2016/0043(NLE) | [ParlTrack]

Javi LÓPEZ, Jutta STEINRUCK, Brando BENIFEI, Elena GENTILE, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Maria João RODRIGUES, Siôn SIMON, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO

Proposal for a decision
Recital 1

Amendment 11 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 2

(2) The "Europe 2020 Strategy" proposed by the Commission should enables the Union to turn its economy towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, accompanied by high level employment, productivity and social cohesion. ~~Five headline targets, listed und~~However, the European Parliament notes with deep concern the ~~relevant guidelines, constitute shared objectives which guide the action of the Member States, and take into accou~~evolution of employment and social indicators of the Strategy so far, as the number of people at risk of poverty and exclusion has increased by 5 million instead of decreasing; the employment rate in some countries has not yet recovered the pre-crisis level and they scarcely reach 60% of population in employment; the~~ir relative starting positions and national circumstances as well as the positions and circumstances of the Union. The European Employment Strategy has the lead~~ long-term unemployment with around 10,5 million people unemployed for more than a year; the high level of youth unemployment specially in southern and eastern countries with around half of young people unemployed in some of them; the still worrying gender gap around 10% regarding participation in labour market; the increase of child poverty in recent years with countries reaching more than one third of children under 16 years ing r~~ole in the implementation of the employment and labour market objectives~~ isk of poverty or exclusion; the serious situation in some countries in terms of huge increase of inequality rates; the high rates of NEETs, in some countries above 20%; ofr the ~~new str~~early school leavers rates ranging up to 23% in some Member Stategys.

Amendment 12 #

Marian HARKIN

Proposal for a decision
Recital 2

(2) The "Europe 2020 Strategy" proposed by the Commission enables the Union to turn its economy towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, accompanied by a high level of employment, productivity and social cohesion. Five headline targets, listed under the relevant guidelines, constitute shared objectives which guide the action of the Member States, and take into account their relative starting positions and national circumstances as well as the positions and circumstances of the Union. The European Employment Strategy has the leading role in the implementation of the employment and labour market objectives of the new strategy. The European Parliament stresses however that Member States have made little progress towards achieving the EU 2020 targets, especially those targets relating to employment, social exclusion and poverty. It underlines that very significant efforts must be made by Member States in this regard and that the achievement of the EU 2020 strategy in the employment and social area must remain a key objective of Member States' employment policy.

Amendment 13 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 2

(2) The "Europe 2020 Strategy" proposed by the Commission enables the Union to turn its economy towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, accompanied by high level employment, productivity and social cohesion. Five headline targets, listed under the relevant guidelines, constitute shared objectives which guide the action of the Member States, and take into account their relative starting positions and national circumstances as well as the positions and circumstances of the Union. The European Employment Strategy has the leading role in the implementation of the employment and labour market objectives of the new strategy. However it has to be noted that many Member States are still struggling to meet the Europe 2020 employment, poverty, social exclusion and education targets and that more efforts from national governments and the Commission are needed in order to reach expected results.

Amendment 14 #

João PIMENTA LOPES

Proposal for a decision
Recital 2

2. The “Europe 2020 Strategy” proposed by the Commission ~~enables the Union to turn its~~hinges on a putative orientation of the Union economy towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, accompanied by high -level employment, productivity and social cohesion. Five headline targets, listed under the relevant guidelines, constitute shared objectives which supposedly guide the action of the Member States, ~~and take~~taking into account their relative starting positions and national circumstances as well as the positions and circumstances of the Union. The ~~European Employment Strategy has the leading role in the implementation of the employment and labour market objectives of the new strategy~~se objectives, however, are profoundly at odds with Union political practice, which gives less importance to territorial and social cohesion. The fact that the Union has such objectives and engages in the rhetoric of ‘social and environmental conscience’ does not alter its fundamentally federalist and austerity- ridden nature.

Amendment 15 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 2

(2) The "Europe 2020 Strategy" proposed by the Commission could enables the Union to turn its economy towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, accompanied by high level employment, productivity and social cohesion, if accompanied by ambitious and genuine commitments by Member States. Five headline targets, listed under the relevant guidelines, constitute shared objectives which should guide the action of the Member States, a~~nd take~~s the objectives are getting further out of reach, even when taking into account their relative starting positions ~~and~~of the Member States, national circumstances as well as the positions and circumstances of the Union. The European Employment Strategy has the leading role in the implementation of the employment and labour market objectives of the new strategy.

