50 Amendments of Dominique BILDE related to 2018/0230(COD)
Amendment 42 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) Whereas: The European Union is built on solidarity, among its citizens and among its Member States. This common value guides its actions and provides the necessary unity to cope with current and future societal challenges, which young Europeans are willing to help address by actively expressing their solidarity in practice.
Amendment 44 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The State of the Union address of 14 September 2016 emphasised the need to invest in young people and announced the establishment of a European Solidarity Corps (the ‘Programme’) with a view to creating opportunities for young people across the Union to make a meaningful contribution to society, show solidarity and develop their skills, thus getting not only work but also invaluable, a traineeship or voluntary work but also human experience.
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Young peopleEuropeans should be provided with easily accessible opportunities to engage in solidarity activities, which could enable them to express their commitment to the benefit of communities while acquiring useful experience, skills and competences for their personal, educational, social, civic and professional development, thereby improving their employability. Those activities should also support the mobility of young volunteers, trainees and workers.
Amendment 57 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The solidarity activities offered to young Europeans people should be of high quality, in the sense that they should respond to unmet societal needs, contribute to strengthening European communities, offer young peopleEuropeans the opportunity to acquire valuable knowledge and competences, be financially accessible to young peopleEuropeans, and be implemented in safe and healthy conditions.
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The European Solidarity Corps provides a single entry point for solidarity activities throughout the Union and beyond. Consistency and complementarity should be ensured with other relevant Union policies and programmes. The European Solidarity Corps is built on the strengths and synergies of predecessor and existing programmes, notably the European Voluntary Service 19and the EU Aid Volunteers20. It also complements the efforts made by Member States to support young peopleEuropeans and ease their school-to- work transition under the Youth Guarantee by providing them with additional opportunities to make a start on the labour market in the form of traineeships or jobs in solidarity-related areas within their respective Member State or across bordersin another Member State. Complementarity with existing Union level networks pertinent to the activities under the European Solidarity Corps, such as the European Network of Public Employment Services, EURES and the Eurodesk network, are also ensured. Furthermore, complementarity between existing related schemes, in particular national solidarity schemes and mobility schemes for young peopleEuropeans, and the European Solidarity Corps should be ensured, building on good practices where appropriate. _________________ 19 Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 establishing 'Erasmus+': the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport and repealing Decisions No 1719/2006/EC, No 1720/2006/EC and No 1298/2008/EC (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 50–73). 20 Regulation (EU) No 375/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 establishing the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps (‘EU Aid Volunteers initiative’) (OJ L 122, 24.4.2014, p. 1-17).
Amendment 68 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The European Solidarity Corps opens up new opportunities for young peopleEuropeans to carry out volunteering, traineeship or job activities in solidarity- related areas as well as to devise and develop solidarity projects based on their own initiative. These opportunities contribute to enhancing their personal, educational, social, civic and professional development. The European Solidarity Corps also supports networking activities for young European Solidarity Corps participants and organisationss and organisations participating in it, as well as measures to ensure the quality of the supported activities and to enhance the validation of their learning outcomes. It will thus also contribute to European cooperation relevant to young peopleEuropeans and raising awareness of its positive impact.
Amendment 72 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) These activities should be to the benefit of local European communities while also fostering the individual’s personal, educational, social, civic and professional development, which may take the form of volunteering, traineeships and jobs, projects or networking activities, developed in relation to different areas, such as education and training, employment, gender equality, entrepreneurship – in particular social entrepreneurship –,citizenship and democratic participation, 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, restoration of the heritage, physical education and sport, social assistance and welfare, reception and integration of third-country nationalparticularly for people with disabilities or older persons, territorial cooperation and cohesion, and cooperation across borders. Such solidarity activities should include a solid learning and training dimension through relevant activities that can be offered to participants before, during and after the solidarity activity.
Amendment 74 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Volunteering activities (both within and beyond the Unionwhether in the country of origin or in another Member State) constitute a rich experience in a non-formal and informal learning context which enhances young people’sEuropeans’ personal, socio-educational and professional development, active citizenship and employability. Volunteering activities should not have an adverse effect on potential or existing paid employment, nor should they be seen as a substitute for it. The Commission and the Member States should cooperate regarding volunteering policies in the youth field via the open method of coordination.
Amendment 79 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) Traineeships and jobs in solidarity- related areas can offer additional opportunities for young peopleEuropeans to make a start on the labour market or gain further experience, while contributing to addressing key societal challenges. This can help foster the employability and productivityfessionalism of young people while easing their transition from education to employment, which is key to enhancing their chances on the labour market and thus combating unemployment and placing young people in a less precarious situation. The traineeship activities offered under the European Solidarity Corps follow the quality principles outlined in Council Recommendation on establishing a Quality Framework for Traineeships21. The traineeships and jobs offered constitute a stepping stone for young peopleEuropeans to enter the labour market and are accompanied by adequate post-activity support. The traineeship and job activities are facilitated by relevant labour market actors, in particular public and private employment services, social partners and Chambers of Commerce, and are remunerated by the participating organisation. As participating organisations, they should apply for funding via the competent implementing body of the European Solidarity Corps in view of intermediating between the young Europeans participantsting and employers offering traineeship and job activities in solidarity sectors. _________________ 21 Council Recommendation of 15 March 2018 on a European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships (OJ C 153, 2.5.2018, p. 1).
