57 Amendments of Stéphane BIJOUX related to 2020/2039(INI)
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)
Citation 19 a (new)
- having regard to the Territorial Impact Assessment report of the Committee of the Regions on the Demographic Change of 30 January 2020;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 b (new)
Citation 19 b (new)
- having regard the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the "Demographic change: proposals on measuring and tackling its negative effects in the EU regions" of 12-14 October 2020
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas economic migrants contribute more in taxes and social contributions than they receive in individual benefits1a; _________________ 1a https://www.oecd.org/migration/OECD%2 0Migration%20Policy%20Debates%20Nu mero%202.pdf
Amendment 32 #
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; whereas Europe will account for less than 4 % of the world’s population by 2070, and long- term demographic trends in European regions indicate lower birth rates and ageing societies; except in some outermost regions and particularly in Mayotte, where a population increase of 38% is forecast by 2050 compared to 2010 levels, alongside a corresponding increase of 26% for French Guiana1 a. _________________ 1aSources: INSEE (French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), United Nations
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas there is a high correlation between social services, physical and ICT connectivity and labour opportunities, and the ability to retain and attract population to certain areas;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas78% of European population lives in urban areas or functional urban areas, causing an uneven distribution of population throughout European regions
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the health and economic crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic made clear that solidarity between generations is one of the driving forces of the recovery process; whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled the fragility our healthcare systems, especially in connection with an aging population
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the full economic, employment and social consequences of the pandemic are still unknown; whereas preliminary studies suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities between men and women, including an increase in unpaid care work, whereas the public health crisis has a disproportionate impact on women and girls and in particular women and girls from marginalised groups, which Cohesion Policy should take into account;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that the "4 free movement of labourdoms" represents a the cornerstone of EU competitiveness; notes, nevertheless, that it a and values; points out, nevertheless, that further attention should be paid to its effects on demographics, which has major trends, and its implications for EU regions and their economic, social and territorial cohesion;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Observes in this context significant demographic contrasts at both Union and Member State level between core, metropolitan regions and periphery, often rural areas and areas facing natural or other specific constraints (ANC) ;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Observes in this context significant demographic contrasts at both Union and Member State level between core, metropolitan regions and periphery, often rural areas and also in the outermost regions;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Observes that GDP per capita, income level, employment rate, fertility rate, socio economic factors, rural and urban divide, and population ageing are among the most important factors with a direct impact on demographics; notes that the current employment dynamics in particular are generating demographic flows within European regions leading to socio-spatial disparities and challenges that post-2020 cohesion policy will need to address; underlines that migration patterns from eastern, southeastern and central regions to northern and northwestern regions mostly involve young, educated and skilled workers;
Amendment 71 #
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; regrets the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the average life expectancy in Europe
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points to the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis and the possible medium- and long-term implications for labour market dynamicsocio-economic implications; underlines that self-isolation and social distancing measures, despite its positive impact in descending infection rates, have had visible effects on production, demand and trade, reducing economic activity and leading to higher levels of unemployment, a sharp decline in corporate incomes, and higher public deficits; Highlights however, that the new teleworking trend may prove a useful help reverse depopulation trends in rural areas; Considers the Resilience and Recovery Mechanism as an opportunity to address demographic challenges and urges Member States to put forward holistic and integrated solutions in their National Recovery Plans.
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recognises the burden placed on women as principal caregivers in formal and informal settings, as well as its social value, especially during the COVID-19 crisis; whereas 80% of all care provided across the EU is provided by (unpaid) informal carers, 75% of whom are women; therefore points out the crucial role of cohesion policy in securing investments in care services, to improve working conditions in this sector and to support a transition towards a care economy;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Underlines that the ongoing COVID-19 crisis has exposed strong disparities in the quality and access to healthcare services; Notes that the combination of ageing population and limited healthcare infrastructure in rural areas facing demographic decline and low population density further exposes their population to health risks.
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Underlines that among the many inequalities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital divide is a serious one, affecting in particular less developed regions, women, elderly people and people living in the Outermost regions and rural, remote and depopulated areas. Greater investment is needed in digitalisation, digital innovation and digital connectivity, which will enable a fair and equal transition towards a more digital economy and a digital online education system, accessible to all citizens, especially the most vulnerable in society;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that in general rural, post- industrial and remote areas are facing a number of specific situations: a considerable decline in population numbers, lower than national or EU average levels of income and difficulties of territorial integration with other regions, making them more exposed to the risk of depopulation; , which also leads to difficulties in accessing public services, such as housing, education, healthcare including access to vital drugs; points out that rural regions currently account for 28 % of Europe’s population but this is predicted to fall significantly in the future;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Points out that demographic challenges such as ageing population, low population density and negative migration patterns can have a direct impact on the rise of radical political movements and Euroscepticism. Considers that a strong cohesion policy can be a useful tool to combat the rise of these movements and believes that the Conference on the Future of Europe should address the consequences that demographic challenges will entail in Europe´s position in the world and in the social and economic sustainability.
