Progress: Procedure completed
Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
---|---|---|---|
Lead | CULT | ZVER Milan ( PPE) | ŁYBACKA Krystyna ( S&D), DZHAMBAZKI Angel ( ECR), TAKKULA Hannu ( ALDE), MARAGALL Ernest ( Verts/ALE), ADINOLFI Isabella ( EFDD), BILDE Dominique ( ENF) |
Committee Opinion | BUDG | NOVAKOV Andrey ( PPE) | Jean ARTHUIS ( ALDE), Sophie MONTEL ( ENF), Liadh NÍ RIADA ( GUE/NGL) |
Committee Opinion | EMPL | PAVEL Emilian ( S&D) | Laura AGEA ( EFDD), Tania GONZÁLEZ PEÑAS ( GUE/NGL), Helga STEVENS ( ECR), Renate WEBER ( ALDE) |
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Events
The European Parliament adopted by 497 votes to 39, with 60 abstentions, a resolution on the implementation of Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing ‘Erasmus+’: the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport and repealing Decisions No 1719/2006/EC, No 1720/2006/EC and No 1298/2008/EC.
In general, Members welcomed the programme’s high educational, societal, political and economic relevance which is reflected in the budget increase of 40 % for the programme period, and in the commitment rate of the budget provided for, which has reached nearly 100 % because of a high number of applications.
In this regard, Members recalled that Erasmus+ plays a vital role in fostering European identity and integration, solidarity, inclusive and sustainable growth, quality employment, competitiveness, social cohesion and youth labour mobility by making a positive contribution to the improvement of European education and training systems, lifelong learning, active European citizenship, and better prospects for employment, by providing Europeans with an opportunity to acquire transversal and transferable sets of personal and professional skills .
Parliament recalled that at a time of particular crisis with regard to the fundamental values of the EU, the Erasmus+ instrument can provide a fundamental opportunity to promote integration, understanding and solidarity among young people.
Parliament made the following finding and recommendations:
Slow first phase of the programme : Parliament recognised that, according to reports from stakeholders at all levels, while the first two and a half years of programme implementation were difficult and challenging . Improvements have been made in the meantime, however, having fewer bureaucratic obstacles would lead to a wider and more accessible programme. Therefore, it called for further efforts to be made to reduce bureaucracy across the project cycle and to set the costs appropriately and in relation to the budget or type of project.
Visibility of the programme : Parliament underlined that although the overall programme is more visible than its predecessor, the different sectorial programmes still lack visibility . It emphasised that sector-specific formats such as Grundtvig Workshops and national youth initiatives open to informal groups should be reintroduced, and transnational youth initiatives should be more easily accessible. It stressed that the youth chapter of the programme is the one most affected by European citizens’ increasing interest in Erasmus+. At present, 36 % of all Erasmus+ submissions are in the field of youth, with a 60 % increase in submissions between 2014 and 2016 .
Brands : Parliament considered that the long-standing brand names (Comenius, Erasmus, Erasmus Mundus, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig and Youth in Action) and their logos to be important tools in promoting the variety of the programme. It noted that the name of "Erasmus+" is becoming the best known, especially for newcomers. They emphasised that the programme should defend its new name “Erasmus+” and for the name "Erasmus+" to be added to the individual programmes (so they will be "Erasmus+ Comenius", "Erasmus+ Mundus", "Erasmus+ Leonardo da Vinci", "Erasmus+ Grundtvig" and "Erasmus+ Youth In Action").
School dimension of the programme : Parliament called on the Commission to strengthen the school education dimension of the programme , allowing for more mobility of pupils, simplification of funding and administrative procedures for schools and for non-formal education providers, thereby taking advantage of the general intention of Erasmus+ to foster cross-sectoral cooperation , and with a view to encouraging non-formal education providers to become involved with partnerships with schools. It recommended that subsidy amounts in the school cooperation sector be reduced to the benefit of the number of subsidised projects , in order to subsidise school exchanges directly and thus make more personal encounters between people of different cultures and languages possible. It underlined the significance of personal experiences with people of different cultural backgrounds with regard to the promotion of a European identity and the basic idea of European integration, and recommended attempts be made to let the greatest possible number of people participate .
Budget : Parliament recalled that despite the programme’s significant overall budget increase, only a limited increase for the first half of the programme period has been provided for in the MFF, which has led, unfortunately, to the rejection of many high-quality projects. It welcomed the increase in funds available for the Erasmus+ programme for the year 2017 by almost EUR 300 million compared to 2016 .
Parliament not only called for the current budget level to be secured for the next programme generation under the new MFF, but considered a further budget increase that ensures a level of annual funding for the next programme generation of at least the same level as the last year of implementation of the current framework to be an absolutely essential precondition for the continued success of the programme. It pointed out that greater flexibility in mobility grants and administrative costs in favour of longer stays abroad should be made possible for the national agencies.
Moreover, it stressed that grants to support the mobility of individuals within the Erasmus+ programme should be exempted from taxation and social levies .
Small-sized organisations : Parliament expressed regret that, owing to the high administrative burden, Erasmus+ funding can be unattainable for smaller organisations . It called on the Commission to significantly simplify the application procedure, and to transform the programme guide and make it more user-oriented.
It also regretted that organisations representing amateur sportspeople, and disabled sportspeople in particular, at local level are highly underrepresented as project participants in the implementation of grassroots sports projects. Members welcomed the introduction of Small Collaborative Partnerships with reduced administrative requirements and noted that the practice should be extended to other sectors of the Erasmus+ project funding, especially for volunteer organisations.
The Commission is called upon to take relevant steps to make volunteering eligible as a source of own contributions to the project budget, as this facilitates the participation of smaller organisations, especially in sport.
Recognition of international qualifications : Parliament stressed that although progress has been made in recognising study periods, credits, competences and skills through non-formal and informal learning gained abroad, these challenges remain. According to Parliament, the recognition of international qualifications is essential to mobility and forms the foundation for further cooperation in the European Higher Education Area.
Refugees : Parliament recalled that the Commission has shown flexibility and taken innovative steps to target new challenges, such as a proposal for refugees, and to foster civic values within the incentives Erasmus+ offers, towards a more active and participative intercultural dialogue. It called on the Commission to recognise the special nature of projects and mobilities involving people with special needs and people from disadvantaged backgrounds and asked that their access thereto be facilitated .
Cross-sectoral cooperation : Parliament asked the Commission to fully exploit the lifelong learning dimension of the programme by fostering and encouraging cross-sectoral cooperation under Erasmus+, which is much higher than under the predecessor programmes, and to evaluate cross-sectoral cooperation in the programme’s midterm evaluation presented at the end of 2017. It called for educational mobility to become part of any higher or vocational education programmes in order to improve the quality of higher education and the VET system. Parliament pointed to Erasmus+ as an important instrument for improving the quality of VET across the EU. It highlighted the fact that inclusive quality VET and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe, a rapidly changing labour market, as a means of providing young people and adults with the professional and life skills needed for a transition from education and training to work.
Administrative simplification : Parliament called on the Commission and the Member States to increase efforts to simplify procedures and reduce the high administrative burden for students, institutions and for host companies involved in Erasmus+ projects . It called on the Commission and the national agencies to standardise the access criteria with a view to ensuring access for the highest number of applicants possible and to encourage the national agencies to make the available budgets per key action and per sector easily accessible following each application round in order to allow applicants to strategically plan their future actions. The Commission and the Member States are also called on to ensure that large institutions are not favoured over their smaller less well-established counterparts, in terms of programme applicants.
While welcoming the simplification introduced by the use of lump-sum and flat-rate funding , Parliament encouraged the Commission to look for ways to further improve the complicated administrative procedure for the applicants in different sectors of the programme.
Harmonisation : lastly, Parliament suggested that the priority should be to refrain from further harmonisation and major changes in the structure of the programme, and instead to safeguard and consolidate achievements and make incremental improvements where necessary. It called on the Commission in this respect to involve relevant stakeholders in the work on the next funding programming period, and in the introduction of possible improvements, in order to ensure the programme's further success and added value.
