Activities of Jutta STEINRUCK related to 2010/0115(NLE)
Plenary speeches (2)
Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (A7-0235/2010, Csaba Őry) (vote)
Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT Report on the proposal for a Council decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States: Part II of the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines PDF (493 KB) DOC (603 KB)
Amendments (40)
Amendment 29 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The Treaty on European Union stipulates in Article 3.3 that the Union shall seek to achieve full employment and social progress, combat social exclusion and discrimination, and shall promote social justice and protection and provides for the Union’s initiatives to ensure coordination of Member States' social policies. Article 9 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union provides that in defining and implementing its policies and activities, the Union shall take into account requirements linked to the promotion of a high level of employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection and the fight against social exclusion.
Amendment 31 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The Treaty on European Union stipulates in Article 3.3 that the Union shall combat social exclusion and discrimination, and shall promote social justice and protection and provides for the Union's initiatives to ensure coordination of Member States' social policies. Article 9 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union provides that in defining and implementing its policies and activities, the Union shall take into account requirements linked to the promotion of full and decent employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection and the fight against social exclusion and all Member States should follow the principle of equal pay for equal work at the same workplace.
Amendment 35 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The Lisbon Strategy, launched in 2000, was based on an acknowledgement of the EU’s need to increase its knowledge-based productivity and competitiveness and recreate the conditions for full employment, while enhancing social and regional cohesion, in the face of global competition, technological change and an ageing population. The Lisbon Strategy was re- launched in 2005, after a mid-term review which led to greater focus on growth, more and better jobs.
Amendment 41 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The financial and economic crisis that started in 2008 resulted in a significant loss in jobs and potential output and has led to a dramatic deterioration in public finances. The European Economic Recovery Plan has nevertheless helped Member States to deal with the crisis, partly through a coordinated fiscal stimulus, with the euro providing an anchor for macroeconomic stability. The crisis therefore showed that coordination of Union's policies can deliver significant results if it is strengthened and rendered effective. The crisis, which is still developing, also underscoreds the close interdependence of the Member States’ economies and labour markets and makes it necessary to carry out a major review of mechanisms for which achievement of employment and social targets will continue to be the underwritten objectives.
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) As part of comprehensive "exit strategies" for the economic crisis, Member States should carry out ambitious reforms to ensure macroeconomic stability, the promotion of more and better jobs, as promoted by the ILO in its Decent Work Agenda, and the sustainability of public finance, improve competitiveness, reduce macroeconomic imbalances and enhance labour market performance. The withdrawal of the fiscal stimulus should be implemented and coordinated within the framework of the Stability and Growth Pact.
Amendment 64 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8a) Europe 2020 should be a strategy leading to a way out of the crisis and which will prevent a fresh economic and social collapse, be closely coordinated with structural and cohesion policy and in the medium term reinvigorate Europe's economies.
Amendment 86 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) Member States should also, through their reform programmes and based on decent jobs, aim at "sustainable growth". Sustainable growth means building a resource-efficient, sustainable and competitive economy, a fair distribution of the cost and benefits and exploiting Europe's leadership in the race to develop new processes and technologies, including green technologies. Member States should implement the necessary reforms to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and use resources efficiently. They should also improve the business environment, stimulate creation of green jobs and modernise their industrial base.
Amendment 95 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Member States" reform programmes should also aim at "inclusive growth". Inclusive growth means building a cohesive society in which people are empowered to anticipate and manage change, thus to actively participate in society and economy. Member States" reforms should therefore ensure access and opportunities for all throughout the lifecycle, thus reducing poverty and social exclusion, through removing barriers to labour market participation especially for women, older workers, young people, disabled and legal migrants whilst taking into account decent working conditions and those unable to participate in the labour market. They should also make sure that the benefits of economic growth reach all citizens and all regions. Ensuring effective functioning of the labour markets through investing in successful transitions, appropriate skills development, rising job quality and fighting segmentgender equality and fighting segmentation, by providing security for workers under all forms of employment, discrimination, structural unemployment and inactivity while ensuring adequate, sustainable social protection and active inclusion to reduce poverty should therefore be at the heart of Member States" reform programmes.
Amendment 101 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11 a) In the context of the 'inclusive growth' objective Member States should set an appropriate legislative framework for the new forms of work whilst paying attention both to ensuring adequate social security and flexible forms of employment for workers in order to guarantee the compatibility of family and work life.
