28 Amendments of Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ related to 2017/0102(COD)
Amendment 149 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Young people should be provided with easily accessible opportunities to engage in solidarity activities, which cwould bring positive effects to society while also enableing them to express their commitment to the benefit of communities whileand acquiring useful experience, skills and competences for their personal, educational, social, civic and professional development, thereby improving their employability. Those activities would also support the mobility of young volunteers, trainees and workers.
Amendment 186 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Young people’s spirit of initiative is an important asset for society and for the labour market. The European Solidarity Corps should contribute to fostering this aspect by offering young people the opportunity to devise and implement their own projects aimed at addressing specific challenges in solidarity with and to the benefit of their local communities. Those projects should be an opportunity to try out ideadevelop innovative solutions and support young people to be themselves drivers of solidarity actions. They could also serve as a springboard for further engagement in solidarity activities and could be a first step towards encouraging European Solidarity Corps participants to engage in self-employment or setting up associations, NGOeither as volunteers or as employees in associations, NGOs, youth organisations or other bodies active in the solidarity, non-profit and youth sectors and set up their own associations.
Amendment 202 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) Particular attention should be paid to ensuring the quality of the placements and other opportunities offered under the European Solidarity Corps, in particular by offering online and offline training, language support, insurance, administrative and pre and post- placement support to participants as well as the validation of the knowledge, skills and competences acquired through their European Solidarity Corps experience. This support should be created and provided in collaboration with youth organisations and other civil society organisations in order to tap into their expertise on the field. Post-placement support should also prioritise the continuous civic engagement of the participant in their community, guiding them towards local organisations or projects to engage with after the placement.
Amendment 226 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) A European Solidarity Corps Portal should continuously be developed in order to ensure easy access to the European Solidarity Corps and to provide a one-stop shop for both interested individuals and organisations as regards, inter alia, registration, identification and matching of profiles and opportunities, networking and virtual exchanges, information on existing solidarity placements or projects and on participating organisations, relevant European and national contact points, online training, language and pre and post- placement support, direct feedback mechanisms as well as other useful functionalities, which may arise in the future.
Amendment 232 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17 a (new)
Recital 17 a (new)
(17a) A quality framework with quality standards for European Solidarity Corps placement offers should be developed. The basis of this should be existing legislation protecting the rights of workers, interns and volunteers both at EU and national level, in terms of social protection, minimum income, stability, employment protection, employment rights, mental and physical health; The definition of the standards should be an inclusive process with the full participation of social partners, youth organisations and volunteering organisations.
Amendment 246 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21 a (new)
Recital 21 a (new)
(21a) Investing in the European Solidarity Corps must not come at the expense of other EU programmes already offering very valuable opportunities to young people, particularly the Erasmus+ programme and the Youth Employment Initiative. Investment in the European Solidarity Corps should be accompanied by increased investment in other complementary EU programmes and, in the case of Erasmus+ Programmes, 10% of the budget should remain invested in the Youth Chapter of the Programme as initially decided by the co-legislators.
Amendment 248 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21 b (new)
Recital 21 b (new)
(21b) The Commission should take initiative to develop an EU Agenda for Volunteering, taking into account the Policy Agenda for Volunteering (PAVE), aimed at guaranteeing the recognition and respect of the rights of volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations and the reduction of administrative and legal barriers to volunteering and volunteer- involving organisations across Europe, in addition to fostering, promoting and supporting a wider culture of solidarity and volunteering in Europe.
Amendment 254 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) IAs in EVS, in addition to the Member States, the European Solidarity Corps should also be open to the participation of other countries on the basis of bilateral agreementErasmus+ Programme and Partner Countries, with particular attention to countries neighbouring the EU, from its start in order to promote equality of opportunities between young people from EU and non- EU countries. This participation should be based, where relevant, on additional appropriations to be made available in accordance with the procedures to be agreed with the concerned countries.
Amendment 256 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) The European Solidarity Corps should target young people aged 186-30. It should target young people from 16 for part-time and free-time in-country volunteer placements, solidarity projects and volunteer teams’ placements and from 18 for cross-border volunteer placements, jobs and traineeships. Participation in the activities offered by the European Solidarity Corps should require prior registration in the European Solidarity Corps Portal.
Amendment 270 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) An entity willing to apply for funding to offer placements under the European Solidarity Corps should have first received a quality label as a precondition. This requirement should not apply to natural persons seeking financial support on behalf of an informal group of European Solidarity Corps participants for their solidarity projects and should be accompanied by simplified application procedures and open deadlines.
Amendment 289 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 35
Recital 35
(35) In compliance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the European Union26, the Commission should adopt work programmes and inform the European Parliament and the Council thereof. The work programme should set out the measures needed for their implementation in line with the general and specific objectives of the European Solidarity Corps, the selection and award criteria for grants, as well as all other elements required. Work programmes and any amendments to them should be adopted by implementing acts in accordance with the examination procedure and on the basis of the needs and demands of beneficiaries. __________________ 26 Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002, OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1.
