax problems are widespread, and whereas the failure to introduce tax concessions and favourable tax conditions is worsening the situation of women in the family and in society;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Recital B d (new) Bd. whereas large families with dependent under-age children incur greater costs and burdens which could force them into poverty;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Recital B e (new) Be. whereas the children of poor families are often taken into care, resulting in increased spending on childcare facilities and emotional trauma for the children separated from their parents;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Recital C C. whereas the anti-poverty targets cannot be met unless
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas women and their dependent children are disproportionately at risk of poverty and social exclusion, and the economic crisis and EU imposed austerity policies have exacerbated these inequalities
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Recital C C. whereas the anti-poverty targets cannot be met unless female poverty is tackled, as gender equality and the economic empowerment and emancipation of women are necessary for upward convergence in poverty reduction;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas levels of welfare support differ from one Member State to another, and whereas that support does not always guarantee an adequate level of assistance, in particular where the elderly, children and persons with a disability are concerned; whereas this state of affairs increases the costs and workload borne by women, who are forced to choose between caring for their loved ones and their own careers;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas data-collection and policy making on poverty, living costs and income on the basis of households as constituent units assumes uniformity and equal distribution of resources between members of the household; whereas in practice households vary, and distribution can be unequal and gendered, requiring an approach to policy making based on individual costs and income;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas societal structures are based on a tradition of male norms which results in a prioritization of male dominated sectors such as the industry and financial sector;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the cost for basic and essential goods and services, in many EU countries, has increased rapidly during the last years, leading to increase on household general expenditures;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas, the increase in family and household costs affects particularly certain groups, such as single-parent families, elderly women, women migrants and disabled people;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas 17% single-parent households, overwhelmingly women, are unable to keep their houses warm, compared to only 10% of the general population; whereas wholesale energy prices have decreased, while retail prices have increased, pushing costs upwards; whereas an EU-wide definition of energy poverty is regretfully lacking, while the phenomenon affects women disproportionately;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Recital C c (new) Cc. whereas unemployment rates among young women are higher than other age groups, putting young women at risk of falling into poverty from an early age;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Recital C c (new) Cc. whereas rising household costs and housing cost overburden is one of the drivers of women's homelessness, more research is required into the rates and causes of women losing or leaving their homes; whereas household and individual indebtedness is directly related to household costs, and is a key driver of poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Recital C d (new) Cd. whereas, according to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Children Concluding Observations, reports on certain European countries show that there is a relation between the increase of poverty rates and/or the risk of poverty for children as a consequence of the economic crisis and the cuts in social benefits, affecting the rights of children to education, health and social protection;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas families, women and their dependent children are disproportionately at risk of poverty and social exclusion, and the economic crisis and austerity policies have exacerbated these inequalities, leading to a ‘feminisation of poverty’; whereas income distribution within households is unequal and gendered, requiring individualised measurements of income and costs;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Recital C d (new) Cd. whereas poverty and social exclusion, including gender-based exclusion, should not only be defined in terms of income, material deprivation and work intensity, but also in terms of what the individual requires in order to live in dignity and participate actively in society, culturally, socially, and politically;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Expresses deep concern a
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Expresses deep concern at the Commission
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Expresses deep concern at the Commission’s assessment that the 2020 anti-poverty target ‘seems out of reach’ and insists on fresh political impetus for drastic action to tackle poverty in the EU; calls on the Member States to ensure that national poverty strategies
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Expresses deep concern at the Commission’s assessment that the 2020 anti-poverty target ‘seems out of reach’ and insists on fresh political impetus for drastic action to tackle poverty in the EU; notes a slight increase in the female labour-market participation over the recent years but not at a satisfactory rate which requires additional measurements; calls on the Member States to ensure that national poverty strategies are gender mainstreamed and address gender inequality;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Expresses deep concern at the Commission’s assessment that the 2020 anti-poverty target ‘seems out of reach’ and insists on fresh political impetus for