Documents
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2017)189
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament: T8-0018/2017
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A8-0389/2016
- Committee report tabled for plenary: A8-0389/2016
- Committee opinion: PE589.123
- Committee opinion: PE589.310
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE592.383
- Committee draft report: PE587.695
- Committee draft report: PE587.695
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE592.383
- Committee opinion: PE589.310
- Committee opinion: PE589.123
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A8-0389/2016
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2017)189
Activities
- Nicola CAPUTO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) IT
- Beata GOSIEWSKA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) PL
- Diane JAMES
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ivan JAKOVČIĆ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) HR
- Krystyna ŁYBACKA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) PL
- Curzio MALTESE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) IT
- Vladimír MAŇKA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) SK
- Andrejs MAMIKINS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Notis MARIAS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) EL
- Luigi MORGANO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) IT
- Algirdas SAUDARGAS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) LT
- Csaba SÓGOR
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) HU
- Jutta STEINRUCK
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) DE
- Patricija ŠULIN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) SL
- Hannu TAKKULA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) FI
- Helga TRÜPEL
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) DE
- Bogdan Brunon WENTA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- 2016/11/22 Implementation of Erasmus + (debate) PL
Votes
A8-0389/2016 - Milan Zver - Am 25S #
A8-0389/2016 - Milan Zver - § 76 #
A8-0389/2016 - Milan Zver - Considérant B #
A8-0389/2016 - Milan Zver - Résolution #
Amendments | Dossier |
420 |
2015/2327(INI)
2016/10/03
EMPL
148 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. Whereas, according to Eurostat, unemployment is still at 10.1 % in July 2016; whereas across the EU, youth unemployment stands at 18.8 %;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+
Amendment 100 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Acknowledges that, with regard to the high youth unemployment rates in certain Member States, a primary objective of Erasmus+ should be to prepare young people for employment, with special focus on addressing skills deficits and skills mismatches; highlights the importance of a shift from on-the-job- competencies to soft skills, as job content is under a constant evolution;
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Notes, in the context of new societal challenges for Europe, the need to strengthen a European approach to face common European challenges by supporting large scale innovation projects promoting the acquisition of a broad, transversal and transferable sets of skills and competences through studies, training, volunteering and work experience abroad;
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Advocates a review of the implementation of the Erasmus+ programme, covering the take-up rate among young people, broken down by region; calls for efforts to boost participation in regions with lower rates, especially the outermost regions, pursuant to Article 349 of the TFEU;
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Taking into account the importance of multilingualism in raising the employability of young people1a , considers that more efforts should be made to promote and support multilingualism in the Erasmus+ programme; __________________ 1aJRC Science and Policy Report on Languages and Employability, 2015
Amendment 104 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Stresses the requirement to support, either financially or by means of tax incentives, SMEs that offer vocational training under the Erasmus+ programme;
Amendment 105 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. believes that quality measurement should be equally important as quantitative measurement; calls for the elaboration of the former in the context of Erasmus +;
Amendment 106 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Welcomes the fact that the foreign language skills, especially neighbouring languages, of participants in Erasmus+ projects will be enhanced; however calls on the Commission to reconsider a decentralised approach to organise the intensive courses for incoming mobility participants in cooperation with the educational institutions and the host companies for trainees adapted to their field of study or traineeship;
Amendment 107 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Recalls that people with disabilities have special requirements, and thus need appropriate support in order to access Erasmus+ scholarship programmes; calls therefore on the Commission to introduce further measures to grant people with disabilities barrier-free and non- discriminatory access to all scholarship programmes in the framework of Erasmus+;
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Stresses the need to increase awareness of the Erasmus+ instrument as a means of improving an individual’s own skills, giving them an added dimension which should ensure the right approach to this instrument for the purpose of guaranteeing its effectiveness, eliminating the risk of turning it merely into a life experience;
Amendment 109 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Calls on the Member States to improve implementation of the European Qualifications Framework (2008/C111/01) and remove existing obstacles; calls on the Commission, Parliament and the Council to strengthen this tool so that the current recommendation may become an instrument with a stronger legal basis;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that the Erasmus+ programme is one of the key
Amendment 110 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Highlights that non-formal learning promotes basic skills and soft skills such as social and civic competences that are highly relevant for the labour market as well as well-being at work and a good work-life balance, as well as help integrate disadvantaged groups in the labour market and society;
Amendment 111 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. stresses that Erasmus + should be equally accessible to all citizens, including those with a disability, leading to inclusive mobility; believes Erasmus + should follow the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
Amendment 112 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Calls for an additional funding mechanism to be established to enable deaf students and teachers to participate in Erasmus+ and thereby overcome language barriers, particularly via the use of sign-language interpreters;
Amendment 113 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. Recalls the wide range of actions offered by the Erasmus+ programme, as well as its popularity and recognition by the general public, in particular as regards the mobility of students as part of their studies; calls on the Commission and the Member States to raise awareness about those parts of the Erasmus+ programme that are less well-known, such as the European Voluntary Service;
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. Recommends that this instrument should not provide a smoother route to a brain drain, but rather create opportunities to develop and supplement one’s own skills with a view to subsequently deploying them at home; considers that mobility has added value if and only if it is pursued on a voluntary basis and not if it is dictated by a lack of opportunities in the home country;
Amendment 115 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. Supports greater mobility in education and in apprenticeship programmes and traineeship periods under the Youth Guarantee and Youth Employment Initiative programmes, with the aim of trying to ease the high levels of youth unemployment and geographical imbalances within the European Union;
Amendment 116 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. Calls for the full and timely implementation of the Council Recommendation of 20 December 2012 on the validation of non-formal and informal learning;
Amendment 117 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 d (new) 4d. Points to the need for the Commission to provide up-to-date statistics and conduct follow-up studies on Erasmus+ and the VET mobility programmes, in order to be able to measure their impact and how they may potentially be improved, as well as to know in which countries there are the highest number of applications, the gender gap is greatest or there are more disabled applicants; calls on national agencies in Member States to work closely on the exchange of information and statistics; maintains that the results of the studies and statistics need to be included and taken into consideration in the next Erasmus+ review;
Amendment 118 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 d (new) 4d. Recalls that at a time of particular crisis of the fundamental values of the EU, the Erasmus+ instrument can provide a fundamental opportunity to promote integration, understanding and solidarity among young people; calls therefore for the integration of young people to be promoted by means of awareness of different cultures and traditions and their mutual and crucial respect;
Amendment 119 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 d (new) 4d. Calls on the Commission to regularly review the levels of financial support, such as travel lump sums, in order to ensure they are consistent with reality and to avoid discrimination, abandon or failure of people with fewer financial means and/or special requirements;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+
Amendment 120 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 d (new) 4d. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to complement the European Voluntary Service by not only achieving a positive impact on the employability of the participants, but also by achieving a positive impact on the local community in terms of fair working conditions;
Amendment 121 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 e (new) 4e. Insists that the Commission ensures that the programme rules are applied in a harmonised way across National Agencies, respecting common quality standards and procedural practices, and thus ensuring the internal and external coherence of Erasmus+ and positioning it as a true European programme; calls on the Commission to develop European implementation guidelines of the Erasmus+ programme for the National Agencies; strongly encourages better coordination between the agencies to match the projects working on similar issues;
Amendment 122 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 e (new) 4e. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to prevent that participants of the European Voluntary Service are used as unpaid workers; to make sure that contracts are respected and to monitor the programme and the conditions under which volunteers work and the activities they are required to carry out;
Amendment 123 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 f (new) 4f. Strongly encourages more transparency in the evaluation of applications and the extensive quality feedback to all applicants; encourages NAs and EACEA, in order to improve the implementation of the programme, to provide training opportunities for evaluators, organise regular meetings with beneficiaries and visits to projects;
Amendment 124 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 f (new) 4f. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to increase efforts to reduce the high administrative burden for institutions as well as for host companies involved in Erasmus+ projects in order to facilitate registration, validation and recognition processes;
Amendment 125 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 g (new) 4g. Proposes that the Commission maintains entrepreneurship education and training as one of the objectives of a future Erasmus+ programme in the next financial period (post-2020), including mobility, to contain the following elements: (i) careful assessment of the impact of existing measures promoting entrepreneurship through education and training and potentially adapt them, while paying special attention to the impact on under-represented and disadvantaged groups; (ii) promotion of better-defined learning contents and tools for formal and non- formal education targeting all students – both theoretical modules and practical modules, such as student entrepreneurial projects; (iii) promotion of partnerships between educational institutions, enterprises, non- profit organisations and non-formal education providers, in order to devise suitable courses and provide students with the requisite practical experience and models; (iv) development of skills in the areas of entrepreneurial processes, financial literacy, ICT literacy and skills, creative thinking, problem-solving and an innovative mind-set, self-confidence, adaptability, team-building, project management, risk assessment and risk- taking, as well as specific business skills and knowledge; (v) highlighting of non-formal and informal learning as a privileged environment to acquire entrepreneurship competences;
Amendment 126 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 g (new) 4g. Calls on the Commission and the National Agencies to better promote the relevance of projects that target several education and training sectors, as further emphasis needs to be given to the lifelong learning dimension of the programme;
Amendment 127 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 h (new) 4h. Encourages Member States to take further part in the Erasmus Programme for Young Entrepreneurs and to promote it further among young people who wish to engage in business projects, so that they can gain experience abroad and acquire new skills which will help them to carry out their business projects successfully;
