52 Amendments of Josianne CUTAJAR related to 2020/2039(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
- having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights, in particular principle 2, 3 and principle 20,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
- having regard to the European Regional Competitiveness Index 2019,
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the European Regional Competitiveness Index 2019 has clearly shown a gap between capital/metropolitan regions and more peripheral areas;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas the European Union has numerous instruments to face demographic challenges, and cohesion policy plays a crucial role in this regard;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas climate change enhances drastic changes in demographic trends;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
Ae. whereas the Union has increased its efforts in order to integrate the principles of sustainability, greening and digitalisation in the overall EU policy making;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A f (new)
Recital A f (new)
Af. whereas the Commission is currently working on its Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, although the EU population has seen substantial growth in previous decades, the growth rate is now falling and the population is expected to decrease in the longer term; whedecreas Europe will account for less thaning from 6% to 4 % of the world’s population by 2070, and long- term demographic trends in European regions indicate lower birth rates and ageing societies;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the current trend of ageing in EU population has important economic and social consequences, such as higher dependency ratios, pressures on fiscal and social security sustainability, and increased stress on healthcare and social services;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points out that Europe is manifestly experiencing population ageing, affecting the dependency ratio and having negative effects on workforce growth, which is far behind the previous decade; warns of a visible decline of the labour force in eastern, southern and central European regions; highlights that population ageing also affects housing and transport planning, infrastructure and services needs, as well as fiscal and social security sustainability;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Notes that, in that regard, active ageing policies are needed in order to reduce its negative dimension in rural and remote areas, ensuring an adequate level of quality of life for all inhabitants;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Underlines that fertility rates in the EU are considerably below replacement level; considers that cohesion policy can contribute to address this issue by promoting better conditions for families to raise their children, namely through favourable conditions in the job market, work life balance, affordable housing and access to social services of general interest, particularly those targeted to young families, such as affordable childcare;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Notes that the attractiveness of rural areas can be enhanced through the availability of high-quality public services; investments in those may require economies of scale that are difficult to implement in low-density areas, so local and regional communities should identify adequate provisions of services, in the most efficient way possible. In this sense, the role of cohesion policy is fundamental and should allow for these high quality public services;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Highlights the additional challenges of peripheral European territories, including small islands, mountainous regions and sparsely populated areas, whose declining demographic trends are exacerbated by poor connectivity and difficulties in provision of services, including essential ones;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Highlights that rural development policies should have as one of their main objectives the creation of innovation ecosystems to support knowledge creation and technological diffusion; with this objective in mind, it is key to stimulate common virtual and physical environments that bring together firms, entrepreneurs and research institutes contributing to the transformation of rural areas into real innovation hubs. An environment that enables rural innovation can also be supported by investments in skills and ICT infrastructure, facilitating access to capital for entrepreneurs and SMEs, and supporting local supply chain development linked with diverse industries;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Notes that the concept of “rural proofing” should be mainstreamed throughout all steps of the EU policymaking; this idea, which aims at understanding the impact of policy intervention in rural areas, has the objective of ensuring a fair and equitable policy outcome for them. Rural proofing contributes at understanding the specific necessities of rural and remote areas with a specific focus on policy implementation, overcoming undesirable policy externalities by designing and delivering adequate solutions;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4
Subheading 4
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4 b (new)
Subheading 4 b (new)
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Expresses concern over a "geography of discontent" that is taking place in many EU regions where people feel left behind and which is closely associated to demographic change; the "geography of discontent" leads to radical political movements and denial of the EU integration, endangering the EU cohesion;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 5
Subheading 5
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that economic migration has a direct impact on the inclusiveness of cities, requiring tailored policy responses in different territorial contexts; highlights, in this regard, the need to strengthen inclusion policies;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7
Subheading 7
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 a (new)
Subheading 7 a (new)
Calls for a greater coordination of EU instruments, in particular the ESI Funds and the Next Generation EU, so as to ensure a more comprehensive approach to the demographic challenges; suggests that, given that the mechanisms employed so far have not held back the advance of demographic imbalances, a review of existing policies is required;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 b (new)
Subheading 7 b (new)
Calls on the EU incorporating demographic challenges throughout the policy spectrum, including in its budget headings, in order to enable the development of adequate policies; considers that the impact of public policies in demography should be taken into account and subject to impact assessments;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 c (new)