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Highlights that EU initiatives directed to rural areas such as cohesion and agricultural policies, should be further strengthened through promoting better coordination of policy initiatives that support youth employment, entrepreneurship, digitalisation and support for young and new farmers;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Draws attention to some of the drivers of demographic change, forcing inhabitants from the abovementioned areas to leave and discouraging others from moving there: poor infrastructure, including a lack of fast broadband internet and missing transport networks, fewer job opportunities, high level of youth unemployment, lack of public services and difficult access to health services, fewer education opportunities, making it more difficult to adapt to technological change, and a lack of cultural venues and leisure activities;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Highlights that reducing the disparities between regions, especially in rural areas, requires the further social and economic integration of women; encourages the Commission and Member States to create specific strategies to promote the empowerment of woman in rural areas through lifelong education policies, access to financial instruments to support entrepreneurial projects, and address infrastructural deficiencies, including in relation to the provision of different types of care. Encourages the collection of gender-disaggregated data in order to identify and address any gender existing inequalities
Amendment 138 #
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 jobsterritorial approach to EU instruments, such as sustainable urban development, community-led local development strategies or Integrated Territorial Investments (ITIs) could be useful tool that can be used to maintain and create jobs, strengthen the attractiveness of the region, and increase accessibility to services at local level;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that local and regional authorities, professional associations and NGOs are essential to identify and assess specific investment needs in rural and urban areas and therefore they 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 usedn essential tool to create jobs and increase accessibility to services at local level;
Amendment 140 #
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; Recognises the great potential of the circular economy and bioeconomy in revitalising these areas;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers that the Urban Agenda for the EU, which identifies major priorities and actions for improving the quality of life in urban areas could serve as a model for providing proper instruments promoting growth, integration, cooperation and innovation and tackling social challenges; insists also on developing strategies aimed at enhancing the knowledge economy and smart specialisation in European regions, including through developing knowledge networks and providing support for human capital investments, underlines that cohesion policy should contribute to the widely existing urban inequalities by better integrating women in policy planning for regional and urban development to design gender-inclusive cities and communities that work for all;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers that the Urban Agenda for the EU, which identifies major priorities and actions for improving the quality of life in urban areas could serve as a model for providing proper instruments promoting growth, integration, cooperation and innovation and tackling social challenges; insists also on developing strategies aimed at enhancing the knowledge economy and smart specialisation in European regions, including through developing knowledge networks and providing support for human capital investments; underlines that cohesion policy should contribute to combat inequalities and to create opportunities for minorities such as the Roma;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers that the Urban Agenda for the EU, which identifies major priorities and actions for improving the quality of life in urban areas could serve as a model for providhelps shaping proper instruments promoting growth, integration, cooperation and innovation and tackling social challenges; insists also on developing strategies aimed at enhancing the knowledge economy and smart specialisation in European regions, including through developing knowledge networks and providing support for human capital investments;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls the need for strategies aimed at reversing labour migration at EU and national level; calls on local and regional authorities to increase their attractiveness and to tackle the brain drain in ‘sending’ regions through prevention, mitigation and appropriate responses; 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 160 #
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; Recalls in this regard that the pandemic has highlighted the importance of digitalisation all across the economy to alleviate the consequences of the social distancing and freedom of movement restrictions.
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Urges Member States and regional authorities to implement an integrated approach through Cohesion Policy Instruments to address demographic challenges and encourages the promotion of smart villages as a tool to attract and retain population; 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; 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 171 #
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; 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 avoidthrough helping transformation to avoid, among other, the risk of depopulation;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Welcomes the Commissions intention to accelerate the roll-out of high capacity broadband infrastructure in sparsely populated and rural territories and considers it as an opportunity to improve quality of life, promote job creation, innovation and better accessibility to public services;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls on the Member States to conduct the programming and implementation process of the 2021-2027 cohesion policy with full respect for the partnership principle; stresses the importance of prioritising regional needs, including as regards demographic and migration aspects and urban challenges; calls on the Commission to put forward a Code of Conduct on partnership setting minimum standards for the involvement of the competent local and regional authorities, professional and relevant civil society organisations, in line with the partnership principle;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Strongly supports the development of dedicated incentive schemes to retain population and attract young people to rural and semi-urban areas; Calls on the Member States to conduct the programming and implementation process of the 2021-2027 cohesion policy with full respect for the partnership principle; stresses the importance of prioritising regional needs, including as regards demographic and migration aspects and urban challenges;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Recalls the European Parliament position on the European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Fund Regulation stating that one the ERDF CF main objectives shall be to support urban and rural areas with geographical or demographic handicaps; Recalls, in this regard, 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 or with an average annual population decrease of more than 1% between 2007 and 2017, which should be subject to specific regional and national policies to ensure better physical and ICT connectivity, improve the access and the quality of social services, promote entrepreneurship and the creation of high quality job opportunities through cohesion instruments.
