53 Amendments of Miriam LEXMANN related to 2024/2077(INI)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD),
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the ESF+ is the only EU fund primarily focused on social policies, and is therefore unique in itself and is strongly effective in achieving social inclusion, together with the cohesion policy;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the ESF+ is the only EU fund primarily focused on social policies, and is therefore unique in itself and is strongly effective in achieving social inclusion, together with the cohesion policytherefore provides, together with the cohesion policy, the unique opportunity that must be used in the most efficient way in order to achieve systemic changes via structural reforms;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the local communities are the direct beneficiaries of the ESF+, it is a precondition that the regional and local authorities are directly involved in shaping of this instrument;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas different vulnerable groups have different needs, such as women in poverty, labour migrants, children, peoplechildren, single parents and big families, women in poverty, persons with disabilities and, elderly people and labour migrants; whereas the digital and green transition is much needed and brings many opportunities but also brings challenges for all people and all workers, and; whereas to succeed in this endeavour, the EU must ensure a just transition that does not lose sight of workers and vulnerable peopleeave anybody behind;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas different vulnerable groups have different needs, such as women in poverty, labour migrants, children, people with disabilities, youth and elderly people; whereas the digital and green transition is much needed but also brings challenges for all people and all workers, and whereas to succeed in this endeavour, the EU must ensure a just transition that does not lose sight of workers and vulnerable people;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas around 100 million people in the EU have some form of disability; whereas only half of persons with disabilities are employed compared to 3 in 4 persons without disabilities; whereas 28.4% of persons with disabilities are at risk of poverty or social exclusion compared to 17.8% of persons without disabilities; whereas 29.7% of all persons with disabilities in the EU live in poverty;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas Europe faces demographic challenges, with many regions depopulating;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the availability and affordability of decent housing is decreasing because of over-liberalisation of the marketdue to a lack of supply and rising market prices, which are further impacted by seasonal fluctuations in certain touristic regions; whereas the EU will have its first- ever Commissioner for tackling the housing criseis, andlong with the launch of the first -ever European aAffordable hHousing pPlan, expected in 2025;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas in 2020, approximately 14% of households with children (7.8 million households) consisted of single parents; whereas almost half (48 %) of single mothers and a third (32 %) of single fathers are at risk of poverty or social exclusion;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas Europe’s overall increase in life expectancy and ageing demographic is generating a growing demand for care in all age groups; whereas 80% of Long-Term Care is provided by informal carers, predominantly women; whereas care sector faces growing shortage of workforce in all Member States;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas the ESF+ is the main funding instrument to support the Member States for implementing the new EU-wide rules to improve work-life balance for parents and carers;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the availability and affordability of decent housing is decreasing because of over-liberalisation of the markethighly problematic but primarily belongs, in line with the principle of subsidiarity, to the competences of the Member States; whereas the EU will have its first ever Commissioner for tackling the housing crises, and the first ever European affordable housing plan, expected in 2025;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the European Child Guarantee aims to prevent and combat thepoverty and social exclusion of children by guaranteeing effective and free access to high-quality early childhood education and care, education and healthcare, and effective access to healthy nutrition and adequate housing;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas strong focus on complementarity of the ESF+ should be upheld in order to motivate the Member States to use the fund to set structural reforms rather than use finances to fund everyday needs;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas building European competitiveness cannot be achieved without strengthening human capital;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas implementation of the ESF+ on the national level is often accompanied by unnecessary burden and complicated or ineffective rules adopted by the national governments that lower the efficiency of projects and undermine the overall goals of the fund;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Insists that the ESF+, following the evaluation of successes as well as shortcomings of its previous term of 2021 - 2027, must continue to be the key and primary instrument for supporting the Member States, people and regions in strengthening the social dimension of the Union;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Insists that the ESF+ must continue to be the key and primary instrument for supporting the Member States, people and regionpeople, local communities, regions and Member States in strengthening the social dimension of the Union;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Insists that the objectives of the ESF+ should be to achieve social inclusion, high employment levels with adequate wages, decent working conditions, healthy working environments and socialthat takes into account specurity coverage, in order toific needs of vulnerable groups, as well as develop ament of skilled, competitive and resilient workforce, ready for the twin transition and the future world of work, and to build fair social protections and inclusive and cohesive societies, with the aims of eradicating poverty and delivering on the principles and the headline targets set out in the EPSR;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for a strong, reinforced, and stand- alone ESF+ with significantly increased public support for existing instruments aimed at providing for the poorest in our societies; insists, therefore, on doubling the funding for the ESF+ post-2027the aim of providing for the poorest in our