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Highlights the growing gap in poverty between Member States across the Union, and the increase in extreme poverty, notably female poverty, particularly in crisis hit countries and regions;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Urges Member States to rectify their national poverty strategies in a coordinated fashion so that the European target can be met; Calls on the Member States to ensure that national poverty strategies are gender mainstreamed and address gender inequality; Requests that each Member State to provide a detailed trajectory of its poverty-reduction plan, and how its strategy addresses gender- specific aspects of poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Calls for a Council recommendation to tackle poverty which includes a strong gender perspective;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas women and their dependent children are disproportionately at risk of poverty and social exclusion, and the economic crisis
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 d (new) 1d. Emphasises that poverty is generational and self-reproducing, requiring an intersectional holistic long- term approach to policy making, taking into account costs and income, as well as public services provision; Insists that poverty and social exclusion must be evaluated and tackled throughout the life- cycle, from childhood through to old age;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 e (new) 1e. Considers that women's longer life expectancy must also be taken into account as a potential factor in vulnerability and exclusion;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 f (new) 1f. Notes that the gender pay and pension gap are key contributors to female poverty; Notes the long-term impacts on female poverty of women's exclusion from sectors of the economy traditionally dominated by men, such as technology, science, senior management and decision- making, and over-representation of women in comparatively low-wage sectors such as care work, public services, part time work, and low-paid precarious work;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 g (new) 1g. Reiterates that children are at greater risk of poverty and social exclusion due to female poverty, particularly in single- parent households, leading to greater long-term socio-economic inequalities;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Commission to incorporate a more robust social dimension and a gender pillar in the European Semester, and to include country-specific recommendations (CSRs) which address the gender aspects of poverty; Calls on the Commission to ensure policy coherence so that social and economic policies compliment rather than counter-act one another;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Commission to identify gender- specific indicators in the field of poverty eradication and to incorporate a more robust social dimension and a gender pillar in the European Semester, and to include country-specific recommendations (CSRs) which address the gender aspects of poverty;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Urges the Commission to incorporate a more robust social dimension a
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls on the Commission to concentrate its efforts on single or unemployed mothers and their families, as they are particularly affected by poverty;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Invites the Commission to give a clear and ambitious definition of a 'social triple A' for Europe, which includes a clear strategy for combatting gendered aspects of social exclusion;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas women and their dependent children are disproportionately at risk of poverty and social exclusion, and the economic crisis and austerity policies have exacerbated these inequalities
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls on the Commission to issue guidelines to the Member States with a view to guaranteeing minimum welfare standards, gradually raising the level of those standards and offering better assistance to the elderly, children and persons with a disability;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls on the Commission to incorporate vocational training targets for women in the country-specific recommendations;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls the European Commission to extend the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived beyond 2020 and to facilitate the entry of the most deprived and vulnerable groups, such as the younger women, the single-parental families, the disabled and elderly women groups of population to the labour market;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Stresses that in the fight against poverty and social exclusion target policies must be deployed to address the particular circumstances of vulnerable groups and marginalised communities, facing specific forms of gender inequalities and multiple discrimination; Calls on the Commission and Member States to continue to develop policies addressing the poverty and social exclusion faced by women with disabilities, elderly women, refugee and migrant women, Roma women, and women from ethnic minorities, women in rural areas and in deprived neighbourhoods, single mothers, as well as female college and university students;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Calls Member States to undertake gender impact assessments of the recession and in order to track subsequent changes over time, given the fact that women are likely to be disproportionally affected by future cuts in public spending and services;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls for more ambitious action to tackle energy poverty, which disproportionately affects single-parent and female-headed households, by repatriating all parts of EU energy policy back to Member States;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls for more ambitious action to tackle energy poverty, which disproportionately affects single-parent and female-headed
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls for more ambitious action to tackle energy poverty, which disproportionately affects single women, single-parent and female-headed households;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls on the Member States to safeguard families and the role of women within families by introducing a basic income which guarantees that they remain above the poverty line;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Urges the Commission and Member States to establish a definition of energy poverty which takes into account gendered aspects of the phenomenon, and include it in the future recast of the Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas women