Amendment 80 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) Young people’sEuropeans’ spirit of initiative is an important asset for society and for the labour market. The European Solidarity Corps contributes to fostering this aspect by offering young peopleEuropeans the opportunity to devise and implement their own projects aimed at addressing specific challenges to the benefit of their local communities. These projects are an opportunity to try out ideas or to adapt existing ideas and support young people to be themselves drivers of solidarity actions as close to their home as possible, thus implementing the principle of subsidiarity. They also serve as a springboard fand framework further engagementor social engagement, particularly in solidarity activities, and are a first step towards encouraging European Solidarity Corps participants to engage in self-employment or setting up associations, non-governmental organisations or other bodies active in the solidarity, non-profit and youth sectors, at the same time providing opportunities to make their initiatives longer-lived.
Amendment 85 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) Young peopleEuropeans and organisations participating in the European Solidarity Corps should feel that they belong to a community of individuals and entities committed to enhancing solidarity across Europe. At the same time, participating organisations need support to strengthen their capacities to offer good quality activities to an increasing number of participants. The European Solidarity Corps supports networking activities aimed at strengthening young peopleEuropeans’ and participating organisations’ engagement in this community, at fostering a European Solidarity Corps spirit, as well as at encouraging the exchange of useful practices and experience. These activities also contribute to raising awareness about the European Solidarity Corps among public and private actors as well as to collect feedback from participants and participating organisations on the implementation of the European Solidarity Corps.
Amendment 92 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) Particular attention should be given to ensuring the quality of the activities and other opportunities offered under the European Solidarity Corps, in particular by offering training, language support upstream and on the ground, insurance, administrative and post-activity support to participants as well as the validation of the knowledge, skills and competences acquired through their European Solidarity Corps experience. Security and safety of the volunteers remain of paramount importance and volunteers should not be deployed to operations conducted in the theatre of international and non- international armed conflicts.
Amendment 105 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) Participating organisations may perform several functions in the framework of the European Solidarity Corps. In a host function they will carry out activities related to receiving the participants, including the organisation of activities and providing guidance and support to participants during the solidarity activity, as appropriate. In a support function they will carry out activities in relation to the sending and the preparation of participants before departure, during and after the solidarity activity, including arranging contact with former volunteers, trainees or employees who have preceded them, training and guiding participants to local organisations after the activity.
Amendment 110 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) The European Solidarity Corps Portal should be continuously developed and available in all official languages of the European Union 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, online training, language and post-activity support as well as other useful functionalities, which may arise in the future.
Amendment 115 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) The European Solidarity Corps targets young peoplecitizens of the Member States aged 18-30, and participation in the activities offered by the European Solidarity Corps should require prior registration in the European Solidarity Corps Portal.
Amendment 117 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) Special attention should be given to ensuring that the activities supported by the European Solidarity Corps are accessible to all young peopleEuropeans, notably the most disadvantaged ones. Special measures should be in place to promote social inclusion, the participation of disadvantaged young peopleEuropeans, as well as to take into account the constraints imposed by the remoteness of a number of rural areas and of the outermost regions of the Union and the Overseas Countries and Territories. Similarly, the participating countries should endeavour to adopt all appropriate measures to remove legal and administrative obstacles to the proper functioning of the European Solidarity Corps. This should resolve, where possible, and without prejudice to the Schengen acquis and Union law on the entry and residence of third-country nationals, administrative issues that create difficulties in obtaining visas and residence permits, as well as the issuing of a European Health Insurance Card in the case of cross-border activities within the European Union.
Amendment 123 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 32
Recital 32
Amendment 125 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 33
Recital 33
(33) In order to maximise the impact of the European Solidarity Corps, provisions should be made to allow participating countriMember States and other Union programmes to make additional funding available in accordance with the rules of the European Solidarity Corps.
Amendment 127 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 35
Recital 35
(35) In line with the Commission's communication on 'A stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the Union's outermost regions’31, the Programme should take into account the specific situation of these regions. Measures will be taken to increase the outermost regions' participation in all actions, both as sending regions and as host regions. Such measures will be monitored regularly and evaluated. _________________ 31 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment bank on A stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the EU's outermost regions (COM(2017) 623 final).