Amendment 115 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 13 a (new)
Recital 13 a (new)
(13 a) Member States should take into account the Europe 2020 strategy, and, in particular, its employment and social aspects, when programming and implementing EU funding, including that from the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund. The use of the European Funding has to reduce the number of bureaucratic hurdles and facilitate longer-term measures.
Amendment 133 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 a (new)
Article 2 a (new)
Article 2a When designing and implementing their national reform programmes taking account of the guidelines in the Annex, Member States shall ensure effective governance of employment and social policies. Stakeholders, including those at regional and local level and including those affected by the different aspects of EU2020, parliamentary bodies and social partners shall be closely involved throughout the design and implementation of those programmes. The EU headline targets, as set out in the Annex, shall be followed up with appropriate sub-targets and indicators, including outcome and result indicators, as well as national targets, indicators and scoreboards. Member States shall take those targets and indicators into account, along with the guidelines and any country-specific recommendations addressed to them by the Council. Member States shall closely monitor the employment and social impact of reforms implemented under respective national reform programmes. When reporting on the application of the guidelines in the Annex, Member States shall follow the structure to be agreed at EU level and shall include the same elements in order to ensure clarity, transparency and comparability among the Member States.
Amendment 138 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 7 – title
Annex – Guideline 7 – title
Guideline 7: IncCreasting labour market participation andmore and better jobs, reducing structural unemployment and increasing labour market participation
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph -1 (new)
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph -1 (new)
While increasing the employment rate Member States will observe decent work conditions. Furthermore, Member States will set their national targets so that the proportion of 20 to 24 year-old women and men in training or work is increased to 90%. Labour market participation has to be ensured for all people, particularly certain groups who are disadvantaged in the labour market such as young people, disabled persons and people with migration backgrounds. Member States are requested to increase the employment rate by 10%, focussing on particular groups, by 2014: - young people aged between 15 and 25 years; - older workers aged between 50 and 64 years; - women; - unskilled workers; - people with disabilities; - people with migrant backgrounds; The rate of people who are long-term unemployed should be reduced by 10%.
Amendment 148 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 1
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 1
To reach this goal, the Member States should inpromote grate the flexicurity principles endorsed by the European Council into their labour market policies and apply them, making full use of European Social Fund support with a view to increasing labour market participation and combating segmentation and inactivity, gender inequality, whilst reducing structural unemployment. Measures to enhance flexibility and security should be both baowth creating new decent jobs through an active labour market policy, increase the innovative potential of the economy, in particular of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To ensure sustainability of created jobs, companies should be supported which invest in future orientated technologies, science and research. SMEs ensure job growth and deserve particular support. In order to improve women’s and young people’s access to the labour market, conditions should be created for adequate child care facilities, so that every child of pre-school age can be provided with child care outside the family. A specific target for child care facilities has to be established to facilitate labour participation of women. Every young person is provided with a job or a planced and mutually reinforcing. Member States should therefore introduce a combination of flexible and reliable employment contracts, active labour market policies, effective lifelong learning, policies to promote labour mobility, in training or further education within six months after finishing school, in close cooperation with the social partners. Governments should ensure that young people up to 25 years who have been unemployed for four months are offered a place in either employment or education. The long-term unemployed should receive offers for employability measures for which quantitative goals should be set up to strengthen preventive labour market politics. Every unemployed adult should be offered a job, an apprenticeship, additional training or other employability measures within no more than 12 months of becoming unemployed. Therefore, 25% of all long-term unemployed in 2014 should participate in and adequate social security systemsctive labour market measure in the form of advanced training, education and/or an occupational redeployment. Member States have to secure professional transitions accompanied by clear rights and responsibilities for the unemployed to actively seek work.
Amendment 158 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 1
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 1
Member States should integrate the flexicurity principles endorsed by the European Council into their labour market policies and apply them, making full use of European Social Fund support with a view to increasing labour market participation and combating segmentation and inactivity, gender inequality, whilst reducing structural unemployment and precariousness by providing adequate security for workers under all forms of employment. Measures to enhance flexibility and security should be both balanced and mutually reinforcing. Member States should therefore introduce a combination of flexible and reliable employment contracts, active labour market policies, effective lifelong learning, policies to promote labour mobility, and adequate social security systems to secure professional transitions accompanied by clear rights and responsibilities for the unemployed to actively seek work. Social partnership is a crucial element of the European model, therefore a balanced codetermination is necessary. The Social Dialogue has to be strengthened.
