16 Amendments of Maria da Graça CARVALHO related to 2020/2007(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the Professional Qualifications Directive facilitates the intra-EU labour mobility and the Services Directive realises the free movement of services, but the full potential of the single market for services and professionals can still be further improved and developed and the barriers for the free movement of services and professionals removed;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the COVID-19 crisis has caused an unprecedented economic crisis, and unlocking the full potential of the single market as well as enhancing the free movement of workers and services by making full use of the mutual recognition of professional qualifications and freedom to provide services under the Services Directive can facilitate the recovery process and put the economy back on track after the crisis;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas different regulatory choices at both the European and national level, imperfect and inadequate transposition of relevant directives, excessive requirements, lack of clear rules and fragmentation create the obstacles to fully benefit from the free movement of workers and services;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas in March 2020 the Commission has issued the Guidelines concerning the exercise of the free movement of workers during COVID-19 outbreak, which sets out the principles for an integrated approach to effective internal borders management to protect public health while preserving the integrity of the internal market;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
Ae. whereas the Council has adopted a recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restrictions of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which aims at increasing the transparency and predictability of free movement across the EU for both citizens and enterprises;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights that, in the present health crisis, free movement of workers in the field of health services clearly demonstrates the benefits of the PQD; recalls that the aim of PQD is to facilitate the professionals to provide their services across Europe whilst guaranteeing an improved level of protection for consumers and citizens, which is particularly important during the pandemic crisis,
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. underlines the great importance of free movement of workers and services in overcoming the recession and increased unemployment rates caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, reiterates that further removal of the existing barriers within the single market is essential in order to fully benefit from its potential; regrets that the Recovery Plan proposed by the Commission lacks ambition when it comes to the movement of workers and services and fails to fully recognise its importance as a tool for economic recovery;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that while it is a competence of Member States to regulate a certain profession, they must respect the limits of the principles of non- discrimination and proportionality, as explicitly stipulated in the Proportionality Test Directive; calls on the Commission to provide structured assistance and issue guidance to Member States on how to conduct ex-ante proportionality assessments of new national regulation of services according to the Proportionality Test Directive;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Member States to reduce bureaucratic obstacles, and, as quickly as possible, make it possible to obtain electronically the documents needed for the cross-border provision of services as well as facilitate the cross- border activities of workers in regulated professions;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Takes into consideration that the harmonisation inspired by the Professional Qualifications Directive gained success within several professions; further proclaims that Member States should reconsider and coordinate rules governing entry and exercise requirements in relation to specific activities or professions;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Stresses, that, according to the Single Market Scoreboard 2020, further improvements are needed to ensure the free movement of professionals, especially in the field of recognising professional qualifications;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Encourages the Commission to fully and effectively enforce existing rules; calls for alternative resolution mechanisms to be assessed and for infringement procedures to be applied swiftly and rigorously whenever breaches of relevant legislation are identified or disproportionate burdens introduced;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Encourages Member States to work together in order to guarantee the continuity of work of cross-border workers during the pandemic crisis, taking into account their specific situation and in order to preserve the free movement of services and workers in regulated professions within the internal market;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Reiterates that Member States should follow the Council Recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, adopted on 13th October 2020 in order to avoid any disruption in the internal market and free movement of workers and services;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to improve tools such as the Points of Single Contact and the Single Digital Gateway where appropriate, to provide guidelines to help Member States streamline procedures, in particular for SMEs; calls and on the Member States to use such tools to provide workers, consumers and businesses with prompt, accurate and easily accessible information regarding their rights and obligations related to free movement within the single market.
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Recalls that cross-border health care services fall within the ambit of freedom to provide services as stated by the Court of Justice of the EU; notes that Cross-border Health Care Directive was adopted also on basis of Article 114 TFEU; regrets that Cross-border Health Care Directive creates additional obstacles to provision of cross-border health care services when compared to the case-law of the Court of Justice applying the Treaty provisions on free movement of services; underlines the necessity that these additional obstacles are removed, underlines that a better coordination and promotion of best practices between Member States and cross-border mobility of health professionals are beneficial and particularly important during the COVID- 19 pandemic;