2018/2034(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Notes with concern the ~~persistent~~ socio- economic disparities in the euro area caused by the imbalances created by the single currency; believes that equal access to ~~inclusive and~~ quality education and lifelong learning opportunities ~~for everyone is a~~which are accessible to everyone and prepare people for the world of work is a necessary, but not sufficient, precondition for socio-economic convergence; points, in this regard, to the persistentce or even widening of disparities ~~across~~between Member States ~~and social group~~in the South and North and between social groups within the same Member States with respect to the EU’s headline education indicators, but also in terms of living standards;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Notes with concern that the human resources available in some education systems are inadequate, and in particular that there are therefore too few teachers per pupil; notes, for instance, that the number of pupils per class in France is at a critical level with an average of around 22 pupils, as against an average of between 15 and 17 pupils for OECD countries; deplores the fact that this lack of human and financial resources particularly affects peripheral rural areas suffering from multiple barriers in access to quality cultural and educational opportunities;

Amendment 11 #

Luigi MORGANO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that social disadvantage is frequently a predictor of poor educational outcomes and vice versa; stresses, furthermore, that, in the constantly changing knowledge economies, employability, even among students with otherwise similar hard skills, is often dependent to a non-negligible extent on ‘softer’ skills (communication, critical thinking, cooperation, creative innovation, confidence and ‘learning to learn’) beyond reading and mathematical and scientific literacy; insists that a properly funded, quality education and lifelong learning system can help break this vicious circle and promote social inclusion and equal opportunities;

Amendment 12 #

Silvia COSTA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that social disadvantage is frequently a predictor of poor educational outcomes and vice versa; insists that a properly funded, quality education and lifelong learning system which genuinely promotes the right to study, with flanking and supporting policies, including an effective system of scholarships, can help break this vicious circle and promote social inclusion and equal opportunities;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Stresses that, despite the improvement of the economy in the euro area and the creation of new jobs, youth unemployment in some Member States remains unacceptably high and, while rates of youth unemployment have fallen since 2013, they differ widely between Member States;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Notes with great concern the still high number of European citizens with poor literacy skills or literacy difficulties, including functional and media illiteracy, which poses serious concerns in terms of meaningful and effective participation in public life and in the labour market;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Encourages the promotion of policies, such as the introduction of dual education systems, linking studies with the requirements of the labour market; stresses that an effective link between education, research and innovation can make a decisive contribution to job creation;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Stresses that a safe and adequate learning environment is vital for the well- being of students and teaching staff; calls in this regard, on Member States to make robust investments in the maintenance of public facilities, especially schools, and the elimination of architectural barriers;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Calls on the Commission and Member States to develop specific measures within employment, educational and social policies to ensure the effective inclusion of people with disabilities and from disadvantaged backgrounds;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Points out the need to plan and promote organised and up-to-date vocational guidance programmes in schools, especially in the countryside and in border, mountainous and island regions;

Amendment 19 #

Silvia COSTA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Supports student and worker mobility in the EU and the euro area; is concerned, however, that substantial differences in living and working standards in the euro area trigger involuntary migration, further exacerbating the effects of the so-called brain drain; calls for future education and employment policies to reverse this phenomenon, including by means of full development of the European education area; stresses the need to develop a European student card to promote learning mobility and facilitate full implementation of mutual recognition of certificates, diplomas and professional qualifications, reducing administrative burdens and costs for students and education and training institutes;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Notes with concern the persistent socio-economic disparities in the euro area, especially in Southern Europe; believes that equal access to inclusive and quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for everyone is a precondition for socio-economic ~~convergence~~prosperity; points, in this regard, to the persistent disparities across Member States and social groups with respect to the EU’s headline education indicators;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Supports the mobility of student ~~and~~s, worker ~~mobility~~s, athletes and artists in the EU and the euro area; is concerned, however, that substantial differences in living and working standards in the euro area trigger involuntary migration, further exacerbating the effects of the so-called brain drain; ~~calls for future education and employment policies to reverse this phenomenon;~~ a key prerequisite for combating the phenomenon of the brain drain is the creation of quality jobs, but also the promotion of effective education, training and career guidance strategies; calls for future education and employment policies to effectively address this phenomenon, for example, by encouraging young people to invest in their entrepreneurial skills;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Stresses that the link between student mobility and labour mobility has been demonstrated by numerous studies and, in particular, that study abroad increases the likelihood that people will subsequently be employed outside their country of origin; is concerned that the movement of students within the EU, either for a course of study or under the terms of an exchange programme, particularly Erasmus +, tends to favour some states at the expense, in particular, of certain Southern and Eastern European countries; is alarmed at the risk of a brain drain, which does not incentivise the Member States of departure to invest in improvements to their education systems;

Amendment 24 #

Luigi MORGANO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Stresses that, according to the Education and Training 2020 (ET 2020) benchmarks, by the year 2020, fewer than 15% of 15-year-olds should be under- skilled in reading, mathematics and science; welcomes the inclusion of ‘underachievement in education’ for 15- year-olds (results for low achievement in mathematics from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey) in the new Social Scoreboard; invites, the Commission, however, to include also under-achievement in reading and/or scientific literacy;

Amendment 25 #

Luigi MORGANO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Recalls that, according to the Education and Training 2020 benchmarks(ET 2020), by the year 2020, at least95% of children (from 4 to compulsory school age) should participate in early childhood education; stresses that the area of “early childhood care” in the Social Scoreboard includes only one indicator, for children aged under 3 in formal care; highlights that it lacks information on the coverage of older children below compulsory age, as well as information about the extent of childcare provision as measured by the number of hours provided;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Takes into account the positive role of open education and open universities in the process of acquiring knowledge and skills, particularly on-line training programmes for employees, as this is a dynamic form of learning that meets the current needs and the interests of the participants;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Considers child poverty to be a major issue on which Europe should ‘act big’; calls for the swift implementation of a Child Guarantee in all Member States, so that every child now living at risk of poverty can have access to free healthcare, free education, free childcare, decent housing and proper nutrition; underlines the importance of pre-natal care and early childhood development; calls for inclusive education systems at all levels, including afterschool care; underlines that implementation of the Child Guarantee will require adequate financing at national and European level; calls, therefore, for an increase in its financing, possibly via the European Social Fund and a new convergence instrument for the Eurozone; requests that national public investments in the Child Guarantee be considered within a 'silver rule on social investment' under the Stability and Growth Pact;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)

4d. Stresses that one of the objectives of the Youth Guarantee is to ensure that all young people under the age of 25 years receive a good-quality offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traineeship within a period of four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education; calls, therefore, for full implementation of the Youth Guarantee, with emphasis on quality offers and effective outreach to all NEETs 1a; highlights that this requires adequate financing in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF post 2020) including an increase of the European Social Fund and an extension of the Youth Employment Initiative to at least € 21 billion; requests that national public investments for the Youth Guarantee and integration of the long- term unemployed be counted within a ‘silver rule on social investment' under the Stability and Growth Pact; _________________ 1aNEETs: Young people not in employment, education or training

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 e (new)

4e. Supports a Skills Guarantee as a new right for everyone to acquire fundamental skills for the 21st century, including digital literacy; considers that the Skills Guarantee should involve individualised assessment of learning needs, a quality learning offer as well as systematic validation of skills and competences acquired, enabling their easy recognition on the labour market; underlines that the Skills Guarantee is an important social investment, requiring adequate financing at national and European level; calls, therefore, for an increase in the financing of the Skills Guarantee, possibly via an increased European Social Fund and a new convergence instrument for the Eurozone; requests that national public investments in the Skills Guarantee be considered within a 'silver rule on social investment' under the Stability and Growth Pact;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Is deeply concerned that youth unemployment rates remain dramatically high, especially in Southern Europe, and that the increased number of jobs created across the EU often masks under- employment and precarious employment; stresses in this regard, that the long-term goal of European and national employment policies should be to create stable and quality jobs;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 f (new)