Subheading 7 c (new)
Calls on the Commission once more to propose a strategy on demographic change which prioritises the following fields: decent employment, work-life balance, the territorial aspect of policies promoting economic activity and employment, the adequate provision of social services of general interest in all territories, local public transport, adequate care for dependent persons and long-term care, and good-quality labour conditions, paying special attention to new forms of work and their social impact;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 d (new)
Subheading 7 d (new)
Highlights the importance of having family friendly labour legislation that enables satisfactory work life-balance; underlines, in this respect, the role of social partners and the importance of collective bargaining;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 e (new)
Subheading 7 e (new)
Stresses that cohesion policy should promote the employability and inclusion of women, especially mothers who struggle with finding employment; stresses the importance of helping young mothers to return to work, namely by providing affordable childcare facilities for children of all ages and promoting policies of shared responsibility;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 f (new)
Subheading 7 f (new)
Highlights the need to support young families, improving the conditions for them to have children; notes that, according to the 2018 assessment, the Barcelona target of having 90% of the children from 3 to mandatory school age in formal childcare or attending preschool was not reached; stresses the importance of having access to affordable childcare facilities for young families to decide to have children;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 h (new)
Subheading 7 h (new)
Underlines the importance of existing initiatives such as the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, Ambient Assisted Living and the EIT Digital and Health Knowledge Innovation Communities; calls on the Commission to take into account the solutions already developed by these initiatives for accommodating the demographic shift and when addressing the demographic challenges faced by European regions; stresses the importance of the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning as a way of supporting education and training in areas at risk of depopulation;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that local and regional authorities should play a decisive role in developing territorial strategies, taking into consideration the development needs and the potential of the areas concerned, including the economic, social and demographic trends; points out that community-led local development strategies are a useful tool that can be used to create jobs and increase accessibility to services at local level; calls in this regard for tailor-made technical assistance to support local and regional authorities in the design and the implementation of these strategies, including through the use of participatory methods involving local stakeholders and civil society;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that local and regional authorities should play a decisive role in developing territorial strategies, taking into consideration the development needs and the potential of the areas concerned, including the economic, social and demographic trends; points out that Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) and community-led local development strategies are a useful tool that can be used to create jobs and increase accessibility to services at local level;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls the need for strategies aimed at reversing labour migration; calls on local and regional authorities to tackle the brain drain in ‘sending’ regions through prevention, mitigation and appropriate responses; using the means provided by cohesion policies; underlines in this context that there are already several initiatives in various Member States, such as incentives for workers with highly specialised skills, aimed at turning the brain drain into a brain gain for the regions in question;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Supports the development of dedicated incentive schemes to attract young people to rural and semi-urban areas; furthermore, encourages measures that to improve labour participation, especially for women and people with disabilities and the promotion of training tailored to the needs, potential and strengths of each individual region;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Considers that the transport network can play a decisive role in answering to demographic change, by reinforcing rural-urban connectivity and combating territorial fragmentation, providing for inclusive and sustainable growth through targeted investments as well as facilitating access to high-quality public services that consolidate population; highlights, in this regard, the importance of improving transport infrastructure, supporting the transition to sustainable and smart transport networks, strengthening interoperability in transport systems, and guaranteeing better local and public transports to incorporate demographic changes and their impact in mobility policy;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Encourages policy makers at local regional and national level to promote the concept of the "economy of well-being", contributing to a virtuous economic cycle, helping sustain long-term investments into wellbeing; additionally, encourages the promotion of healthy and active ageing which, combined with the economy of wellbeing and measures targeted at improving the quality of life and combat loneliness, can boost growth in regions with a predominantly ageing population;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that the COVID-19 health crisis has affected all Member States and regions to different extents, and is likely to lead to new trends as regards demographic flows; recalls in this context that the additional resources provided through REACT-EU in order to ensure a sound and robust recovery of the EU’s economy from the crisis could significantly help to keep people in employment, including through support for small and medium-size enterprises and for short-time work schemes and the self-employed, although this is only a temporary instrument;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls that the Recovery and Resilience Facility will provide large-scale financial support to make Member States’ economies more resilient and better prepared for the future, and insists that Member States should propose measures for addressing demographic change; investing in the most vulnerable areas; highlights the importance of the instruments for a transition to sustainability such as the Just Transition