32 Amendments of Bronis ROPĖ related to 2016/2245(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission Communication of 26 March 2017 entitled 'An Initiative to support work-life balance for working parents and carers' (COM(2017)0252),
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas demographic change is one of the main challenges for local development in the EU today, together with globalisation, the industrial and technological shift, climate change, transition towards low-carbon economies and inclusiveness;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, as it is the case in most post-industrial societies, the European population has been characterised by increasing longevity and low fertility rates for several decades, which implies side- effects of a shrinking workforce and an ageing population;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas a persisting gender pay gap and an increasing pension gap strongly hinder the participation of women in the labour market;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas it is projected that 132 out of 273 NUTS level 2 regions will see a decrease in population between 2015 and 205019 but with different and diverging trends expected in rural, urban and metropolitan areas; _________________ 19 Eurostat, ‘Eurostat Regional Yearbook’, 2016 edition.
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas demographic change does not affect all regions in a uniform manner, with the majority of urban areas experiencing a population gain and most rural and remote areas experiencing a decline; whereas such imbalancesome Member States are experiencing large scale emigration while others continue to be the subject of migration inflows; whereas such imbalances, which have been aggravated by the recent economic and social crisis, represent major challenges both for regions suffering from depopulation and for those experiencing a population influx;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas demographic change is exacerbating the process of societal fragmentation and the polarisation of our societies, with growing disparities in terms of economic capacity and service accessibility; whereas such challenges call for new forms of solidarity at European, national, regional and local levels;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that demographic change entails major economic and soci, social, fiscal and environmental pressures on regional and local authorities in terms of providing public services and infrastructure, and ensuring the preservation of ecosystems through sustainable spatial planning; stresses that those pressures will be exacerbated by a declining active population and a higher dependency ratio;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that demographic change should be tackled in a coordinated manner through the action of all European, national, regional and local authorities; is of the opinion that such a coordinated and integrated answer should aim at improving the quality of life for and providing better economic opportunities to citizens, and investing in the quality, availability and affordability of social and public services in the regions concerned; highlights that all partners and stakeholders, including from civil society, should be properly involved;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Is concerned by the impact of austerity policies on the financing of services of general interest and public infrastructures;stresses in particular that the expansion of medical deserts reinforces the phenomenon of spatial fragmentation already exacerbated by the effects of demographic change;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Highlights the importance of social dialogue and the inclusion of social partners together with other local stakeholders and authorities at all stages of programming and implementation of ESI Funds in order to better anticipate the effects of demographic change on local labour markets and develop new strategies addressing those challenges;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that the main problems relating to the, according to the 2015 EU Demography Report, the main demographic changetrends currently experienced by many EU regions are decreasing population densities, an ageing population due to structural changes in the age period, falling birth rates and gradual depopulationa still increasing overall EU population mainly driven by net migration flows, decreasing population densities in some regions and Member States as a whole as well as increasing demographic pressures in others, an ageing population due to structural changes in the age period, falling birth rates and increased life expectancy leading to a slowdown of the natural rate of population growth; underlines that the impact of those trends differ significantly from one region to another;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that one of the main objectives of an EU demographic policy should be to coordinate national demographic policies and take into account all the territories having to contend with demographic imbalances and the specificities of those territories;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that the gender dimension of demographic change should be taken into account in a cross-cutting manner, as regions experiencing demographic decline also suffer from gender and age imbalances due to out- migration; considers therefore that the implementation of gender mainstreaming within all ESI Funds should be further strengthened in the future, for instance by introducing clear requirements on gender indicators, gender impact assessments and gender budgeting in the adoption and implementation of partnership agreements and operational programmes;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for a greater coordination of EU instruments in the different policy areas, such as the Common Agricultural Policy, European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds, European Territorial Cooperation, the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) and the Connecting Europe Facility, so as to ensure a more comprehensive approach to demographic change and mark out specific policy goals; reiterates its call for the Commission to adopt a European strategy on demographic change that will deliver synergies and maximise the positive impact on European citizens;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Highlights the importance of providing universal access to high quality, affordable and decentralised social and public services and