23 Amendments of João PIMENTA LOPES related to 2017/2259(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas youth unemployment has been gradually decreasing in recent years, although, according to Eurostat, youth unemploymenit stood at 18.76,1%% in January 20168, even exceeding 40% in some countries34% in some countries; whereas, when compared with the figures from 2008 (15.6%), we can see that the rate has increased; whereas these figures prevent a one-size fits all solution, in order to realise young people’s full potential; whereas there are worryingly high rates of youth unemployment in the outermost regions, with some of these regions registering rates of over 50%, as in the case of Mayotte;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas, as a consequence of disinvestment in social services and benefits, the economic and financial crisis, job precarity and the deregulation of the labour market, the percentage of young people living in situations of poverty and social exclusion has increased; whereas, 18,3 % of young people in EU28 aged 20 to 34 are neither in employment, nor in education or training (NEETs);
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the overall lack of investment in young people’s rights and young people’s rights will prevent young people from claiming, exercising and defending their rights, and will contribute to the aggravation of phenomena such as declining populations, early school leaving, the lack of professional qualifications or the dismantling of social security systemsand vocational qualifications, late entry into the labour market, lack of financial independence, the potential malfunctioning of social security systems, widespread job insecurity and social exclusion;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas, according to EurostatUROSTAT, youth unemployment stood at 18.7% in 2016, even exceeding 40% in some countries; whereas, although this figure was lower than in previous years, youth unemployment is still very high, with long-term unemployment still showing very high percentages;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas in recent years the EU has launched a number of initiatives such as the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) and the Youth Guarantee, in the framework of its Youth Strategy, with the objectives of creating more and equal opportunities for all young people in education and in the labour market and promoting young people´s inclusion, empowerment and active participation in society;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that an inclusive youth policy is inseparable from the defence and promotion of decentshould defend and promote social programmes facilitating political and cultural participation; further believes that decent and regulated work, grounded in collective labour agreements, with non- precarious labour relations, adequate salaries and wages, high-quality, free, universal public services, and programmes facilitating political and cultural participation, parenthood, well-being and creativityre important for young people’s societal wellbeing; calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote fair working conditions and adequate social protection, including with regard to new forms of employment;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Urges the continuity of key programmes like Erasmus +, Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs and the Youth Employment Initiative; argues that these programmes should be adapted to the differing situations of young people from the EU so that everyone has the same opportunities; draws attention to the specific situations of young people from the outermost regions, which often stop them from making use of these programmes; recognises the importance of Erasmus+ Programme for improving the education, youth employability and providing young people with skills and competences for life, exploring further cross-border career opportunities; calls for increased funding for this programme in the scope of the next MFF;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Highlights the importance of the Commission evaluation of the implementation of the Youth Strategy in Member States to allow for increased checks and monitoring on the ground; urges the Commission to establish objectives for the EU Youth Strategy that can be qualitatively and quantitatively assessed, taking into account the specificities of each Member State or region; Calls on the Commission to improve funding for programmes and actions preparing young people for the world of work;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Notes the findings of the interim evaluation of the EU Youth Strategy, highlighting that it has been successful in triggering concrete changes at the national and organisational levels, encouraged cross-sectoral cooperation, mutual learning and structured dialogue with young people, and gave an impulse to national youth agendas, strengthening or reorienting youth policy priorities in a number of Member States;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1 d. Calls on the Member States to actively promote the principles of inclusivity in youth work, with particular emphasis towards the work integration of young people with disabilities, making their participation a goal for the success of youth programmes; acknowledges the fact that current technological developments offer learners with disabilities new possibilities to acquire knowledge and skills in both a formal and non-formal way;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas, as a consequence of disinvestment in social services and benefits, the economic and financial crisis, job precarity and the deregulation of the labour market, the percentage of young people living in situations of poverty and social exclusion has increased; whereas, in 2016 more than 6 million young people aged 15-24 were not in employment, education or training (NEETs) in the EU;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1 e. Highlights the value of structured dialogue with young people and youth organisations (including national youth councils) as a means of establishing structures and processes for their active participation in the planning, implementation and assessment of the youth policies and programmes, the creation of a joint agenda, exchange best practices and improve knowledge based policy making; encourages the inclusion of vulnerable groups (e.g. NEETs, people from marginalised communities, migrants and refugees, young people with disabilities, early school leavers); stresses that consideration should be given to the creation of an EU hotline against the violation of the rights of young people, so that young people can report any negative experience of participation in YEI and YG measures to the Commission directly; underlines the importance of the Conference on the future EU Youth Strategy, held in 2017; calls on the Commission to replicate it with frequency in order to share good practices in the implementation of youth programmes and to promote the communication between youth associations, employers, and national and local governments;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 f (new)