Amendment 128 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 h (new) 4h. Encourages the development of joint VET qualifications that can ensure international recognition of qualifications, as well as address international work standards and requirements;
Amendment 129 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 i (new) 4i. Calls on the Commission to reinforce the contribution of Erasmus+ to citizenship, as well as social inclusion of people with physical, mental or health- related conditions, and to reflect the results in the implementation and mid- term review reports;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+ is one of the key drivers of youth labour mobility and European citizenship, contributes to growth, employment, competitiveness and social cohesion
Amendment 130 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 j (new) 4j. Strongly supports an efficient promotion and encouragement of VET mobility among women and considers that measures should be put in place in order to ensure that all mobility programmes within Erasmus+ are strictly gender balanced and offer true equal opportunities for all; considers that ambitious targets should be set in this regard and the progress should be strictly monitored;
Amendment 131 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 k (new) 4k. Highlights the importance of clear learning outcomes and specific job descriptions for the Erasmus+ work experiences abroad for vocational education and training students, trainees, and apprentices; stresses that the preparation of the candidates before their international experiences is an integral part of the activity and needs to include career guidance sessions, language trainings and cross-cultural communication;
Amendment 132 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 l (new) 4l. Is concerned that internships and traineeships are often a source of cheap labour; therefore, calls for quality paid traineeships and internships that would not substitute standard employment contracts;
Amendment 133 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 m (new) 4m. Strongly encourages the peer to peer learning following up from studies, training, and work experience abroad in order to increase the impact of Erasmus+ on local communities; highlights that good case practices sharing is vital to the improvement of the quality of the projects under Erasmus+;
Amendment 134 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 n (new) 4n. Calls on the Commission to draw up and make available updated statistics on Erasmus+ and the impact it has had on employability, as well as type and rate of employment, and impact on salaries;
Amendment 135 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 o (new) 4o. Calls on the Commission to analyse why some countries are applying for more VET mobility, and build a plan on how to increase the involvement of the other countries;
Amendment 136 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 p (new) 4p. Highlights that a redefinition of jobs and skills is taking place, especially due to the undergoing transition towards a more digitised economy; calls on the European Commission and the Member States to ensure that the Erasmus+ programme reflects this reality;
Amendment 137 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 q (new) 4q. Calls on the Commission to optimise the performance and user- friendliness of the IT tools, such as the Mobility Tool, or other IT support platforms like EPALE (Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe), in order to ensure that the programme beneficiaries make the most of their experiences, as well as promote cross- border collaboration & best practices sharing;
Amendment 138 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 r (new) 4r. Calls on the Commission to improve the programme guide and make it more user-friendly and understandable, as well as to develop specific information brochures on each of the Key Actions; calls on the European Commission to streamline the application process in terms of administrative burdens;
Amendment 139 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 s (new) 4s. Supports the development of adult learning institutions through on-going professional development and mobility opportunities for teachers, school leaders, trainers and other education staff; encourages the development of skills and competences, particularly in the effective use of ICT in adult learning, for improved learning outcomes; underlines the importance of exchanging best practices;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+
Amendment 140 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 t (new) 4t. Welcomes the development of pilot projects such the "European framework for mobility of apprentices: developing European citizenship and skills through youth integration in the labour market" aimed at implementing cost-efficient cross-border apprentice mobility schemes between VET institutions, companies and/or other relevant organisations, as well as formally recognizing and validating learning outcomes and supporting the mutual recognition of diplomas, and "Youth mobility in vocational training - Better youth mobility" aimed at improving the mobility of young people in vocational training; calls on the Commission for an effective implementation of the two pilot projects and their long-term integration in the Erasmus+ programme;
Amendment 141 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 u (new) 4u. Calls on the Member States under the Erasmus+ programme to promote the development of transversal entrepreneurial competences and skills, as well as other 21st century skills, by ensuring quality traineeships and studies abroad;
Amendment 142 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 v (new) 4v. Welcomes the Erasmus+ platform for dissemination of project results and calls for a stronger approach for good case practices sharing and international exchanges of views for NAs, partners, and programme beneficiaries;
Amendment 143 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 w (new) 4w. Calls on the Commission to guarantee an effective feedback system for the program beneficiaries on any irregularities that they might identify with respect to the implementation of the Erasmus+ programme;
Amendment 144 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 x (new) 4x. Calls on the Commission to provide support to programme applicants to find international partners;
Amendment 145 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 y (new) 4y. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that there is no preference of large institutions over small, young ones, in terms of programme applicants;
Amendment 146 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 z (new) 4z. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to guarantee an increased and more long-term structural support to European of civil society organisations in the field of education, training, youth and sport in the form of operating grants, as they are the organisations providing learning opportunities and participation spaces to European citizens and residents to develop and implement European policies;
Amendment 147 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a a (new) 4aa. Encourages the National Agencies to make the available budgets per Key Action and per sector, easily accessible after each application round in order to allow applicants to strategically plan their future actions, as well as publish the results of projects selection and budget lines, so that adequate external monitoring of the programme can take place;
Amendment 148 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 ab (new) 4ab. Calls on the Commission to consider an appropriate solution to the situation of the European level NGOs based in Brussels applying for funds in Belgian National Agencies;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+ is one of the key drivers of growth, employment, competitiveness and social cohesion in that it contributes to improving European education and training systems and employability,
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+ is one of the key drivers of growth, employment, competitiveness and social cohesion in that it contributes to improving European education and training systems and employability, and will provide
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+ is one of the key drivers of growth, employment, competitiveness and social cohesion in that it makes a positive contribut
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Recital B B. Whereas the results of the Erasmus Impact Study of 20141a show that those who have studied or trained abroad are twice as likely to find work compared to others who lack similar experience; __________________ 1ahttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_cultur e/repository/education/library/study/2014/ erasmus-impact_en.pdf
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+ is one of the key drivers of growth, employment, competitiveness and social cohesion in that it contributes to improving European education and training systems, active citizenship and employability, and provides Europeans with an opportunity to acquire transversal and transferable sets of skills and competences via studies, training, volunteering and work experience abroad;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+ is one of the key drivers of growth, employment, competitiveness and social cohesion in that it contributes to improving European education and training systems and employability, and to forging a European identity, and provides Europeans with an opportunity to acquire transversal and transferable sets of skills and competences via studies, training and work experience abroad;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+ is one of the key drivers of growth, employment, competitiveness and social cohesion in that it contributes to improving European education and training systems and employability, and provides Europeans with an opportunity to acquire transversal and transferable sets of skills and competences via studies, training and work experience abroad; Considers that Erasmus+ is one of the key pillars to get the European population used to Lifelong Learning as the new model;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+ is one of the key drivers of growth, employment, competitiveness and social cohesion in that it contributes to improving European education and training systems and employability, and provides Europeans with an opportunity to acquire transversal and transferable sets of skills and competences via studies, training and work experience abroad; reiterates its call for improved opportunities for VET students to do work placements in neighbouring countries, e.g. by funding the travel costs of students who continue to reside in their home country; considers moreover that it is valuable to young people to have opportunities for contact with businesses and labour market organisations even during their studies in order to improve the transition to the labour market;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Considers that Erasmus+ is one of the key drivers of growth, employment, competitiveness and social cohesion in that it contributes to improving European education and training systems, particularly vocational training through apprenticeships, and employability, and provides Europeans with an opportunity to acquire transversal and transferable sets of skills and competences via studies, training and work experience abroad, in particular in the framework of an apprenticeship abroad; regrets that still only a small number of apprentices embark on training abroad; encourages the Member States to provide young apprentices with better information on the possibilities open to them and to give more support to learning centres seeking to become involved in the Erasmus+ programme, but also to put in place ancillary measures to assist apprentices with accommodation and transport;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Emphasises that the number of study periods completed abroad through the Erasmus scheme has been steadily increasing since 2008, despite the economic, financial and social crisis; draws attention to the fact that, at the same time, the number of work placements abroad has increased exponentially; concludes that work placements are obviously regarded by young people as an excellent opportunity to enhance their employability; recommends that the Commission and national agencies, organisers and institutions take note of this development;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Regrets that growing inequality within and between Member States, and the high youth unemployment rate in the EU, particularly in southern European countries, are making access to the programme difficult as they create barriers to mobility for applicants from regions with a lower income that have been more heavily hit by the economic crisis and the cuts;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Urges the Member States to fully implement the Erasmus+ programme, thereby fostering further cross-border career and labour mobility; recalls that mobility in training is a key asset for entering the labour market; stresses the importance of the implementation of a European framework for mobility in learning and vocational training;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Highlights that one of the main end results of Erasmus+ should be closing the skills gap and increasing employability; in this context, outlines that, when measuring the programme's efficiency and success, these indicators should be taken into account;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Recognises that Erasmus+ and its predecessor programmes play a vital role for fostering European integration among European youth and promoting common fundamental values;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Recital C C. Whereas the unemployment rate for those have studied or trained abroad is 23% lower after five years of graduating1a; __________________ 1ahttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_cultur e/repository/education/library/study/2014/ erasmus-impact_en.pdf
