Activities of Jan KOZŁOWSKI related to 2011/2052(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
European platform against poverty and social exclusion (debate)
Amendments (32)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that fighting poverty and social exclusion is a key Europe 2020 target and that it is consequently at the heart of the EP priorities for the EU Budget 2012;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Takes note ofthat the 3.3 %European Commission has estimated the increase in the draft budget 2012 for the European Platform against Poverty flagship initiative, as compared to last year, at 3.3 %; asks the Commission to explain in detail which budget lines will benefit from the increase; in this context, regrets the lack of clarity and the overlapping of the different instruments and budgetary lines through which the Europe 2020 targets are to be achieved through the EU budget;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is concerned about the cuts or limited increases proposed by the Commission for the main instruments contributing to this initiative, i.e. the 7th Framework Programme, Progress and the European Fund for Refugees; considers these proposals to be in contradiction withCalls the Commission to ensure the sufficient funds in the EU Budget to meet the ambitious objectives andof the key initiatives identified in the Commission communication on the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion; is determined to ensure that sufficient funds are available in the Budget 2012 to meet the objectives announced as well as Europe 2020 strategy;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the crucial role of the ESF in working towards employment and social inclusion, of the ERDF in tackling poverty in urban areas, where the majority of disadvantaged people live, andnd rural areas, of the EGF in preventing poverty among workers hit by the crisis and of the European Progress Microfinance Facility in supporting entrepreneurship; calls for the particular function of each fund to be preserved within the next multiannual financial framework (MFF), while improving coordination among them; also advocates simplification of the structural fund rules to support stronger participation of the social economy in fighting poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Calls for the improvement of the coordination among the European instruments for tackling poverty, supporting social inclusion and employment, as well as improving the coordination between them and national resources; also advocates for the simplification of the structural fund rules to support the fight against poverty and social exclusion, while ensuring a result oriented approach, as well as transparent and measurable effectiveness criteria;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Invites the Member States to establish national targets to define their contribution to this Europe 2020 target, and to annually inform the Commission, within the European Semester procedure, of the exact amount of resources they will allocate to fighting poverty and social exclusion.
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the most vulnerable groups have been those most severely affected by the crisis and the associated austerity measures,unemployment
Amendment D #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for it to be made clear that the Commission will be legally accountable in on the Commission to fully take account of the correct horizontal social clause as specified in Article 9 TFEU, under which the EU is to take into account requirements linked to the promotion of a high level of employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection, the fight against social exclusion, and a high level of education, training and protection of human health, and calls for the Commission to specify how the Platform will affect assessments of the implementation of that clause; calls for the social impact assessments of European policies to go into greater depthe, event that the horizontal social clause is not applied, and calls for the Commission to specify how the Platform will affect assessments of the implementation of that clause where those policies are not initiated by the Commission but by the European Council, as in the case of the Euro Plus pact; considers that such an in- depth analysis of the application of this clause will make it possible to avoid a levelling-down of social standards in Europe and to promote the development of a common social basis in Europe; calls for this social impact assessment to be made with the associations active in combating poverty and to take account of the situation of the poorest people in Europe as a reference; considers that these assessments should involve the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Commission’s departments responsible for social affairs under the responsibility of a director- general reporting to the General Secretariat of the European Commission;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas poverty is a multi-faceted problem requiring an integrated response which is tailored to different stages of life and to people's multi-dimensional needs, and which is based on guaranteeing access to rights, resources and services, to cover basic needs and prevent social exclusion
Amendment EE #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas poverty is a multi-faceted problem requiring an integrated response which is tailored to different stages of life and to people’s multi-dimensional needs, and which is based on guaranteeing access to rights, resources and services, as reflected in the Common Objectives of the open method of coordination on social protection and social inclusion (2006), in order to cover basic needs and prevent social exclusion,