Fund and its implementation mechanism, which aim to support the communities affected by the energy transition and avoid the risk of depopulation;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reiterates the need for further simplification of cohesion policy instrumentplace-based and integrated approaches of cohesion policy, Common Agricultural Policy national strategic plans, and national recovery strategic plans in order to allow for an easier, but at the same time sound management of financial resources and for maximising synergies among the various EU funds and integrated tools; emphasises the need to reduce red tape and ensure coherent legislation throughout the project implementation process;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Recalls that the European Parliament, in its own position on the European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Fund (27 March 2020) states that the objectives of the ERDF CF include that of supporting urban and rural areas with geographical or demographic handicaps. It also includes that Member states shall allocate provisions of EU financial support for projects that promote environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive economic development in the regions concerned;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Maintains the EP stand that particular support should be given to NUTS level 3 areas or clusters of local administrative units with a population density of below 12.5 inhabitants per km2 for sparsely populated areas, or with an average population decrease of more than1% between 2007 and 2017, which should be subject to specific regional and national plans to enhance attractiveness, increase business investment and boost the accessibility of digital and public services, including a fund in the Structural Fund cooperation agreement;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. EIs of the opinion that innovation are research can have positive spillover effects at the regional level, encourages policymakers at regional and national level to invest in the knowledge economy, as well as in providing services and incentives, to maintain high-skilled workers and to develop research centres in the different regions; calls for a further development of synergies between the European Structural and Investment Funds and the Horizon Europe programme as well as other initiatives such as those promoted by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Encourages policymakers at regional and national level to investuse the new Recovery and Resilience Facility to invest in the broadband extension in order to foster in the knowledge economy, as well as in providing high quality public services and incentives, tohat maintain high- skilled workers and to develop research centres in the different regionpromote the triple helix to ensure the attractiveness of the depopulated areas;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Recommends developing the so- called ‘oasis strategies’ focusing on the most successful, vibrant and growing sectors, by exploiting the local potential for development of the region; calls on the local and regional authorities to invest the Youth Guarantee Initiative focused on attracting young, trained and talented workers, encouraging entrepreneurship, using local, national and EU incentives; underlines the role of the ‘silver economy’ as a policy shift for rural areas, turning the issue of population ageing into an opportunity for the development of rural areas;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Asks the European Commission Statistic Office to provide data on the situation of quality of life indicators at NUTS 3 and LAU level to monitor the impact of demographic challenge on the territories; highlights the possibility for Member states to use the Recovery and Resilient Facility to modernise the capacity of data collection at those levels to ensure that national investment policies and European data reflect the real situation in these territories;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Insists that investments should be focused on information and communication technology, since this has the potential to reduce the distance between the users and to attract high- skilled workers in order to avoid the digital divide and ensure digital cohesion; stresses the importance of funding the infrastructures, the development and uptake of these technologies among companies and schools in rural and isolated regions and regions in industrial transition;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Highlights the potential of the blue economy in reversing the negative demographic trend in European small islands and peripheral maritime regions;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Recommends, where appropriate, the reform of education and training systems in the Member States, combined with policies to prevent a permanent brain drain from the ‘sending’ regions; insists on using local at regional advantages, as well as the development of economic and social facilities, not only to prevent the brain drain, but also to reverse this phenomenon; is of the opinion that vocational education and training can represent an effective way to enhance the skillset of workers and make them more resilient against the swift dynamics of the labour market, thus contributing to the prevention of the brain drain;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the initiative on the long-term vision for rural areas includes practical solution and means of support to address demographic changes; invites the Commission, in agreement with the Member States, to propose a ‘new deal’ on demographics in the EU as a multi-level policy approach which materialises in a European Strategy on Demographic Trends; The future Conference of the Future of Europe should propose a definition of the areas which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps mentioned in the article 174 (TFEU)in order to ensure a long-term support of the EU key policies from a place-based approach;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Notes that diversity of administrative competences within each Member states results in the impossibility of a one-size-fits-all type of solution to address demographic challenges; suggests the creation of an independent body involved in the economic and social development of demographically fragile areas. This body should enjoy a high degree of organisational autonomy;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Calls on the European Commission to consider a higher degree of flexibility on the State Aid discipline in order to overcome the structural challenges SMEs operating in isolated, rural and sparsely populated areas face, with the ultimate objective to bridge the competitiveness gap affecting these regions;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 b (new)
Paragraph 34 b (new)