Activities of Sofia RIBEIRO related to 2014/2222(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social aspects in the Annual Growth Survey 2015 (A8-0043/2015 - Sergio Gutiérrez Prieto) PT
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on European Semester for economic policy coordination: Employment and Social Aspects in the Annual Growth Survey 2015 PDF (189 KB) DOC (135 KB)
Amendments (49)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
- having regard to Article 349 TFEU, concerning the specific measures for the Outermost Regions;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)
Citation 17 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 15 July 2014 on "Youths Employment"7 a, __________________ 7a Texts adopted P8_TA(2014)0010.
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 b (new)
Citation 17 b (new)
- having regard to its Motion for Resolution on Employment and Social aspects of the Europe 2020 Strategy, of 19 November 20148 a , __________________ 8a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2014)0060
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas Europe must be committed to the model of the social market economy, ensuring sustainable growth in order to provide the next generation with jobs instead of debts;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas fiscal responsibility has to continue to guarantee not only the success and sustainability of the structural reforms carried out but also those needed to be implemented to foster economic growth and job creation;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas fiscal policies should be differentiated and appropriated, depending on the situation of each Member State;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the EU needs to make a decisive change in an economic policy that has allowed the Union to drift away from the EU 2020 targets, and that has increased the risks of secular stagnation; whereas the EU is worryingly losing weight in the world economy, while mostany other countries are showing solid signs of recovery; whereas in October 2014 the IMF estimated that the probability of a recession in the euro area had increased and would reach 35-40% at year’s end;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas Europe has to tackle the rapid ageing of its population as soon as possible;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas thigh unemployment levels, excessive focus on wage depression to regain competitiveness, and athe decline in spending on social protection in almost allthe Member States that needed to restore their economic balance due to excessive spending, have led to significant reductions in household gross disposable incomes, leaving millionswhich contribute to the increase of number of European families at risk of exclusion, and have increased inequalities alarmingly; whereas one in four Europeans are at risk of poverty; whereas underemployment and precariousness has peaked and, for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas Parliament has for the past two years warned of the social risks of deflation in a context of low growth, high unemployment and downward pressure on wages; whereas the ECB has forecast low inflation in the long run, and has warned of the consequences of this on internal demand, growth and employment; whereas deflation has become a reality since August 2014 in eight Member States (six in the eurozone); whereas demand and job creation in the EU is heavily constrained by the prevailing weakness of credit provision to SMEs and the need to reduce excessive public and private debt; whereas the drop in inflation rates significantly increases these difficulties, by raising real interest rates and the real debt burden, and could lead to a vicious circle of economic depression;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas investment in quality jobs, human capital, research and innovation must be the topone of the priorityies for both the Commission and the Member States, as investment in these areas are essential not only to ensuring a recovery but also to expanding the EU’s economic potential to grow and to create prosperity;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Ambitious economic policies for growth, and quality job creation and fighting deflation
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Welcomes the Commission integrated approach to growth, funded on three main pillars: an Investment Plan for Europe; the aim of implementing structural reforms; and pursuing fiscal responsibility;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls onWelcomes the Commission to introduce a much-needed, expansionary economic policycommitment to boost smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to create quality jobs; stresses that low inflation is already increasing real interest rates as well as real public and private debt, which, together with high unemployment, depresses growth and increases poverty;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is concerned that the EU is caught in an investment trap whereby investments have fallen more than EUR 400 billion since they peaked in 2007, and are now close to 20 % below the pre-crisis level; warns that the decline has been even greater in peripheral Member States where fiscal consolidation was more acute;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses the fact that the EFSI must be focused on creating new investments in areas where investor appetite is subdued rather than on substituting investments that would have been produced elsewhere (crowding out), or on focusing on highly profitable investments that would have occurred in any case (deadweight); calls on the Commission to include and promote social investments that not only generate financial returns but promote positive social spillovers, such as investments in human capital or investments with high impact in job creation, social inclusion or poverty reduction; reiterates its call for the implementation of the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP);
