84 Amendments of Georges BACH related to 2015/2223(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular to Articles 1 and 34(3) thereof,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 20 October 2010 on the role of minimum income in combating poverty and promoting an inclusive society in Europe,1 a, __________________ 1a OJ C70E, 8.3.2012 p.8
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 b (new)
Citation 11 b (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 27 November 2014 on the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child1 a, __________________ 1 a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0070
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
- having regard to the report of the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (2012) ‘Measuring Child Poverty: New league tables of child poverty in the world’s rich countries’1 a, __________________ 1 a http://www.unicef- irc.org/publications/pdf/rc10_fre.pdf
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 b (new)
Citation 13 b (new)
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
- having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 15 June 2011 on the ‘European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion: a European framework for Social and Territorial Cohesion’1 a, __________________ 1a OJ C248, 25.8.2011, p.130
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 b (new)
Citation 16 b (new)
- having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 18 September 2013 on ‘For coordinated European measures to prevent and combat energy poverty’1 a, __________________ 1 a EESC 2013, TEN/516
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 c (new)
Citation 16 c (new)
- having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 10 December 2013 on ‘European minimum income and poverty indicators’1 a, __________________ 1 a OJ C170, 05.06.2014, p.23
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 d (new)
Citation 16 d (new)
- having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 31 March 2011 on the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion1 a, __________________ 1 a CdR 402/2010_ECOS_V_012
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
- having regard to the opinion of the Social Protection Committee of 15 February 2011 entitled ‘The European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion: Flagship Initiative of the Europe 2020 Strategy’1 a, __________________ 1 a Opinionof the Social Protection Committee addressed to the Council, Council of the European Union, 649/11, SOC 124, 15 February 2011.
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas between 20108 and 2013, the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU278 increased from 117 million to 121 million, of which the number of people severely materially deprived increased from 42 to 45 million, the number of people at risk of poverty after social transfers increased from 82 to 86 million; whereas this development runs counter to the EU target to reduce poverty by 20 million by 2020;; whereas in 2013 16.7% of the population of the European Union were at risk of poverty after social transfers, 9.6% were in a situation of serious material deprivation and 10.7% of households were considered to have low work intensity; (The objective of this amendment is to enable a comparison at EU28 level. The last section of the paragraph has been deleted, to be placed in a new recital.)
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. having regard to Article 34(3) of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which provides that in order to combat social exclusion and poverty, the Union recognises and respects the right to social and housing assistance so as to ensure a decent existence for all those who lack sufficient resources;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. having regard to the strategic objective of the European Union that is defined in its Europe 2020 Strategy and which aims to reduce the number of people in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion by at least 20 million;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
A c. whereas the conjunction of the financial and economic crisis, austerity measures, rising housing prices and falling households’ revenues have increased unemployment and social exclusion within the EU, especially among the most vulnerable groups of people, thereby increasing the burden on welfare services;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
A d. whereas certain groups in society, such as one-parent families, the elderly, minorities, people with disabilities and young people, are among the most vulnerable to be at risk of poverty;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
A e. whereas unemployment among young people, which is already higher than for other age groups, has exploded in the European Union since the crisis and is now running at over 20%, and whereas it has now reached a critical level in all the Member States, putting young people at risk of falling into poverty from a very early age; having regard to the Concluding Observations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child regarding the most recent periodic reports of certain European countries in relation to the increase in poverty and/or the level of risk of poverty for children as a consequence of the economic crisis; whereas this increase affects the rights to health, education and social protection;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A f (new)
Recital A f (new)
A f. whereas poverty, which has been at a high level in the Member States over very many years, has an ever more significant effect on the economy, damages economic growth, increases public budget deficits and reduces European competitiveness;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereashaving regard to Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on energy efficiency, which calls on the Member States to develop programmes to raise awareness, and inform and advise individuals and households on energy efficiency;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas energy market prices are converging in Europe while purchasing power is not converging at the same rate; having regard to the increase in energy market prices for average-sized households in the EU-28 of 24% for electricity1a and of 28% for gas1b between 2010 and 2015; __________________ 1a http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do? tab=table&init=1&language=fr&pcode=te n00117&plugin=1 1b http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do? tab=table&init=1&plugin=1&pcode=ten0 0118&language=fr
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas access to housing is a fundamental right that can be seen as a precondition to the exercise of, and to access to, other fundamental rights and to a life in conditions of human dignity; whereas guaranteeing access to assistance for decent and adequate housing is an international obligation incumbent on the Member States, to which the Union must have regard, given that the right of access to housing and to housing assistance is recognised in Article 34 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Articles 30 and 31 of the revised European Social Charter adopted by the Council of Europe and Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human rights, as well as in many Member States’ constitutions;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas housing represents the most significant expenditure item for European households; whereas the rise in prices associated with housing (land, property, rents, energy consumption) constitutes a source of instability and anxiety and must be regarded as an issue of major concern;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