Amendment 134 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 43
Recital 43
(43) Member States should endeavour to adopt all appropriate measures to remove legal and administrative obstacles to the proper functioning of the Programme. This includes resolving, where possible, and without prejudice to Union law on the entry and residence of third-country nationals issues that create difficulties in obtaining visas and residence permits. In line with Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council32, Member States are encouraged to establish fast-track admission procedures. _________________ 32 European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing (OJ L 132, 21.5.2016, p. 21).Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 50
Recital 50
(50) Since the objective of this Regulation, namely to enhance the engagement of young peopleEuropeans and organisations in accessible and high- quality solidarity activities, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather, by reason of its scale and effects, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.
Amendment 150 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
(2) ‘registered candidate’ means an individual citizen of one of the Member States aged between 17 and 30 years and who has registered in the European Solidarity Corps Portal to express the interest to engage in a solidarity activity but is not yet participating in such activity;
Amendment 151 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
(3) ‘participant’ means an individual citizen of one of the Member States aged between 18 and 30 years, who has registered in the European Solidarity Corps Portal and takes part in a solidarity activity under the European Solidarity Corps;
Amendment 171 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
(8) ‘job’ means a solidarity activity for a period from 2 to 12 months, paid in accordance with the legislation of the country where the solidarity activity is taking place by the participating organisation employing the European Solidarity Corps participant;
Amendment 183 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 13
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 13
Amendment 185 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Amendment 186 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 15
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 15
Amendment 187 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 16
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 16
Amendment 197 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. The general objective of the Programme is to enhance the engagement of young peopleEuropeans and organisations in accessible and high-quality solidarity activities as a means to contribute to strengthening cohesion, solidarity and democracy in the Union and abroad, addressing societal and humanitarian challenges on the ground, with particular effort to promote social inclusionthe resilience of communities.
Amendment 202 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. The specific objective of the Programme is to provide young peoplecitizens of the Member States, including those with fewer opportunities, with easily accessible opportunities for engagement in solidarity activities in Europe and abroadthe Member States while improving and properly validating their competences as well as facilitating their employability and transition into the labour market.
Amendment 205 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. The objectives of the Programme shall be implemented under the following strby means of the participation of young Europeands of actions:in solidarity activities addressing societal challenges, as referred to in Article 6.
Amendment 206 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point a
Amendment 207 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – point b
Amendment 211 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
(aa) their taking place in the European Union;
Amendment 212 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) their ability to complement with other programmes and policies at local, regional, national, Union and internat and Unional level;
Amendment 233 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. Actions implemented under the strand ‘Participation of young peopleEuropeans in solidarity activities addressing societal challenges’ shall in particular contribute to strengthening cohesion, solidarity and democracy in the Union and abroad, while also responding to societal challenges with particular effort to promote social inclusionthe resilience of communities.
Amendment 235 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. Actions implemented under the strand ‘Participation of young peopleEuropeans in solidarity activities addressing societal challenges’ shall in particular contribute to strengthening cohesion, solidarity and democracy in the Union and abroad, while also responding to societal challenges with particular effort to promote social inclusion.
Amendment 250 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10
Article 10
Amendment 253 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11
Article 11
Amendment 260 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2
Article 14 – paragraph 2
Amendment 261 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3
Article 14 – paragraph 3
Amendment 262 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 4
Article 14 – paragraph 4
Amendment 265 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Young peoplecitizens of the Member States aged 17 to 30 years willing to participate in the European Solidarity Corps shall register in the European Solidarity Corps Portal. However, at the moment of commencing volunteering, traineeship, job or a solidarity project a young person shall be at least 18 years of age and not older than 30.
Amendment 295 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Article 18 – paragraph 1
The Programme shall be implemented by work programmes referred to in [Article 110] of the Financial Regulation. In addition, the work programme shall give an indication of the amount allocated to each action and of the distribution of funds between the Member States and third countries associated to the Programme for the actions to be managed through the national agency. The work programme shall be adopted by the Commission by means of an implementing act. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 30.
Amendment 306 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 3
Article 23 – paragraph 3
Amendment 314 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27
Article 27
Amendment 318 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 28 – paragraph 3
Article 28 – paragraph 3
Amendment 324 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 31 – paragraph 1
Article 31 – paragraph 1
Regulation (EU) [European Solidarity Corps Regulation] and Regulation (EU) No 375/2014 areis repealed with effect from 1 January 2021.
Amendment 325 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1
Article 32 – paragraph 1
1. This Regulation shall not affect the continuation or modification of the actions concerned, until their closure, under [European Solidarity Corps Regulation] or under Regulation (EU) No 375/2014. Thoseat Regulations shall continue to apply to those actions until their closure.
Amendment 326 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 2
Article 32 – paragraph 2
2. The financial envelope for the Programme may also cover technical and administrative assistance expenses necessary to ensure the transition between the Programme and the measures adopted under [European Solidarity Corps Regulation] or under Regulation (EU) No 375/2014.