Activities of Therese COMODINI CACHIA related to 2016/2148(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on investing in jobs and growth – maximising the contribution of European Structural and Investment Funds
Amendments (14)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) are the EU Cohesion Policy’'s main financial instruments; underlines that the aim of these funds is to address a funding gap that is hampering the ability of businesses and SMEs to grow and innovate, and to support strategic investments in key areas such as infrastructure, education, research and innovation; notes that it also fosters the importance of equal access to education and training in delivering genuine convergence and reducing disparities and socioeconomic inequalities among European regions;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Recalls that two million companies will be directly supported by the ESI Funds, to boost their competitiveness and increase their research and innovation capacity; welcomes that almost 15 million households will have access to high-speed broadband thanks to European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) support, while almost 20 million people in rural areas will have new or improved ICT services or infrastructure with the support of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD);
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets that the overall level of the MFF 2014-2020 is lower compared with the MFF 2007-2013; stresses that in a period of austerity policies and extreme fiscal adjustments, pressure on Member States’ budgets increases; highlights the fact that such pressure has led toNotes with concern a decrease in the budget between MFF 2014-2020 and MFF 2007-2013; notes that a decrease in public financing for education and hasmay contribute to generated high and persistent unemployment, especially among young people;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Notes that the ESIF targets areas which foster an environment for job creation such as the areas of education, training, cultural and creative industries, by supplementing national budgets and compensating for decreasing investment levels;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Calls for more investment in the area of education and social inclusion, vocational training and life-long learning to improve both the relevance of education and training systems and the transition from education to work and life-long learning; stresses the need for concentrated funding to prevent early school leaving and for equal access to quality education;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes thate importance of the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) thas failed to date tot can address the persisting problem of high levels of youth unemployment, which in several Member States remains at over 40 %; calls for an evaluation of the YEI following a fully fledged assessment of its performance; asks the Commission to take all necessary actions to ensure its continuation and its revision in order to promote the creation of new high-asks the Commission to promote infrastructures that create new quality jobs and decent social protection for young people within the framework of the European Structural and Investment Fund;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Notes that there appear to be increased difficulties in filling vacancies due to skills mismatch in the labour market, stresses that the problems of mismatched skills, limited geographic mobility and precarious practices of work need to be addressed through ESIF and calls for a closer cooperation between higher education institutions, training bodies and SMEs in the field of access to ESIF;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Calls on the Commission to ensure that Member States comply with the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities when implementing projects supported by the ESIF;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3 c. Positively notes that the objectives of the European Structural and Investment Fund legislative package for 2014-2020 includes the aim to foster a shift from institutional to community living for persons with disabilities and calls on the Commission to ensure that Member States respect the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities when implementing the ESIF in this regard;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3 d. Underlines the importance of the Smart Specialisation Strategies that are helping the shift from a classic ICT sector approach to a comprehensive one, empowering regions to identify ICT investment priorities relevant for their territory; calls on the Commission to ensure that Member States and regions develop the necessary infrastructures and strategies before making any digital investments using ESIF, in order to optimise their impact;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Paragraph 3 e (new)
3 e. Recalls, that EUR 2.2 billion from the European Social Fund (ESF) will be accessible to support human capital development in ICT focusing on ICT skills, support for business creation and e- justice, and that this should be supported by funds that improve simplification of procedures and processes as well as transparency;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 f (new)
Paragraph 3 f (new)
3 f. Emphasises the need to maintain the traditional trades, including the craft tradition and associated skills, and to establish strategies to foster growth for traditional trade entrepreneurship in order to maintain the cultural identity of the traditional trade sectors; draws attention to the importance of supporting work linked to professional training and the mobility of young craftsmen and women;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that the current migration crisis poses many challenges for the educational and training systems of the host Member States; calls on the EU institutions to provide, via ESIF and other Union programmes, adequate funding to host countries in order to substantially supportfor projects that facilitate the integration of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers into education and training systems;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines the need to enhance coordination and to enable and optimise synergies between ESIF and other Union programmes in order to achieve greater impact and efficiency. and to boost growth and jobs in the EU;