4f. Reiterates the European Parliament’s call for the Erasmus+ envelope to be at least tripled in the next MFF with the aim of reaching many more young people, youth organisations and secondary school pupils and apprentices across Europe; calls for particular attention to be paid to people coming from a disadvantaged socio-economic background so as to enable them to participate in the programme, as well as to people with disabilities, in line with the EU’s and the Member States’ obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD);

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 g (new)

4g. Calls for a ‘silver rule’ on social investment to be applied when implementing the Stability and Growth Pact, namely to consider certain public social investments having a clear positive impact on economic growth (e.g. the Child Guarantee, the Youth Guarantee and the Skills Guarantee) as being eligible for favourable treatment when assessing government deficits and compliance with the 1/20 debt rule; highlights that fiscal consolidation should not undermine national co-financing of European funding for social investment;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 h (new)

4h. Calls for adequate financing under the next MFF in order to cope with increased needs; calls, in particular, for: (a) the strengthening of the Youth Employment Initiative, with at least €3 billion per year in funding, available in a dedicated budget line; (b) a substantial increase of the financing envelope of the European Social Fund; (c) establishing a new instrument, which will support the implementation of the Child Guarantee and which would be financed from the EU revenue arising, for instance, from the enforcement of EU competition law;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 i (new)

4i. Recalls the strategic potential of the cultural and creative sector (CCS) as a generator of jobs and wealth in the EU; stresses that cultural and creative industries (CCIs) constitute 11.2 % of all private enterprises and 7.5% of all persons employed in the total EU economy and generate 5.3 % of the total European gross value added (GVA); underlines the CCIs’ role in preserving and promoting European cultural and linguistic diversity and their contribution to economic growth, innovation and employment, especially youth employment;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 j (new)

4j. Calls on the Commission to fully exploit potential synergies existing between EU policies, so as to effectively use the funding available under EU programmes – such as Horizon 2020, the Connecting Europe Facility, Erasmus +, Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI), Creative Europe and COSME – and the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs) to support more projects in the field of CCIs; notes that, particularly in the case of Creative Europe, Horizon 2020 and the Structural Funds (ERDF and ESF), the role and impact of CCIs on growth, employment and territorial cohesion should be specifically evaluated and further promoted; stresses that this process should provide a solid and coherent basis for the revision of the MFF and the future EU programme architecture post- 2020;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for a genuine revision of EU and Member States’ education, training and skills policies to ~~deliver~~improve the performance of the education and lifelong learning ~~for inclusion; highligh~~systems; insists that these policies should, to the extent possible, promote personal and societal development in a holistic manner ~~and not simply be designed to meet labour market demands.~~ , but also meet labour market demands, which is crucial in the light of the persistently high unemployment among people aged under twenty-five in the EU, in addition to the problems associated with over- qualification and the mismatch between the skills of jobseekers and the requirements of employers;

Amendment 36 #

Silvia COSTA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for a genuine revision of EU and Member States’ education, training and skills policies in order to combat the phenomenon of school drop-out and the increasing number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) and thus to deliver education and lifelong learning for inclusion; highlights that these policies should promote personal and societal development in a holistic manner and not simply be designed to meet labour market demands.

Amendment 37 #

Helga TRÜPEL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for a ~~genuine revision~~strong focus of EU and Member States’ policies for education, and training ~~and skills policies to deliver education and lifelong learning for inclusion; highlights that these policies~~on inclusiveness and participation of young persons with fewer opportunities; highlights that these policies towards young people, which should also target lifelong learning, should promote personal and societal development in a holistic manner and not ~~simply be~~be merely designed to meet labour market demands.

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for a genuine revision of EU and Member States’ education, training and skills policies to deliver education and lifelong learning for inclusion; highlights that these policies should ~~promote personal and societal development in a holistic manner and not simply be designed to meet labour market demands~~be designed to meet labour market demands and to improve employability while promoting personal and societal development in a holistic manner.

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Highlights that adequate investment and planning in the field of education, particularly in digital skills and programming, is essential to secure the Union’s competitive position, the availability of a skilled workforce and the employability of the workforce;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Is deeply concerned that, in the EU28, the average rate of general government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP fell year-on-year from 2009 to 20161~~; regrets that the education sector has been severely hit by austerity and~~, particularly in certain Member States which had already been undermined by budgetary austerity, such as Italy, Greece or Portugal; regrets that the education sector has been severely hit by austerity, but notes that increases in public expenditure do not automatically improve academic performance, which largely depends on social cohesion in the State concerned, parental involvement in the education and training of children and therefore the predominant family model and the quality and appropriateness of the teaching methods applied in the State in question; stresses that well-resourced, optimally managed, public education systems are vital ~~for~~in order to improve the performance of European education systems and achieve equality and social inclusion; calls, therefore, for a shift in the euro area’s macroeconomic policy mix ~~towards increased~~in order to allow Member States to take sovereign decisions on their fiscal policies, including as regards increasing public spending on education and training; _________________ 1 Eurostat data.

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on the Commission to provide incentives and technical assistance to young people to set up their businesses and to propose measures to promote entrepreneurship through school curricula in the Member States;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Calls on the national authorities to consider granting tax relief or incentives for social contributions to companies investing in training their employees and recruiting new graduates;

Amendment 42 #

5b. Takes the view that better matching of skills and jobs and improved mutual recognition of qualifications are necessary to address skills shortages and mismatches in the Union;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Recognises and condemns the abusive employment conditions often experienced by professional athletes, such as bogus self-employment, the non- payment of wages, inadequate health, insurance and retirement pension standards, and points to the need to change the existing regulatory framework; calls upon the Commission to present a comprehensive action plan for the promotion of minimum employment standards for professional athletes, starting with the euro area countries covering all the social partners in the sports sector.

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Is deeply concerned that, in the EU2819, the average rate of general government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP fell year-on-year from 2009 to 20161 ; regrets that the education and training sector has been severely hit by austerity policies and stresses that well- resourced public education systems are vital for equality and social inclusion; calls, therefore, for a shift in the euro area’s macroeconomic policy ~~mix~~priorities towards increased public spending on education and training; ~~_________________ 1~~calls on the Commission to introduce in the Social Scoreboard an indicator on spending (especially public) on education as a share of GDP (or per student), in order to monitor the performance of the Member States; _________________ 1 Eurostat data. Eurostat data.

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Is deeply concerned that, in the EU28, the average rate of general government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP fell year-on-year from 2009 to 20161 ; regrets that the education sector has been severely hit by austerity and stresses that well-resourced public education systems are vital for equality and social inclusion; calls, therefore, for a shift in the euro area’s macroeconomic policy mix towards increased public spending on education and training~~; _________________ 1~~, as investments with a strong multiplier effect; _________________ 1 Eurostat data. Eurostat data.

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Is deeply concerned that, in the EU28, the average rate of general government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP fell year-on-year from 2009 to 20161 ; ~~regrets that the education sector has been severely hit by austerity and~~ stresses that well-resourced ~~public~~ education systems are vital for equality and social inclusion; calls, therefore, for a shift in the euro area’s macroeconomic policy mix towards increased public and private spending on education and training; _________________ 1 Eurostat data.

