Activities of Evelyn REGNER related to 2012/2042(INI)
Legal basis opinions (0)
Amendments (13)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Whereas, according to Article 3(3) TFEU, the objective of the European Union is a largely competitive social market economy that aims for full employment and social progress;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 a (new)
Paragraph -1 a (new)
-1a. Whereas, according to Articles 151 and 153 TFEU, the European Union and the Member States pursue the objectives for the improvement of living and working conditions in order to enable their alignment by way of progress, particularly in the area of the improvement of the working environment to protect workers’ health and safety;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Views SMEs as having particular potential in promoting and spreading the dual system of vocational training, making it easier for as many young people as possible to enter the labour market and thereby reducing youth unemployment;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognisealls that if Member States are to deliver on EU 2020 targets, SMEs and microbusinesses must be taken into account, as these have enormous potential in achieving the EU 2020 targets, in particular full employment, youth employment and reducing poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the barriers to the start-up and development of SMEs are access to and cost of finance, burdensome regulations, indirect labour costs, access to export markets and the capshould be encouraged and facilitated through access to finance, in particular easier access to micro-credit through the European Microfinance Facility to develop them, average payment times and skill shortagesand the further development of this instrument in the context of the programme for social change and innovation for the period 2014–20;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Insists that the reduction of administrative burdens must not result in less protection for workers, nor interference with working conditions and workers' rights;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. UnderlinesRefers to the ‘Think Small First’ principle; recognises the benefits of e- commerce in providing opportunities for SMEs to access the single market and reduce costs; underlines that this principle does not entail a subordinate position for citizens, workers and consumers in Europe, but that their interests are placed on an equal footing with those of the SMEs;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that developing e-government and one stop shops will reduce administrative procedures and create new business opportunities; notes that greater access to procurement markets can assist SMEs in unlocking their potential for job creation; in order to achieve the Europe 2020 target of full employment;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes that costs associated with compliance can have a disproportionate effect on SMEs, especially on micro-enterprises and micro-enterprises in some areas; emphasises that the benefits to the national economy and general economy must be weighed against the costs; in particular it is necessary to consider lower costs in the healthcare sector, reduced absenteeism due to injuries at work, occupational diseases or invalidity, which can also have an effect on social security systems and national budgets, also increasing productivity and growth, as a consequence of the high quality working environment and high- quality jobs available in Europe;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Within the framework of fitness checks, calls for the identification of areas in which there are excessive burdens, inconsistencies or ineffective legislation in the field of employment that have an adverse impact on SMEs; calls on the Commission to consider a ‘one in, one out rule’ that allowsensure that the objectives of health, safety and equality and social provisions to bare maintained and safeguards the principle of subsidiarity;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Emphasises that any derogation from directives setting down European minimum standards, such as the Directive concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services or the Directive on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of seasonal employment, is inappropriate;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes and strongly supports the focus on micro- enterprises in a strengthened SME test (see COM(2011)0803) through which all available possibilities such as exclusion from the scope, individual provisions, extended transition perare assessed; expressly points out that the SME test is not to be applied to protections for workers, in particular to health and safety provisiodns for lighter regimes are systematically assessed.workers or to social legislation;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Emphasises that a 'comply and explain' approach similar to the corporate governance provisions is inappropriate in the context of administrative burdens; Member States must not be prevented from applying higher standards at the national level that go beyond minimum standards agreed within the EU;