Amendment JJ #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas poverty and social exclusion remain a key social determinant of health1 and life conditions, including life expectancy depe, and oin the social environment and on child povertyparticular the impact of child poverty on child health and well- being, and whereas there is still a significant gap between rich and poor when it comes to health, which is continuing to widen in some respects,affordable access to health services, as well as in income and wealth, which is continuing to widen in some respects, __________________ 1 CSDH (2008). Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Final Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Geneva, World Health Organization
Amendment KK #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas, because our society is ageing, the number of dependent people will increase considerably in the near future; whereas elderly people, in particular women, are at greater risk of poverty than the general population, in several countries, as a result of their loss of income on retirement and other factors such as physical dependence, solitude and social exclusion; whereas the breakdown of intergenerational social bonds is a major problem facing our societies,
Amendment LL #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas women are in general more vulnerable to poverty than men owing to various factors such as gender discrimination at work, which results in the persistent gender pay gap, the resulting pension disparities, and labour market discriminationbut also career breaks in order to care for dependants and labour market discrimination; whereas only 63% of women work in Europe, compared to 76% of men, and having regard to the lack of support networks and concrete measures to help parents achieve a work/life balance, including affordable care services,
Amendment N #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Ccalls for equal rights and equal social protection for all workers in each Member State, with due regard for differing practices, collective labour agreements and legislation in the various Member States and for the subsidiarity principle, for respect for equal rights and equal social protection for all in each Member State, whether they are Union citizens or third- country nationals; calls on Member States to fight against illegal and undeclared work;
Amendment R #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission to initiate a horizontal anti-discrimination directive with a view to further eradicating discrimination; Urges the Member States to agree and adopt as soon as possible the proposal for a Council directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation (COM(2008)0426); calls on the Commission to continue to support the overcoming of technical difficulties within the Council in order to ensure a swift agreement is reached, and to close gaps in the existing anti-discrimination legislation which is currently not covering all relevant aspects, with a view to further eradicating discrimination, including social discrimination; Note: A citation referring to the Kosa report will be added by oral amendment.
Amendment U #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for Roma people, and the organisations that represent and work with them, to be actively involved in the elaboration and implementation of the national Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020, so as to contribute to achieving the EU poverty target; calls on the European Union and the Member States to establish the European strategy to promote Roma inclusion as soon as possible, and calls on the Member States to propose, by the end of this year, measures to promote the inclusion of Roma in accordance with the European framework for coordinating national Roma inclusion strategies presented by the Commission in April 2011; stresses that, as with the fight against poverty and social exclusion, the inclusion and integration of the Roma will require greater effort to achieve, by 2020, their full inclusion and an end to the numerous forms of discrimination to which they are subject; 16a. calls for other marginalised communities such as immigrants to be involved in all EU or Member State policies relating to their social inclusion;
Amendment V #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for the fight against child poverty to focus on prevention through the provision of equal access to high-quality early childhood serviceseducation and care services, in order to prevent children from starting school life with multiple disadvantages, and to other provisions for children (activity centres during the school period and holidays, etc., extracurricular, cultural, sports activities, etc.), ensuring that the network of such services and centres covers all areas adequately; calls for financial support for proven services and the systematic integration of family-support policies in all relevant areas of activity, combining a universal approach with targeted measures for the most vulnerable families, in particular the families of handicapped children, single-parent families and large families; calls for the relationship between parents and children to be given particular attention in programmes to combat poverty and social exclusion in order to prevent children being placed in care as a consequence of severe poverty;
Amendment W #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Wishes the Commission to initiate a framework directive on minimum incomelaunch, in full compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, a consultation on the possibility of a legislative initiative on a sensible minimum income that will allow economic development, designed to prevent poverty and serve as a basis for people to live in dignity, play their full part in society and make headway with finding employment or identifying training opportunities and playing an automatic stabilising role for the economy, with due regard for differing practices, collective labour agreements and legislation in the various Member States, the definition of a minimum income being the prerogative of the Member State; wishes the Commission to help Member States share best practice on minimum income levels and encourages Member States to develop minimum income schemes based on an average of 60% of the median income in each Member State;