Amendment 8 #

Helga TRÜPEL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Is deeply concerned that, in the EU28, the average rate of general government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP fell year-on-year from 2009 to 20161 ; regrets that the education sector ~~has been severely hit by austerity and stresses that~~is not supported enough through well-resourced public education systems ar, which prove vital for equality and social inclusion; calls, therefore, for a shift in the euro area’s macroeconomic policy mix towards increased public ~~spending o~~investment in education and training; _________________ 1 Eurostat data.

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Recalls that the desire for social inclusion must not result in social policies, particularly on education, which would have the aim or effect of favouring certain groups of people or certain geographical areas to the detriment of other geographical areas or population groups; deplores the fact, in particular, that certain education policies aimed at social inclusion in certain priority education zones in France, mostly located in suburban areas, could reduce the financial resources available to education systems in other parts of the country, particularly rural areas suffering from multiple barriers as regards access to quality education and cultural opportunities; demands the full application of the principle of republican equality in government expenditure;

source: 623.730

2018/09/05 EMPL 159 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1

— having regard to Articles 3 and 5 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU),

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 a (new)

- having regard to the Circular Economy Package1a, __________________ 1aDirective (EU) 2018/849; Directive (EU) 2018/850; Directive (EU) 2018/851; Directive (EU) 2018/852

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines the need to increase employment rates, in particular among low-skilled, young and older workers, women, migrants ~~and~~, people with disabilities and marginalised communities such as the Roma, in order to achieve the Europe 2020 goal of an employment rate of at least 75 % and to mitigate the social and financial risks they face; underlines the need to reduce the number of people experiencing poverty in order to achieve the Europe 2020 goal of reducing poverty by 20 million people;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines the need to increase employment rates, in particular among the long-term unemployed, low-skilled, young and older workers, women, migrants, people of minority origin and people with disabilities, in order to achieve the Europe 2020 goal of an employment rate of at least 75 % and to mitigate the social and financial risks they face;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines the need to increase employment rates, in particular among low-skilled, young and older workers, women~~, migrants~~ and people with disabilities, in order to achieve the Europe 2020 goal of an employment rate of at least 75 % and to mitigate the social and financial risks they face;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls for national strategies and EU-level coordination to fight ageism in labour markets as a response to an increasing number of older workers in the EU workforce, including awareness- raising on the directive establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation 2000/78/EC, an alignment of occupational health and safety regulations with the aims of sustainable employment, taking into account new and emerging occupational risks, giving access to life-long learning opportunities, focussing on 40-50+ workers to strengthen the professional qualification and digital skills. Calls for improved policies supporting the reconciliation of work and family life by initially the measures of the proposed directive on Work Life Balance;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Notes that it is critical that compliance with labour and migration law should be monitored in order to ensure that European citizens are not disadvantaged by employers offering lower wages to socioeconomic migrants;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls on Member States to build on their efforts to address long-term unemployment in line with the Council Recommendation on the integration of Long Term Unemployed into the Labour Market (2016/C 67/01);

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)

8b. Calls on Member States to develop social and economic policies in line with the principles of Commission Recommendation of 3 October 2008 on the active inclusion of people excluded from the labour market (notified under document number C(2008) 5737), specifically ensuring the provision of adequate income support, accessible labour markets and access to quality services, recalling that these elements are seen as fundamental to sustainable outcomes;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)

8c. Calls on Member States to develop actions and strategies in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights to address the social needs of those for whom the labour market is inaccessible e.g. those facing extreme deprivation such as the homeless, children and young people and those with chronic physical and mental health conditions;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 d (new)

8d. Calls for national strategies and EU-level coordination to fight ageism in labour markets as a response to an increasing number of older workers in the EU workforce, including awareness- raising on the directive establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation 2000/78/EC, an alignment of occupational health and safety regulations with the aims of sustainable employment, taking into account new and emerging occupational risks, giving access to life-long learning opportunities and improved policies supporting the reconciliation of work and family life;

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Member States to take full advantage of the positive economic outlook and pursue labour market reforms fostering ~~reliable~~legally certain labour contracts ~~and~~that outline the terms and conditions of employment as well as guaranteed wages and hours of employment, tackling bogus self-employment and ~~promoting~~ensuring access adequate social protection for all types of contracts; calls on the Member States to adopt and implement the proposed Council Recommendation on Access to Social Protection and to encourage people in non-standard employment to enrol in mandatory and voluntary social protection schemes;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 a (new)

- having regard to the Commission proposal of 31 May 2018 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a European Investment Stabilisation Function,

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Member States to take full advantage of the positive economic outlook and pursue labour market reforms fostering ~~reliable labour contracts and~~stable, secure and open-ended employment contracts, particularly by encouraging collective agreements that provide a minimum level of protection for every worker, tackling bogus self- employment ~~and~~, promoting ~~adequate~~ social protection for all types of contracts but also by prohibiting types of contracts that violate fundamental rights by imposing slavery working conditions, such as zero contracts, unpaid work;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Member States to take full advantage of the positive economic outlook and pursue labour market reforms fostering reliable labour contracts and tackling bogus self-employment and promoting adequate social protection for all types of contracts; calls on the Member States to adopt and implement the proposed Council Recommendation on Access to Social Protection and to encourage people in non-standard employment to enrol in mandatory and voluntary social protection schemes;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Member States to take full advantage of the positive economic outlook and pursue labour market reforms fostering reliable permanent and full-time labour contracts ~~and~~, tackling non-genuine and bogus self-employment and promoting adequatel access to social protection ~~for all types of contract~~regardless of the employment relationship or the type of contract; stresses the importance of an ambitious directive on predictable and transparent working conditions;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Member States to take full advantage of the positive economic outlook and pursue labour market reforms that focus on the creation of jobs; if feasible fostering reliable labour contracts and tackling bogus self-employment and promoting adequate social protection for all types of contracts;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the euro area Member States to take full advantage of the positive economic outlook and pursue labour market reforms fostering reliable labour contracts and tackling bogus self- employment and promoting adequate social protection for all types of contracts;

Amendment 115 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Member States to take full advantage of the positive economic outlook and pursue labour market reforms fostering prelidictable ~~labour contracts and~~employment, tackling bogus self-employment and promoting adequate social protection for all types of contracts;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls on the Member States to invest in care services throughout the life cycle, to continue to pursue with the aim of reaching the 2002 Barcelona child care targets and to develop care targets for the elderly and dependent persons;

Amendment 117 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Member States to ~~ensure the long-term sustainability of pension systems that do not overburden the younger generation, and to reduce the risk of poverty in old age;~~reduce gender pension gaps and ensure intergenerational equity ensuring decent and sufficient retirement benefits in order to eradicate poverty in old ages and at the same time providing long-term sustainability of pension systems, promoting higher employment rates of quality jobs which provide higher contributions to public pension systems and do not overburden the younger generation; calls on the Member States to reform their contributory systems to ensure they can better adapt to the reality of people’s employment trajectories, including by ensuring that temporary work, as well as internships and apprenticeships, are counted as working time giving rise to pension entitlements, and therefore making it easier to bank enough working time to reach adequate incomes at retirement, notes with concern that in some Member States the gender pension gap, as well as the rate of early retirement, remains high;

Amendment 118 #

Brando BENIFEI, Bart STAES

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Member States to ensure the long-term sustainability of pension systems that do not overburden the younger generation, and to reduce the risk of poverty in old age; ~~notes with concern that in some Member States the gender pension gap, as well as the rate of early retirement, remains high~~considers in that respect that raising the statutory retirement age is not a viable option, which in effect would have a negative impact on youth unemployment; notes with concern that in some Member States the gender pension gap, as well as the rate of early retirement, remains high; points out that the sustainability of public pension systems is not achieved through pension cuts or attempts to privatise them, but with a drastic reduction of the unemployment, an effective fight against undeclared and partly undeclared work, with an integration of migrants and refugees into the labour market, and with measures that will reverse the aging of the European societies;