Paragraph 1 f (new)
1 f. Urges the Commission to strengthen control and monitoring measures to make sure that European youth programmes do not have opposite effects to their intended ones and that they do not create precarious jobs; urges the Commission to pursue economic and employment policies with the aim of creating more and better jobs for young people; argues, as a result, that a proper EU Youth Strategy should be based not only on getting young people into work, but must support the creation of dignified and quality jobs;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 g (new)
Paragraph 1 g (new)
1 g. Stresses that the Youth Employment Initiative is the most visible EU programme supporting labour market inclusion of young people in Europe and insists on its continuation and widening of its scope, also by clarifying the objectives and transparency of the results, in the next programming period; welcomes the increase in funding for the Initiative, although recognises its resources are still insufficient to guarantee that all NEETs will find an apprenticeship, a traineeship or a place on a further education scheme; in this context, calls on the Member States to ensure that the available ESF funds do not replace public spending; calls therefore for an increase of the Youth Employment Initiative envelope for the next MFF, while ensuring quick and simplified deployment of funds and stable financing;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Argues that individuals’ transition into the labour market is facilitated by a comprehensive education system that ensures they acquire cross-cutting skills that promote critical thinking, universality and multicultural dialogue,Emphasises that the labour market is constantly changing; argues that the transition into the labour market is facilitated by an education and training system that educates individuals comprehensively, supporting students in finding their own learning methods, ensuring that they acquire cross-cutting skills and competences including basic and non-cognitive skills, as well as key competences that are future oriented , in order to foster ing employabilitytegration into the world of work and versatility in professional life not through early specialisation, but ratheralso by enabling the attainment of a wide variety of qualifications; skills; calls for a specific focus on promoting language skills and cross- border professional and vocational opportunities and mobility among young people; calls for greater coordination between public employment services, social partners and education providers, and for better recognition and validation of degrees and skills, including informal learning;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to propose an increase in the funding, powers and scope of programmes promoting the employability and social inclusion of young people, ensuring that these funds are not used to help create unpaid internships or precarious work or replace permanent jobs with temporary ones or internships. ensure, as part of the future Youth Strategy and the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework, an increase in the funding, powers and scope of programmes promoting the education, training, the creation of jobs and social inclusion of young people, including young people with disabilities, ensuring that these funds are not used to help create unpaid internships or precarious work or replace permanent jobs with temporary ones or internships; underlines the need to offer proper learning and training content and decent working conditions for traineeships and apprenticeships to ensure their crucial role in the transition from education to professional life; considers that in order to ensure the delivery of quality placements, besides specific guidance and supervision, the existence of an apprenticeship or a traineeship contract will delineate roles and responsibilities of all parties specifying the length, the learning objectives and tasks corresponding to clearly identified skills to be developed, the employment status, adequate compensation/remuneration including for overtime, social protection and security schemes under the applicable national law, applicable collective agreements, or both;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas in recent years the EU has launched a number of initiatives to boost the employability and strengthen the qualifications of young people, with an emphasis on the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) and the Youth Guarantee;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the ILO’s report 'Eurozone job crisis: trends and policy responses', published in 2012, concludes that policies to combat youth unemployment will require an investment of EUR 21 000 million in the period 2014- 2020 to have a real impact.
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that an inclusive youth policy is inseparable from the defence and promotion of decent and regulated work, grounded in collective labour agreements, with non- precarious labour relations, adequate salaries and wages, high-quality, free, universal public services, andsupport and social programmes facilitating political and cultural participation, parenthood, well- being and creativity;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Argues that individuals’the transition into the labour market is facilitated by a comprehensiven education system that ensuresducates individuals comprehensively, ensuring that they acquire cross-cutting skills that promote critical thinking, universality, a world view and multicultural dialogue, fostering employabilityintegration into the world of work not through early specialisation, but rather by enabling the attainment of a wide variety of qualifications;
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Deplores the fact that funding for programmes and actions aimed at boosting the employability of young people have failed to meet the needs identified; also deplores the fact that there is still no assessment of the impact and sustainability of these programmes and actions in youth employment;
Amendment 97 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to propose, as part of the revision of the Youth Strategy and the Multiannual Financial Framework, an increase in the funding, powers and scope of programmes promoting the employabilitycreation of jobs and social inclusion of young people, ensuring that these funds are not used to help create unpaid internships or precarious work or replace permanent jobs with temporary ones or internships.; rejects, moreover, calls for so-called flexibility, which does not serve the needs of young workers and merely leads to the deregulation of working hours and obligations;
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Reiterates that in order to create jobs, and more specifically jobs for young people, there is a need for public investment policies that can inject life into the economy and production sectors, as well as strategic sectors; emphasises that such policies must go hand in hand with policies to boost wages, reduce working hours and lower the retirement age, along with policies that regulate the labour market and defend collective bargaining;