Amendment 315 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) “solidarity activity” means an activity aimed at addressing unmet societal needs to the benefit of a community while also fostering the individual’s personal, educational, social, civic and professional development, which may take the form of placements, projects or networking activities, developed in relation to different areas, such as education and training, employment, gender equality, entrepreneurship, in particularformal and non-formal education and training and informal learning, youth work, employment, gender equality, social entrepreneurship, citizenship and democratic participation, intercultural dialogue, social inclusion, environment and nature protection, climate action, , disaster prevention, preparedness and recovery, agriculture and rural development, provision of food and non- food items, health and wellbeing, creativity and culture, physical education and sport, social assistance and, social inclusion, welfare, reception and integration of third-country nationals, particularly asylum seekers and refugees and territorial cooperation and cohesion;
Amendment 328 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
(3) “disadvantaged young people” means individuals who needrequire additional support because of disability, educational difficulties, economic obstacles, cultural differences, health problems, social obstacle, targeted support due to discrimination and a heightened risk of social exclusion as a result of various factors, either individually or in combination with each other. Such factors may include, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, health status, geographical obstacles, or other status;
Amendment 353 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
(6) “vVolunteering” means a full-time32 placement” means a unpaid voluntary service, either full- time32, part-time or during free time, for a period of up to twelve months, which provides young people with the opportunity to contribute to the daily work of organisations active in solidarity-related fieldpublic authorities, not-for-profit organisations, foundations and social enterprises, to the ultimate benefit of the communities within which the activities are carried out, including a solid learning and training dimension in order to enable the young volunteer(s) to gain skills and competences, which will be useful for their personal, educational, social and professional development, and which will also contribute to improving their employability; __________________ 32 As a general principle, an activity carried out continuously, 5 days a week for 7 hours a day.
Amendment 372 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10
(10) “solidarity project” means a local initiative for a period from two to twelve months, which is set up and carried out by groups of at least five European Solidarity Corps participants, with a view to addressing key challenges within their local community while linking them to a broader European perspective and with existing local solidarity initiatives;
Amendment 393 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 14
(14) "“European Solidarity Corps Portal"” means a web-based tool that provides relevant online services to the European Solidarity Corps participants and participating organisations, including. Complementing the activities of the participating organisations, the Portal providinges information about the European Solidarity Corps, such as registering participants, searching for participants for placements, advertising and searching for placements, searching for potential project partners, managing contacts and offers for placements and projects, training, communication and networking activities, informing and notifying about opportunities, as well as other relevant developments related to the European Solidarity Corpscorps. The Portal shall also provide a mechanism for young people to evaluate their experience after the placement.
Amendment 436 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. The Commission shall take initiative to develop an EU Agenda for Volunteering, aimed at guaranteeing the recognition and respect of the rights of volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations and the reduction of administrative and legal barriers to volunteering and volunteer-involving organisations across Europe, in addition to fostering, promoting and supporting a wider culture of Solidarity and Volunteering in Europe.
Amendment 453 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) solidarity placements in the form of volunteering,full-time, part-time and free-time volunteering opportunities as well as traineeships or jobs, including individual cross-border and in- country placements as well as volunteering teams’ placements;
Amendment 495 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) the development of a quality framework with quality standards for European Solidarity Corps placement offers;
Amendment 531 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 2
Article 11 – paragraph 2
2. The European Solidarity Corps shall be open for the participation of other cOther Participating Countries onf the basis of bilateral agreements. Cooperation shall be based, where relevant, on additional appropriations to be made available in accordance with the procedures to be agreed with those countrieErasmus+ Programme, as referred in Article 24 of the Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013, shall also participate the European Solidarity Corps.
Amendment 542 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
2. When implementing this Regulation, the Commission and the participating countries shall ensure that particular efforts are made to promote social inclusion, in particular for the participation of disadvantaged young people. Those efforts shall include adjusted support systems and guidance, special contact persons and individual formats and short-term placements, the additional costs for which for participating organisations shall be covered.
Amendment 587 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission, in cooperation with the participating countries, participating organisations as well as EU and national stakeholders such as youth organisations, shall regularly monitor the performance of the European Solidarity Corps towards achieving its objectives.
Amendment 613 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e a (new)
(ea) satisfaction rate of participants with European Solidarity Corps placements.
Amendment 618 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e b (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point e b (new)
(eb) rate of achievement of project objectives in terms of identified community needs;
Amendment 642 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 16 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. National agencies shall cooperate with specialised youth information services that inform, reach out, guide and support young people, especially those from disadvantaged background, in order to ensure a coherent and diverse dissemination and outreach.
Amendment 644 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 17 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency - EACEA at Union level;
Amendment 656 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 a (new)
Article 20 a (new)
Article 20a Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency 1. At Union level, the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency - EACEA shall be responsible for managing all stages of the grant for project actions of the European Solidarity Corps listed in Article 7 of this Regulation submitted by Europe-wide or international organisations The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency – EACEA shall also be responsible for the accreditation and monitoring of Europe-wide or international organisations; 2. The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency – EACEA shall also be responsible for the accreditation and monitoring of Europe-wide or international organisations;
Amendment 669 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 3
Article 22 – paragraph 3
3. National agencies and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency - EACEA, shall be responsible for the primary controls of grant beneficiaries for the actions of the European Solidarity Corps which are entrusted to them. Those controls shall give reasonable assurance that the grants awarded are used as intended and in compliance with the applicable Union rules.