Amendment 119 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Member States to ensure ~~the long-term~~intergenerational equity, by developing sustainab~~ility of~~le pension systems ~~that do no~~, in which adequate pensions are provided for the elderly, without overburdening the younger generation, and to reduce the risk of poverty in old age; calls on the Member States to reform their contributory systems to ensure they can better adapt to the reality of people’s employment trajectories, including by ensuring that temporary work, as well as internships and apprenticeships, are counted as working time giving rise to pension entitlements, and therefore making it easier to bank enough working time to reach adequate incomes at retirement; notes with concern that in some Member States the gender pension gap, as well as the rate of early retirement, remains high;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 33 a (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 26 May 2016 on Poverty: a gender perspective,

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Member States to ensure the long-term sustainability of pension systems ~~that do not overburden the younger generation, and to reduce~~in line with inter- generational solidarity while ensuring the effective and efficient reduction of the risk of poverty in old age; notes with concern that in ~~some~~most Member States the gender pension gap, as well as the rate of early retirement, remains high; welcomes the Commission recommendation put forward in the 2018 Pension Adequacy Report to increase the attention paid to the adequacy of minimum pensions; encourages the Commission to pursue this recommendation in the next European Semester cycle; calls as well for providing more analysis on the situation of the ‘oldest old’, whose pension entitlements may have decreased over time due to inflation;

Amendment 121 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Member States to ensure the long-term sustainability of pension systems that do not overburden the younger generation, and to reduce the risk of poverty in old age; notes with concern that in some Member States the gender pension gap, as well as the rate of early retirement, remains high; welcomes the Commission recommendation put forward in the 2018 Pension Adequacy Report to increase the attention paid to the adequacy of minimum pensions; encourages the Commission to pursue this recommendation in the next European Semester cycle; calls as well for providing more analysis on the situation of the ‘oldest old’ in several Member States, whose pension entitlements have decreased over time due to inflation;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Member States to ensure the long-term sustainability and adequacy of pension systems ~~that do not overburden the young~~based on inter generation~~, and~~al solidarity in order to reduce the risk of poverty and social exclusion in old age; notes with concern that in some Member States the gender pension gap, as well as the rate of early retirement, remains high;

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the euro area Member States to ensure the long-term sustainability of pension systems that do not overburden the younger generation, and to reduce the risk of poverty in old age; notes with concern that in some euro area Member States the gender pension gap, as well as the rate of early retirement, remains high;

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – subparagraph 1 (new)

Believes that the provision of care services within the family should not negatively impact the social or pension benefits; Calls in this context for a national mechanism to ensure that the accumulation of pension rights is sufficient;

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Calls for the establishment of reference budgets that adequately reflect the costs of basic goods and services for persons of different ages and geographical locations in Member States, as a tool to assess the adequacy of minimum income benefits; points to the results of the European project ‘European Minimum Income Network’ for a first test of this methodology;

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Believes that reforms to social protections systems by the Member States must aim to facilitate labour market participation for those who can work by making work pay; stresses in this regard that income support should be targeted at those most in need;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Notes that the lack of control over the influx of socioeconomic migrants in Europe should not have the effect of cutting the pensions of European citizens;

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Underlines that adequate skills can be acquired and the skills mismatch tackled by improving the quality, availability, affordability and accessibility of education and training, including targeted quality training and reinforcing upskilling and reskilling measures, w~~hich require appropriate support, including funding at EU, national and regional level~~ith particular attention to basic skills, as well as non- formal adult education opportunities, which require appropriate support, including funding at EU, national and regional level; calls, in this regard, for targeted measures to support vulnerable groups including Roma, people with disabilities, early school leavers, the long- term unemployed, and migrants and refugees; points to the need to increase the relevance of vocational training to the labour market and take steps to enhance its attractiveness compared to academic pathways;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Underlines that adequate skills can be acquired and the skills mismatch tackled by improving the quality and accessibility of education and training, including targeted quality training and reinforcing upskilling and reskilling measures, which require appropriate support, including funding at EU, national and regional level; points to the need to increase the relevance of vocational training to the labour market; calls on the Member States to prioritise comprehensive training in digital skills and to take into account the shift towards the digital economy in the context of upskilling and retraining;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 33 b (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 25 November 2015 on the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014-2020,

Amendment 130 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. UNotes with concern that the job vacancy rate in the euro area was 2.1 % in the first quarter of 2018, up from 1.9 % in 2017; underlines that adequate skills can be acquired and the skills mismatch tackled by improving the quality and accessibility of education and training, including targeted quality training and improved mutual recognition of qualifications as well as reinforcing upskilling and reskilling measures, which require appropriate support, including funding at EU, national and regional level; points to the need to increase the relevance of vocational training to the labour market;

Amendment 131 #

Brando BENIFEI, Javi LÓPEZ, Bart STAES

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Underlines that adequate skills can be acquired and the skills mismatch tackled by improving the quality and accessibility of education and training particularly for the most vulnerable and the most marginalised, including targeted quality training and reinforcing upskilling and reskilling measures, which require appropriate support, including funding at EU, national and regional level for both formal and non-formal education providers; points to the need to increase the relevance of vocational training to the labour market;

Amendment 132 #

Robert ROCHEFORT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Underlines that adequate skills can be acquired and the skills mismatch tackled by improving the quality and accessibility of education and training, including targeted quality training, in particular in digital and entrepreneurial areas, and reinforcing upskilling and reskilling measures, which require appropriate support, including funding at EU, national and regional level; points to the need to increase the relevance of vocational training to the labour market;

Amendment 133 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Underlines that adequate skills can be acquired and the skills mismatch tackled by improving the quality and accessibility of education and training, including targeted quality training and reinforcing upskilling and reskilling measures, which require appropriate support, including funding at EU, level while respecting Article 149 TFEU, at national and regional level; points to the need to increase the relevance of vocational training to the labour market;

Amendment 134 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Supports a Skills Guarantee as a new right for everyone to acquire fundamental skills for the 21st century, underlines that the Skills Guarantee is an important social investment, requests that national public investments be considered within a “silver rule on social investment” under the Stability and Growth Pact;

Amendment 135 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Considers that employers of non- European non-nationals must contribute to the training of European citizens and unemployed people through a specific fund;

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Underlines the need to pursue reforms that prepare the labour market and its workforce for the digital transformation; considers that the digital transformation of the economy and labour allows and imposes a coordinated reduction in working time, which will allow more jobs to be created; stresses in that respect the need to involve both trade unions and employers’ organisations in order to ensure a fair transition; highlights the need to modernise national social protection systems to provide adequate protection for employees in new forms of work and with new kinds of contracts;

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Underlines the need to pursue reforms that prepare the labour market and its workforce for the digital transformation; highlights the need to modernise national social protection systems to provide adequate protection for employees in new forms of work and with new kinds of contracts; calls on Member States to develop labour market policies that support mobility between sectors and the re-training of workers, which will become increasingly important as our labour markets adapt to the digital transformation of our economies;

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Underlines the need to pursue reforms that prepare the labour market and its workforce for the digital transformation; in particular by ensuring adequate provision for lifelong learning and digital skills training for people of all ages and backgrounds based on a flexible, learner- centred approach; highlights the need to ~~modernise~~ensure that national social protection systems to provide adequate protection for all, including employees in new forms of work and with new kinds of contracts;

