28 Amendments of Kathleen FUNCHION related to 2024/2084(INI)
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. wWhereas the crisis in generational renewal and poor access to public services, due to a lack of long-term and sustainable planning in the areas of housing, infrastructure and community development, have led to an increased risk of poverty and social exclusion, particularly affecting children and, elderly people and persons from marginalised backgrounds;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas social progress in the EU must advance in a manner consistent with the stability objectives of the Maastricht criteria, ensuringensure that economic integration does not exacerbate inequalities between generations and regions;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas the risk of poverty or social exclusion is greater for women, young adults, people with a low level of educational attainment and the unemployed; whereas there remains many gaps in access to unemployment benefits, with 66% of unemployed people reporting that they do not receive benefits or assistance.1a _________________ 1a Social protection 2.0: Unemployment and minimum income benefits
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
G b. Whereas according to the OECD, on average across OECD countries, occupations at highest risk of automation account for about 28% of employment;2a whereas social dialogue and collective bargaining are crucial in such context to ensure a participatory approach to managing change due to technological developments, addressing potential concerns, while fostering workers’ adaptation (including via skills provision); whereas digitalisation, robotisation, automation and artificial intelligence must benefit workers and society by improving working conditions and quality of life, ensuring a good work- life balance, creating better employment opportunities, and contributing to socioeconomic convergence; whereas workers and their trade unions will play a critical role in anticipating and tackling risks emerging from those challenges; _________________ 2a OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers No. 282
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)
Recital G c (new)
G c. whereas there were still over 3.300 fatal accidents and almost 3 million nonfatal accidents in the EU-27 in 2021; whereas over 200.000 workers die each year from work-related illnesses; whereas these data do not include all accidents caused by undeclared work, making it plausible to assume that the true numbers greatly exceed the official statistics; whereas in 2017, according to Eurofound, 20% of jobs in Europe were of “poor quality” and put workers at increased risk regarding their physical or mental health; whereas 14% of workers have been exposed to a high level of psychosocial risks; whereas 23% of European workers believe that their safety or their health is at risk because of their work;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates the importance of supporting the development of skills in the workforce to improve competitiveness and ensure quality employment; urges the Member States to strengthen vocational and digital training while promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities and persons from disadvantaged or marginalised backgrounds in the workforce to address labour shortages and support equal opportunities in the labour market, considering that, although there is an improvement, persons with disabilities still face significant obstacles in the labour market;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to include specific recommendations on housing affordability in the European Semester and to promote housing investment, including through European Investment Bank financial instruments; considers that the revision of the EU regulatory framework for the housing sector should facilitate the construction of accessible, affordable and energy- efficient housing that meets the needs of young people, people with reduced mobility and families at risk, as well as to protect those seeking access to home ownership from further diminishing supply; Calls on Member States and the Commission to recognise adequate housing as a right.
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 3 – point 1 (new)
(1) Regrets that certain EU rules and directives, such as the Non-Performing Loans Directive the EU Fiscal and State Aid Rules have played a role in increasing house prices and homelessness across the Union, as they can often prevent Member States from investing comprehensively in tackling the rising costs of housing and rising homelessness.
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Calls on the European Semester to address the socio-economic impact of childhood, adolescent and young adult mental-health issues on their longterm wellbeing and living standards.
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Calls for Member States and the Commission to consider an action plan on tackling rural isolation and loneliness
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Calls on Member States and the Commission to recognise work induced stress and mental health illnesses
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for the implementation of policies that promote work-life balance, with the aim of improving the quality of life for all families; calls on the Commission to put forward a legislative proposal for the creation ofconsider a European card for large families and a European action plan for single parents, offering taxeconomic, educational and social advantages;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point a (new)
Paragraph 5 – point a (new)
(a) Recognises that 44 million Europeans are frequent informal long- term care-givers. the majority of whom are women.3a _________________ 3a 2021 Long-term care in the EU
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Recognises the unique role of carers in society, whilst the definition of care workers is not harmonised across the EU, the long term care sector employs 6.4 million people across the EU.4a _________________ 4a 2021 Long-term care in the EU
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for demographic challenges to beregional imbalance to be addressed and prioritised in the EU’s cohesion policy and for its importance to be equated with the Green Deal and the Digital Strategy; calls on the Commission to declare a ‘European Year of DemographyRegions and the Islands’ and to step up funding for regions with a high rate of depopulation and economic stagnation, supporting local development projects and basic infrastructure that favour the ‘right to stay’ of the population;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission and the Council to prioritise the reduction of bureaucratic and fiscal barriers affecting entrepreneurship, especially for small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups, which are essential for the EU’s economic growth and competitiveness, and thus for the financing of social policies; believes that better support for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially for and SMEs and start-ups, will improve the EU’s competitivenesssocial economy, boost innovation and create quality jobs; calls urgently for the implementation of specific recommendations to complete the single market and to facilitate access to finance through public-private partnership platforms and the social economy to foster a dynamic business environment;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls for the Member States, in this year of transition, with the implementation of revised economic governance rules, to be offered an opportunity to align fiscal responsibility withto be offered an opportunity to work towards sustainable growth, and notes that medium-term fiscal plans should prioritise debt sustainability while investing strategically in education, healthcare and housing; stresses that collaboration between public and private entities is key to optimising resources and ensuring the judicious use of public funds; considers that country-specific recommendations to promote sustainable public pension systems and healthcare should be effectively implemented and foster competitiveness with the aim of fostering social cohesion and long-term prosperity for all citizens;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 9 – point 1 (new)
(1) Recognises the destructive impacts that austerity policies have had, and continue to have on society as a whole.
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Recognises the importance of public oversight of public-private partnerships, particularly in tackling waste of public money and corruption,
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9 b. Underlines that public-private partnerships often come with widespread shortcomings and limited benefits, as underlined by a 2018 European Court of Auditors' report5a; highlights that such partnerships are subject to considerable inefficiencies in the form of delays and major cost increases, and that risk allocation between public and private partners is often inappropriate, incoherent and ineffective, while high remuneration rates on the private partner’s risk capital seldom reflect the risks borne; at the very least stresses the need for public oversight of public-private partnerships, particularly in tackling waste of public money and corruption; _________________ 5a https://www.eca.europa.eu/lists/ecadocum ents/sr18_09/sr_ppp_en.pdf
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9 c. Recognises the cost of living crisis, which has increased the burden on households, and the rising cost of housing, contributing to high levels of energy poverty across the EU. Emphasises this is a historic crisis, exacerbated in part by austerity policies implemented by the EU and many Member States. Therefore, calls on the Commission and Member States to comprehensively address the root causes of this crisis by prioritising policies that promote economic resilience, social cohesion, and sustainable development.
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Is concerned about the Commission’s revisions to the Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure Scoreboard, particularly the reduction in employment and social indicators, which are crucial for assessing the social situation in the Member States; Stresses that living standards should be equated with traditional economic indicators in the decision making process.
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Stresses the negative impacts that the cost of living crisis has had on persons with disabilities
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Calls on Member States and the Commission to be more active in combating poverty
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11 c. Calls on the Member States to address the issues faced by the working poor, Recognises that a significant portion of the workforce in the EU is living in poverty despite being employed.
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 d (new)
Paragraph 11 d (new)
11 d. Urges Member States to consider robust policies that ensure fair wages and improve working conditions, particularly for low-income and precarious workers.
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 e (new)
Paragraph 11 e (new)
11 e. Calls on Member States to strengthen social safety nets to provide adequate support to those whose income from employment is insufficient to meet basic living costs.