societies;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure the participation of social partners, civil society organisations (CSOs), local and regional entities, and representatives of the target groups in all design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages of the ESF+, to allocate adequate funding for this purpose and to prevent the exclusion of smaller actors;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Expresses strong concerns over attempts to split or merge the existing ESF+ with other funds, since that wcould create serious risks for the implementation of its objectives and those of the EPSR and its action plan, and the reaching of the ESPR’s headline targets; warns that unifying or simplifytreamlining funds may not improve their effectiveness;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. BelieveExpresses its concerns that a different ESF+ governance wcould lead to the loss of priority given to social aspects, including employment and social inclusion projects, potentially loss of focus, and to the funding not reaching local levels and those most in need, while increasing the risk of reallocation of funds for other purposes;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure the participation of local and regional authorities, social partners, civil society organisations (CSOs), private sector, including SMEs, and representatives of the target groups in all design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation stages of the ESF+, to allocate adequate funding for this purpose and to prevent the exclusion of smaller actors;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes that the current ESF+ programme was adopted before the emergence of crises that have caused high inflation and increased costs of living, and therefore require higher public and social investment such that the existing ESF+ cannotwhich raises concerns if it is able to meet current needs; calls therefore on the Commission to ensure that a comprehensive, stable and large-scale needs- and rights-based and stable budget is guaranteed for the ESF+ in the next multiannual financial framework;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines that the ESF+ post-2027 should invest in tackling enduring social challenges and stay close to the general and specific objectives set out in the current ESF+; emphasises the importance of the fund’s principles of shared management, clear objectives and thematic concentrations, and that most of the fund should be spent as close as possible to those using the fund in close cooperation with local and regional authorities and organisations;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Highlights the need to share best practices on the most efficient and transparent implementation of the ESF+; reiterates that the most successful ways to use the ESF+ is in the closest possible cooperation with the local and regional actors;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Notes with concerns that the efficient implementation of the ESF+ in the ongoing term is often hindered by the national governments who are adding unnecessary administrative burden or preventing local actors like in several Member States successful Local action groups (which consist of municipalities, local SMEs, local organisations and entrepreneurs including within the LEADER program) from the management of the support under the fund and of the funding opportunities;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines that horizontal principles, such as gender equality, anti- discrimination, and freedom of movement, should be integral to the ESF+; stresses the importance of an intersectional approach throughout the entire development and implementation of the fund;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Insists that the ESF+ should target the most disadvantaged people in our societies, regardless of their sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief, or racial or ethnic origin – in particular marginalised communities such as Roma people, peoplechildren and elderly, persons with disabilities or chronic diseases, homeless people, children and elderly as well as homeless people; underlines that the ESF+ must be inclusive, with special attention given to all kinds of families, including single-parent families, families with more than two parents and rainbow families;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Emphasises the need to ensure sufficient financing of the ESF+ post-2027 for high-quality and public education for all, skills development, upskilling, reskilling and lifelong learning particularly in regions with skill mismatches, and for the addressing of skills shortages, ensuring that individuals can successfully navigate labour market transitions;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission, in the light of current challenges, to include in the specific objectives of the ESF+ the promotion of the just transition, the socio- economic integration of migrants, includingvulnerable groups including legal migrants and labour migrants, the social inclusion of women who are victims of gender-based violence and, the integration of older people, persons with disabilities or chronic diseases as well as those coming back to the labour market after longer absence;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that reaching the EPSR’s targets on poverty becomes challenging, unless specific support is dedicated toespecially when alleviating the pressure on social protection systems and mitigating the social impact of crises; insists on dedicating support to ensure decent living conditions for all, with access to high-quality essential services; calls for the EU anti-poverty strategy, outlined in Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s political guidelines for the 2024- 2029 term, to be implemented via the ESF+, with its binding poverty- reduction targets, national living wage indices and reference budgets used as benchmarks, applying a multidimensional approach;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that addressing child poverty requires appropriately funded, comprehensive and integrated measures, together with the efficient implementation of the European Child Guarantee at national level, and insists that it constitutes a central pillar of the EU anti-poverty strategy; repeats its previous demands for the ESF+ post-2027 to include a dedicated budget of at least EUR 20 billion for the European Child Guarantee; insists that all the Member States should allocate at least 5 % of their ESF+ resources to the Europeainsists on transparent and efficient use of the European Child Guarantee budget as close to the target groups as possible and in cooperation with whole spectrum of local organisations focusing on Cchild Guarantee and at least 10 % for those Member States with a higher portion of children at risk of poverty or social exclusionren in need including charitable and church- based organisations, with ex-post scrutiny of the