Activities of Notis MARIAS related to 2016/2101(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
European Semester for economic policy coordination: implementation of 2016 priorities (A8-0309/2016 - Alfred Sant) EL
European Semester for economic policy coordination: implementation of 2016 priorities (debate) EL
Amendments (38)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reiterates the importance ofEmphasises the need for a well- functioning and integrated Single Market tofor the recovery of the European economy after the financial crisis; supports the inclusion of Country-Specific Recommendations (CSRs) which go beyond narrow fiscal and macroeconomic targets and allow for a more balanced policy mix with the potential to help sustain a socially balanced recovery; welcomes this repositioning, as well as the streamlined structure of CSRs;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Commission’s spring 2016 forecast indicates expected growth rates of 1.6 % for the eurozone and 1.8 % for the EU in 2016;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. WelcomStresses the fact that a large number of CSRs thatshould support a well- functioning and integrated Single Market, including financing and investment opportunities which support businessesSMEs in particular and help create jobs, e- government, public procurement and mutual recognition of qualifications; stresses that enforcement is key if the impact from these policy areas is to be felt;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Europe still faces a huge investment deficit, even though the current account surplus in the eurozone continues to rise, theoretically creating more favourable conditions for public and private investment due to the exceptionally low interest rates on government borrowingand this is having a negative impact on employment in the EU Member States;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Acknowledges that youth unemployment is a perpetual challenge for Europe; notes that the employment situation varies significantly across the EU;, points therefore to the need for labour market reforms that would adapt education to market demands and tackle inequalities in educationarticularly in southern European countries, such as Greece, that are subject to economic austerity; expresses, in this context, its further support for the Youth Employment Initiative;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas unemployment in the EU remains one of the main challenges that Member States are facing as it currently stands at a very high rate (10.5 million long-term unemployed in the EU), even if the numbers have improved slightly compared with previous years;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Member States to do all they can to foscreater a healthy business environment through innovation, R&D and digitalisation, in order to create jobs, particularly through strengthening micro- businesses and SMEs in southern European countries, such as Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus, which have been affected by the austerity measures;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates that investments in education and culture reinforce employability and contribute to sustainable growth and job creation in the EU; underlines the need for structural reforms of the education and training systems in the Member States and the need to foster better interaction between the EU and the Member States and to facilitate the exchange of best practices among the Member States, with regard to education and training systems;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. CondemnsPoints to the barriers which still exist that hinder a well-functioning and integrated Single Market, in particular the partial transposition and implementation of the Services Directive by many Member States, and calls on the Commission to enforce more effectively what Member States have signed up to in European law;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that economic growth should guarantee a positive social impact; welcomes the introduction of the three new headline social indicators in the macroeconomic imbalances procedure; reiterates the call for these to be placed on an equal footing with existing economic indicators, thereby guaranteeing that internal imbalances are better assessed and making structural reforms more effective; calls, in this connection, for a social imbalances procedure to be introduced;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that further action is required to better implement mutual recognition of professional qualifications, and welcomes the exercise of mapping regulated qualifications, which will create an interactive public database that can aid Member States’ National Action Plans;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that Erasmus+ contributes to mobility and cultural exchange across the EU; calls for better promotion and use of the European tools for transparency, mobility and recognition of skills and qualifications with a view to facilitating mobility as regards learning, training and working;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas political developments such as the question of the UK’s membership of the Union, relations with Russia, the economic crsis and the refugee crisis have compounded uncertainties and further served to inhibit investment;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. RegretNotes that CSRs continue to point to deficiencies in public procurement such as the lack of competition and transparency, with 21 Member States failing to fully transpose the legislative package; calls on the Commission to act swiftly to ensure that Member States meet their legal obligations by taking the necessary infringement procedures;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Supports the Member States in their endeavours to modernise public services, in particular through e-government, and calls for better cross-border cooperation and interoperability of public administrations to the benefit of all citizens, always in accordance with the principle of personal data protection;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that the cultural and creative industriesectors contribute significantly to youth employment, employing, on average, more young people than any other sector; stresses that further promotion of and investment insupport for the cultural and creative industries will be beneficial in creating new jobs and combating youth unemployment.
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that several CSRs focus on skills and labour markets; stresses that the right skills are key to ensuring productivity and output growth; calls on the Commission and the Member States to pursue and adopt digital and lifelong learning programmes as a matter of urgency.