Amendment Y #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Maintains that elderly care facilitiesprogrammes, including home care, must be developed and reviewed in all the Member States so as to prevent elderly people falling into exclusion or poverty and that financial support should also be provided if possible for families caring for the elderly, in line with achieving the sustainable society and with particular regard to active ageing and improving support for solidarity between generations and encouraging accessibility and solidarity and improving the quality of long-term care; calls on the Commission to assess whether a directive on carer’s leave could help achieve this;
Amendment Z #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the most vulnerable groups have been those most severely affected by the crisis and the associated austerity measures, 116 million people in the European Union are at risk of poverty and 42 million (i.e. 8%) live ‘in conditions of severe material deprivation and can not afford a number of necessities considered essential in order to live a decent life in Europe’1; whereas poverty is the unacceptable reflection of an uneven distribution of wealth, income and resources in a prosperous European economy; whereas the most vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and disabled people, have been those most severely affected by the financial, economic and social crisis and the austerity measures currently being taken in the EU in the context of the ‘Euro Plus Pact’ and the ‘governance package’, which could worsen the situation for these groups and put at risk of unemployment, economic insecurity or poverty millions of people who were still managing to live on, and meet their basic needs from, their wages or retirement pension, notably as a result of cuts in public service and social assistance budgets; whereas applying tougher conditions and penalties in social activation policies in response to the crisis aggravates the difficulties faced by the most vulnerable people at a time when few decent jobs are on offer; whereas the gap between rich and poor is getting ever wider as the crisis continues; __________________ 1 European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion (COM(2010)758 final).
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas health and life expectancy depend on the social environment and on child poverty,conditions, including life expectancy, are closely related to everyone’s social environment from early childhood and whereas there is still a significant gap between rich and poor when it comes to health, which is continuing to widen in some respects,
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas elderly people, in particular women, are at greater risk of poverty than the general population as a result of their loss of income on retirement and other factors such as physical dependence, solitude and social exclusion; whereas the breakdown of intergenerational social bonds is a major problem facing our societies,
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas womensingle parent families are more vulnerable to poverty owing to various factors such as the persistent gender pay gap, the resulting pension disparities, and labour market discrimination,
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas 20% of children are at risk of poverty, compared with 17% of the EU'’s overall population, and low-income families are amongst the categories most exposed to poverty
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for it to be made clear that the Commission will be legally accountable in the event thaton the Commission to survey the correct application of the horizontal social clause ias not appliedspecified in the article 9 of the TFEU, and calls for the Commission to specify how the Platform will affect assessments of the implementation of that clause;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls for equalnsuring the respect of enshrined rights and adequalte social protection for all workers in each Member State; calls on Member States to fight against illegal and undeclared work;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission to initiate a horizontal anti-discrimination directive with a view to further eradicating discrimination;close gaps in the existing anti-discrimination legislation which is currently not covering all relevant aspects.
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the Commission'’s desire to clarify the legal framework applicable to social economy enterprises so that there are nowill be no more obstacles hindering their contribution to poverty reduction;
Amendment 341 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for Roma to be involved in all EU or Member State policies relating to their social inclusionpeople, and the organisations that represent and work with them, to be actively involved in the elaboration and implementation of the national Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020, so as to contribute to achieving the EU poverty target;
Amendment 352 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for the fight against child poverty to focus on prevention in various ways, such as through the provision of access to early childhood services, ensuring that the network of such services covers all areas adequately, through programmes supporting impoverished families and by providing children with equal opportunities in education;
Amendment 370 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Wishes the Commission to initiate a framework directive on minimum incomeEncourages Member States to develop minimum income schemes at Member States level, designed to prevent poverty and serve as a basis for people to live in dignity and make headway with finding employment or identifying training opportunities, with due regard for differing practices, collective labour agreements and legislation in the various Member States;
Amendment 383 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Maintains that elderly care facilitiesprograms, including home care, must be developed in all the Member States so as to prevent elderly people falling into exclusion or poverty;