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to tackle specific enhanced mechanisms to implement investment programmes in the outermost regions, whose remoteness, geographical fragmentation, fragile economies and natural constraints lead to heightened inequalities in accessing job opportunities, goods and services;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to review and improve the EU-EIB Project Bond Initiative, launched as a pilot project in 2012 to sum up the investment plan, with a view of giving it a greater role in promoting employment; recalls, in this context, the social impact bonds included in the SIP;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the extension of the pace of fiscal consolidation, and the introduction of new headline targeits – focusing more on structural than on cyclical deficits – that will have a positive effect on employment and growth; notes, however, that the size of fiscal multipliers in the current context is nevertheless still very high and that this will inevitably have a negative impact on economic growth and job creation; calls on the Commission to explore the possibility of introducing escape clauses, or of delaying these targets, in order to avoid weakening demand further and destroying jobs;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the development of a European framework to assure that investments under the Juncker Plan, which are excluded from national deficit targets, have a significant impact in terms of stimulating economic growth and, creating quality jobs and fostering social progress;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Calls on Member States to eliminate unnecessary administrative burdens and bureaucracy for the self-employed, micro- enterprises and SMEs and to facilitate start-ups conditions;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Considers that cohesion policy measures have an essential role to play in reducing internal competitive disparities and structural imbalances; calls on the Commission to find specific solutions for those Member States that, though facing very high unemployment, are obliged to return EU funds owing to co-financing problems; calls, therefore, on the Commission to apply the frontloading principle to all funds for these Member States in the 2014-2020 period;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Strongly supports the fight against tax fraud and tax evasion and stresses the necessity of a more efficient use of tax payers' money, and of further steps in the protection of the Union´s financial stability and sustainability;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that decisive investment plans for growth and job creation can only be fully realised if they are coupled with national reforms that enhance quality labour participation, boost productivity and develop human capital in all age groups; believes that structural labour market reforms should introduce internal flexibility measures aimed at maintaining employment in times of economic disruption, ensure job quality and security in employment transitions, and provide unemployment benefit schemes that are based on activation requirements and linked to reintegration policies;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Is concerned that the Commission’s strategy to regain competitiveness has been more focused on reducing costs than on raising productivity via investments in human capital; sStresses that more than 20 Member States have reduced their education expenditures in relative terms (as percentages of their GDPs), thereby jeopardising their growth, job potential and competitiveness;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the fact that in the AGS 2015 the Commission calls on the Member States to protect or promote longer-term investments in education, research and innovation; notes, however, that Member States with already-constrained budgets do not have sufficient means to accomplish that goal; calls, therefore, on the Commission to exclude productive investments in education, research and development from the deficit targets established under EU rules;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Stresses the need to adequate working skills to markets needs and welcomes that the Commission emphasises vocational training, dual education and lifelong learning systems to reach that goal, involving public and private actors; points out that social partners must be involved in the assessment of the skills needs; calls Member States to consider lowering fiscal burden to enterprises, specially SME's, that establish a working contract with an higher degree worker, in cases where employers do not contract people according to their qualifications and skills;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls on the Member States to pay special attention to high unemployment rates among disadvantaged groups, giving priority to access and integration into the labour market and the mainstreaming of accession and integration policies, as employment is the key to successful integration;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Recalls that decent wages are important not only for social cohesion, but also for maintaining a strong economy and a productive labour force; calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a European framework for minimum wages with a view to reducing wage inequalities and limiting nominal imbalances in competitiveness;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Is concerned that labour market reforms in many Member States have mainly promoted precariouswith the high levels of precarious jobs; observes that 50 % of jobs created in 2014 were temporary jobs; observes that 50 % of jobs created in 2014 were temporary jobs; notes that, according to the Commission, in-work poverty persists, and that for 50 % of all job seekers, securing employment is not enough to lift them out of poverty, nor does it raise productivity; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make job quality a priority and to address labour market segmentation;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission to propose a European framework introducing minimum standards for the implementation of Youth Guarantees covering young people aged 25-30; calls on the Member States to use the available budget efficiently and to implement the Youth Guarantees without delay; calls to explore the possibility for the available budget to be increased during the promised mid-term review of the MFF in accordance with ILO recommendations;
