Activities of Marie PANAYOTOPOULOS-CASSIOTOU related to 2007/0300(CNS)
Plenary speeches (1)
Employment Policy Guidelines for Member States (debate)
Legal basis opinions (0)
Amendments (17)
Amendment 20 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – paragraph 1 – indent 3
Annex – paragraph 1 – indent 3
– Strengthening social and territorial cohesion: Determined action is needed to strengthen and reinforce social inclusion, fight poverty - especially child povertyin one-parent families and families with many children and no resources -, prevent exclusion from the labour market, support integration in employment of people at a disadvantage, and to reduce regional disparities in terms of employment, unemployment and labour productivity, especially in regions lagging behind. Strengthened interaction is needed with the Open Method of Coordination in Social Protection and Social Inclusion.
Amendment 24 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – paragraph 2
Annex – paragraph 2
Equal opportunities and combating discrimination are essential for progress. Gender mainstreaming and the promotion of gender equality should be ensured in all action taken. Particular attention must also be paid to significantly reducing all gender related gaps in the labour market in line with the European Pact for Gender Equality, which presupposes strict application of the European directives on equal treatment and the elimination of inequalities. This will assist Member States in addressing the demographic challenge. As part of a new intergenerational approach, particular attention should be paid to the situation of young people, implementing the European Youth Pact, and to promoting access to employment throughout working life. Particular attention must also be paid to significantly reducing employment gaps for people at a disadvantage, including women and disabled people, as well as between third- country nationals and EU citizens, in line with any national targets.
Amendment 31 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 3
Recital 3
3. In the light of both the Commission’s examination of the National Reform Programmes and the European Council conclusions, the focus should be on effective and timely implementation, paying special attention to the agreed quantitative targets and benchmarks, and in line with the conclusions of the European Council.
Amendment 32 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – section 1 – paragraph 1
Annex – section 1 – paragraph 1
Raising employment levels is the most effective means of generating economic growth and promoting socially inclusive economies whilst ensuring a safety net for those unable to work. Promoting a lifecycle approach to work and modernising social protection systems to ensure their adequacy, financial sustainability and responsiveness to changing needs in society are all the more necessary because of the expected decline in the working-age population. Special attention should be paid to tackling the persistent employment gaps between women and men, further increasing the employment rates of older workers and young people, as part of new intergenerational approach, and the promoting active inclusion of those most excluded from the labour market, particularly victims of multiple discrimination, which is further aggravated by the difficult geographical circumstances of island and mountain regions. Intensified action is also required to improve the situation of young people in the labour market and to significantly reduce youth unemployment, which is on average double the overall unemployment rate.
Amendment 39 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – paragraph -1 (new)
Annex – paragraph -1 (new)
The employment guidelines form part of the Integrated Guidelines for the period 2008-2010, which are based on three pillars - macroeconomic policies, microeconomic reforms and employment policies - which jointly contribute to achieving the objectives of sustainable expansion and employment and strengthen social cohesion.
Amendment 40 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Annex – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Member States, in cooperation with the social partners and other stakeholders, shall conduct their policies with a view to implementing the objectives and priorities for action specified below so that more and better jobs and a better trained and more specialised workforce support an inclusive labour market. Reflecting the Lisbon strategy and taking into account the common social objectives, the Member States' policies shall foster in a balanced manner:
Amendment 45 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – guideline 23 – indent 1
Annex – guideline 23 – indent 1
- inclusive education and training policies and action to facilitate significantly access to initial vocational, secondary and higher education, including apprenticeships and entrepreneurship training, ensuring that the public and private sectors encourage participation by women where they are underrepresented and that the knowledge and skills of the latter are used,
Amendment 46 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – paragraph 2
Annex – paragraph 2
Equal opportunities and combating discrimination are essential for progress. Gender mainstreaming and the promotion of gender equality should be ensured in all action taken. Particular attention must also be paid to significantly reducing all gender related gaps in the labour market in line with the European Pact for Gender Equality. This will assist Member States in addressing the demographic challenge. As part of a new intergenerational approach, particular attention should be paid to the situation of young people, implementing the European Youth Pact, and to promoting access to employment throughout working life, for older workers also. Particular attention must also be paid to significantly reducing employment gaps for people at a disadvantage, including disabled people, as well as between third- country nationals and EU citizens, in line with any national targets.