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Considers that having more widely available and accessible programmes with fewer bureaucratic obstacles may help promote equal access by beneficiaries in the various Member States;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Stresses the need to promote Erasmus+ among vocational training students as it is very beneficial in terms of personal development, critical thinking and better prospects for employment;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 d (new) 1d. Calls on the Commission and the Member States, including EU agencies such as Cedefop, to improve the quality, accessibility and equality of access to VET mobility programmes so that they deliver added value for all participants as regards qualification, recognition and content, and to ensure that quality standards are introduced for apprenticeship programmes;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 e (new) 1e. Emphasises that imbalances between the Member States concerning admission criteria for the programme mean that opportunities for accessing the programme are not equal; calls on the Commission and the national agencies to standardise the access criteria with a view to making it accessible to the highest number of applicants possible;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 f (new) 1f. Notes that owing to be being difficult to obtain information on the programmes, Erasmus+ is viewed by younger members of the population as a higher education programme, and in the end this discourages students; calls on the Commission and the Member States to renew efforts to simplify the programme’s contents and terms and conditions and make them more accessible; maintains that information on this programme has to be provided in all the official and co- official languages of the European Union in order to encourage greater involvement;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that inclusive quality vocational education and training (VET) and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe as a mechanism which can lead
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET) and VET mobility play a vital
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET) a
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET) and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe, in a rapidly changing labour market, as a mechanism leading to equal opportunities for all citizens, including those from socially disadvantaged groups, unemployed young people, migrants and women, who are all under-represented in VET;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET) and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe as a mechanism leading to equal opportunities for all citizens, including those from socially disadvantaged groups, unemployed young people, migrants and women, who are all under-represented in VET; calls on the Commission and the Member States to
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Recital D D. Whereas 85% of Erasmus students study or train abroad to enhance their employability abroad1a ; __________________ 1ahttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_cultur e/repository/education/library/study/2014/ erasmus-impact_en.pdf
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET) and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe as a mechanism for training young people and adults for professional life and thus helping them to rapidly find a stable place on the labour market, but also as a mechanism leading to equal opportunities for all citizens, including those from socially disadvantaged groups, unemployed young people, migrants and women, who are all under-represented in VET; calls on the Commission and the Member States to
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET) and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe as a mechanism leading to equal opportunities for all citizens
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET) and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe as a mechanism leading to equal opportunities for all citizens, including those from socially disadvantaged groups
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET) and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe as a mechanism leading to equal opportunities for all citizens, including those from socially disadvantaged groups,
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET)
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET) and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe as a mechanism leading to equal opportunities for all citizens, including those from socially disadvantaged groups, unemployed young
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET) and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe as a mechanism leading to equal opportunities for all citizens, including those from socially disadvantaged groups, unemployed young people, migrants and women, who are all under-represented in VET; takes the view that Erasmus+ grants should match students’ real living expenses in individual countries so that all students can take part in the programme regardless of their social background; calls on the Commission and the Member States to position VET as a choice which leads to a promising career, make it accessible to all, ensure gender balance and non-
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET) and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe as a mechanism leading to equal opportunities for all citizens, including those from socially disadvantaged groups, unemployed young people, migrants and women, who are all under-represented in VET; calls on the Commission and the Member States to position VET as a choice which leads to a promising career, make it accessible to all,
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET), non-formal and informal learning and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe as a mechanism leading to equal opportunities for all citizens, including those from socially disadvantaged groups, unemployed young people, migrants and women, who are all under-represented in VET; calls on the Commission and the Member States to position VET as a top choice
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Recital E Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET) and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe as a mechanism leading to equal opportunities for all citizens, including those from socially disadvantaged groups, unemployed young people, migrants and women, who are all under-represented in VET; calls on the Commission and the Member States to position VET as a choice which leads to a promising career, make it accessible to all, including for persons with a disability, to ensure gender balance and non- discrimination, encourage take up among these groups, and guarantee that it is adequately funded;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the fact that vocational education and training (VET) and VET mobility play a vital economic and social role in Europe as a mechanism leading to equal opportunities for all citizens, including those from socially disadvantaged groups, unemployed young people, migrants and women, who are all under-represented in VET; calls on the Commission and the Member States to position VET as a choice which leads to a promising career, make it accessible to all ages, ensure gender balance and non- discrimination, and guarantee that it is adequately funded;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Acknowledges that, with regard to the high youth unemployment rates in certain Member States, a primary objective of Erasmus+ is to prepare young people for employment; at the same time places particular emphasis on the need to preserve the status of activities outside of school, vocational training and study within the Erasmus+ programme;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Stresses that Erasmus and Leonardo previously mainly addressed young people of higher skills and with better labour market access options and fell short in targeting the most vulnerable; points to the EU target to decrease early school leaving and poverty; stresses that early school leavers, a high risk group for poverty and unemployment, should be strongly targeted by Member States in implementing Erasmus+; stresses that programs for early school leavers cannot be the standard mainstream VET or exchange programs but should focus on their specific needs, on easy access and uncomplicated funding hand in hand with informal or non-formal learning environments;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Reminds the Commission that people with disabilities have special needs and therefore need access to greater information and a reasonable grant so they are able to enter the Erasmus+ programme and the mobility programmes; calls on the Commission to continue its work on introducing further measures to remove barriers and prevent discrimination in regard to access to the programmes;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Considers that there is room for improvement in the promotion of youth work, artistic and cultural activities, political participation, adult education and mass sports; calls for the Youth in Action and Grundtvig programmes not to be disregarded in future either;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to position VET as a choice which leads to a promising career, make it accessible to all, ensure gender balance and non-discrimination, and increase its funding;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Notes that in the implementation of the VET system and VET mobility, there are repeated instances in different countries of VET programme participants being used for tasks and competences expected of an employee but not suitable for a student in a traineeship, of the line drawn between working hours and study being breached, or of irregularities in regard to the payment terms laid down in the programme; calls on the Commission and the Member States, as well as the social partners, to improve monitoring of these programmes and report situations where conditions concerning the beneficiary’s tasks are infringed;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to increase training opportunities abroad of VET learners as it will provide them with professional and life skills needed for a transition from education and training to work;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Recital F F. Whereas 64% of employers say graduates with an international background are given greater professional responsibility1a ; __________________ 1ahttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_cultur e/repository/education/library/study/2014/ erasmus-impact_en.pdf
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 c (new) 2c. Points out that traineeship systems, VET and VET mobility are systems expected to result in beneficiaries’ personal and professional development and ought to be considered as an apprenticeship system, and that in no instance should the competences attributed to beneficiaries be replaced by those proper to an employee;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 d (new) 2d. Calls on the Commission to present and the Member States to endorse a proposal for an EU apprenticeship status to guarantee a set of rights for those apprentices and VET students who make use of their right to free movement, so as to ensure that their efforts are recognised and their rights are protected;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 e (new) 2e. Advocates that a green paper on vocational education, traineeships and mobility, as well as the recognition of skills and competences in Europe, be drawn up in cooperation with the main social partners and youth organisations; said green paper ought to establish ethical criteria for competences in VET and traineeship systems;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 f (new) 2f. Calls on the Commission, the Member States and the agencies to take the ‘brain drain’ factor into consideration and implement mobility programmes in such a way as to ensure that once trained, people return to their educational institution in their country of origin for a defined minimum period at least; calls therefore for all necessary means to be employed to avoid worsening this situation, especially in those Member States most hit by the crisis and the cuts;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 g (new) 2g. Notes that the funds set aside for Erasmus+ and VET are not proportional to the number of needs of potential applicants for the mobility programmes on offer; asks that the Commission and the Member States raise the funding for budget lines for mobility programmes and VET mobility;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 h (new) 2h. Considers it unacceptable that students have to take out bank loans in order to take part in Erasmus+ mobility programmes; considers that indebtedness during a training period has a negative effect on entry onto the job market; asks that systems be established for accessible, inclusive and widely available grants so that no student is excluded on account of not having sufficient income to cope with a mobility programme;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls on the Commission to work with the Members States on stronger cooperation between education establishments and key stakeholders (businesses, VET facilities, research organisations, social partners,
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls on the Commission to work with the Member
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Considers the quality and positive effects of such mobility programmes also depend on measures supporting social and cultural next to language integration as this will foster people's participation in society and will improve their working and living conditions; calls on the Commission to work with the Members States on stronger cooperation between education establishments and key stakeholders (youth representatives and organisations, actors from learning institutions, businesses, VET facilities, research organisations, social and solidarity economy, social partners, local/regional authorities