Amendment 16 #

Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS

Proposal for a decision
Recital 2

(2) The "Europe 2020 Strategy" ~~proposed by the Commission enables the Union to turn~~failed to achieve high level employment and social cohesion. The EU its economy towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, accompanied by high level employment, productivity and social cohesion. Five headline targets, listed under the relevant guidelines, constitute shared objectives which guide the action of the Member States, and take into account their relative starting posiin need of holistic policies and public investments that will fight against unemployment and poverty at work, as well as promote social inclusion, decent work with rights, strengthen collective agreements and collective bargaining, help the Member States on reindustrializations and national circumstances as well as the positions and circumstances of the Union. The European Employment Strategy has the leading role in the implementation of the employment and labour market objectives of the new strategyfully respect their rights to plan their own employment policies based on their own needs and circumstances.

Amendment 17 #

Enrico GASBARRA

Proposal for a decision
Recital 2

(2) The “Europe 2020 Strategy” proposed by the Commission enables the Union to turn its economy towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, accompanied by high -level employment, productivity and social cohesion. Five headline targets, listed under the relevant guidelines, constitute shared objectives which guide the action of the Member States, and take into account their relative starting positions and national circumstances as well as the ~~posit~~Union’s ~~and circumstances of the Union~~plans for the medium and long term. The European Employment Strategy has the leading role in the implementation of the employment, social inclusion, and labour market objectives of the new growth strategy.

Amendment 18 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 2

(2) The "Europe 2020 Strategy" proposed by the Commission enables the Union to turn its economy towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, accompanied by high level employment, productivity and social cohesion. Five headline targets, listed under the relevant guidelines, constitute shared objectives which guide the action of the Member States, and take into account their relative starting positions and in particular their national circumstances as well as the positions and circumstances of the Union. The European Employment Strategy has the leading role in the implementation of the employment and labour market objectives of the new strategy.

Amendment 19 #

Marian HARKIN

Proposal for a decision
Recital 2 a (new)

(2a) The European Parliament regrets that the Council did not take its position into account on Council decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States for 2015; it stresses that Parliament´s position should be taken into consideration;

Amendment 20 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 2 a (new)

(2a) The Council is adopting a decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States, which should take into consideration the opinion of the European Parliament.

Amendment 21 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Jutta STEINRUCK, Brando BENIFEI, Elena GENTILE, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Maria João RODRIGUES, Siôn SIMON, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO

Proposal for a decision
Recital 3

(3) The integrated guidelines are in line with the conclusions of the European Council. They give precise guidance to the Member States on defining their National Reform Programmes and implementing reforms, reflecting interdependence and in line with the Stability and Growth Pact. The employment guidelines should form the basis for any country-specific recommendations that the Council may address to the Member States under Article 148(4) of the TFEU, in parallel with the country-specific recommendations addressed to the Member States under Article 121(2) of that Treaty. The employment guidelines should also form the basis for the establishment of the Joint Employment Report sent annually by the Council and the European Commission to the European Council. It should be noted that three employment indicators: activity rate, youth employment and long- term unemployment have been recently included in the macroeconomic imbalance procedure and that the European Parliament in its Resolution of 22 February 2016 on the European Semester for economic policy coordination: Employment and Social Aspects in the Annual Growth Survey 2016, called for these indicators to trigger an in-depth analysis in the relevant Member States which can result further in economic, labour market and social reforms being suggested and applied.

Amendment 22 #

Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS

Proposal for a decision
Recital 3

(3) The ~~integrated~~employment guidelines ~~are in line with the conclusions of the European Council. They give precise guidance to the~~should support Member States on ~~defin~~forming their National Reform Programmes and implementing reforms, reflecting interdependence and in line with the Stability and Growth Pact. The employment guidelines should form the basis for any country-specific recommendations that the Council may address to the Member States under Article 148(4) of the TFEU, in parallel withown strategies on employment and respect their subsidiarity, revoking the country- specific recommendations' addressed to the Member States under Article 121(2) of that Treaty. The employment guidelines should also form the basis for the establishment of the Joint Employment Report sent annually by the Council and the European Commission to the European Councilusterity measures that caused impoverishment and unemployment in the Member States.