Amendment 139 #

Brando BENIFEI, Javi LÓPEZ, Bart STAES

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Underlines the need to pursue reforms that prepare the labour market and its workforce for the digital transformation; highlights the need to modernise national social protection systems to provide adequate protection for employees in new forms of work and with new kinds of contracts as well as improving coverage for those who cannot work and those who are unable to find work;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 33 c (new)

- having regard to the European Commission report entitled ‘Pension Adequacy Report 2018: Current and future income adequacy in old age in the EU’,

Amendment 140 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Emphasises the importance of lifelong career guidance in ensuring people’s participation in suitable, flexible and high-quality training and career paths; Recalls in this context, the limits of skills forecasting due to the rapidly changing nature of the labour market and, in that respect, stresses the importance of transversal skills such as communication, problem-solving, creativity and the ability to learn which enhance people’s resilience and ability to adapt to change and acquire new skills throughout their lives;

Amendment 141 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Highlights that digital skills are central to a knowledge based economy and calls on the Member States to increase digital access as well as improve digital skills among their citizens;

Amendment 142 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Member States to undertake the necessary reforms to increase the accessibility, quality and cost- effectiveness of their healthcare systems; calls for a renewed European target to significantly increase the number of healthy life years by making prevention a priority in EU health policies, as well as curative measures; calls for the reduction of out-of-pocket payments to access health care, as this discourages people with low resources to access health care and reinforces health inequalities; calls for the active pursuit of health promotion campaigns;

Amendment 143 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Member States to ~~undertake the necessary reforms to increase the accessibility, quality~~increase social investment to ensure the accessibility, availability, affordability, and quality service and cost- effectiveness of their healthcare ~~system~~and social systems; calls for the reduction of out-of-pocket payments to access health care, as this discourages people with low resources to access health care and reinforce health inequalities;

Amendment 144 #

Dominique MARTIN, Joëlle MÉLIN, Mara BIZZOTTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Member States to undertake the necessary reforms to increase the accessibility, quality and cost- effectiveness of their healthcare systems that should be at any cost and with the necessary support of the EU mechanisms explicitly excluded by any austerity measures imposed by fiscal consolidation programmes;

Amendment 145 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Member States to undertake the necessary reforms to increase the accessibility, quality and cost- effectiveness of their healthcare systems, provided that the fundamental right to universal and free healthcare is not compromised for European citizens;

Amendment 146 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Member States to undertake the necessary reforms to increase the affordability, accessibility, quality and cost- effectiveness of their educational and healthcare systems;

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the euro area Member States to undertake the necessary reforms to increase the accessibility, quality and cost- effectiveness of their healthcare systems;

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Calls for a European strategy for quality and accessibility of long-term care systems, pursuing a rights- and community-based approach to long-term care and support; calls for significant investments into long-term care services to prepare the projected increased needs in the light of demographic change; recognises that the long-term care sector offers inadequate working conditions and calls for a revaluation of care work and working conditions in care services as a means to ensure quality of long-term care;

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 33 d (new)

- having regard to the European Commission report entitled ‘The 2018 Ageing Report: Economic and Budgetary Projections for the EU Member States (2016-2070)’,

Amendment 150 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Points out the need for well- designed policies for a better work-life balance, including flexible working arrangements, take-up of advantageous ~~family~~paid maternity, paternity, parental and carers leave and adequate investment in affordable, quality child- and long-term care; sees, in this regard, the swift adoption of the directive on work-life balance for parents and carers as a necessary step towards improved work-life balance; further calls for a European initiative on the social protection and services for informal carers;

Amendment 151 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Points out the need for well- designed policies for a better work-life balance, including flexible working arrangements, take-up of advantageous ~~family~~paid maternity, paternity, parental and carers’ leave and adequate investment in affordable, quality childcare; sees, in this regard, the swift adoption of the dDirective on work-life balance for parents and carers as a necessary step towards improved work-life balance; further calls for a European initiative on the social protection and services for informal carers;

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Points out the need for well- designed policies for a better work-life balance, including provision of affordable childcare and early childcare, rebalancing the gender care role among men and women, promoting flexible working arrangements, and take-up of advantageous family leave ~~and adequate investment in affordable, quality childcare~~; sees, in this regard, th~~e swift~~at a balanced adoption of the directive on work-life balance for parents and carers ais a necessary step towards improved work- life balance;

Amendment 153 #

Krzysztof HETMAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Points out the need for well- designed policies for a better work-life balance, including flexible working arrangements, take-up of advantageous ~~family~~maternity, paternity, parental and carer’s leave and adequate investment in affordable, quality child - and long-term care; sees, in this regard, the swift adoption of the directive on work-life balance for parents and carers as a necessary step towards improved work-life balance;

Amendment 154 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Points out the need for well- designed policies for a better work-life balance, including flexible working arrangements, take-up of advantageous family leave and adequate investment in affordable, quality c~~hildcare~~are services; sees, in this regard, the swift adoption of the directive on work-life balance for parents and carers as a necessary step towards improved work-life balance;

Amendment 155 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Points out the need for well- designed policies for a better work-life balance, including ~~flexi~~adaptable working arrangements, take-up of advantageous family leave and adequate investment in affordable, quality childcare; sees, in this regard, the swift adoption of the directive on work-life balance for parents and carers as a necessary step towards improved work-life balance;

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Underlines the importance of enhancing structured civil and social dialogue and the participation of employers’ organisations ~~and trade unions in~~, trade unions and civil society organisations in contributing to the development and implement~~ing~~ation of employment and social policies and reforms, and their active engagement in the Semester process;

Amendment 157 #

Krzysztof HETMAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Underlines the importance of enhancing structured dialogue and the participation of employers’ organisations ~~and trade unions in~~, trade unions and civil society organisations in designing and implementing employment and social policies and reforms;

Amendment 158 #

Brando BENIFEI, Javi LÓPEZ, Bart STAES

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Underlines the importance of enhancing structured dialogue and consulting with civil society and the participation of employers’ organisations and trade unions in implementing employment and social policies and reforms;

Amendment 159 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Believes that in order to maintain and increase global competitiveness, the labour market regulatory framework in Member States needs to be clear, simple and flexible while maintaining high labour standards;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 34 a (new)

- having regard to the (Revised) European Social Charter and the Turin Process, launched in 2014 and aiming at strengthening the treaty system of the European Social Charter within the Council of Europe and in its relationship with the law of the European Union,2a __________________ 2a https://www.coe.int/en/web/turin- european-social-charter/turin-process

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas in January 2018 the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the euro area was 8.6 %, which was down from 9.6 % in January 2017 and constituted the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since December 2008; whereas this low unemployment rate hides uneven situations among the euro area Member States with lowest unemployment rates in January 2018 recorded in Malta (3.5 %) and Germany (3.6 %), while the highest and still concerning unemployment rates were observed in Greece (20.9 % in November 2017) and Spain (16.3 %);

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas in J~~anuary~~une 2018 the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the euro area was 8.63 %, which was down from 9.60 % in J~~anuary~~une 2017 and constituted the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since December 2008;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas in June 2018 the euro area countries had an unemployment rate (8.3%) that was twice that of the countries outside the euro area (4.2%);

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)

- having regard to Declaration 16 on Article 55(2) of the Treaty on European Union and the fourth subparagraph of Article 3(3), which provides that the Union shall respect the richness of its cultural and linguistic diversity,