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls on the Commission to work with the Members States on stronger cooperation between education establishments and key stakeholders (businesses, VET facilities, research
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Recital G G. Whereas one in three Erasmus trainees is offered a job at the enterprise where they did their traineeship1a ; __________________ 1ahttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_cultur e/repository/education/library/study/2014/ erasmus-impact_en.pdf
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls on the Commission to work with the Members States on stronger cooperation between education establishments and key stakeholders (businesses, VET facilities, research organisations, social partners, local/regional authorities and the youth sector) in order to enhance the responsiveness of the education and VET systems to labour market needs, and to guarantee that this cooperation is reflected in Erasmus+; believes that
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls on the Commission to work with the Members States on a stronger cooperation between education
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls on the Commission to work with the Members States on stronger cooperation between education establishments and key stakeholders (businesses, VET facilities, research organisations, social partners, local/regional authorities and the youth sector) in order to
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls on the Commission to work with the Members States on stronger cooperation between education establishments and key stakeholders (businesses, VET facilities, research organisations, social partners, local/regional authorities and the youth sector) in order to enhance the responsiveness of the education and VET systems to genuine labour market needs, and to guarantee that this cooperation is reflected in Erasmus+, thereby reinforcing the two-way nature of this process and interactions between them; believes that active involvement of beneficiaries in the design and implementation of the programme increases its success and added value;
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls on the Commission to work with the Members States on stronger cooperation between education establishments and key stakeholders
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls on the Commission to work with the Members States on stronger cooperation between education establishments and key stakeholders (businesses, VET facilities, research organisations, social partners, chambers of commerce and industry, the equivalent professional bodies for craft trades and farmers, local/regional authorities and the youth sector) in order to enhance the responsiveness of the education and VET systems to labour market needs, and to guarantee that this cooperation is reflected in Erasmus+; believes that active involvement of beneficiaries in the design and implementation of the programme increases its success and added value;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Encourages the National Agencies, besides managing the top-down implementation of the Erasmus+ programme, also to focus on setting up a forum for constructive dialogue between the authorities in charge with education and labour policies in each Member State, in order to enhance the cooperation aiming to close the skills gap; considers that this undertaking and the data it would gather may be essential during the mid-term evaluation of Erasmus+;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls on the Commission to present and the Member-States to endorse a proposal for an EU Apprenticeship status and scheme to guarantee a set of rights for those apprentices and VET learners who make use of their right to free movement, so as to ensure that their efforts are recognized and their rights are protected;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls for greater promotion of mobility programmes for advanced levels of higher education to ensure mobility between European research centres and further develop the aim of making European universities international;
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls on the Commission to improve and increase the flow of information between the European institutions responsible for implementing the programme and the national bodies;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Recital H H. Whereas almost 1 in 10 Erasmus trainees who did work placements have started their own company and 3 out of 4 plan to or can envisage to do so1a ; __________________ 1ahttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_cultur e/repository/education/library/study/2014/ erasmus-impact_en.pdf
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to tackle the significant number of examples of fraudulent use of the traineeship system by reviewing, assessment and monitoring the goals of the European Education and Training 2020 Strategy; maintains that said goals need to be reviewed in order to step up protection for students on traineeships; points out that continuous development programmes should be given a central role in mobility programmes as a way of updating professional skills and competences;
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 c (new) 3c. States that the Erasmus+ programme and VET need to be active in remote and border regions of the European Union too; considers guaranteeing access and equal opportunities for inhabitants of these regions to be a very positive move and a vehicle to cut youth unemployment and aid economic recovery.
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that, despite clear improvements in recognition and validation systems in education and VET, problems still persist;
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that, despite clear improvements in recognition and validation systems in education and VET, problems still persist;
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that, despite clear improvements in recognition and validation systems in education and VET, problems still persist;
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that, despite clear improvements in recognition and validation systems in education and VET
Amendment 88 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that, despite clear improvements in recognition and validation systems in education and VET, problems – which need to be clearly identified and overcome – still persist; calls for specific
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that, despite clear improvements in recognition and validation systems of diplomas, credits, skills certificates, competency accreditations in education and VET, problems still persist; calls for specific targets such as the implementation of a fully operational credit transfer system and recognition, and for validation of competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning.
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Recital I I. Whereas the Erasmus+ programme, which runs from 2014 to 2020, aims to modernise education, training and youth work across Europe and is open to education, training, youth and sports organisations across all sectors of lifelong learning; whereas it will provide opportunities for over 4 million Europeans to study, train, gain work experience and volunteer abroad;
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that, despite clear improvements in recognition and validation systems in education and VET, problems still persist; calls for specific targets such as the implementation of a fully operational credit transfer system and
Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that, despite clear improvements in recognition and validation systems in education and VET, problems still persist; calls for specific targets such as the implementation of a fully operational credit transfer system and recognition, and for validation of competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that, despite clear improvements in recognition and validation systems in education and VET, problems still persist; calls for specific targets such as the implementation of a fully operational credit transfer system and recognition, and for validation of competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that, despite clear improvements in recognition and validation systems in education and VET, problems still persist; calls for specific targets such as the implementation of a fully operational credit transfer system and recognition of competences and qualifications, particularly those acquired during an apprenticeship or traineeship abroad, and for validation of competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning.
Amendment 94 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) Continues to express concern that Erasmus+ is viewed by young people primarily as a programme for students in higher education; recommends, therefore, that greater importance be attached to raising the profile at European, national and regional level of the different areas and the sub-programmes relating to each area, including school-level education (Comenius), higher education (Erasmus), international higher education (Erasmus Mundus), vocational education and training (Leonardo da Vinci) and adult education (Grundtvig), as well as youth (Youth in Action) and sport;
Amendment 95 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Highlights that non-formal adult education and learning promotes basic skills and soft skills such as social and civic competences that are relevant for the labour market as well as well-being at work and a good work-life balance; points out that non-formal adult education and learning plays a crucial role in reaching out to disadvantaged groups of society and helping them develop skills that support them in entering the labour market and finding a sustainable and quality job, or improving their employment situation as well as contributing to a more democratic Europe;
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Points out that Erasmus + is generally regarded by the media and public opinion merely as a ‘study programme’ and recommends therefore, notably by means of an information campaign, that efforts be made to help improve PR work in respect of the content of all programmes, in particular sub- programmes, such as school education (Comenius), higher education (Erasmus), international higher education (Erasmus Mundus), vocational education and training (Leonardo da Vinci) and adult education (Grundtvig), youth (Youth in Action) and sport;
Amendment 97 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Stresses the need to recognise the skills and competences acquired through non-formal and informal apprenticeships, these being useful qualifications when acquiring skills for a trade; calls on the Commission and the Member States to validate and recognise the various kinds of non-formal and informal apprenticeships; considers that ‘Youthpass’ should be made a worthwhile addition to the curriculum vitae so that it may be taken into account as training and counted as work for the purposes of unemployment allowances;
Amendment 98 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Urges the Commission to encourage the integration into the labour market of young people in training by means of work-related training schemes, particularly through supporting the experimental long-term mobility programme for apprentices, involving all actors engaged in promoting learning, and emphasises in this respect the need to allocate sufficient funds to promoting apprentice mobility by opening the Erasmus allocations to apprentices under the same conditions as those offered to students;
Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Considers that there is room for general improvement within the framework of Erasmus+ with regard to support for people with disabilities; considers that there is a need for greater financial flexibility with regard to projects involving people with disabilities; considers it worthwhile to appoint so- called coaches for such projects within national agencies, said coaches serving to advise organisers and institutions on the best possible use of funding;
source: 589.405
2016/10/17
BUDG
34 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Points out that Erasmus+ is the EU’s flagship mobility, education and training programme
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Welcomes the structure of the programme with separate budget chapters per sector and encourages the Commission to keep separate budget chapters in the proposal for the next generation of programmes;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 c (new) 2c. Recognises the economic and social value of volunteering and encourages the Commission to support better volunteer based organisations across the programme actions;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Notes regional imbalances at EU level and among areas within Member States in participation in Erasmus+-funded actions; is concerned that the success rates of its actions are relatively low, and divergent across the EU; calls for targeted and timely action to widen participation and improve success rates
