Activities of Georgios PAPANIKOLAOU related to 2009/2159(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
An EU Strategy for Youth – Investing and Empowering (A7-0113/2010, Georgios Papanikolaou) (vote)
Reports (1)
REPORT Report on 'An EU Strategy for Youth - Investing and Empowering' PDF (217 KB) DOC (134 KB)
Amendments (55)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas current generations, when shaping policies of today, have a strong responsibility towards young people and future generations; whereas policy- makers and researchers need to take young people’s views into account to give them a say,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the existence of the European programmes which benefit youth should be better communicated to young people so as to enhance their participation,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas the European Union possesses important tools relating to youth policies, yet these tools need to be fully exploited, communicated and integrated by Member States,
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas an insecure job situation may lead young people to refrain from or to postpone starting a family, thus having an impact on demographic developments,
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas equal access for all young people to high quality education and training at all levels should be supported, and opportunities for lifelong learning should be further promoted,
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas young people, while having to be able to rely upon a healthy family environment, require support in satisfying their need for autonomy and independence,
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas environmental aspects are not explicitly included in the Commission communication and in the Council Resolution, although they are crucial for young people and have a serious impact on the health, quality of life and well- being of future generations; whereas, therefore, in an EU strategy for youth environmental issues should be clearly mentioned in the fields of action,
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas active participation in society is not only an important means of empowering young people but also contributes to their personal development, to their better integration into society, to the acquisition of skills and to the development of a sense of responsibility,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out the absence of a clear-cutat the definition of the concept of 'youth', which varies among Member States; notes that this concept is influenced by different social circumstances and that this fact allows scope for a different approach by each Member State;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Acknowledges that the reinforced Open Method of Coordination (OMC) with due regard for the principle of subsidiarity is the appropriate tool for cooperation on youth policy issues, despite its weaknesses, such as legitimacy deficits, lack of effective cooperation between ‘experts’ and elected politicians, a lack of proper integration with national priorities and the risk of ‘responsibility confusion’ between the various levels;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Member States to fully implement the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty in the area of youth policy, such as the encouragement of the participation of young people in democratic life, special attention to young sportsmen and sportswomen and the legal enforcement of the Charter of Fundamental Rights;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines that the Open Method of Coordination needs to be carried by a strong political will on the part of the Member States if it is to deliver maximum results; considers implementation shortcomings to be a fundamental obstacle to achieving the set goals;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Urges closer cooperation on youth issues between the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council and stresses the need for more integrated cooperation with and among national parliaments under the scope of the OMC process;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Considers that in order to have a complete EU strategy for youth, the formulation of youth policies and of EU programmes and actions should go hand in hand in an accurate and transparent way; considers, in particular, that the results deriving from the implementation of EU programmes should give feedback to the formulation of youth policies and the EU strategy for youth in general, and vice versa; stresses the need to mobilise the EU programmes and social funds for youth and to facilitate access to them;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Underlines the essential need to attain the objectives of Europe's Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs and considers that the renewed EU 2020 agenda should enable the EU to make a full recovery from the crisis by moving more speedily towards an innovative and job-creating economy; in this context, urges that the renewed agenda be more focused on young people;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Strongly welcomes the cross-sectoral approach as a necessary factor to achieve a maximum level of effectiveness; considers that the mainstreaming of youth issues in all fields of policy is a key factor for the success of the youth strategy;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Underlines the importance of minimising all kinds of discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age and sexual orientation among young people;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Underlines the need for strong links between policies on youth and children;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Strongly underlines the need to provide effective, tailor-made support to young people with special needgive young people with disabilities effective, tailor-made support as well as real and equal opportunities in physical, sensory and cognitive access to education, employment, culture, leisure, sports, social activities and involvement in the conduct of public and civil affairs;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Encourages the Member States to intensify the interaction between the sides of the knowledge triangle (education, research, innovation) as a key element for growth and job creation; strongly recommends fostering stronger recognition of non-formal education and vocational training and calls on Member States to undertake more initiatives to invest in the right skills for jobs in demand;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the Member States to offer sufficient opportunities and incentives for ‘second chances’ and to offer targeted programmes for young people who have fallen behind due to difficult circumstances or poor choices;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Stresses the importance of providing young people with access to guidance and counselling on the transition from education to work;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Urges Member States to do their utmost to meet the strategic objectives and to reach the benchmarks fixed under the strategic framework for European cooperation on education and training (‘ET 2020’), particularly as regards low achievers in basic skills, early leavers from education and training and early childhood education;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Stresses the importance of promoting media literacy;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Underlines the importance of a new, effective and continuous training system for teachers in order to help young students to cope better with the challenges of our quickly changing society;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Is extremely concerned about the increasing numbers of unemployed young people, especially in the current economic crisis; strongly supports the invitation addressed to the European Council