Amendment 23 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 3

(3) The integrated guidelines are in line with the conclusions of the European Council. They give precise guidance to the Member States on defining their National Reform Programmes and implementing reforms, reflecting interdependence and in line with the Stability and Growth Pact. The employment guidelines should form the basis for any country-specific recommendations that the Council may address to the Member States under Article 148(4) of the TFEU, ion ~~parallel with~~the same footing as the country-specific recommendations addressed to the Member States under Article 121(2) of that Treaty. The employment guidelines should also form the basis for the establishment of the Joint Employment Report sent annually by the Council and the European Commission to the European Council. As a result, the European Semester should combine the different instruments in an overarching framework for integrated multilateral surveillance of economic, budgetary, employment and social policies in a framework of real and effective balance between economic policy and social and employment policies which should be given equal consideration so as to prevent economic and social imbalances, thus ensuring a fully coherent public policy.

Amendment 24 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 3

(3) The integrated guidelines arshould be in line with the conclusions of the European Council. ~~They give precise guidance to the Member States on defining their National Reform Programmes and implementing reforms, reflecting interdependence and in line with the Stability and Growth Pact.~~ The employment guidelines should form the basis for ~~any~~the country~~-specific~~ recommendations that the Council may address to the Member States under Article 148(4) of the TFEU, in parallel with the country-specific recommendations addressed to the Member States under Article 121(2) of that Treaty. The employment guidelines should also form the basis for the establishment of the Joint Employment Report sent annually by the Council and the European Commission to the European Council.

Amendment 25 #

João PIMENTA LOPES

Proposal for a decision
Recital 3

3. The integrated guidelines are in line with the conclusions of the European Council. They give precise guidance to the Member States on defining their National Reform Programmes and implementing reforms, reflecting interdependence and in line with the Stability and Growth Pact. The employment guidelines should form the basis for any country-specific recommendations that the Council may address to the Member States under Article 148(4) of the TFEU, in parallel with the country-specific recommendations addressed to the Member States under Article 121(2) of that Treaty. The employment guidelines should also form the basis for the establishment of the Joint Employment Report sent annually by the Council and the European Commission to the European Councilnd country-specific recommendations are anti-democratic instruments amounting to unacceptable interference in Member States’ policy- and strategy-making. In addition, these guidelines and recommendations, because they have led to wage cuts, cuts in welfare provision, unemployment, and the loss of job security, and have hence impoverished workers, have worsened the Member States’ social and economic problems. The fact that these instruments are considered social and employment indicators does not alter their anti- democratic nature, nor does it affect their implications.

Amendment 26 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Jutta STEINRUCK, Brando BENIFEI, Elena GENTILE, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Maria João RODRIGUES, Siôn SIMON, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO

Proposal for a decision
Recital 3

Amendment 27 #

Sven SCHULZE

Proposal for a decision
Recital 3

Amendment 28 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 4

(4) The examination of the Member States' National Reform Programmes contained in the Joint Employment Report shows that Member States should continue to make every effort to address the priority areas of increasing labour market participation and reducing structural unemployment, developing a skilled workforce responding to labour market needs and promoting job quality and lifelong learning, improve the performance of education and training systems at all levels and increasing participation in tertiary education, promoting social inclusion and combating poverty. The scoreboard of key employment and social indicators within the Joint Employment Report is a particularly useful tool, helping to detect key employment and social problems and divergences in a timely way and identify areas where policy response is most needed. However, further editions of the scoreboard should include also gender disaggregated data and more detailed indicators related to structural employment and social imbalances as the long-term unemployment rate among young people, the very long-term unemployment rate among adults (unemployed persons since 24 months or more) or the children at risk-of-poverty or social exclusion.

Amendment 29 #

Enrico GASBARRA

Proposal for a decision
Recital 4

(4) The examination of the Member States’ National Reform Programmes contained in the Joint Employment Report shows that Member States should continue to make every effort to address the priority areas of increasing labour market participation and reducing structural unemployment, developing a skilled workforce which, on the strength of expertise acquired in university courses oriented directly towards the labour market and linked to SME networks, would be capable of responding to labour market needs, and promoting job quality and lifelong learning, improveing the performance of education and training systems at all levels and increasing participation in tertiary education, promoting social inclusion and opposing discrimination and social exclusion of every kind, supporting female labour market participation by offering working women equal opportunities, guarantees as regards work-life balance, and pay equality, and combating poverty.