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas among the euro area Member States the lowest unemployment rates in January 2018 were recorded in Malta (3.5 %) and Germany (3.6 %), while the highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (20.9 % in November 2017) and Spain (16.3 %); whereas in some Member States, unemployment remains high due to a lack of growth and structural weakness that derive to a considerable extent from ineffective and in many cases rigid labour market regulatory frameworks; welcomes the labour market reforms that have been passed in most countries affected by the Euro-crisis; urges these countries to continue on their reform path and to not undo the attained progress;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the difference in unemployment rates among the euro area Member States is vast considering that the lowest unemployment rates in January 2018 were recorded in Malta (3.5 %) and Germany (3.6 %), while the highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (20.9 % in November 2017) and Spain (16.3 %);

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas among the euro area Member States the lowest unemployment rates in J~~anuary~~une 2018 were recorded in ~~Malta (3.5~~the Czech Republic (2.4 %) and Germany (3.64 %), while the highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (20.92 % in ~~November~~April 20178) and Spain (1~~6.3~~5.2 %);

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas the official rate of unemployment in Germany (3.4%) in June 2018 was not credible in the light of the hearings at the European Parliament, which confirmed that only 5% of the 1.2 million refugees who had arrived in Germany in 2015-2016 were working full- time in 2017;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas in January 2018 the youth unemployment rate in the euro area was 17.7 % compared with 19.9 % in January 2017; but still significantly high with some Southern countries with more than 1 out of 3 young unemployed;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas in January 2018 the youth unemployment rate in the euro area was 17.7 % compared with 19.9 % in January 2017, but despite its decline it remains more than twice the total unemployment average;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas in J~~anuary~~une 2018 the youth unemployment rate in the euro area was 1~~7.7~~6.9 % compared with 198.9 % in J~~anuary 2017~~une 2017; whereas, despite continually decreasing, this rate remains unacceptably high;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas the primary responsibility for tackling youth unemployment rests with the Member States in terms of developing and implementing labour market regulatory frameworks, education and training systems and active labour market policies;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas ~~in January 2018~~the difference in youth unemployment rates among the euro area Member-States is also vast since the lowest youth unemployment rates in the euro area were observed in Estonia (6.5 % in December 2017) and Germany (6.6 %) while the highest were recorded in Greece (43.7 % in November 2017), Spain (36.0 %) and Italy (31.5 %);

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)

- having regard to the Commission’s white paper COM(2012) 55 “An Agenda for Adequate, Safe and Sustainable Pensions”,

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas in J~~anuary~~une 2018 the lowest youth unemployment rates in the euro area were observed in ~~Estoni~~Malta (65.5 % ~~in December 2017~~) and Germany (6.62 %) while the highest were recorded in Greece (4~~3.7~~2.3 % in ~~November~~April 20178), Spain (3~~6.0~~4.1 %) and Italy (3~~1.5~~2.6 %);

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas other Member States are faced with structural challenges in the labour market such as low participation as well as skills and qualification mismatches; whereas there is a growing need for concrete measures for the integration or re-integration of inactive workforce to meet labour market demands;

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the total employment rate for the euro area in 2017 was 71.0⁰ %, while the employment rate for women was 65.4 %, notwithstanding employment levels still fall short of levels recorded a decade ago in several Eastern and Southern countries (ESDE 2018, p. 27); whereas the declining trend in hours worked per employed person due to increased part-time work is concerning, with a slight decline (0.3%) in 2017 relative to the previous year and still at a level approximately 3.0% lower than in 2008 (ESDE 2018 p.27);

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the total employment rate for the euro area in 2017 was 71.0⁰ %, while the employment rate for women was 65.4 %; whereas the target for the European Union under the Europe 2020 Strategy is reaching 75% employment rates, with a particular focus on women and older people;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas the employment rate in France in 2016 was 72% for people born in France, as against 54% for people born outside the European Union; whereas the same pattern can be identified in countries in western Europe where immigration has not been controlled; whereas conversely, in Central and Eastern European countries, employment rates of immigrants and native-born people are very similar;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas there is an indication of a dangerous potential permanent trend in the euro area countries with the highest unemployment rates and the lower employment rates as in Greece (57.8%), Italy (62.3%) and Spain (65.5%);

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas the employment rate in the euro area grew by 1.4 % in 2018 compared with the same quarter of the previous year;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas labour market segmentation persists and affects in particular women, low-skilled, young and older people, people with disabilities and people with a migrant background; whereas employment rates of 55-64 year- olds was 57% in 2017 in the EU, 10 percentage points below the general employment rate and a gender gap of 13 percentage points, even wider than the 10 percentage points difference for the total working-age population; whereas demographics predict a rising number of older workers;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas labour market segmentation ~~persists and affects in~~ , involuntary part-time and temporary work together with non- standard and atypical forms of employment, non-genuine and bogus self- employment persist, causing uncertainty, precariousness and insecure jobs, affecting in particular women, low-skilled, young and older people, people with disabilities and people with a migrant background;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)

- having regard to Article 20 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, stipulating that EU citizens have the right to address the institutions and advisory bodies of the Union in any of the Treaty languages and to obtain a reply in the same language,

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas the segmentation by age and gender exemplified by the figures, employment rates of 55-64 year-olds being 57% in 2017 in the EU, 10 points below the total employment rate, with a gender gap of 13 points, while it is 10 points for the total working-age population; whereas demographics predict a rising number of older workers;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas universal access to quality and affordable public healthcare is a basic ~~societal need~~need which has to be secured and invested in by Member States and the Union;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas universal access to quality and affordable healthcare is a basic societal need and also an obligation of the Member-States;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas in 2016 the percentage of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the euro area was 23.15 %, still above its bottom level in 2009 and the in- work poverty rate in the EU-28 was 9.6 %, representing almost 1 out of 10 employed people who are still under the poverty threshold in spite of being employed; whereas still 118 millions of European citizens are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, still 1 million above the pre- crisis level;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas in 2016 the percentage of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the euro area was 23.1 %, and the in-work poverty rate in the EU-28 was 9.6 %; whereas the Europe 2020 target of reducing the risk of poverty and social exclusion by 20 million relative to the 2008 benchmark falls significantly short; whereas while material deprivation rates are reducing, monetary and at-risk of poverty rates are increasing;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas in 2016 the percentage of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the euro area was 23.1 %, and the in-work poverty rate in the EU-28 was 9.6 %; whereas although this figure has almost returned to pre-crisis levels, progress towards the Europe 2020 target is still far from being achieved;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas in the euro area the long- term unemployment rate is decreasing (from 5 % in 2016 to 4.4 % in 2017), but whereas it still accounts for 48.5 % of total unemployment, which is unacceptably high; whereas the Europe 2020 target of reducing the risk of poverty and social exclusion by 20 million relative to the 2008 benchmark falls significantly short; whereas while material deprivation rates are reducing, but monetary at-risk of poverty rates are increasing;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

Ia. whereas according to the Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) review 2018, the restrained pace of growth in productivity per person employed affecting wage growth is linked to factors such as the higher share of part-time jobs and the lower numbers of hours worked;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas ~~the~~ part-time employment ~~rate in the euro area has remained stable since 2013, and whereas in 2017 part-time work accounted for 21.2 % of all contracts~~and temporary work in the euro area remain being a high proportion of total employment with involuntary part-time work still above 25%, which has negative consequences in terms of precariousness, wage growth and the reduction of income inequalities; whereas in 2017 part-time work accounted for 21.2 % of all contracts; and whereas in 2016 young people held by far the highest share of temporary contracts with 43.8 % of employees aged 15 to 24 employed under a temporary contract;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas the part-time employment rate in the euro area has remained stable since 2013, and whereas in 2017 part-time work accounted for 21.2 % of all contracts; whereas the share of part time work amongst women is significantly higher than that of men, 31.4% to 8.2% respectively leading to significant gender imbalance;