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Believes that EU energy policy has led to increased fuel poverty, loss of jobs, unsustainable costs for business and higher household costs; calls therefore for the repatriation of energy policy back to Member States;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Notes that increasing energy efficiency, renovation, and renewable energy are all key to tackling energy poverty; Expresses concern that housing renovation policies often fail to target those who are most vulnerable; Insists that housing renovation policies must target poor, economically excluded and vulnerable households first and foremost, with an emphasis on those facing gender inequalities and multiple discrimination;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 c (new) 3c. Highlights the role of local authorities in tackling energy poverty, and the potential of alternative funding mechanisms such as cooperatives and mutuals in alleviating the distress of vulnerable consumers;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 d (new) 3d. Considers that policy on energy poverty at EU, national, and local levels must strive to empower the most vulnerable consumers, particularly those facing gender inequalities and multiple discrimination, and guarantee equitable pricing overall; Calls on the Commission to make cohesion and structural funds, including the European Social Fund, available to tackle energy poverty;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Emphasises that cuts to public services increase gender inequality; stresses that macroeconomic policy must be compatible with social equality policy, and that it must include a strong gender perspective; expresses deep concern over the fact that arrangements against economical backlashes tends to diminish the work for gender equality by swift cuts in female dominated sectors; emphasizes that the recent solutions for economical crises where bailout funds for banks are prioritized in a matter which also results in an even greater economic burden for women is not in fact a socially just way to solve crises within the European Union;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Emphasises that cuts to public services increase gender inequality; stresses that macroeconomic policy must be compatible with social equality policy
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Emphasises that cuts to public services increase gender inequality; stresses that EU and national macroeconomic policy must be compatible with social equality policy, and that it must
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Emphasises that cuts to public services increase gender inequality, and that investment in high-quality services has the potential to reduce inequalities; stresses that macroeconomic policy must be compatible with social equality policy, and that it must include a strong gender perspective;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on financial institutions such as the ECB and national central banks to take into account social impacts, including impacts on gender inequalities, when modelling and deciding on of macroeconomic monetary policies;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls for tax relief for large and one- parent families, which statistics show are most likely to suffer poverty;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas a strong new political impetus is required if the 2020 poverty targets are to be met; whereas the aggregate of current national poverty reduction targets falls eight million people short of the 2020 target; whereas the review of the 2020 strategy is the appropriate time for a firm renewed commitment to the elimination of poverty and social exclusion, and the reform and realignment of national strategies;
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Stresses that women, mothers, and their families are further burdened by unnecessary EU bureaucracy and calls therefore for decisive action to cut red tape affecting citizens and families;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Stresses that the Commission promote best practice on taxation policy that takes gender impacts into account, and promotes gender equality, particularly VAT, and taxation of household income, which at times can subject lower earners to higher taxation;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Emphasises the need for the banking system, which in recent years has received significant amounts of public money to safeguard its liquidity, to offer women, and in particular women with children, easier access to credit, in the form of favourable interest rates and streamlined procedures;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. Calls on the Member States to introduce direct subsidies for poor families, so that the children in such families can be raised with dignity, rather than being taken into care;
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Urges a move towards the individualisation of rights in social equality policy, where costs and income are calculated
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the member states to propose and conduct salary surveys in order to visualize the unequal salary schemes that occur for women and men with the same occupation as a mean to accelerate the process towards equal payment.
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Reiterates the need for investment in sustainable and inclusive growth at national and European levels, and the need for gender budgeting in all areas of public policy and social investment.
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Emphasises the importance of education, formal, non-formal, and informal, in combatting the stigmatisation of poverty, which adds to social exclusion, as well as the gender stereotypes which contribute to women's poverty and exclusion.
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas mothers who perform unpaid child rearing and housework services in the home are particularly affected as they are for the most part already income- poor;
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Emphasizes the urgent need to revaluate female dominated sectors such as the public sector in order to increase both salaries and reputation by challenging the male norm in the industry and financial sector; expresses its concern about the feminization of poverty with foundation in the prioritization of male dominated sectors and cuts in public services.