Amendment 30 #

Sven SCHULZE

Proposal for a decision
Recital 4

Amendment 31 #

João PIMENTA LOPES, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS

Proposal for a decision
Recital 4

4. The examination of the Member States’ National Reform Programmes contained in the Joint Employment Report shows that Member States should continue to make every effort to address the priority areas of increasing labour market participation and reducing structural unemployment, developing a skilled workforce responding to labour markethose programmes have served to increase unemployment, lower wages, deregulate labour markets, reduce welfare provision, and wreck public services, leaving roughly a quarter of the Union population exposed to the risk of poverty and social exclusion. A policy of economic cooperation, basing labour relations on collective bargaining, raising wages and pursuing active policies to combat une~~eds~~mployment and promot~~ing job quality~~e social support, and ~~lif~~developing ~~learning, improving the performance of education and training systems at all levels and increasing participation in tertiary education, promoting social inclusion and combating poverty~~universal free public services in the areas of education, health, and social security are the best ways to enhance the well-being of, and improve living conditions for, the workers and peoples of Member States.

Amendment 32 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 4

(4) The examination of the Member States' National Reform Programmes contained in the Joint Employment Report shows that Member States should take into account~~inue to make every effort to~~ the recommendations of the European Parliament on the Annual Growth Survey, the country-specific recommendations and the employment guidelines and should address the priority areas of increasing labour market participation and reducing structural unemployment, developing a skilled workforce responding to labour market needs and promoting job quality and lifelong learning, improve the performance of education and training systems at all levels and increasing participation in tertiary education, promoting social inclusion and combating poverty.

Amendment 33 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 4

Amendment 34 #

Marian HARKIN

Proposal for a decision
Recital 4

Amendment 35 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Jutta STEINRUCK, Brando BENIFEI, Elena GENTILE, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO

Proposal for a decision
Recital 4

Amendment 36 #

Enrico GASBARRA

Proposal for a decision
Recital 5

(5) Member States should explore the use of the European Social Fund when implementing the Employment Guidelines, and Regulation (EU) No 1304/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the European Social Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006 should be amended with a view to increasing funding for the Youth Guarantee and other sources of financing to promote youth employment,

Amendment 37 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 5 a (new)

(5a) The Council, with its Decision (EU) 2015/1848 of 5 October 2015 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States for 2015, chose to yet again obviate Parliament resolution shamefully, in a regrettable political position contrary to the letter and spirit of the Treaties, in disrespect to the direct representatives of the European citizens, undermining the interinstitutional cooperation and weakening confidence between them.

Amendment 38 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Jutta STEINRUCK, Brando BENIFEI, Elena GENTILE, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Maria João RODRIGUES, Siôn SIMON, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1

The guidelines for Member States' employment policies, as set out in the Annex to Council Decision of 5 October 2015 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States4 are maintained for 2016 and shall be taken into account by the Member States in their employment policies. __________________ 4Council Decision (EU) 2015/1848 of 5 October 2015 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (OJ L 268, 15.10.2015, p. 28), are hereby adopted. These guidelines shall be taken into account by the Member States in their employment policies and reform programmes, which shall be reported in line with Article 148(3) TFEU.

Amendment 39 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Jutta STEINRUCK, Brando BENIFEI, Elena GENTILE, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Maria João RODRIGUES, Siôn SIMON

Proposal for a decision
Annex (new)