Amendment 5 #

Brando BENIFEI, Bart STAES

Motion for a resolution
Citation 2

— having regard to Articles 9, 145, 148, 149, 152, 153, 174 and 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas the part-time employment rate in the euro area has remained stable since 2013, and whereas in 2017 part-time work accounted for 21.2 % of all contracts; and whereas in 2016 young people held by far the highest share of temporary contracts, with 43.8% of employees aged 15 to 24 employed under a temporary contract;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)

Ja. whereas pension adequacy is still a challenge, as the risk of social exclusion is increasing with age and the gender pension gap of 37% still poses a challenge to many older women, increasing their risk of poverty and social exclusion; whereas the pension entitlements of persons in non-standard and self- employment are lower than for employees;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)

Ja. whereas the macroeconomic stabilisation policy of the EU is one of the main issues that have emerged from the financial crisis and should be established through multiple mechanisms;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)

Jb. Whereas the access to social services, such as childcare, healthcare and long-term care services or mobility have a significant impact on the adequacy of income effecting disproportionally women and in particular for people with low incomes or relying on social protection;

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)

Jb. Whereas the access to social services, such as childcare, healthcare and long-term care services or mobility have a significant impact on the adequacy of income, in particular for people with low incomes or relying on social protection;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)

Jb. whereas it is scientifically widely proved that there is a direct effect of unemployment to growth and therefore employment is not merely a social right but an essential factor for growth;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that while the economic conditions in the EU are currently favourable and overall employment is steadily growing, there is still much room for improvement in terms of ~~youth unemployment,~~tackling youth and long-term unemployment and gender imbalances, fight against labour market segmentation ~~and~~, inequalities~~, in-work poverty, productivity and wage growth~~ especially linked to vulnerable groups and in-work poverty, the eradication of child poverty, fostering productivity through the creation of permanent and full-time jobs, encouraging unionisation and wage growth; regrets the limited impact of public policy on reducing poverty in EU Member States as highlighted by the 2017 Social Scoreboard;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that while the economic conditions in the EU are currently favourable and overall employment is steadily growing, there is still much room for improvement in terms of youth unemployment, labour market segmentation and inequalities, reducing the number of people working below their qualification level, reduction of poverty in general and especially in-work poverty, productivity and wage growth;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that while the economic conditions in the EUuro Area are currently favourable and overall employment is steadily growing, there is still much room for improvement in terms of youth unemployment, labour market segmentation and inequalities, in-work poverty, productivity and wage growth; notes that in regards to a majority of parameters, economic convergence is negative;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 6

— having regard to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular goals 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10 and 103,

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that while the economic conditions in the EU are currently favourable and overall employment is steadily growing, ~~there is still much room for improvement in terms of~~economic recovery is very uneven across the EU and there is still a considerable delay in reducing youth unemployment, in addressing the labour market segmentation and inequalities, in-work poverty, productivity and wage growth;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Considers that the main goal of the employment and social policies of the euro area should be achieving full employment and upward social convergence while guaranteeing quality jobs and social rights;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Notes that the deregulation of the labour market, the weakening of collective bargaining systems and collective agreements in the countries of euro area, mainly through their so-called “decentralisation”, and the reduction of minimum wages imposed on certain countries not only did not favour the increase in employment, but have contributed to an increase in unemployment;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines that the full enjoyment of social right and a well-functioning social protection systems that provides adequate coverage when needed are an important preconditions for reducing poverty and social exclusion, ensuring inclusive national labour markets and the resilience of the euro area economy as a whole; notes that Member States with more developed social protection systems have been more resilient in the recent economic crisis;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines that well-functioning social protection systems ~~are an important precondition for inclusive national labour markets and~~which offer equal rights and benefits for all workers regardless their type of employment relationship, contract or form of employment are an important precondition for inclusive national labour markets, avoiding insecurity, uncertainty, precariousness and poverty among those most vulnerable and reinforce the resilience of the euro area economy as a whole;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines that well-functioning social protection systems are an important precondition for inclusive national labour markets and the resilience of the euro area economy as a whole; stresses therefore that fiscal consolidation programmes should by no means impose austerity measures damaging social policies by substantial cuts;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines that well-functioning social protection systems and active and sustainable labour market policies are an important precondition for inclusive national labour markets and the resilience of the euro area economy as a whole;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Underlines that well-functioning and efficient social protection systems are an important precondition for inclusive national labour markets and the resilience of the euro area economy as a whole;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the increased financial support, via the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP), for Member States to pursue their reforms; welcomes the Commission proposal to enlarge the scope of the SRSP to cover countries whose currency is not the euro, with the aim of fostering economic and social convergence throughout the EU;deleted

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)

- having regard to the Commission communication of 21 December 2017 on a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and the Council on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions in the European Union COM(2017) 797,

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the increased financial support, via the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP), for Member States to pursue their reforms in creating quality jobs to boost employment, reducing unemployment with emphasis on tackling long-term and youth unemployment, wage increase and recovery of the collective bargaining; welcomes the Commission proposal to enlarge the scope of the SRSP to cover countries whose currency is not the euro, with the aim of fostering economic and social convergence throughout the EU;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls on the Commission to further encourage and legislate on new forms of enterprises as the social and solidarity economy promote both employment and social standards at the same time;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Takes note of the Commission’s 2018 country-specific recommendations (CSR) as an important part of the European Semester process and ~~welcomes the special~~notes the attention given in them to social challenges which are still insufficiently addressed by the Member States in terms of efforts and resources; notes that the 20 principles proclaimed in the Social Pillar have not been sufficiently integrated into the CSRs; notes with concern that only 50 % of the recommendations for 2017 were implemented fully or partially and therefore encourages the Member States to step up their efforts to implement the recommendations, in particular in the fields of: - income inequalities, - wage growth linked to weakness of workers’ bargaining power and increasing decentralisation of collective bargaining and slight evolution of productivity due to increasing percentage of part-time work and its shorter duration which have brought to a decline in hours worked per employee. - child and in-work poverty, especially among some vulnerable groups - youth and long-term unemployment, - labour market uncertainty and precariousness linked to atypical and new forms of employment and types of contracts, which are linked to unequal access to social protection - gender balances, in terms of labour market participation, gender pay and pension pay gap, education, sustainability of pension systems, and healthcare, including long- term care;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Takes note of the Commission’s 2018 country-specific recommendations (CSR) as an important part of the European Semester process and welcomes the special attention given in them to social challenges; notes with concern that only 50 % of the recommendations for 2017 were implemented fully or partially and therefore encourages the Member States to step up their efforts to implement the recommendations, in particular in the fields of ~~education, sustainability of pension systems, and healthcare, including long- term care~~fight against poverty and social exclusion, education, lifelong learning, sustainability and adequacy of pension systems, and healthcare, including long- term care; encourages the Commission to ensure that there is coherence between any social and economic CSR’s and that CSR’s reinforce rather than contradict each other for example, investment in health and social care should not be contradicted by growth orientated CSR’s;