Amendment 164 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Job centres must provide training and mentoring programmes particularly in the field of information and communication technologies and as well as access to high-speed internet to job seekers in order to optimally facilitate the job search.
Amendment 166 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 1 b (new)
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 1 b (new)
Member States should also implement and respect the basic principles of equal treatment and non-discrimination as well as the principles of European social directives, including those deriving from a framework agreement among European social partners.
Amendment 180 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 2
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 2
Member States should step up social dialogue and tackle labour market segmentation with measures addressing temporary and precarious employment, underemployment and undeclared work. Professional mobility should be rewarded. The quality of jobs and employment conditions should be addressed by fighting low-wages and by ensuring adequate social security also for those on fixed contracts and the self-employed. Employment services should be strengthened and open to all, including young people and those threatened by unemployment with personalised services targeting those furthest away from the labour market. Open ended contracts are to remain the rule, and labour law is to promote stable contracts.
Amendment 201 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 3 a (new)
In order to achieve full employment and address the problems encountered by unskilled workers in a difficult labour market, Member States should refocus active labour market policies on training/retraining and direct job offers while also reviewing tax and benefit systems and the capacity of public services to provide the necessary support and incentives for job-creation, ensuring at the same time financial sustainability. Member States have to ensure that changes of the tax- and social system favour companies and working contracts which are indefinite and provide for agreed wages related to collective negotiations and ensure at the same time financial sustainability.
Amendment 202 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 3 b (new)
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 3 b (new)
The implementation of EU legislation on anti-discrimination and work-life - balance must be improved as well as information and consultation of workers and a better implementation of European Works Councils.
Amendment 203 #
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 3 c (new)
Member States shall promote the European Microfinance facility as an example of how to combine economic and social measures in order to boost economic and employment growth. National and European microfinance facilities shall be accompanied by specific training and mentoring programmes and social benefits schemes ensuring minimum income in the first year after opening of the business in order to make entrepreneurship a real option.
Amendment 204 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 3 d (new)
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 3 d (new)
Member States should also promote and invest in social services of general interest including employment, health and housing services which have to be funded sufficiently.
Amendment 205 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 4
Annex – Guideline 7 – paragraph 4
The EU headline target, on the basis of which Member States will set their national targets, is of aiming to bring by 2020 to 75% the employment rateweak growth prospects in the coming years coupled with the decision of the Member States for early budgetary consolidation could have devastating effects on employment in Europe with the possibility of the loss of up to five million extra jobs. Member States should guide their economic policies and the EU 2020 strategy with the aim of achieving a mid- term job creation target of at least four women and men aged 20-64 including through the greatemillion net new (decent and predominantly green) jobs by 2014. Member States should therefore strengthen the demand side on the labour pmarticipation of youth, older workers and low skilled workers and the better integration of legal migrantsket and increase growth investment by raising the revenue side of European and national budgets via instruments such as eurobonds or the vigorous fight against undeclared employment and tax fraud.
Amendment 217 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 8 – title
Annex – Guideline 8 – title
Guideline 8: Developing a skilled workforce responding to labour market needs, pPromoting job quality and lifelong learning, developing a skilled workforce
Amendment 226 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 1
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 1
Member States should promote productivity and employability through an adequate supply of knowledge and skills to match current and future demand in the labour market. Quality initial education and attractive vocational training must be complemented with effective incentives for lifelong learning, and second-chance opportunities. Member States should offer a "second chance" for young people aged between 25 and 35 which include an obligatory offer of educational and vocational training. Further, ensuring every adult the chance to move one step up in their qualification, and by targeted migration and integration policies. Member States should develop systems for recognising acquired competencies, remove barriers to occupational and geographical mobility of workers, promote the acquisition of transversal competences and creativity, and focus their efforts particularly on supporting those with low skills and increasing the employability of older workers, while at the same time enhance the training, skills and experience of highly skilled workers, including researchers.
Amendment 229 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 1 a (new)
The geographic and cross-border mobility which is wanted by employers must not lead to a deterioration of working conditions and a reduction of pensions and unemployment benefits. Geographic mobility should never lead to lowering of social standards.
