Activities of Theodoros ZAGORAKIS related to 2022/2004(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
The impact of COVID-19 closures of educational, cultural, youth and sports activities on children and young people in the EU (short presentation)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the impact of COVID-19 closures of educational, cultural, youth and sports activities on children and young people in the EU
Amendments (22)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 8 July 2020 on the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families in the COVID-19 crisis,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
Citation 5 b (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 17 September 2020 on the cultural recovery of Europe,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 c (new)
Citation 5 c (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 22 October 2020 on the future of European education in the context of COVID-19,
Amendment 23 #
B. whereas the overall state of young people’s mental health and well-being has significantly worsened during the pandemic, with problems related to mental health doubling in several Member States compared to pre-crisis levels25 , leading pundits to call this the ‘silent pandemic’ or the ‘pandemic scar’; whereas mental health issues are often difficult to be identified; _________________ 25 https://www.oecd- ilibrary.org/sites/1e1ecb53- en/1/2/2/index.html?itemId=/content/public ation/1e1ecb53- en&_csp_=c628cf9bcf7362d2dc28c91250 8045f6&itemIGO=oecd&itemContentType =book
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas it has been observed that 64 % of young people in the 18-34 age group were at risk of depression in spring 202126 and that suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people27 as a result of loneliness, isolation and the lack of educational, employment and, financial, social and life prospects; whereas children and young people with fewer opportunities or from marginalised groups and socially disadvantaged backgrounds have been hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic, mostly owing to structural inequalities; whereas confinement measures had a particularly negative impact on persons with disabilities; whereas measures taken by governments during exceptional circumstances should always respect the fundamental rights of persons with disabilities and ensure their equal and non-discriminatory access to health care, social services, education ,culture and sports activities; _________________ 26 https://www.statista.com/statistics/1287356 /risk-of-depression-in-europe-2021-by-age 27 UNICEF article ‘The Mental Health Burden Affecting Europe’s Children’ (4 October 2021).
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas gender-related differences have an impact on how children and young people have been affected by the pandemic, with girls and young women suffering more from domestic violence, psychosomatic illnesses and mood disorders28 ; whereas the pay gap between men and women further deteriorated during the pandemic affecting women' work-life balance and their financial dependence on their partners, relatives or friends; _________________ 28 European Parliament Flash Eurobarometer: Women in times of COVID-19 (https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/d etail/2712).
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas mental health problems at an early stage of personal development increase the likelihood of mental health issues occurring in adulthood, with far- reaching consequences as regards personal, social and professional development and quality of life;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas closures have reduced the levels of physical fitness in young people to such an extent that currently only one in four 11-year-olds carries out enough physical activity; whereas overweight or obesity increased in children and adolescents during the covid-19 pandemic leading to one in three children being either overweight or obese, and being the leading risk factor for disability and greater morbidity 28a _________________ 28a WHO European Regional Obesity Report 2022 ( https://www.euro.who.int/en/health- topics/noncommunicable- diseases/obesity/publications/2022/who- european-regional-obesity-report-2022 )
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas any EU mental health strategy aimed at children and young people must involve their parents and families, youth organisations, youth workers, cultural institutions and sports clubs by providing them with appropriate special training related to handling mental health issues, in order to facilitate a holistic approach and ensure outreach to marginalised and/or disadvantaged groups;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas scientific data suggests that levels of institutional trust among members of the younger generations have fallen as a result of the way the pandemic has been handledstress and the uncertainty the pandemic has caused; whereas the member states' communication channels handling the pandemic have not been effective in reaching the younger generation and in gaining their trust; whereas special attention needs to be devoted to regaining that trust;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas the war in Ukraine and the resulting uncertaintiesdevastating financial consequences the EU is facing are expected to have a further negative impact on the mental health of children and young people;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
L a. whereas grassroots sports were severely affected by the negative consequences of the pandemic with many of them being completely closed for a long time; whereas professional sports clubs are still expected to experience the pandemic’s consequences in both financial terms and human resources in the years to come;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Draws attention to the role played by schools and early childhood education and care institutions in providing the necessary material and psychological support for children and their families, and calls on the Member States to provide sufficient financial support to mainstream education institutions in order to ensure that both the pedagogical and the psychological development of learners is increasingly promoted; underlines especially the role played by teachers and educators in achieving the psychological support and development of children and young people;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines the vital importance of interpersonal relationships among children and young people that constitutes the basis of the process of socialisation and accelerates the sense of belonging; calls, therefore, on the Member States, in the event of future pandemics or other unprecedented situations, to keep all learning environments, whether formal, informal or non-formal in nature, open or in hybrid mode, but not completely closed; calls on the Member States, in cases where special measures are absolutely necessary, to take into account the needs of different age groups and not to apply a one-size-fits- all approach; calls, as a result, on the Member States to take into consideration the different characteristics and needs of educational, cultural, youth and sports activities;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Insists on the need to adequately fund and promote the opportunities offered by programmes such as Erasmus+, Creative Europe and the European Solidarity Corps, to enhance mobility experiences, which are developing useful and necessary social skills for the future personal and professional growth of the younger generation, and increase their accessibility for all, regardless of income, gender, health status and region of origin; calls on the Commission and the Member States to improve the systematic sharing of projects’ outcomes in order to increase their visibility, upscaling and long-term impact;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Urges the Member States, in this context, to ensure the inclusion and take any necessary action for the upscaling of art, music and culture in school curricula, as well as the promotion of play and sports activities in schools, in order to create an inclusive, creative, dynamic and healthy learning environment from an early age and to reduce the risk of psychophysical disorders in adulthood;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support and adequately fund small local cultural initiatives, sports clubs and leisure facilities to carry out the leisure and informal learning activities that play an essential role in the development and well-being of young people and their families, by providing material and psychological support resources, including for those with fewer economic opportunities; underlines the fact that in disadvantaged and/or rural areas those activities constitute the only opportunity for children and young people to socialise, increase the sense of citizenship and maintain a good level of mental health;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission to take action to ensure that the EU as a whole becomes stronger and more self-reliant, leaving no one behind; points out that it must address the wider structural gaps caused by the lack of digital infrastructure and digital tools in rural and peripheral areas and take into account the possible needs of those areas in the event of future pandemics or any other unprecedented situation;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Urges the Member States to invest in specific policies that respond to local needs in order to close regional gaps and ensure financial support so that the technologies, innovations, learning and support facilities and tools required to continue education and training are available and accessible to all, regardless of their family, social or financial situation and of their place of residence;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Highlights the need to monitor developments in, and the consequences of, technological and digital advances through cooperation and dialogue with experts, educators and representatives of civil society; points out the necessity to critically review possible dangers of the digital advances and its unpredictable consequences;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14 b. Urges the member states to give special attention to marginalised and disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities to grant them equal access to all educational, cultural, youth and sports establishments; Calls on the Commission to address the needs of people with disabilities in the event of future pandemics or unprecedented situations accordingly in order to safeguard an equal and safe access and their maintenance of mental health;