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Reiterates the important of the empowerment of women and girls through education, including formal and informal education, life-long learning and vocational training, and the role of education in increasing women's income through their inclusion in sectors where women have been under-represented, such as science, technology, engineering, and entrepreneurship.
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 d (new) 5d. Notes that economic and financial education at a young age has been shown to improve economic decision-making later in life, including in managing costs and incomes; Recommends exchange of best practice and the promotion of such educational programmes targeting women and girls in vulnerable groups and marginalised communities facing poverty and social exclusion.
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 e (new) 5e. Calls on the Commission, EIGE, and Member States, to undertake research into female homelessness and its causes and drivers, as the phenomenon is inadequately captured in current data; Notes that gender-specific elements that ought to be taken into account include gender-based economic dependency, temporary housing, or avoidance of social services.
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 f (new) 5f. Highlights the importance of access to financial services and information for women's economic empowerment and social inclusion; Calls for Member States and local authority programmes and exchange of best practice on facilitating access to financial services and information for women in vulnerable groups and marginalised communities, where even the ability to open a bank account can be an obstacle to inclusion, for example for refugee, immigrant, homeless or Roma women.
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 g (new) 5g. Calls on the Commission to take steps to tackle over-indebtedness faced by women in poor and excluded households, by combating loan-sharks and pay day loans, predatory and excessive interest rates, and other abusive practices, and by facilitating sound financial advice, and social debt restructuring.
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 h (new) 5h. Points out the important role of social enterprise and alternative business models such as cooperatives and mutuals in facilitating social inclusion and economic empowerment of women, particularly in marginalised communities, and their increased economic independence.
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 i (new) 5i. Supports the initiative to formulate a guideline reference budget, and calls on the Commission to include gender- specific considerations when designing it, including gender inequalities faced within households.
Amendment 88 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 j (new) 5j. Calls on Member States and the Commission to address female poverty and social exclusion through initiatives to guarantee high-quality jobs with a living wage in female dominated sectors; Highlights the role that trade unions can play in the representation and empowerment of women in the work place, and combatting exclusion.
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 k (new) 5k. Invites the Commission and Member States to create stakeholder engagement and deliberative processes that promote and facilitate the direct engagement of persons at risk of poverty and social inclusion, particularly women and girls, in policy making on social inclusion at all levels.
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the gender gaps in remuneration, working hours and duration of working lives that women faced during their working lives have a direct effect in then pension lives; whereas, women above age 65, have a substantially higher risk of poverty or social exclusion than their male counterparts, as the average pension income of a woman is currently lower, and often substantially so, than that of a man;
source: 573.116
2016/02/16
EMPL
39 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas between 2008 and 2013, the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Invites the Commission and the Member States to dedicate a Summit to the reduction of poverty, extreme poverty and social exclusion and access to decent living standards;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Finds regrettable that the
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Calls
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Welcomes the Commission
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. Recalls the European Economic and Social Committee's opinion entitled 'For coordinated European measures to prevent and combat energy poverty' and notes its recommendation "on setting up a European poverty observatory, whose main focus would be on energy poverty and which would bring together all the stakeholders to help define European energy poverty indicators (in conjunction with Eurostat), make an inventory of the situation, identify best practices and draw up recommendations for preventing and addressing the problem more effectively and establishing European solidarity in this sphere"; stresses the importance of developing indicators and collecting data on household consumption and costs in relation to energy poverty in order to provide reliable information and allow for evidence based policy making and effective monitoring;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Stresses that a decent income is a fundamental element for being able to live
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Invites the Commission in the context of the European semester, to make recommendations to Member States regarding the policies to be put in place and the reforms to be made in order to combat poverty and social exclusion effectively in view of promoting social convergence, taking into account the specific features of each Member State;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. Whereas energy savings and efficiency improvement, particularly with regard to the housing stock, would enable many households to escape energy poverty; Whereas 10% of EU citizens had arrears on utility bills in 2015 (37% in the Member State most affected); 12% of EU citizens were unable to keep their home adequately warm in 2014 (60% in the Member State most affected); 16% of the EU population was living in dwellings with leaging roofs and damp walls in 2014 (33% in the Member State most affected) according to SILC statistics;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 address the level of income, the non- discriminatory, efficient and easy access and the take-up, and should thus contribute to lift people out of poverty and empower them to stay out of it;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses that minimum income schemes should prevent and lift households out of severe material deprivation and allow for an income above the poverty threshold; recalls that