projects;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Shares the ambition to prioritise the tackling of the housing crises in line with the principle of subsidiarity, and insists that the ESF+ post-2027 should enhance timely and equal access to affordable, decent, sustainable and high-quality services promoting access to housing; believes that all the Member States must invest at least 5 % of their ESF+ resources inshall step-up their efforts to tacklinge homelessness;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Emphasises the need to ensure sufficient financing of the ESF+ post-2027 for high-quality and public education for all, skills development, upskilling, reskilling and lifelong learning, and for the addressing of skills shortages inter alia by creating cooperation among employers, workers and educational institutions, ensuring that individuals can successfully navigate labour market transitions;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Underlines the potential of ESF+ in fostering innovation and digital skills, aligning educational and training programs with the evolving needs of key sectors, including green and digital economies and ensuring access to lifelong learning opportunities, so that workers of all ages can continuously adapt their skills to meet the demands of a rapidly changing economy and help Europe maintain a competitive edge in global markets;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for a strengthening of efforts to support the implementation of the Youth Guarantee with an increased earmarking for all Member States that dedicate at least 15 % of their ESF+ resources; repeats in this context its call on the Member States to ban unpaid traineeshipexploitative practices;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses that the Employment and Social Innovation strand of the ESF+ provides support regarding the precarious situation of mobile workers and secures funding for trade union-related counselling; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure permanent funding for national and transnational trade union counselling services for such workers;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for the ESF+ to boost the implementation of the European care strategy by investing in quality community-based and home care services and infrastructure, support to informal carers and decent working conditions for formal carers including adequate salaries, as well as quality early childhood education and care through community-based, person-centred, high- quality, affordable and accessible care systems which promote dignity of both carers and persons in need of care;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses that the implementation of the EPSR and the reforms needed to comply with theshall take into account relevant country-specific recommendations in the European Semester are also dependant on the strong support of the ESF+ for certain policy measures, especially those related to strengthening social welfare systems, ensuring inclusive and high-quality public education, reducing child poverty and eradicating homelessness;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission to allocate consistent financial resources to capacity- building, with the aims of empowering social partners to play a relevant role in areas of their competence, of strengthening their capacity to engage in social dialogue both at EU and national level and of enhancing social partners’ actions – and include technical assistance for these three purposes – with an adequate minimum percentage investment obligation from the Member States; further insists that social partners and CSOs should be guaranteed access to funding for social policy objectives in all the Member States on an equal basis;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Underlines that it is of the utmost importance that small social enterprises and CSOs have access to all aspects of the ESF+; calls foron the Member States to ensure an increased co-financing rate of at least 90 % for measures targeting the most deprived implemented by CSOs, and at least 70 % for those implemented by social enterprises;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Member States to ensure that regional and local authorities and organisations have a say in projects financed from national budgets; reiterates the need to adopt rules to manage the fund in cooperation with the local actors that are the closest to the needs of people; highlights the need to include local actors like in several Member States successful Local action groups (which consist of municipalities, local SMEs, local organisations and entrepreneurs within the LEADER approach) in the management of support under the fund;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Insists that the rules governing the use of the ESF+ must ensure and enhance compliance with the rule of law, the EU acquis, the highest EU social standards, social rights and democratic principles, and be aligned with the EPSR, the UN’s sustainable development goals and fundamental human rights and workers’ rights;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls for strong and more effective social conditionalities in rules on public procurement and concessions, with effective sanctions; eEncourages the Commission to create a comprehensive database, supplementing the Eurostat data, to allow for timely and reliable monitoring of the developments in employment, living conditions and industrial relations;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls forInsists on the reduction of the administrative burden, notably by simplifying the application processes for accessing funds and the reporting procedures for organisations, in particular for those of a smaller size, as well as for municipalities; warns that simplification must not compromise the fundamental principles of shared management, transparency and, accountability and independent scrutiny, ensuring the proper administration of public funds;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Calls on the consistent support and communication to the Member States in order to help them setting up individual projects effectively and transparently, including transparent and predictable conditions, which provide legal clarity and predictability to applicants, as well as for the end beneficiaries of the funding;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Warns that not all people are prepared for digitalisation, and that certain groups of people, especially the most vulnerable, could miss out onReiterates that the digitalisation is one of the important tools to reduce administrative burden and streamline applications for funding opportunities, and as such it shall be promoted, and the digital skills of people shall be strengthened; notes, however that not all people are prepared for digitalisation; insists therefore, that the lack of digital skills shall not be an obstacle to get information about and apply for funding opportunities as a result;