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. highlights that dialogue between stakeholders, civil society and authorities, can contribute to an improved absorption of cohesion funds and an increase quality of projects ;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Member State to include demographic challenges in their national development policies and long- term strategies for sustainable development correlated with the European Semester, thus ensuring proper financing for demographic issues; Calls on the Commission to monitor demographic challenges and establish a link between the European Semester and demographic change with the aim of reversing negative trends through macroeconomic measures;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the European Commission and Member States to include demographic challenges in their European and national development policies and long- term strategies for sustainable development correlated with the European Semester, thus ensuring proper financing for demographic issues;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the regions at risk of depopulation to focus investments on universal accessibility to quality services and infrastructure and job creation; insists on investment in education, reskilling of workers, creating entrepreneurial conditions and supporting SMEs, calls for investment in childcare facilities to foster women's participation in the labour market;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Underlines the role of young people in the future sustainability of rural communities, recognizes that policy instruments linked to investments and growth are often disconnected to rural areas and have less impact in areas of lower population density; calls for targeted investment in rural entrepreneurship and innovative rural SMEs with a special focus on young people; highlights the importance of promoting the attractiveness of disadvantaged areas, including education and employment opportunities and the facilities and services for young people;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Stresses that in many rural areas children, with parents living and working abroad, who are often in the care of a family member or living alone, are facing difficulties in accessing basic services; Calls on regional and local authorities to identify the needs of these children, to establish counselling services where appropriate and to facilitate family reunification and access to housing, healthcare and education;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls for more to be done to support regions facing significant population increases, such as Mayotte and French Guiana, by deploying adequate financial resources to guarantee the continuity of basic services in sufficient quantity and quality, particularly in the sectors of education, health and transport.
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Recalls that health is a fundamental human right, calls for the strengthening of public services in rural areas such as healthcare facilities to address the very significant inequalities and differences in life expectancy based on place of residence, social status and educational level in some Member States;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Asks the European Commission Statistic Office and National Statistic Offices to provide data at NUTS 3 and LAU level to better monitor the impact of demographic challenge on the territories; Encourages the promotion of indicators based of territorial coverage rather that population coverage as a means to reduce rural and urban gaps.
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Highlights the role of cities and regions both in depopulated and overpopulated areas, reiterates the need for further funding opportunities directly available for cities and regions to implement programmes locally, calls for increasing the budget and broadening the scope of the European Urban Initiative;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Encourages policymakers at regional and national level to invest in the digital and knowledge economy, as well as in providing services and incentives, to maintain high-skilled workers and to develop research centres in the different regions in order to ensure the attractiveness of the depopulated areas to young talents and entrepreneurs;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Underlines that seasonal workers are important to fill shortages in certain sectors, specially agriculture; Highlights that Several Member States have introduced measures to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which negatively affected seasonal workers; Calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure decent working and living conditions for seasonal workers and recognising their economical and social strategic value;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Encourages regions to take capitalize on their competitive advantages as established in the Smart Specialization Strategies; 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 focus 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 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls on the Commission to focus on policy coordination at EU level on issues related to functional cooperation areas at different levels, such as cross- border, macro-regional and rural-urban, to address demographic challenges; Urges Member States to align their national demographic plans with the European Commission report on the impact of the demographic change in Europe and the Long-term vision for rural areas; Considers that 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 251 #
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; stresses the importance of funding the development and uptake of these technologies among companies and schools in rural and isolated regions and regions in industrial transition; stresses the importance of an equal and parallel deployment of these technologies among regions to avoid further deepening the gap of attractiveness and digital divide
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Calls on the Member States and regions to harness the potential of digitalisation to develop and provide quality care service in a more efficient ways. Recalls that digitalisation and connectivity, as for example by easing health monitoring or teleconsultation, offers opportunities to provide healthcare services in sparsely populated areas or areas facing natural or demographic challenges often lacking basic healthcare infrastructures
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to supporAcknowledges that ‘magnet cities’ since they primarily contribute to the building of regional ‘growth poles’; nevertheless, underlines that second-tier cities play a critical role in regional development, and calls onin this respect calls on the Commission and the Member States to put in practice strategies for the harmonised development of these cities;
Amendment 269 #
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; Encourages regional and local authorities to facilitates access to dual education in order improve the transition from education to employment;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Underlines labour mobility should be promoted as an opportunity which encourages sharing of skills and professional experience and which can help reduce skills shortages in these regions;
Amendment 278 #
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; the long-term vision for rural areas shall include a gender mainstreaming strategy as well as mandatory impact assessment tools;
Amendment 281 #
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 peripheries and 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;