Amendment 48 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – guideline 23 – indent 3
Annex – guideline 23 – indent 3
- efficient lifelong learning strategies open to all in schools, businesses, public authorities and households according to European agreements, including appropriate incentives and cost-sharing mechanisms, with a view to enhancing participation in continuous and workplace training throughout the life-cycle, especially for the low-skilled and older workers and workers of all ages who have left the labour market temporarily in order to be able to reconcile work and family life.
Amendment 67 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Section 1 – paragraph 1
Annex – Section 1 – paragraph 1
Raising employment levels is the most effective means of generating economic growth and promoting socially inclusive economies whilst ensuring a safety net for those unable to work. Promoting a lifecycle approach to work and modernising social protection systems to ensure their adequacy, financial sustainability and responsiveness to changing needs in society are all the more necessary because of the expected decline in the working-age population. Special attention should be paid to tackling the persistent employment gaps between women and men and gender-based pay differentials, further increasing the employment rates of older workers and young people, as part of new intergenerational approach, and the promoting active inclusion of those most excluded from the labour market. Intensified action is also required to improve the situation of young people, in particular the unskilled in the labour market and to significantly reduce youth unemployment, which is on average double the overall unemployment rate.
Amendment 70 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Section 1 – paragraph 2
Annex – Section 1 – paragraph 2
The right conditions must be put in place to facilitate progress in employment, whether it is first time entry, a move back to employment after a break or the wish to prolong working lives. The quality of jobs, including pay and benefits, working conditions access to lifelong learning and career prospects, are crucial for a flexicurity approach, as are support and incentives stemming from social protection systems. To enhance a life cycle approach to work and to promote reconciliation betweena better combination of work and family life policies towards childcare provisions are necessary. Securing coverage of at least 90% of children between 3 years old and the mandatory school age and at least 33% of children under 3 years of age by 2010 is a useful benchmarks. The increase in the average employment rate of parents, especially single parentsHowever, particular efforts must be made in response to regional differences within the countries giving special attention to less-favoured mountain and remote areas and islands. The increase in the average employment rate of parents, especially single parents, and those with many children and with other dependent family members, who are generally at greater risk of poverty, requires measures to support families. In particular, Member States should take account of the special needs of single parents and families with many children. Furthermore to prolong working lives, the effective average exit age from the labour market by 2010 would require a five year increase at EU level (compared to 59.9 in 2001). Member States should also enact measures for health protection, for prevention and for the promotion of healthy lifestyles with the goal of reducing sickness burdens, increasing labour productivity and prolonging working life.
Amendment 71 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Section 1 – paragraph 3
Annex – Section 1 – paragraph 3
The implementation of the European Youth Pact, the European Gender Equality Agreement and the European Alliance for Families should also be a contribution to a lifecycle approach to work in particular by facilitating transition from education to the labour market. Individual measures should be taken to provide young people who have had fewer opportunities with an equal chance of social and vocational integration.