ANNEX GUIDELINES FOR THE EMPLOYMENT POLICIES OF THE MEMBER STATES PART II OF THE EUROPE 2020 INTEGRATED GUIDELINES Guideline 5: Boosting demand for labour Member States, in cooperation with regional and local authorities, should effectively and promptly tackle the serious issue of unemployment, and facilitate and invest in sustainable and quality job creation, address accessibility for at-risk groups and reduce barriers for business to hire people across skill levels and labour market sectors, including by cutting red tape, whilst respecting labour and social standards, promote youth entrepreneurship and in particular support the creation and growth of micro, small and medium enterprises in order to increase employment rate especially among women. Member States should actively promote, inter alia, green, white and blue-sector jobs and the social economy and foster social innovation. The tax burden should be shifted away from labour to other sources of taxation, especially by low-paid and low-skilled workers, the long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups, that are less detrimental to employment and growth while protecting revenue for adequate social protection and expenditures directed towards public investment, innovation and quality job creation. Reductions in labour taxation should be aimed at the relevant components of the tax burden, at tackling discrimination and at removing barriers and disincentives to labour market participation, in particular for people with disabilities and those furthest away from the labour market, while respecting existing labour standards. Policies to ensure that wages allow an adequate living income remain important to create employment and decrease poverty in the Union. Member States should therefore, together with the social partners, respect and encourage wage- setting mechanisms allowing for a responsiveness of real wages to productivity developments helping to correct past divergence without fuelling deflationary pressure. Those mechanisms should ensure sufficient resources to satisfy basic needs, taking account of poverty indicators specific to each Member State. In this respect, differences in skills and local labour market conditions should be properly evaluated with the aim of ensuring a decent living wage across the Union. When setting minimum wages in accordance with national legislation and practices, Member States and social partners should ensure their adequacy as well as consider their impact on in-work poverty, energy poverty, household income, aggregate demand, quality job creation and competitiveness. In order to reduce wage inequalities across the Union and limit nominal imbalances in competitiveness, the Commission together with the Member States should aim at a better coordination of wages via a European Framework on minimum wages, either by law or collective agreement whilst respecting national practices. Member States should cut red tape in order to ease the burden on small and medium-sized enterprises, as they contribute significantly to job creation. Guideline 6: Enhancing labour supply and skills Member States should promote sustainable productivity and quality employability through an appropriate supply of relevant knowledge and skills made available and accessible to all. There should be particular focus on health care, social services and transport services which are facing or will face staff shortages in the medium term. Member States should make effective investments in high-quality and inclusive education from an early age and vocational training systems while improving their effectiveness and efficiency to raise the knowhow and skill level of the workforce, while increasing the diversity of skills, allowing it to better anticipate and meet the rapidly changing needs of dynamic labour markets in an increasingly digital economy. To that end, the fact that "soft skills" such as communication are becoming more important for a large number of occupations should also be taken into account. Member States should promote entrepreneurship among young people. Member States, in cooperation with local and regional authorities, should step up efforts to prevent young people from dropping out of school and to ensure a smoother transition from education and training to professional life, to improve access and remove barriers to high- quality adult learning for all with particular focus on high-risk groups and their needs, by offering retraining of skills when job losses and changes in the labour market necessitate active reintegration. Simultaneously Member States should implement active ageing strategies to enable healthy working up to the real retirement age. While ensuring the necessary skills level requested by a continuously changing labour market and supporting education and training alongside programmes for adult learning, Member States should take into account that low-skills jobs are also needed and that employment opportunities are better for the high- skilled than for the medium- and low- skilled. Access to affordable, high-quality, early childhood education and care should be a priority for comprehensive policies and investment coupled with family and parenting support and reconciliation measures helping parents to balance work and private life, as a contribution to preventing early school-leaving and increasing young people's chances on the labour market. The issue of unemployment, in particular long-term unemployment and regional high unemployment should be resolved effectively and promptly, as well as prevented through a mix of demand and supply-side measures. The number of long-term unemployed and the problem of skills mismatch and skill obsolescence should be addressed by means of comprehensive and mutually reinforcing strategies, including the provision of personalised needs-based active support and appropriate social protection schemes to long-term unemployed to return to the labour market in an informed and responsible manner. The youth unemployment needs to be comprehensively addressed, through an overall youth employment strategy. This includes investing in sectors that can create quality jobs for young people and by equipping the relevant actors such as youth support services, education and training providers, youth organisations and public employment services with the necessary means to fully and consistently implement their national Youth Guarantee Implementation Plans, but also by the rapid take-up of resources by Member States and assuring enough funding for the period 2016-2020 to keep a long-term application of Youth Guarantee . Access to funding for those who choose to start a business should be facilitated by means of a wider availability of information, a reduction