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Notes regional imbalances in participation in Erasmus+-funded actions;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Notes regional imbalances in participation in Erasmus+-funded actions; is concerned that the success rates of its actions are relatively low, and divergent across the EU; calls for targeted and timely action to widen participation and improve success rates, seeking to earmark some of the funding for specific measures to promote and raise awareness of this initiative, particularly in those regions where access to funding has remained relatively low;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Notes regional imbalances in participation in Erasmus+-funded actions; is concerned that the success rates of its actions are relatively low, and divergent across the EU; calls for targeted and timely action to widen participation and improve success rates; proposes that the co- financing rate for this programme be reduced to minimum but sustainable levels;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Welcomes the Commission proposal to increase the commitments for Erasmus+ by EUR 200 million for the rest of the current MFF, and to increase the payments by 4.5 % in the 2017 draft budget; calls on the Commission to pay particular attention to the long-term mobility of apprentices in allocating Erasmus grants; notes that 48 % of national agencies (NAs) report that programme actions are under-budgeted; calls on the Commission to propose an adequate multiannual payment plan;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Welcomes the Commission proposal to increase the commitments for Erasmus+ by EUR 200 million for the rest of the current MFF, and to increase the payments by 4.5 % in the 2017 draft budget; notes that 48 % of national agencies (NAs) report that programme actions are under-budgeted; calls on the Commission to propose an adequate multiannual payment plan designed to guarantee the sustainability of projects from their initial phase until completion; proposes that the Commission increase pre-financing so that there are more categories of beneficiaries and a fixed payment schedule is established for the projects implemented;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Points out that Erasmus+ is the EU’s flagship
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Notes that the greater positive effect of, and higher demand for, Erasmus+ mobility grants in eastern and southern Europe contrast with a limited overall programme budget, which leads to a high proportion of rejected applications; calls for regional funding quotas to be withdrawn and the programme to be extended to include all applicants who meet the criteria regardless of their area of origin; proposes that the Commission step up efforts to promote mobility from West to East, which is much needed in order to boost mutual awareness and achieve the objectives of the Erasmus+ programme;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Stresses that the youth chapter of the programme is the one suffering the most from the increasing interest in the Erasmus+ from European citizens. Notes that at the moment 36% of all Erasmus+ submissions are in the field of youth with a 60% increase in submissions between 2014 and 2016;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Invites the Commission and, respectively, DG EAC and EACEA to enable further promotion of decentralised actions such as Key Action 2 by proposing adequate and proportional to the size of the actions funding;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Notes that Erasmus+ implementation in EU's regions reveals different funding demands and intervention priorities which require some Member States to refocus the programme intervention to ensure cost-effectiveness of the money spent;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Is concerned by NAs' difficulties in interpretation and application of programme rules; recalls that 82% of Erasmus+ budget is managed under decentralised actions; calls on the Commission to streamline definitions and improve guidance on decentralised actions in order to ensure best results for the EU budget and avoid error rates;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Notes that 75 % of NAs reported a high administrative burden, which decreases EU budget investment capacity and threatens to have a direct impact on beneficiaries; calls on the Directorate- General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) to improve implementation, especially in the application process;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Notes that 75 % of NAs reported a high administrative burden, which decreases EU budget investment capacity; calls on the Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Welcomes the simplified financial management and the use of unit cost system; notes that due to regulatory requirements some Member States cannot apply it or find cost levels inadequate as compared to actual cost; is concerned that NAs' report higher audit burden;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Suggests more flexibility to NAs in the financial management of grant requests based on beneficiaries needs within and among the Key Actions;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Points out that Erasmus+ is the EU’s flagship mobility, education and training programme, which has been allocated a 40 % budget increase as compared to the 2007-2013 period, given the positive results and high demand; notes that it is designed to improve career prospects for young people and help participants enrol on social networks;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Believes that NA performance should be regularly assessed and improved in order to safeguard the performance of EU-funded actions;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Supports increased effectiveness and efficiency through larger-scale projects; notes, however, that there has to be balance between small and large groups of applicants;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Regrets that due to high level of administrative burden Erasmus+ funding can be unreachable for smaller organisations; believes that bureaucracy and reporting requirements should be simplified;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Regrets that the lengthy payment periods in Erasmus+ affects the possibilities of smaller organization to apply for funding;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Is of the opinion that volunteering should be considered eligible as a source of own contribution to the project budget as this facilitates the participation of smaller organizations; welcomes the CULT proposal in this regard;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Recognises that investment from the EU budget under Erasmus+ contributes significantly to skills improvement,
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Recognises that investment from the EU budget under Erasmus+ contributes significantly to skills improvement,
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Recognises that investment from the EU budget under Erasmus+ contributes significantly to skills improvement
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Recognises that investment from the EU budget under Erasmus+ contributes significantly to skills improvement, employability and a lower risk of long- term unemployment for young Europeans as well as active citizenship and social inclusion of young people;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Recognises that investment from the EU budget under Erasmus+ contributes significantly to skills improvement, employability and a lower risk of long- term unemployment for young Europeans; calls, therefore, for efforts to be intensified to ensure that Erasmus+ projects that have achieved results continue to be supported, so that the activities carried out under these projects continue to produce positive effects;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Acknowledges the importance of the Erasmus+ Programme as one of the main flagship initiatives of the Union and encourages the Commission to propose a level of annual funding for the next generation of programmes of at least the same level as the last year of implementation of the current framework;
source: 592.251
2016/10/24
CULT
238 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 a (new) - having regard to Protocol (No 1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) on the role of national Parliaments in the European Union,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. having regard to the call for adjustments to Erasmus+ from the Lifelong Learning Platform, an umbrella for European organisations active in the field of education, training and youth, and which includes recommendations from educational actors and civil society;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Encourages the Commission to continue its efforts towards an open, consultative and transparent way of working and to further improve its cooperation with partners at all levels of implementation; stresses, to this end, the need to involve stakeholders and beneficiaries in the Programme Committee meetings; highlights that, in line with Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013, this could be facilitated by the establishment of standing sub-committees involving representatives of stakeholders and beneficiaries, sectorial National Agencies, Members of the European Parliament and representatives from the Member States;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Stresses the important role of the Programme Committee, as imposed in the regulation 1288/2013 establishing Erasmus+, as a key actor in the implementation of the programme and furthering the European added value through an enhanced complementarity and synergy with the Erasmus+ and policies at national level; calls a stronger role of the Programme committee and its role in policy decisions; invites the Commission to share detailed information about the distribution of centralized funds to the Programme Committee;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Underlines that IT tools should not be understood only as a vector for management, application and administrative processes, but they can provide also valuable ways of keeping in touch with beneficiaries, and for facilitating peer-to-peer contact amongst them, potentially providing support for many other processes, e.g. feedback from beneficiaries, reciprocal mentoring, and enhancing the visibility of the programme;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Calls on the Commission to ensure the regular exchange of information and good cooperation between the implementation bodies at European level and national agencies on both decentralised and centralised programme actions; notes with concern that 57.1 % of national agencies in northern Europe say that they are very dissatisfied with this cooperation and that the majority of national agencies are suffering from a total lack of collaboration with the Executive Agency;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Calls on the Commission to ensure the regular exchange of information and good cooperation between the implementation bodies and civil society organisations at European level and national agencies on both decentralised and centralised programme actions; calls on the NA to provide all the necessary information on their homepages in the same format and with the same content;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Calls on the Commission to ensure the regular exchange of information and good cooperation between national authorities, the implementation bodies at European level and national agencies on both decentralised and centralised programme actions;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13a (new) 13a. Calls on the Commission to review the payment modalities to national agencies, the deadlines for applications and the appropriation periods and to adjust them accordingly; points out that greater flexibility in mobility grants and administrative costs in favour of longer stays abroad should be made possible for the national agencies;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Encourages the facilitating of contacts among European Commission, NAs, programme beneficiaries, representatives of civil society organisations and EACEA by developing a communication platform for exchanging information and good practices where all related stakeholders can receive quality information, as well as share their experiences and suggestions for further programme improvements;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Calls on the European Commission to develop, in collaboration with National Agencies, European implementation guidelines for the National Agencies of the Erasmus+ programme. The aim of this is to increase the transparency of the application and evaluation procedures and ensure that extensive quality feedback is given to all applicants;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13a (new) 13a. Calls on the Commission, the EACEA and the national agencies to find ways and provide the necessary support to increase awareness of the Erasmus+ programme among potential applicants and provide or strengthen specific offers of support in the application process;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Encourages further fostering of cooperation between the NAs and EACEA in order to promote centralised actions of the Erasmus+ programme, provide additional information about them to potential applicants and exchange feedback on improving their implementation process;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Encourages the European Commission to give more flexibility to NAs to move funds within KAs in order to overcome the potential funding gaps based on beneficiaries needs, for instance between KA1 Youth Exchanges and Youth Workers mobility;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Encourages the European Commission to give more flexibility to national agencies to move funds within key actions in order to overcome the potential funding gaps between the individual actions, based on beneficiaries needs;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 b (new) 13b. Encourages the facilitating of contacts among European Commission, NAs, programme beneficiaries, representatives of civil society organisations and EACEA by developing a communication platform for exchanging information and good practices where all related stakeholders can receive quality information, as well as share their experiences and suggestions for further programme improvements;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13b (new) 13b. Is concerned over the decreasing number of pool projects under Leonardo and calls for the national agencies to have more decision-making scope on the amount of administrative expenditure subsidies, so that they can take national particularities such as the dual system into account more effectively;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Suggests that the organisational structure of the relevant Commission services be aligned with the structure of the programme, a prerequisite for the success of the programme;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14a (new) 14a. Calls for further efforts to be made to reduce bureaucracy across the project cycle, in order to simplify the programme guide, registration, application forms, financing rules, reporting requirements, etc. and to set the costs appropriately and in relation to the budget or type of project; suggests that the programme guide be set out in a more user-friendly and clear way, for example according to target group; suggests that application forms be made available earlier in future, that possible changes, provided they are necessary, be made known and that the forms be published in all official languages in order to make it easier for all applicants, particularly new and small organisations with limited resources to fill them out;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Calls on the European Commission to ensure the consistent application of programme rules and regulations across the National Agencies, observing common quality standards, project evaluation, and administrative procedures, thus guaranteeing the uniform and coherent implementation of Erasmus+ programme;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Calls on the European Commission to ensure the consistent application of programme rules and regulations across the National Agencies, observing common quality standards, project evaluation, and administrative procedures, thus guaranteeing the uniform and coherent implementation of Erasmus+ programme;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 b (new) 14b. Underlines the necessity of pursuing improvements in the programme, making it more user-friendly, taking into consideration the importance of differentiating among various sectors and groups of beneficiaries; encourages the European Commission to transform the programme guide and make it more user-orientated and sector-specific;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the programme