infrastructures, especially for children and the elderly, in order to foster social inclusion, ensure gender equality and alleviate the effects of demographic change;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9 b. Believes that the EU, Member States and regions should step up their efforts to combat youth unemployment, especially in the regions experiencing long-term depopulation, so as to improve the social inclusion of young people, ensure the balanced development of regions and alleviate the effects of demographic change;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9 c. Underlines the opportunities brought forward by the transition to low- carbon economies and the promotion of the circular economy in terms of creation of new local jobs that cannot be outsourced;calls therefore to increase the share of ESI Funds earmarked for such priorities in the future;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers that effective EU support for immigration and inclusion policies in the Member States can mitigate population loss in declining areas; welcomes the introduction of the reception and inclusion of migrants and refugees as a new cross-cutting objective of ESI Funds; considers that local and regional authorities should be empowered in devising and implementing policies to promote social inclusion and multiculturalism;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers that effective EU support for immigration and integration policies in the Member States can mitigate population loss in declining areas; considers that local and regional authorities should be empowered in, and provided with sufficient resources for, devising and implementing policies to promote social inclusion, integration, and multiculturalism;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Believes that there is a need to enhance the effectiveness and complementarity of ESI Funds in tackling demographic challenges; welcomes the fact that demographic challenges are considered as a cross-cutting objective of cohesion policy, but considers that a greater focus on the topic as a priority area is necessary, together with guidelines to support Member States and region, their regions and municipalities in addressing demographic challenges in devising and implementing partnership agreements and operational programmes;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Highlights the fact that the European Regional Development Fund can assist regions experiencing population change by boosting transport, telecommunications and public service infrastructure; calls on the Member States and regions to better target available investments to address demographic changes and their impact;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that the European Social Fund canshall be more targeted to improve employment prospects as well as the social inclusion of women, young people and senior citizens in declining regions and serve to stem trends of out-migration;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Welcomes the publication of the new "work-life balance package" by the Commission in that better conditions for working parents and carers to reconcile their private and professional lives will improve their participation in the labour market, thereby alleviating the effects of a shrinking working population;urges the Member States to provide adequate funding, including from the use of ESI Funds, to support the provision of high quality, accessible, affordable and decentralised public health, educational (including pre-school and child care) and care services and infrastructures across all territories;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Stresses the important role of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development in ensuring the necessary funding to maintain and improve access to public and social services and infrastructures in rural areas, preserving the rural environment and ecosystems, and providing opportunities for rural youth, thereby combatting rural desertification;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Believes that cohesion policy should play a more prominent role to support regions in adapting to demographic change, and help them develop integrated territorial strategies that promote and fully exploit the specific potential of each region and make shrinking regions more attractive for people to live, work and build their future;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Highlights the importance of urban-rural linkages, and invites the Commission to reflect on the opportunity to complement integrated sustainable urban development strategies by partnerships for sustainable urban-rural development;is of the opinion that such partnerships could promote synergies between funds and programmes (in particular ERDF, EAFRD and ESF) in order to achieve balanced and sustainable territorial development throughout the EU and respond to common social, environmental and demographic challenges;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Invites the Commission to consider the establishment of new criteria that couldenvironmental and socio-economic criteria to complement the GDP indicator, which would in particular pinpoint the territories facing demographic challenges; considers that GDP and population density are not sufficient indicators in this regard;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Considers that the future cohesion policy should upheld demographic challenges as one of its cross-cutting objectives and continue to include specific instruments for the areas most affected by demographic disadvantage, such as allowing for greater flexibility as regards co-financing rates or the choice of thematic objectives;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Considers that the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework should give a decisive impetus to the promotion of solutions for tackling demographic challenges, through targeted measures and an ad hoc budget with additionalmore targeted funding for areas with severe and permanent demographic handicaps, where appropriate;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Underlines the added value of the single community-led local development (CLLD) methodology across all ESI Funds to develop and implement integrated and tailor-made bottom-up solutions;regrets however that CLLD is only mandatory for EAFRD and that local and participatory approaches are declining in ERDF, ESF and EMFF;calls therefore on the Commission to make the use of CLLD obligatory across all ESI Funds;