to ensure a youth perspective in the post- 2010 Lisbon Strategy and to support the continuation of initiatives in line with the overall objectives of the European Youth Pact; strongly supports the proposal to develop measures targeted at young people in the recovery plans drawn up in the economic and financial crisis plans;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls on the Member States to take action against job insecurity and poor working conditions that young people experience in the labour market and to actively support the reconciliation of the worlds of employment and personal and family life;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on Member States to improve the quality of young people's job opportunities and working conditions so as to avoid a mismatch between skills and jobs that represents a waste of talent; in this respect, recommends an improvement in the quality of internships provided as well as the rights of interns by ensuring that the majority of intern programmes endow young people with qualifications and lead to paid positions;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls upon Member States to explore and develop youth retention strategies in countries and regions prone to outward migration, which takes diverse forms, such as brain drains, skills gap fillers and cheap, flexible, unskilled and often seasonal labour;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Calls on the Member States to eliminate the cases where a disparity in income levels between young men and young women on the grounds of sex is noted;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 c (new)
Paragraph 20 c (new)
20c. Calls on the Member States to ensure decent employment rights and social security in an era of globalisation by striking a balance between flexibility and security;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Underlines the need to take into account the specific vulnerability of young people and children when formulating consumer and environmental policies; stresses the need to ensure a high level of protection of young consumers through actions such as information and education campaigns;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Underlines the importance of further combating drugs, drug addiction, alcohol- related harm and other forms of addiction; calls on the Member States to make the most of the EU Drugs Action Plan and of the EU Strategy to support Member States in combating alcohol-related harm and other forms of addiction;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Underlines the importance of further combating drugs, drug addiction, alcohol- related harm and other forms of addiction, including gambling, especially by means of prevention and rehabilitation;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Also recalls that children and young people are exposed to a multitude of scenes of a violent nature in the media; suggests that the issue be further investigated and that all the necessary measures be taken with a view to eliminating the impact on their mental health;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Stresses the importance of promoting youth education campaigns to combat doping and support clean sport;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Deeply regrets the fact that the cooperation framework makes no reference to consumer policies; takes the view that some health problems may be related to the production and marketing of unhealthy food;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Strongly encourages enhancing the participation of young people and youth organisations in the formulation of youth policy through the structured dialogue and with the help of new technologies; is in favour of the development of structures where all the actors can work together, equally influence policies and decisions and provide the means needed to create these structures;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Stresses the need to involve more, and more diverse, young people, with a view to enhancing representativeness; is in favour of encouraging participation from an early age; in this respect, encourages reflection on reinforcing links between schools, youth organisations and other civil- society organisations and strongly recommends fostering stronger recognition of non-formal education;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Suggests the establishment of awards schemes for young people who actively participate in society, with the ultimate purpose of establishing a culture of both rights and obligations;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Agrees to the frequently addressed need for recognition of and support for youth organisations and the major contribution they make to non-formal education;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Stresses the need for particular efforts to encourage young people living in peripheral and rural areas and in poor neighbourhoods to actively participate in European activities;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Regrets that the cooperation framework proposes no specific action is proposed in order to better communicate EU programmes to young people; and notably to those who live in remote places and to those who are not organised in political, social or nongovernmental organisations;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Suggests including a youth perspective in policies, programmes and actions in the culture and media fields;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)
Paragraph 29 b (new)
29b. Takes the view that cultural institutions (e.g. museums, libraries and theatres) should be encouraged to involve children and young people to a greater extent;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes the decision of the Council to designate 2011 as the European Year of Volunteering and the measures set out in the Council Recommendation on the mobility of young volunteers across the European Union;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Considers that, depending on the outcome of the evaluation of the Amicus Preparatory Action, further actions of this kind should be envisaged;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 b (new)
Paragraph 31 b (new)
31b. Takes the view that voluntary activities should not replace professional, paid employment opportunities but add value to society;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Holds the view that, against the background of ageing societies, intergenerational equity is a key challenge; calls on Member States to take the interests of young people and of future generations into account when formulating their policies, especially in times of economic and financial crisis;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Stresses also the need to develop more outreach programmes for marginalised groups, such as legal immigrants, people with special needs, young people who need to be reintegrated into society after a period of imprisonment, homeless people and others;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Reiterates its request to ensure gender equality from an early age and in all areas of life; therefore, particularly welcomes the fact that the Council Resolution aims at improving childcare and promoting the sharing of responsibilities between parents in order to facilitate reconciliation between professional and private life for both young women and young men;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. WIs in favour of the fostering of general interest activities that create a sense of responsibility among young people, such as volunteering for climate change, for development or for humanitarian aid; in this respect, welcomes the creation of a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps foreseen in the Lisbon Treaty;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Encourages the Commission to further explore the possibility of enhancing international cooperation activities in youth volunteering;