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Encourages the European Commission to work on improving programme attractiveness by simplifying administrative procedures and requirements, especially for schools and smaller-scale organisations, VET school, adult education, the youth sector and newcomers who often find the programme challenging to participate in;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 c (new) 14c. Encourages the European Commission to work on improving programme attractiveness by simplifying administrative procedures and requirements, especially for schools and smaller-scale organisations, VET school, adult education, the youth sector and newcomers who often find the programme challenging to participate in;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 b (new) 14b. Encourages the European Commission to work on improving programme attractiveness by simplifying administrative procedures and requirements, especially for schools and smaller-scale organisations, VET school, adult education, the youth sector and newcomers who often find the programme challenging to participate in;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 b (new) 14b. Welcomes the actions of the European Commission to simplify application procedures, project management, accounting and reporting; encourages further reduction of administrative burdens by streamlining forms, making them promptly available in all official languages, and providing clear indication regarding documents needed at each stage;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 d (new) 14d. Welcomes the actions of the European Commission to simplify application procedures, project management, accounting and reporting; encourages further reduction of administrative burdens by streamlining forms, making them promptly available in all official languages, and providing clear indication regarding documents needed at each stage;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 c (new) 14c. Welcomes the actions of the European Commission to simplify application procedures, project management, accounting and reporting; encourages further reduction of administrative burdens by streamlining forms, making them promptly available in all official languages, and providing clear indication regarding documents needed at each stage;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Calls for
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Calls for further improvement of the relevant IT tools, which have been criticised by more than 55.6 % of national agencies, and for the focus to be put on streamlining and improving connections between the different tools rather than developing new ones; notes that the opaqueness of IT tools puts small-scale candidates and small projects at a particular disadvantage, as they often have access to fewer economic and human resources with which to overcome administrative difficulties;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Calls for further improvement of the relevant IT tools and for the focus to be put on streamlining, user-friendliness and improving connections between the different tools rather than developing new ones;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Calls for further improvement of the relevant IT tools and for the focus to be put on streamlining and improving connections between the different tools rather than developing new ones; invites, in such a context, to remember that portable applications are amongst the favourite means of interacting with the web used by our young citizens;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the programme’s high political and economic relevance is reflected in the budget increase of 40 % for the programme period, although not operational until 2017, and the commitment rate of the foreseen budget which has reached nearly 100 % with a high number of applications;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Calls on the Commission to develop further the eTwinning, School Education Gateway, Open Education Europe, EPALE, European Youth Portal and VALOR IT platforms in order to make them more attractive and user-friendly; asks the Commission to include an evaluation of these platforms in the Erasmus+ mid-term evaluation; in particular, calls for clarifying and simplifying the financial section of the e- form;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Calls on the Commission to develop further the eTwinning, School Education Gateway, Open Education Europe, EPALE, European Youth Portal and VALOR IT platforms in order to make them more attractive and user-friendly; asks the Commission to include an evaluation of these platforms in the Erasmus+ mid-term evaluation, to be presented at the end of 2017;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Calls on the Commission to develop further the eTwinning, School Education Gateway, Open Education Europe, EPALE, European Youth Portal and VALOR IT platforms in order to make them more attractive
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Calls on the European Commission to strengthen the school education dimension of the programme, allowing for more mobility for pupils, school staff, for more school class exchanges, as well as simplification of funding and administrative procedures for schools and non-formal education providers, whereby taking advantage of the general intention of Erasmus+ to foster cross-sectorial cooperation, and with a view to encourage youth organisations or activities to involve partnerships with schools;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Calls on the Commission to strengthen the school education dimension of the programme, allowing for more mobility of pupils, simplification of funding and administrative procedures for schools and for non-formal education providers to support schools in organising pupil mobility, exploiting the benefits of cross-sectoral cooperation;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16a (new) 16a. Calls on the Commission to publish the Erasmus+ guide at the same time as the application forms to make it more accessible and make the deadline easier to meet;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Calls on the Commission to simplify and develop user-friendly administrative procedures and to consider gradual acceleration of the application procedure within Erasmus+;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16b. Encourages the Commission to strengthen youth work and informal and non-formal education development practices within the programme by supporting youth organisations and other youth work providers;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16b. Encourages the Commission to strengthen youth work and non-formal education development practices within the programme by supporting youth organisations and other youth work providers, as well as by continuing the support to the EU-Council of Europe youth partnership;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Welcomes the introduction of two types of strategic partnerships as a first and important positive step towards increasing the chances for
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas not all relevant data for a full quantitative and qualitative analysis of the implementation are yet available,
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Welcomes the introduction of two types of strategic partnerships as a first and important positive step towards inc
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17.
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Welcomes the introduction of two types of strategic partnerships as a first and important positive step towards increasing the chances for small-sized organisations to participate in the programme; calls on the Commission to make
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Welcomes the introduction of two types of strategic partnerships as a first and important positive step towards increasing the chances for small-sized organisations to participate in the programme; calls on the Commission to make further improvements in order to
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Welcomes the introduction of two types of strategic partnerships as a first and important positive step towards increasing the chances for small-sized organisations to participate in the programme; calls on the Commission to make further improvements in order to include more small-sized organisations in programme activities; highlights, however, the fact that many national agencies responsible for the chapter on youth are concerned about the removal of the ‘national youth initiatives’ sub-section, a decision which works in favour of transnational projects and to the detriment of local, regional and national projects, thus putting small projects or projects run by informal groups of young people at a disadvantage;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Welcomes the introduction of two types of strategic partnerships as a first and important positive step towards increasing the chances for small-sized organisations to participate in the programme; calls on the Commission to make further improvements in order to include more small-sized organisations in programme activities, Emphasizes the need to involve diverse participating organisations as other actors into the programme activities, such as civil society organisations, public bodies, enterprises, commercial service providers and to keep a balance among them;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Welcomes the introduction of two types of strategic partnerships as a first and important positive step towards increasing the chances for small-sized organisations to participate in the programme; calls on the Commission to make further improvements in order to include more small-sized organisations in programme activities, as they often have difficulties meeting the requirements and are thereby discriminated against, which detracts from the programme’s reputation and persuasiveness;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Welcomes the introduction of two types of strategic partnerships as a first and important positive step towards increasing the chances for small-sized organisations to participate in the programme; calls on the Commission to make further improvements in order to include more small-sized organisations in programme activities with the final goal to increase their share in the programme keeping in mind quality requirements;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17a (new) 17a. recommends that subsidy amounts in the school cooperation sector be reduced to the benefit of the amount of subsidised projects, in order to subsidise school exchanges directly and thus make more personal encounters between people of different cultures and languages possible; underlines the significance of personal experiences with people of different cultural backgrounds with regard to the promotion of a European identity and the basic idea of European integration and recommends attempts be made to let the greatest possible number of people participate, which should certainly be the case for all programme aims; welcomes in that connection the improvements which have already taken place but expects the rules to be made more flexible as part of the strategic partnership by the national agencies and the Commission;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Notes, in the context of new societal challenges for Europe, the need to strengthen a European approach to face common European challenges by supporting large scale innovation projects in the field of education, training and youth carried out by European Civil Society networks; points out that this could be best done by allocating 5% of overall KA2 "Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices" of Erasmus+ funding to centralised actions;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas not all relevant data for a full quantitative and qualitative analysis of the implementation are yet available, whereas it is therefore too early to conduct
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Encourages the European Commission to come up with innovative solutions to maximise as much as possible the impact of the programme by proposing new eligible actions, which could be done, for example, by introducing large scale youth exchanges based on the structure of the large scale EVS in the framework of KA1;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18.