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Stresses that, according to the Commission, despite high unemployment rates there are 2 million job vacancies in the EU, and that only 30.3 % of the active population works in another Member State; recalls that divergences in labour mobility rates range up to 10 percentage points, notably in those Member States hardest hit by the crisis, can be overcome also using the tool of the EURES platform;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Given the number of workers, particularly young people, who are now leaving their countries of origin for other Member States in search of employment opportunities, there is an urgent need to develop appropriate measures to guarantee that no worker is left uncovered by social and labour rights protection; calls, in this regard, on the Commission and the Member States to further improve EU labour mobility while upholding the principle of equal treatment and safeguarding wages and social standards; calls on each Member State to establish social and employment policies for equal rights and equal pay at the same place of workbetween men and women;
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Considering that Europe is rapidly ageing, putting in stage the necessary generations renewable to maintain social services, urges the Commission to present a proposal referring to the parental leave in order to contribute to equal gender working conditions; calls the Commission and Member States to implement more policies that contribute to an European demographic raise, referring either to birth rates and immigrations;
Amendment 354 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Reiterates its warning of the socioeconomic challenges facing the Union and the risks to its sustainability and its stable growth potential posed by a reversal in regional convergence; recalls that more than 122 million EU citizens are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including in- work poverty and child poverty, and that these levels are unacceptable and need to be reduced immediately; calls for a true ‘social pillar’ to be implemented withon the Commission to continue developing the EMU as part of the process of improvingsocial dimension into the economic governance mechanisms;
Amendment 359 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Points out that social protection and social policy – in particular unemployment benefits, minimum income support and progressive taxation – initially helped to reduce the depth of the recession and stabilised labour markets and consumption in some Member States; stresses, however, that social stabilisers have been widely used as adjustment factors by those EMU members experiencing negative economic shocks;
Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
Amendment 381 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Welcomes the fact that the Joint Employment Report annexed to the AGS includes a scoreboard for employment and social policies; considers it regrettable, however, that these indicators are not sufficient and that they have not been made binding, which would allow them to be used more forcefully; asks the Commission to remedy this situationalls on the Commission to assess its scope and effectiveness;
Amendment 395 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
Amendment 406 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls on the Commission to tackle immediately the alarming increase in child poverty throughout the EU through the introduction of a child guarantee against poverty;
Amendment 417 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Points out that emerging new forms of poverty – such as in-work poverty compounding difficulties such as e.g. paying mortgages, or high utility prices creating energy poverty – have resulted in an increase in the number of evictions, foreclosures and homeless people; calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement integrated policies favouring social and affordable housing, effective prevention policies aimed at reducing the number of evictions, and policies tackling energy poverty;
Amendment 432 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Reminds the Commission that in order to ensure both the sustainability and the adequacy of pensions, pension reforms need to be accompanied by policies that: develop employment opportunities for older workers; limit access to early retirement schemes and other early exit pathways; develop employment opportunities for older workers; guarantee access to life-long learning for both employed and unemployed people of all ages; enhance healthy ageing at the workplace, considering physical and psycho-social risks to health and safety; introduce tax benefit policies offering incentives to stay in work longer; and support active healthy ageing; stresses that pension reforms require national political and social cohesion, and should be negotiated with the social partners and representatives of younger and elder generations as the directly affected population groups in order to be successful;
Amendment 439 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Takes note of the Commission’s recommendation to reform healthcmodernise welfare systems sto thameet they meet their objectives challenges of the rapid ageing of our population, focusing on of providing universal access to high- quality care – including affordable access to medicines, especially those that are life- saving – and to secure respect for the rights of health staff; observes that, as a consequence of the crisis, some Member States have failed to ensure full coverage of public health; calls for this situation to be corrected without delay;
Amendment 444 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Stresses that the tax wedge has been much higherigger impact for low-wage and second- income earners, and that this remains an issue; calls on the Commission to take note of the IMF’s October 2013 tax report, which points out that there is scope for better and more progressive forms of taxation;
Amendment 451 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Notes the importance of reducing taxation on labour, especially by low-paid and low-skilled workers, the long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups, while ensuring the long-range sustainability of public pension systems; calls on the Commission to suggest Member States to shift the tax burden away from labour to consumption while making sure not to endanger social benefits; notes that such shifts should not affect taxes with regressive effects such as consumption taxes, but should focus instead on taxes on capital, wealth, energy and natural resources;
Amendment 468 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Calls on the Commission and the Council to enter intofor an interinstitutional agreement with Parliament in order to ginvolve Parliament a full role in the drafting and approval of the AGS and the Economic Policy and Employment Guidelines;