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide information, advise and support to people at risk of poverty and social exclusion in making educated choices regarding their energy consumption, and support non- governmental actors, local authorities providing targeted energy advice and training energy advisors, as well as to oblige energy providers to include information in their energy bills to households regarding measures to reduce energy consumption and to increase energy efficiency;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) encourages policies in this respect aiming to help households with financial hardships to stay in their primary residence;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 c (new) 12 c. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure the European citizens' fundamental right to housing assistance as a precondition of human dignity; calls for recognition of the importance of affordable rental accommodation as a means of facilitating access to housing for people on low income, and urges Member States to ensure a sufficient number of affordable homes;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 d (new) 12 d. Calls on the Commission to address the problem of homelessness as an extreme form of poverty, in particular winter deaths amongst homeless people and those living in cold homes; calls on Member States to reassess their progress towards ending such extreme forms of poverty;
Amendment 28 #
12 e. Recalls that low-income households and those in or at risk of poverty are more dependent on the provision of affordable, high-quality public services; calls on Member States to meet the necessary public spending that provides high quality and affordable public services to low- income households;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13.
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas not having adequate housing and heating ha
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Recalls that poor households spend the largest share of their income on food, housing
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Stresses that there is so far no
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) by assessing at least the following factors: income, energy prices and the quality of the housing stock;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 b (new) 15 b. Invites the Commission to present a communication on energy poverty in Europe accompanied by an action plan to support Member States in this respect; calls on the Commission to provide impact assessments and information on best practices to fight energy poverty in the Member States in this context; emphasises that energy must be affordable to all Union citizens;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses that
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 5 Targeting funding
Amendment 37 #
17. Recalls that targeting
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Highlights the role of the EU and the Member States in energy cost reduction of households, the former by ensuring security of supply to prevent major price fluctuations and speculation in the energy market, creating stronger interconnections and higher market integration and sustainable energy investment, and by increasing investment in renewable energy research, and the latter by strengthening their policies in support of household energy efficiency with special attention to off-grid households in poverty and social exclusion; considers that consumer protection should be among the priorities of the Union;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Welcomes the fact that
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) B a. whereas unemployed, one-parent families, low-income families, widowed, permanently ill, the elderly and young people, people with disabilities and minorities are often among the most vulnerable at risk of poverty and suffer particularly of high level of living costs;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Welcomes the fact that European energy policy legislation recognises social aims in energy efficiency policies, notably in Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency and Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings; finds regrettable that the relevant provisions of Directive 2012/27/EU to target households affected by energy poverty and social housing (Article 7(7)) are not used to their full potential by the Member States; calls on the Commission in its review and impact assessment of the energy efficiency package to evaluate the implementation and use of Articles 7(7) and 5(7); calls also on the Commission based on this evaluation to consider strengthening Article (7), in particular paragraph 7 thereof, so that
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, in line with the UN sustainable development goals;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 b (new) and effective tools to overcome the split incentive problem between owner and tenant;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 c (new) 24 c. Recalls that the General Assembly of the United Nations recognises the right to clean and high-quality drinking water and to sanitation facilities as a human right; notes, however, that in certain regions, especially rural and remote regions, access to drinking water is not guaranteed and an increasing number of people face difficulties in paying their water bills; calls on the Commission and the Member States to do their utmost to ensure, without delay, that everyone has access to drinking water; encourages Member States to ensure minimum water supply and protect the human rights of vulnerable households;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to invest fully in the fight against poverty and social exclusion and to adopt integrated
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Calls on
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 above the poverty threshold of 60% of national median income in all Member States in line with national practices and traditions respecting the characteristics of each of them in order to support social convergence across the Union;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Member States to ensure a more efficient
source: 572.941
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