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes with concernDeplores the fact that the EUuropean economyic will grow less than expected on the basis of the Europeannter forecast is once again inaccurate for 2016, since the EU economicy winter forecast 2016ll grow less than expected, as GDP in the eurozone is expected to increase by only 1.6 %, reaching 1.9 % by 2017, which is less than what was previously being estimated;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the challenges in the EU are linked to the deteriorating international environment and the divergences in the economic and social performance, achievednd in particular unemployment rates, which have increased significantly in different parts of the Union;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls foDemands in particular a strong commitment to promoting the Juncker Plan (EFSI) in Member States with a low level of participation;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the Commission’s continuing approach to limit the number of recommendations and its effort to mainstream the semester by covering mainly key priority areas of macroeconomic and social relevance, when setting the policy objectives for the next 18 months; reiterates that this facilitates the implementation of recommendations according to a comprehensive and meaningful range of social benchmarks;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 117 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. RegDeplorets the fact that the Commission has disregarded Parliament’s request to strengthen the application of Article 349 TFEU with a view to enhancing the outermost regions’ integration into the EU; notes that these regions have unemployment rates over 30%;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that Europe’s long economic crisis has shown that there is a strong need to focus on public and private investment, in order to enhance the EU’s competitiveness and employment in its Member States;
Amendment 143 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Notes that the Juncker Plan will be unable to support the Greek economy as long as the Troika imposes a straitjacket on it.
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Underlines that the still-too-high unemployment rates, a consequence of the IMF’s mistaken policy on deflation and austerity measures, show that the capacity to create jobs in most Member States is still limited; emphasises that further action is needed, in consultation with social partners and in accordance with national practices, to make labour markets more inclusive overall;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Expresses disquiet about the current ‘liquidity trap’ the EU economy seems to have fallen into, with interest rates at the Zero Lower Bound (ZLB), weak demand prospects, and restricted investment and spending by households and companies, not least in surplus countries;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the Commission’s recommendation for three Member States to exit the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP); agrees with the Commission that large and consistent current account surpluses reflect a clear need to stimulate demand and investment in order to cope with the challenges of the future regarding transport and communications, the digital economy, education, innovation and research, climate change, energy, environmental protection and the ageing population; calls on the Commission to continue to support budgetary policies that underpin growth and recovery in all Member States and support sustainable structural reforms;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that further measures are needed to reduce non-performing loans (NPL) in the euro area and to increase the ability of banks to lend to the real economy, notably to SMEsboosting the liquidity of SMEs in particular;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines the fact that investment has so far lagged and failed to lead to sustainable and inclusive growth in the EU and that under the current circumstances, monetary policy alone is unlikely to bring about recovery, even though the rules made necessary by banking union have imposed more stringent financial criteria on banks; considers that a coordinated fiscal expansion is also needed in the EU, therefore, in line with the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact and its flexibility clauses, in order to place emphasis on public and private investment;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Emphasises the need to improve the EU’s overall capacityfor the EU to create and sustain jobs and thus to tackle high levels of unemployment, while considering that migration could play an important role in compensating for the negative effects of the ageing population; emphasises, however, that this alone cannot be the main response to address structural demographic, labour market or fiscal challenges but that it should be complemented with efficient public expenditure, especially in high-quality social and environmentally sustainable investments;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Invites the Commission to give priority to measures that reduce the obstacles to greater investment flows, which arise at both an EU level from a lack of clarity regarding strategies that are to be followed, especially in the fields of energy, transport, communications and the digital economy, as well as from the effect on bank lending in the wake of the adoption of the banking union, and a national level from cumbersome legal systems, corruption, lack of transparency, outdated bureaucracy, and inadequate digitalisation of public services, lack of mutual recognition of academic and technical qualifications in the professions and certain services sectors, and educational systems that remain out of synch with modern requirements;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Deeply deplores the fact that with regard to the Europe 2020 strategy, the biggest failure to be recorded concerns the goal of reducing the scale of poverty and unemployment in the Union, as not only will the goal not be reached, but poverty and unemployment will in fact have increased, especially in southern European countries such as Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines the importance of better addressing the high tax wedge on labour given that high taxation diminishes incentives for the inactive, the unemployed, second earners and low-wage earners to return to employment, by promoting a growth-friendly tax shift towards consumption and environmental taxes;