in excessive bureaucracy and possibilities to convert several months' unemployment benefits into an upfront start-up grant after presentation of a business plan. Member States should take into consideration local and regional disparities in drawing up and carrying out measures against unemployment and should work together with local employment services. Structural weaknesses in education and training systems should be addressed to ensure high-quality learning outcomes and prevent and tackle early school leaving, and promote an all-embracing, high-quality education from the most basic level onwards. This requires flexible educational systems with a focus on practice. Member States, in cooperation with local and regional authorities, should increase the quality of educational attainment by making it accessible to all, set up and improve dual learning systems, adapted to their needs, by upgrading professional training and existing frameworks such as Europass, while ensuring, where necessary, appropriate retraining of skills and recognition of those acquired outside of the formal education system. Links between education and labour market should be strengthened, while ensuring that education is sufficiently broad to provide people with a solid basis for life-long employability. Member States should gear their training systems more closely to the labour market with a view to better transition from training to employment. In particular in the context of digitisation, and in terms of new technologies, green jobs and health care are essential. Discrimination on the labour market as well as with regard to access to the labour market need to be further reduced, especially for groups that face discrimination or exclusion such as women, older workers, young people, people with disabilities and legal migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers. Gender equality including equal pay must be ensured in the labour market as well as access to affordable, high- quality early childhood education and care as well as the flexibility necessary to prevent the exclusion of those with breaks in their careers due to family responsibilities such as family carers. In this sense, the Women on Board Directive should be unblocked by the Member States and a new common ambitious approach must be promoted by Member States and the Union on parental, paternity and maternity leave in order to tackle the gender gap, increase women participation on the labour market and improve equal opportunities between women and men without deepening in ageing societies problems. In this respect, Member States should take into account the fact that the rates of young persons not in employment, education or training (NEET) are higher for women than for men and that the NEET phenomenon is primarily due to an increase in youth unemployment but also to non-education linked inactivity. Member States should make a full, effective and efficient use of European Social Fund and other Union funds support in order to combat poverty, improve quality employment, social inclusion, education and training, public administration and public services. The European Fund for Strategic Investments and its investment platforms should also be mobilised to ensure that quality jobs are created and workers are equipped with skills needed for the Union's transition towards a sustainable growth model. Guideline 7: Enhancing the functioning of labour markets The Europe 2020 headline target on employment, on the basis of which Member States set their national targets, taking into account their relative starting positions and national circumstances, is to aim to raise the employment rate for women and men aged 20-64 to 75 % by 2020, including through the greater participation of young people, older workers and low-skilled workers and the better integration of migrants. A subtarget for youth employment, which should likewise be translated into national sub- targets, is to aim to reduce the rate of people aged below 25 who are neither in employment, education or training to less than 10 % by 2020, based on full implementation of the Youth Guarantee. Member States should reduce labour market segmentation by tackling precarious employment, underemployment, undeclared labour and zero-hour contracts. Employment protection rules and institutions should provide a suitable environment for recruitment while offering adequate levels of protection to those in employment and those seeking employment or employed on temporary, part-time, atypical contracts or independent work contracts, by actively involving the social partners and by promoting collective bargaining. Quality employment should be ensured for all in terms of socio-economic security, durability, adequate wages, rights at work, decent workplace conditions (including health and safety), social security protection, gender equality, education and training opportunities. Therefore it is necessary to promote the entry of young people into the labour market, the reintegration of long-term unemployed and work-life balance, providing affordable care and modernising work organisation. Upward convergence in working conditions should be promoted across the Union. Access to the labour market should facilitate entrepreneurship, sustainable job creation in all sectors, including green employment, and social care and innovation, in order to make the best use of people's skills, foster their lifelong development and encourage employee- driven innovation. Member States should closely involve national parliaments, social partners, civil society organisations, regional and local authorities in the design and implementation of relevant reforms and policies, in line with the partnership principle and national practices, while supporting the improvement of the functioning and effectiveness of social dialogue at national level, especially in those countries with major problems of wage devaluation caused by recent deregulation of labour markets and weakness of collective bargaining and where labour rights are threatened. Member States should ensure basic standards of quality of active labour market policies by improving their targeting, outreach, coverage and interplay with supporting measures such as social security. These policies should aim at improving labour market access, strengthening collective bargaining and social dialogue and support sustainable transitions on the labour market, with highly qualified public employment services delivering individualised support and implementing performance measurement systems. Member States should also ensure that their social protection systems effectively activate and enable those who can participate in the labour market, protect those excluded from the labour