Amendment 88 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Section 1 – paragraph following Guideline 18
Annex – Section 1 – paragraph following Guideline 18
Active inclusion policies can increase labour supply and strengthen society’s cohesiveness and are a powerful means of promoting the social and labour market integration of the most disadvantaged. Every person becoming unemployed must be offered a new starthe possibility of employment, apprenticeship, further training or other measures leading to employment in a reasonable period of time. In the case of young people this period should be short, e.g. at most 4 months by 2010; for adult people at most 12 months. Policies aiming at offering active labour market measures to the long- term unemployed should be pursued, taking into consideration the participation rate benchmark of 25 % in 2010. Activation should be in the form of training, retraining, work practice, a job or other employability measure, combined where appropriate with on-going job search assistance. Facilitating access to employment for job seekers, preventing unemployment and ensuring that those who become unemployed remain closely connected to the labour market and employable are essential to increase participation, and combat social exclusion. This is also in line with a flexicurity approach. Attaining these objectives requires removing barriers to the labour market by assisting with effective job searching, facilitating access to training and other active labour market measures, ensuring affordable access to basic services and providing adequate levels of minimum resources to all, while implementing the principle of fair remuneration as an economic incentive to work. This approach should, at the same time, ensure that work pays for all workers, as well as remove unemployment, poverty and inactivity traps. Special attention should be paid to promoting the inclusion of disadvantaged people, including low-skilled workers, in the labour market, including through the expansion of social services and the social economy, as well as the development of new sources of jobs in response to collective needs. Combating discrimination, promoting access to employment for disabled people and integrating immigrants and minorities are particularly essential.
Amendment 102 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Section 2 – paragraph 3
Annex – Section 2 – paragraph 3
Member States should implement their own pathways, based on the common principles adopted by the Council. Flexicurity involves four key components that should be taken into account: flexible and reliable contractual arrangements through modern labour laws; collective agreements and work organisation; comprehensive lifelong learning (LLL) strategies to ensure the continual adaptability and employability of workers, particularly the most vulnerable; effective active labour market policies (ALMP) that help people cope with rapid change, reduce unemployment spells and ease transitions to new jobs; and modern social security systems that provide adequate income support, encourage employment and facilitate labour market mobility (this includes broad coverage of social protection provisions, unemployment benefits, pensions and healthcare, that help people combine work with private and family responsibilities such as childcare). Geographical mobility is also needed to access job opportunities more widely and in the EU at large which could serve as a balanced and non- preferential set of guidelines for national flexicurity measures.
Amendment 144 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Section 2 – paragraph following Guideline 21
Annex – Section 2 – paragraph following Guideline 21
To maximise job creation, preserve competitiveness and contribute to the general economic framework, overall wage developments should be in line with productivity growth over the economic cycle and should reflect the labour market situation. The gender pay gap should be reduced. Particular attention should be given to the low level of wages in professions and sectors which tend to be dominated by women and to the reasons which lead to reduced earnings in professions and sectors in which women become more prominent. Efforts to reduce non-wage labour costs and to review the tax wedge may also be needed to facilitate job creation, especially for low-wage employment.
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Section 3 – paragraph 1
Annex – Section 3 – paragraph 1
Europe needs to invest more and more effectively in human capital. Too many people fail to enter, progress or remain in the labour market because of a lack of skills, or due to skills mismatches. To enhance access to employment for men and women of all ages, raise productivity levels, innovation and quality at work, the EU needs higher and more effective investment in human capital and lifelong learning in line with the flexicurity concept for the benefit of individuals, enterprises, the economy and society.
Amendment 157 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Section 3 – paragraph following Guideline 23
Annex – Section 3 – paragraph following Guideline 23
Setting ambitious objectives and increasing the level of investment by all actors is not enough. To ensure that supply meets demand in practice, lifelong learning systems must be affordable, accessible and responsive to changing needs. Adaptation and capacity-building of education and training systems is necessary to improve their labour market relevance, their responsiveness to the needs of the knowledge-based economy and society and their efficiency and equity, their efficiency and their accessibility and availability on an equitable basis. Access to education and training for men and women of all ages and the matching of needs with skills and with the education and training provided by the public and private sector, must be accompanied by a system of lifelong careers guidance. ICT can be used to improve access to learning and better tailor it to the needs of employers and employees. Greater mobility for both work and learning purposes is also needed to access job opportunities more widely in the EU at large. The remaining obstacles to mobility within the European labour market should be lifted, in particular those relating to the recognition and transparency and use of qualifications and learning outcomes, notably through the implementation of the European Qualifications Framework. It will be important to make use of the agreed European instruments and references to support reforms of national education and training systems, as is laid down in the Education and Training 2010 Work Programme.