D c. whereas there is a shortage of social housing facilities, and an increasing need of affordable housing, in certain EU Member States;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)
Recital D d (new)
D d. whereas social housing plays an essential role in achieving the objective from the Europe 2020 Strategy of reducing poverty, because it contributes to guaranteeing high levels of employment and of social inclusion and cohesion, promotes occupational mobility and enables poverty to be combated;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D e (new)
Recital D e (new)
D e. whereas the crisis has had consequences for the conditions of access to housing for households, and for investment in social housing within the Union, whereas the public expenditure dedicated to investments in social housing has been greatly affected by this, and whereas this places an obligation on the Member States and the Union to act urgently so as to guarantee the right of access to decent and affordable housing;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D f (new)
Recital D f (new)
D f. whereas poverty and social exclusion remain a key social determinant of the state of health and living conditions, including life expectancy, in particular in view of the impact of child poverty on the health and well-being of children, and whereas the gap in terms of health between rich and poor remains significant as far as affordable access to health services is concerned, income and wealth, and continues to widen in certain areas, and whereas the gap in terms of health between rich and poor remains significant, in particular as far as affordable access to health services is concerned, and continue to widen in certain areas;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D g (new)
Recital D g (new)
D g. whereas the Social Protection Committee of the European Union, in its opinion of 20 May 2010, was concerned about the fact that the current economic and financial crisis could have negative effects on citizens’ access to healthcare and on the health budgets of the Member States;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D h (new)
Recital D h (new)
D h. whereas the current economic and financial crisis may have a severe impact on the healthcare sector in several EU Member States, on both the supply and the demand sides;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D i (new)
Recital D i (new)
D i. whereas the restrictions caused by the current economic and financial crisis could be seriously detrimental to the long- term financial and organisational viability of the healthcare systems of Member States and, therefore, impede equality of access to care on their territories;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D j (new)
Recital D j (new)
D j. whereas the combination of poverty and other forms of vulnerability, such as childhood or old age, disability or minority background, further increases the risks of health inequalities, and whereas, vice versa, ill health can lead to poverty and/or social exclusion,
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D k (new)
Recital D k (new)
D k. whereas, according to the latest figures from Eurostat, 21% of households in the EU-28 do not have Internet access and whereas 20% of 16 to 74 year-olds say that they have never used the Internet; whereas the Netherlands has the highest proportion of households which have Internet access (95%), while Bulgaria is at the bottom of the list, with 54% of households having Internet access;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D l (new)
Recital D l (new)
D l. whereas the Digital Single Market is one of the 10 priorities of the new Commission and whereas, in future, 90% of jobs will require some degree of IT skills; whereas, while 59% of European citizens have access to the 4G network, in rural areas this percentage does not exceed the 15% mark;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D m (new)
Recital D m (new)
D m. whereas a decent job remains the best way of staying clear of the risk of poverty and social exclusion, and whereas expertise in and access to information and communications technology are undeniable assets in the search for a job;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D n (new)
Recital D n (new)
D n. having regard to the Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly of 28 July 2010 on ‘the human right to water and sanitation’1 a which recognises the right to safe and clean drinking water as a fundamental right essential to the full exercise of the right to life and of all human rights; ________________ 1a http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc. asp?symbol=A/RES/64/292&Lang=F
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls onEncourages the Member States to sign up to a European winter heating disconnection moratorium so as to ensure that during a defined winter period no household can be cut off from energy or that those who are must be reconnected to energy needed for heating that meets World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for adequate housing temperature;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Invites the Commission to present in 2016 in the context of the announced social pillar an EU framework directive on adequate minimumEncourages the Member States to introduce systems guaranteeing a minimum income equivalent to 60% of the national median income;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Invites the Commission and the Member States to renew their commitment to reducing poverty by dedicating a Summit to the reduction of poverty and access to decent living standards;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Wishes the Commission to launch a consultation on the possibility of an initiative concerning the adequate minimum income which prevents poverty and serves as a basis for people to live in dignity, as stipulated in the European Parliament resolution of 15 November 20112 a; __________________ 2aThe EP Resolution of 15 November 2011 on the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
EU policies to meetachieve the antipoverty target
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – introductory part
Paragraph 5 – introductory part
5. Finds regrettable that the EU2020 target to reduce poverty in Europe by lifting 20 million people out of poverty appears even further out of reach than when it was set; reiterates that one of the target groups is people that face severe material deprivation; calls on the Commission and the Member States to renew their commitment to the poverty reduction target by:e increase in the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion even though the Europe 2020 Strategy aims to reduce the number of people in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion by at least 20 million; (The last section is to be found in a new paragraph.)
