10 Amendments of Agnes JONGERIUS related to 2019/2028(BUD)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that effective and carefully considered social and employment policy enhancements reflectingies, reflecting socio-economic, demographic and automation challenges and macro-economic imbalances among Member States, accompanied by well- targeted investment strategies and responsible fiscal policies, continue to be an important precondition for sustainable growth which is the key factor leading to quality employment and boosting upward social convergence;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights that the 2020 budget should contribute towards achieving the Europe 2020 targets in the social and employment area, which seem to be within reach as regards the employment rate target but remain far from being achieved as regards the target of reducing the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion; stresses, in this regard, the need for comprehensive policy reforms and integrated approaches that combat youth and long-term unemployment and the often neglected issue of elderly employability; highlights the need to progressively align the strategic orientation of EU policies and programmes with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the social agenda outlined by the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), which should be fully integrated into the programming provisions of the EU Funds and the European Semester;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises the crucial role of the European Social Fund (ESF), the Youth Guarantee (YG), the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), the Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) and the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD); stresses the need for these programmes to receive an adequate level of funding in 2020 and until the entry into force of the next MFF programming phase, ensuring that no gap in the financing of such important instruments is ever to take place; highlights, in this regard, that the activities implemented in these areas should always result in strategic measures with clearly defined objectives and targets and that efficient and effective spending is equally as important as the total budget ceilings;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Highlights that the programming funds in the social and employment area should create synergies to help reduce social divergences and inequalities that have been exacerbated by the crisis; warns that any reductions in the budget for these areas will only create difficulties for these policies to be effective and reach their targets;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses in particular the role of the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) as an essential tool to fight youth unemployment, which remains unacceptably high and with significant disparities across the Member States; welcomes the commitment by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her Political Guidelines to strengthen the Youth Guarantee by turning it into a permanent instrument with an increased budget and regular reporting; with regard to this, takes note of the Commission proposal to increase YEI allocations in 2020 by EUR 116 million, but considers such a figure insufficient; calls therefore for an increase of YEI payment appropriations by EUR 600 million;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Acknowledges the forthcoming rationalisintegration of the current ESF, the YEI, the FEAD, the EaSI and the European Health Programme underwithin the ESF+ as of 2021; calls on the Commission to present financial information in a manner that makes it comparableand budgetary allocations in a manner that makes ESF+ figures and thematic concentrations comparable with the current envelopes of the above mentioned programmes, as well as with performance information; expresses concerns on the substantial decrease (by EUR 5 million) proposed by the Council on the PROGRESS axis of EaSI; stresses, in this regard, that all legislative and budgetary revisions should be based on evidence, understanding of their impacts and in line with the better regulation agenda, as well as related recommendations of the European Court of Auditors;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines that, in the context of ongoing budgetary constraints, it will be critical to make the best use of the 2020 general budget, including future skillswhich should be overcome with an ambitious investment strategy to re-launch the European economy in the aftermath of the economic crisis, it will be critical to make the best use of the 2020 general budget, especially when it comes to policies capable of supporting sustainable economic growth and quality employment creation, such as future skills policies, vocational and educational training (VET), upskilling and reskilling policies and measures to support labour market transitions and better adjustment to demographic change, particularly by improved integration of potentially vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in the labour market;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Call for adequate funding for EURES operations to be ensured in 2020, in particular stresses that the entry into force of the European Labour Authority (ELA) should not result in a reduction of resources and capabilities for EURES, which plays a pivotal role in facilitating labour mobility of Union citizens and offers services and partnerships for jobseekers and employers, Public Employment Services (PES), the social partners and the local authorities; insists that the ELA, being a new body, requires fresh resources to run smoothly; highlights therefore the need for maintaining clear and separate budget lines for both ELA and EURES;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5d. Recalls that the EU is in a context of near-stagnation and insufficient wage growth and that both the Commission and the ECB recommend a general increase in wages and an improvement in the quality of employment; stresses, furthermore, that the budget lines supporting the European social dialogue and measures for the social partners are of prime importance when it comes to strengthening the social partners’ involvement, for example in the European Semester and in the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and therefore calls for increased appropriations as regards industrial relations and social dialogue; highlights that well-functioning industrial relations systems have a positive impact on productivity, employment creation and maintenance, jobs quality and decent wages;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Reiterates that pilot projects (PPs) and preparatory actions (PAs) are very valuable tools to initiate new activities and policies in the fields of employment and social inclusion and could be used for data and evidence collection in order to improve future Union employment policiesthat several ideas of the EMPL Committee have been implemented successfully in the past as PPs/PAs; encourages the full use of the margins available under each heading;