Amendment 243 #
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Member States should invest more in transport, energy, telecommunication and IT infrastructure and make full use of the European Structural Funds, the rules of which should be made transparent and the procedures of which should be simplified in order to encourage the participation of potential beneficiaries in EU-funded programmes. To achieve this, Member States should create synergies between their cohesion policies and other existing sectoral policies, in accordance with an integrated approach, since cohesion gives strength, taps unused potential, reduces structural differences between countries and regions, expands growth and improves the competitiveness of EU regions in a globalised world, counterbalances the effects of the global economic crisis and generates Union social capital.
Amendment 244 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 2 a (new)
All educational professions starting with nursery teachers have to be better recognized by decent working conditions, continuous advanced training and an implementation of a gender quota.
Amendment 247 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 2 b (new)
To support young people and in particular those not in employment, education or training, Member States in cooperation with the social partners and civil society, should enact schemes to help recent graduates find initial employment or further education and training opportunities, including apprenticeships, and intervene rapidly when young people become unemployed.
Amendment 248 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 2 c (new)
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 2 c (new)
Regular monitoring of the performance of up-skilling and anticipation policies should help to identify areas for improvement and to increase the responsiveness of education and training systems to labour market needs. EU funds should be fully mobilised by Member States to support these objectives.
Amendment 249 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 2 d (new)
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 2 d (new)
Efficient lifelong learning strategies open to all in schools, businesses, public authorities and households according to European agreements should be promoted, 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. Better cooperation between education, training and life long learning is necessary based on the increased dependency of innovation and equal opportunities. This cooperation has to be financed with at least 7 % of the GDP. Education and training should lead to qualifications and competencies people need to have a long-term perspective on the labour market. New occupational needs, key competences and future skill requirements should be addressed by improving the anticipation and transparency of qualifications, their effective and cross-border recognition and the validation of non-formal and informal learning. All human resources, skills and knowledge should be made use of by giving women equal opportunities in ongoing training and life-long learning. By 2014, an additional 15 % of adults should participate in lifelong learning. Employers have to be obliged to grant and to support advanced training in the context of lifelong learning and foster the creation of age-based working places. Professional education has to improve the employability in the case of closing down a company. In this regard education should be free of charge.
Amendment 250 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 2 e (new)
Annex – Guideline 8 – paragraph 2 e (new)
Member States should commit themselves to complementing and coordinating their national targets in order to reduce social and economic imbalances between regions.
Amendment 265 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 9 – paragraph 2
Annex – Guideline 9 – paragraph 2
The EU headline target, on the basis of which Member States will set their national targets, is to at reduceing the drop out rate to 10% by 2014, whilst increasing the share of the population aged 30-34 having completed tertiary or equivalent education to at least 40% in 2020by 2014. Appropriate actions have to be taken to ensure that in the medium- and long term a participation in the society is possible for all and that the International Standard Classification of Education 3 (ISCED3) can be reached by everyone.
Amendment 267 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 9 – paragraph 2
Annex – Guideline 9 – paragraph 2
The EU headline target, on the basis of which Member States will set their national targets, is to reduce the drop out rate to 10%, whilst increasing the share of the population aged 30-34 having completed tertiary or equivalent education to at least 40% in 202014.
Amendment 269 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 10 – title
Annex – Guideline 10 – title
Guideline 10: PCombating Poverty and promoting social inclusion and combating povertyprotection
Amendment 275 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 10 – paragraph 1
Annex – Guideline 10 – paragraph 1
Member States’ efforts to reduce poverty should be aimed at promoting full participation in society and economy and extending employment opportunities, making full use of the European Social Fund. Efforts should also concentrate on ensuring equal opportunities, including through access to affordable, sustainable and high quality services and public services (including online services, in line with guideline 4) and in particular health care. Member States should put in place effective anti-discrimination measures. Equally, to fight social exclusion, empower people and promote labour market participation, social protection systems, lifelong learning and active inclusion policies should be enhanced to create opportunities at different stages of people’s lives and shield them from the risk of exclusion. Social security and pension systems must be modernised to ensure that they can be fully deployed to ensure adequate income support and access to healthcare — thus providing social cohesion — whilst at the same time remaining financially sustainable. Benefit systems should focus on ensuring income security during transitions and reducing poverty, in particular among groups most at risk from social exclusion, such as one- parent families, minorities, people with disabilities, children and young people, elderly women and men, legal migrants and the homeless. In order to strengthen income security at various stages of life, the Member States should ensure adequate minimum incomes that should at least be above the poverty line, in accordance with the various practices, collective agreements and legislation in the Member States. Member States should also actively promote the social economy and social innovation in support of the most vulnerable.