Amendment 74 #

Krzysztof HETMAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Takes note of the Commission’s 2018 country-specific recommendations (CSR) as an important part of the European Semester process and ~~welcom~~notes the special attention given in them to ignore some social challenges; notes ~~with concern~~ that only 50 % of the recommendations for 2017 were implemented fully or partially and therefore encourages the Member States to step up their efforts to ~~implement~~abstain to follow these recommendations, in particular in the fields of education, ~~sustainability of~~ pension systems, and healthcare, including long- term care;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Believes that the European Semester still needs to be re-oriented towards social objectives, notably by integrating additional reference indicators in the social and environmental fields in order to balance the current GDP-led approach;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Calls for a democratisation of the European Semester with full scrutiny and enlarged powers to the European Parliament and national parliaments;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines ~~that job creation~~, therefore, that quality job creation, equal access to social protection regardless of employment relationship or type of contract and wage growth have a significant impact on reducing inequalities, improving standard of living and supporting economic recovery, and that Member States’ reforms should therefore focus in particular on policies that increase productivity ~~and growth potential, support the creation of quality jobs and reduce inequalit~~, encourage creation of permanent and full- time employment, promoting unionisation and labour market reforms to rebalance workers’ bargaining power, restabilising wage and economy;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines that job creation and wage growth have a significant impact on reducing inequalities, improving standard of living and supporting economic recovery, and that Member States’ reforms encouraged by the Commission through the CSR should therefore focus in particular on policies that increase productivity and growth potential, support the creation of quality jobs and reduce inequality and poverty, especially child poverty;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)

- having regard to the Commission Strategic Engagement for Gender Equality 2016-2019 and the European Pact for Gender Equality2011-2020 (Council conclusions, 7 March 2011),

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines that decent job creation and wage growth have a significant impact on reducing inequalities, improving standard of living and supporting economic recovery, and that Member States’ reforms should therefore focus in particular on policies that increase productivity and growth potential, support the creation of quality jobs and reduce inequality while ensuring a fair family-work balance;

Amendment 81 #

Dominique MARTIN, Joëlle MÉLIN, Mara BIZZOTTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines that job creation and wage growth have a significant impact on reducing inequalities, the risk of poverty and social exclusion, improving standards of living and supporting economic recovery, and that Member States’ reforms should therefore focus in particular on policies that increase productivity and growth potential, support the creation of quality ~~jobs~~employment and reduce inequality;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines that job creation and wage growth have a significant impact on reducing inequalities, improving standard of living ~~and~~, supporting economic recovery and improving public accounts, and that Member States’ reforms should therefore focus in particular on policies that increase ~~productivity~~internal demand and growth potential, support the creation of quality jobs and reduce inequality;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Supports flexibility in the implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact as proposed by the Commission in 2015; considers that much more flexibility is required to boost employment, growth and investment in the EU; calls, therefore for a reform of the Stability and Growth Pact to exempt investments in quality jobs creation mainly through active labour market policies;

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Considers that work permits should be issued to non-European citizens only if no EU citizen is available to fill the post;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Considers that public authorities should check the real investment made by the undertaking in order to find a European who is available;

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Considers that labour inspection authorities should monitor the development, by enterprise and by type of job, of the proportion of employees who do not have a European nationality;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Welcomes the Commission communication of 13 March 2018 on monitor~~Underlines that the EU’s social and environmental goals and commitments must be on an equal footing with the economic goals; calls therefore for binding social and environmental targets ing the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) (COM(2018)0130), which aligns the Pillar with the European Semester cycle by reflecting the priorities of the EPSR in the analysis of measures taken and progress made at national levelEuropean Semester; calls on the Commission to specify in comprehensible and particular qualitative/quantitative terms indicators for the twenty principles of the EPSR as well as additional ones such as the equal pay for equal work, living wages, protection against dismissal and in favour of whistle-blowers, social protection coverage, access to care and essential services as domestic work, healthy and safe working conditions, unemployment benefits, minimum income schemes, adequate pensions, inclusion of people with disabilities and to integrate them into the European Semester in an equivalent way to the indicators of the Stability Pact and the macroeconomic prevention imbalances;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes the Commission communication of 13 March 2018 on monitoring the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) (COM(2018)0130), which aligns the Pillar with the European Semester cycle by reflecting the priorities of the EPSR in the analysis of measures taken and progress made at national level; Calls on the Commission and the Member State to be more ambitious with the roadmap for the implementation of the EPSR to build up a real Social Dimension of the EU, providing complete legislative and financial resources at European and National level in order to accomplish the commitments proclaimed last November in Gothenburg;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes the Commission communication of 13 March 2018 on monitoring the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) (COM(2018)0130), which aligns the Pillar with the European Semester cycle by reflecting the priorities of the EPSR in the analysis of measures taken and progress made at national level; stresses that these principles must not be used as a vehicle for further initiatives at EU level which clearly fall within the competence of the Member States;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 b (new)

- having regard to the 2002 Barcelona child care targets of providing childcare by 2010 to at least 90% of children between 3 years old and the mandatory school age and at least 33% of children under 3 years of age,

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes the Commission communication of 13 March 2018 on monitoring the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) (COM(2018)0130)~~, which aligns the Pillar with the European Semester cycle by reflecting the priorities of the EPSR in the analysis of measures taken and progress made at national level~~;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Welcom~~Notes the Commission communication of 13 March 2018 on monitoring the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) (COM(2018)0130), which aligns the Pillar with the European Semester cycle by reflecting the priorities of the EPSR in the analysis of measures taken and progress made at national level;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Commission to ensure policy coherence between the CSRs and the implementation of the EPSR; calls on Member States to ensure the implementation of all aspects of the European Pillar of Social Rights through policy, legislative and financial instruments;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that the labour markets of the euro area countries differ significantly, which constitutes a challenge to their proper functioning; calls therefore for well- designed labour market policies that reduce labour market segmentation, ~~promote equal opportunities, facilitate access to the labour market, increase labour mobility and reintegrate the unemployed~~create stable and secure quality jobs, promote equal opportunities and equal treatment of workers, prevent wage and social dumping using sanctions such as deprivation of EU funds to employers accused of labour infringements, facilitate access to the labour market, increase labour mobility and reintegrate the unemployed; calls therefore for the attribution of at least 5% of the EFSI to such programmes, especially for the long-term and youth unemployed with the possibility of the contribution to exceed if necessary the range of 50% of the total required due to the exceptionally disadvantageous situation in some countries;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that the labour markets of euro area countries differ significantly, which constitutes a challenge to their proper functioning; calls therefore for well- designed labour market ~~policies that reduce~~reforms which undo the negatives effects brought by Labour Market Reforms done during the crisis, with the objective of reducing labour market segmentation, promote equal opportunities, facilitate equal access to the labour market~~, increase labour mobility and reintegrate the unemployed~~ and social protection, increase and reintegrate the unemployed, tackle inequalities and gender imbalances;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that the labour markets of euro area countries differ significantly, which constitutes a challenge to their proper functioning; calls therefore and in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity for well- designed labour market policies that reduce labour market segmentation, promote equal opportunities, facilitate access to the labour market, increase labour mobility and reintegrate the unemployed;

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that the labour markets of euro area countries differ significantly, which constitutes a challenge to their proper functioning; calls therefore for well- designed labour market policies that reduce labour market segmentation, promote equal opportunities, facilitate access to the labour market, ~~increas~~facilitate labour mobility and reintegrate the unemployed;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Underlines the importance of the establishment of the European Unemployment Insurance Scheme and asks the Commission to bring forward a proposal supportive to other stabilisation mechanisms under discussion, as the European Investment Stabilisation Function that should guarantee the correction of macroeconomic balances through employment and development and not through devastating austerity;

Amendment 98 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7b. Calls on the Commission to conduct an extensive Study concentrating on the relationship, in the euro area Member States, between unemployment and their: (a) GDPs (b) Growth (c) Pension systems sustainability

Amendment 99 #