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Welcomes the introduction of the
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Welcomes the introduction of the unit cost system into the programme in order to minimise the administrative burden, but recommends improvements to the assessment of calculation methods and accounts of which specific costs can be provided from the allowances in order to guarantee fairness; welcomes also the adjustments made in 2016 and planned for 2017 by the Commission; considers the further increase in unit cost rates, particularly management allowances or subsidies for personal costs, to be necessary to provide sufficient financial support for project participants
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Welcomes the introduction of the unit cost system into the programme in order to minimise the administrative burden; welcomes also the adjustments made in 2016 and planned for 2017 by the Commission; considers the further increase in unit cost rates to be necessary to provide sufficient financial support for project participants; underlines that transparency in this area is an essential component of the transparency requirements and targets for the overall Erasmus+ programme;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Welcomes the introduction of the unit cost system into the programme in order to minimise the administrative burden; welcomes also the adjustments made in 2016 and planned for 2017 by the
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Welcomes the simplification introduced by the use of lump-sum and flat-rate funding; notes, however, the need to increase the operational support to European networks under KA3 "Support for policy reform" in order to maximise the promotion and dissemination of the opportunities offered by Erasmus+;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Encourages the Commission to look for ways to further improve the complicated administrative procedure for the applicants to the different sectors of the programme;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Welcomes, furthermore, the simplification introduced by the use of lump-sum and flat-rate funding;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 b (new) 18b. Notes the need to increase the operational support to European networks under KA3 "Support for policy reform" in order to maximise the promotion and dissemination of the opportunities offered by Erasmus+;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the Erasmus+ KA1 main target is the removal of barriers to mobility e.g. financial obstacles, recognition of international work/study outcomes for all targeted sectors;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Calls for searching possible ways for volunteering to be eligible as a source of own contributions to the project budget especially in Sport, bearing in mind that Erasmus+ enables the recognition of
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Calls for taking concrete steps for volunteering to be eligible as a source of own contributions to the project budget, bearing in mind that Erasmus+ enables the recognition of volunteer time as co- financing in the form of contributions in kind and that the new European Commission proposal for financial guidelines includes this as a possibility;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Calls on the Commission to take relevant steps for volunteering to be eligible as a source of own contributions to the project budget, bearing in mind that Erasmus+ enables the recognition of volunteer time as co-financing in the form of contributions in kind;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Calls for volunteering to be eligible as a source of own contributions to the project budget, bearing in mind that Erasmus+ enables the recognition of volunteer time as co-financing in the form of contributions in kind; stresses that volunteer contribution must be recognized and granted visibility, due to its special significance for the programme; underlines that the opening towards the above mentioned eligibility must go hand in hand with attentive monitoring of the overall volunteering share, since it would not be fair to burden civil society with responsibilities that must be fundamentally met with public resources;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Calls on the Commission to allocate more funds to sport with a focus on grassroots sport and education to enhance its visibility, to promote physical activity and to make sport more accessible to all citizen in EU;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Welcomes the European Commission´s proposition to set up a European Solidarity Corps; encourages the Commission to involve volunteer organizations in developing this new initiative in order to ensure its added and complementary value in strengthening volunteering in the European Union; encourages the Commission to make a budgetary effort to accommodate this new initiative without underfunding other current and priority programmes and calls to explore possibilities to integrate it under the EVS in order to strength volunteering in the EU without duplicating initiatives and programmes;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19a (new) 19a. Calls for the decision-making period to be kept as short as possible, for the evaluation of applications to be done in a coherent and coordinated way and for a transparent and understandable justification to be provided with rejected applications, so that there is not a drastic loss of incentive among users of EU programmes;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Welcomes the European Commission´s proposition to set up a European Solidarity Corps; encourages the Commission to involve volunteer organizations in developing this new initiative in order to ensure its added and complementary value in strengthening volunteering in the European Union;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 b (new) 19b. Notes the importance of strengthening the local dimension of the EVS; suggests providing the EVS volunteers with stronger support not only before departure, but also upon their return to their local communities in the forms of post-orientated and post- integrated trainings in order to help them to share their European expertise by promoting volunteering at the local level;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Asks the Commission to
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the Erasmus+ KA1 main target is the removal of barriers to mobility e.g. financial obstacles, recognition of international work/study outcomes for all targeted sectors;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Asks the Commission to harmonise the indicated pre-financing rates as much as possible throughout the programme in order to give all beneficiaries the same advantages and to facilitate project implementation, especially for
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Encourages the further increase of grant rates as well as their adjustment to the cost of living in the country of mobility in order to encourage the participation of socio-economically disadvantaged students, students and staff with special needs, and students and staff from distant regions;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Notes grant discrepancies between countries and method of its allocations; encourages the European Commission to investigate the outcomes of such differences in an effort to minimise socio- economic disparities in the European Union;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Notes grant discrepancies between countries and method of its allocations; encourages the European Commission to investigate the outcomes of such differences in an effort to minimise socio- economic disparities in the European Union;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 b (new) 20b. Suggests more flexibility in moving funds between KAs, and entrusts NAs in this process due to their familiarity with the potential funding gaps in their countries, thus allowing them to narrow these gaps;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 b (new) 20b. Underlines that grants to support the mobility of individuals within the Erasmus+ programme should be exempted from taxation and social levies;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 c (new) 20c. Encourages the further increase of grant rates as well as their adjustment to the cost of living in the country of mobility in order to encourage the participation of socio-economically disadvantaged students, students and staff with special needs, and students and staff from distant regions;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 d (new) 20d. Suggests more flexibility in moving funds between KAs, and entrusts NAs in this process due to their familiarity with the potential funding gaps in their countries, thus allowing them to narrow these gaps;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Calls on the Commission to recognise the special nature of projects and mobilities involving people with special needs and people from disadvantaged backgrounds;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Calls on the Commission to recognise the special nature of projects and mobilities involving people with special needs and people from disadvantaged backgrounds; encourages stronger promotion of the possibilities for people with special needs, particularly disabled people, and for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly those from rural or mountainous areas, to engage in the programme and asks that their access thereto be facilitated;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the current deep economic and social crisis affecting the Union, having special incidence on the Mediterranean Member States, but not limited to them, makes Erasmus+ especially relevant for providing opportunities to its young citizens, opening to them actual opportunities for pursuing education, training and sport activities out of their home Member State;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Calls on the Commission to recognise the special nature of projects and mobilities involving people with special needs and people from disadvantaged backgrounds; encourages stronger promotion of the possibilities for people with special needs and for people from disadvantaged backgrounds to engage in the programme, including refugees, and asks that their access thereto be facilitated;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Calls on the Commission to recognise the special nature of projects and mobilities involving people with special needs and people from disadvantaged backgrounds; encourages stronger promotion of the possibilities for people with special needs and for people from disadvantaged backgrounds to engage in the programme and asks that their access thereto be facilitated, ensuring a minimum share of participation, defined with ambitious criteria; underlines that the crisis currently affecting many Member States, especially throughout the Mediterranean region but not limited to it, already makes difficult for many students to pursue a project of higher education at their own Member State, and that it affects even more seriously their possibilities to participate in Erasmus+, where an additional source of co- financing often becomes necessary;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Calls on the Commission to recognise the special nature of projects and mobilities involving people with special needs and people from disadvantaged backgrounds; encourages stronger promotion of the possibilities for people with special needs and for people from disadvantaged backgrounds to engage in the programme and asks that their access thereto be facilitated; therefore points out that the cost of accommodation during temporary studies or an internship abroad can differ considerably between countries and cities; asks the Commission to verify whether the diversity in accommodation costs can be taken into account when Erasmus+ scholarships are awarded;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21a (new) 21a. Calls on the Commission to significantly simplify the application process from the application to the submission of supporting documents; while application forms are simplified, they will be published at the same time as the programme guide (at least 8 weeks before the application deadline in all the official languages), and offers of support and the programme guide will be made more user friendly as all the relevant information for each programme area will be summarised in one chapter; takes the view that the evaluation of applications should be subject to a coordinated and stringent review by a central authority with the support of independent experts;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Stresses that although progress has been made in recognising study periods, credits, competences and skills through non-formal and informal learning gained abroad, these challenges remain; underlines that recognition of international qualifications is essential to mobility and forms the foundation for further cooperation in the European Higher Education Area; highlights the importance of making full use of all EU tools for the validation of knowledge, skills and competences essential to the recognition of qualifications;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Calls on the Commission to simplify the process by simplifying the application forms, publishing them at the same time as the programme guide well ahead of the application deadline, making the programme-guide more user-friendly by merging all relevant information of each programme sector into one chapter, emphasises that for the evaluation of applications, a coordinated and consistent assessment by a single body is necessary, supported by independent experts;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote VET programmes, points out that traineeship and internship systems are a formative opportunity that do not substitute full time professional positions, they must guarantee dignified working conditions and adequate pay for apprentices and in no instance should the competences attributed to beneficiaries be replaced by those proper to an employee;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Notes more demanding implementation work for NAs under the current programme; calls on the European Commission to provide NAs with sufficient resources and necessary assistance, thus enabling more efficient programme implementation and allowing NAs to tackle new challenges resulting from the budget increase;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Notes more demanding implementation work for NAs under the current programme; calls on the European Commission to provide NAs with sufficient resources and necessary assistance, thus enabling more efficient programme implementation and allowing NAs to tackle new challenges resulting from the budget increase;
Amendment 189 #
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