Amendment 276 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 10 – paragraph 1
Annex – Guideline 10 – paragraph 1
Member States" efforts to reduce poverty should be aimed at promoting full participation in society and economy and extending employment opportunities, making full use of the European Social Fund. Efforts should also concentrate on ensuring equal opportunities, including through access to affordable, sustainable and high quality services and public services (including online services, in line with guideline 4) and in particular health care. Member States should put in place effective anti-discrimination measures. Equally, to fight social exclusion, empower people and promote labour market participation, social protection systems, lifelong learning and active inclusion policies should be enhanced to create opportunities at different stages of people's lives and shield them from the risk of exclusion and provide support, in particular for those furthest from the labour market, into decent work. Therefore, minimum income schemes in accordance with different practices, collective bargaining and national law in the Member States are necessary representing 60% of the national median income and social minimum standards as well as clear targets for a reduction of poverty in particular regarding child poverty and concrete targets related to decent work and the social security systems. Unemployment insurance schemes should evolve towards employment insurance schemes, by ensuring a job, re-training or a socially useful activity to each unemployed person. Social security and pension systems must be modernised to ensure that they can be fully deployed to ensure adequate income support and access to healthcare thus providing social cohesion whilst at the same time remaining financially sustainable. Benefit systems should focus on ensuring income security during transitions and reducing poverty, in particular among groups most at risk from social exclusion, such as one- parent families, minorities, people with disabilities, children and young people, elderly women and men, legal migrants and the homeless. Member States should also actively promote the social economy and social innovation in support of the most vulnerable.
Amendment 280 #
Annex – Guideline 10 – paragraph 1
To achieve this goal, Member States’ should make efforts to reduce poverty should be aimed at, including in-work poverty, promotinge full participation in society and the economy and extending employment opportunities, making full use of the European Social Fund. Efforts should also concentrate on ensuring; equal opportunities, including throughas well as access to affordable, sustainable and high quality services and public services (including online services, in line with guideline 4) and in particular health care, should be ensured. Member States should put in place effective anti-discrimination measures. Equally, to fight social exclusion, empower people and promote labour market participation, social protection systems, lifelong learning and active inclusion policies should be enhanced to create opportunities at different stages of people’s lives and shield them from the risk of exclusion. Social security and pension systems must be modernised to ensure that they can be fully deployed to ensure adequate income support and access to healthcare — thus providing social cohesion — whilst at the same time remaining financially sustainable. Benefit systems should focus on ensuring income security during transitions and reducing poverty, in particular among groups most at risk from social exclusion, such as one- parent families, minorities, people with disabilities, children and young people, elderly women and men, legal migrants and the homeless. Member States should also actively promote the social economy and social innovation in support of the most vulnerable.
Amendment 287 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 10 – paragraph 1
Annex – Guideline 10 – paragraph 1
Member States" efforts to reduce poverty should be aimed at promoting full participation in society and economy and extending employment opportunities, making full use of the European Social Fund. The calculation of the equity ratio has to respect the principle that the consolidation of households does not preclude the use of ESF-funds. Efforts should also concentrate on ensuring equal opportunities, including through access to affordable, sustainable and high quality services and public services (including online services, in line with guideline 4) and in particular health care. Member States should put in place effective anti- discrimination measures. Equally, to fight social exclusion, empower people and promote labour market participation, social protection systems, lifelong learning and active inclusion policies should be enhanced to create opportunities at different stages of people's lives and shield them from the risk of exclusion. Social security and pension systems must be modernised to ensure that they can be fully deployed to ensure adequate income support and access to healthcare thus providing social cohesion whilst at the same time remaining financially sustainable. Benefit systems should focus on ensuring income security during transitions and reducing poverty, in particular among groups most at risk from social exclusion, such as one- parent families, minorities, people with disabilities, children and young people, elderly women and men, legal migrants and the homeless. Member States should also actively promote the social economy and social innovation in support of the most vulnerable.
Amendment 290 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex – Guideline 10 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Annex – Guideline 10 – paragraph 1 a (new)