markets and/or unable to participate in it, and prepare individuals for potential risks and changing economic and social conditions, by investing in human capital. Member States should introduce, as one of the possible measures to reduce poverty and in accordance with national practice, a minimum income proportionate to their specific socio- economic situation in accordance with the European Parliament resolution of 20 October 2010 on the role of minimum income in combating poverty and promoting an inclusive society in Europe (2010/2039(INI)). Member States should promote inclusive labour markets open to all and also put in place effective anti- discrimination measures. Member States and the Union should implement a joint approach on a framework of European unemployment insurance to prevent external shocks with uneven outcomes in different countries. It must be a complementary tool performing as an automatic stabilizer. Mobility of workers should be ensured as a fundamental right and as a matter of free choice, with an aim of exploiting the full potential of the European labour market, including by enhancing the portability of pensions and the effective recognition of qualifications and validation of skills and the elimination of red tape and other existing barriers. Member States should at the same time tackle the language barriers, improving training systems in this respect. Member States should also make an appropriate use of the EURES network in order to encourage worker mobility. Investment in regions experiencing labour outflows should be promoted to mitigate brain drain and encourage mobile workers to return. Member States should make access to care and to affordable quality early childhood education a priority as both are important support measures for labour market actors and contribute to increasing the overall employment rate while supporting the individuals in their responsibilities. Member States should set up comprehensive policies and investment needed to improve family and parenting support and reconciliation measures helping parents to balance work and private life, as a contribution to preventing early school leaving and increasing young people's chances on the labour market. Guideline 8: Ensuring social justice, combating poverty and promoting equal opportunities Member States, in cooperation with local and regional authorities, should improve their social protection systems by ensuring basic standards to provide effective, efficient and sustainable protection throughout all stages of an individual's life, ensuring life in dignity, solidarity, access to social protection, full respect of social rights, fairness and addressing inequalities as well as ensuring inclusion in order to eliminate poverty, in particular for people excluded from the labour market and for the more vulnerable groups. There is a need for simplified, better targeted and more ambitious social policies including by affordable, high- quality childcare and education, effective training and job assistance, housing support and high-quality health care accessible to all, access to basic services such as bank accounts and the Internet and for action to prevent early school leaving and fight extreme poverty, energy poverty, social exclusion, and more generally all forms of poverty. Child poverty in particular must be tackled immediately, by Member States and the Union introducing the Child guarantee so that every child in poverty can have access to free healthcare, free education, free childcare, decent housing and adequate nutrition, as part of the European integrated plan to combat child poverty. For that purpose a variety of instruments should be used in a complementary manner, including labour activation enabling services and income support, targeted at individual needs. Social protection systems should be designed in a way that facilitate access and take up of all persons in a non-discriminatory way, support investment in human capital, and help prevent, reduce and protect against poverty and social exclusion as well as against other risks such as loss of health or employment. There should be a particular focus on children in poverty due to their parents' long-term unemployment. The pension systems should be structured in a way that their sustainability, safety and adequacy for women and men is ensured by strengthening retirement schemes, aiming at a decent retirement income at least above the poverty level. The pension systems should provide for consolidation, further development and improvement of the three pillars of retirement saving systems. Linking retirement age to life expectancy is not the only instrument by means of which to tackle the challenge of ageing. Reforms of pension systems should also, inter alia, reflect labour market trends, birth rate, demographic situation, health and wealth situation, working conditions and the economic dependency ratio. The best way to tackle the challenge of ageing is to increase the overall employment rate, building, inter alia, on social investments in active ageing. Member States should improve the quality, affordability, accessibility, efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare and long term care systems and welfare services as well as decent working conditions in the related sectors, while safeguarding the financial sustainability of these systems by improving the solidarity-based financing. Member States should make a full use of European Social Fund and other Union funds support in order to fight poverty, social exclusion and discrimination, improve accessibility for people with disabilities to promote equality between women and men, and improve public administration. The Europe 2020 headline targets, on the basis of which Member States set their national targets, taking into account their relative starting positions and national circumstances, aims to reduce the drop- out rate to less than 10 %; to increase the share of 30 to 34-year-olds completing tertiary or equivalent education to at least 40 %; and to promote social inclusion, in particular through the reduction of poverty by aiming to lift at least 20 million people out of the risk of poverty and exclusion.

Amendment 6 #

Amjad BASHIR

Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Approves the Commission proposal ~~as amended~~;

Amendment 7 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Jutta STEINRUCK, Brando BENIFEI, Elena GENTILE, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Agnes JONGERIUS, Maria João RODRIGUES, Siôn SIMON, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO

Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, in accordance with Article 293(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

Amendment 8 #