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – indent 1
Paragraph 5 – indent 1
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – indent 2
Paragraph 5 – indent 2
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – indent 3
Paragraph 5 – indent 3
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – indent 4
Paragraph 5 – indent 4
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – indent 5
Paragraph 5 – indent 5
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for a Council recommendation similar to the Youth Guarantee on tackling poverty in order to revive the poverty targeton the Member States, in the context of increasing poverty, to intensify their efforts to come to the aid of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to present a new social pillar; recalls that to deliver on Article 9 TFEU, such a pillar should be aimed at setting a European framework for a minimum income above the poverty level, continuing with a rights- based approach to social policy and improving implementation of existing social, labour and anti-discrimination legislation in the context of economic and monetary union; recalls that to deliver on Article 9 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, such a pillar should take into account the requirements linked to the promotion of a high level of employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection, the fight against social exclusion, and a high level of education, training and protection of human health; considers that this new social pillar must enable the fulfilment of the Commission’s intention to give the Union a social triple A score;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop, adopt and implement an EU framework to reduce poverty and social exclusion in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy, consisting of concrete measures and actions, including energy poverty;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Recommends that an EU framework directive on minimum income should specify which criteria Member StTakes note of the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘European minimum income and poverty indicators’, which argues that the European framework directive on an adequates’ minimum income schemes would need to meet so as to lift people out ofhould establish common standards and indicators, proverty; considers that such a framework would need to be rights-based, address the level of income, the non-discriminatory, efficient and easy acceside methods for the monitoring of its implementation and permit the participation of social partners, beneficiaries and othe r stake-up, targeting especially those groups, who currently are excluded from or at risk of exclusion fromholders in the establishment or reform of the national minimum income schemes;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that minimum income schemes should prevent and lift households out of severe material deprivation and allow for an income above the poverty threshold; recalls that a minimum income is a key instrument for delivering on Article 9 TFEU guaranteeing adequate social protection as well as on the fundamental right to decent living conditions, participating in society and protection of human healthbe accompanied, as advocated by the Economic and Social Committee in its opinion on the ‘European minimum income and poverty indicators’, by active labour-market policies aimed at helping people to find a decent job, by a reinforcement of the involvement of workers, unemployed people and all vulnerable social groups in life-long learning activities, as well as by an improvement in levels of professional qualifications and the acquisition of new skills which are able to accelerate integration into the employment market, to increase productivity and to help people to find a better job;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to address in a more balanced way both income and expenditure of poor households; points to shortcomings in addressing increasing household cost and considers the Commission’s work on a reference budget a step in the right direction; stresses that lowering household expenditure for poor households will impact positively on the concerned households as well as on the - mainly local - economy and on social cohesWelcomes the Commission’s work on a reference budget, which is a step in the right direction;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recalls that poor households spend the largest share of their income on housing, utilities and food; stresses that one dimension of household expenditure of poor households – the cost of energy and the rfoodhealthcare, transport, energy requirements, water, school expenses, etc.; (Certain items delaeted issue of energy poverty lacks an in-depth assessment at Union level; calls on the Commission to improve internal cooperation so as to better link the energy policy and the poverty policy;here can be found in other paragraphs.)
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses that there is so far no definition of energy poverty at Union level and therefore it is very difficult to properly assess the seriousness, the causes and the consequences of energy poverty of poor households in the Union; calls on the Commission to develop with stakeholders a common definition of energy poverty which should aim at assessing at least the following elements: material scope, difficulty for a household to gain access to essential energy, affordability and share of total household cost, impact on basic household needs such as heating, cooling, cooking, lighting and transport;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that there is a lock-in effect as regards energy poverty, as poor households cannot afford the initial upfront investment needed to combat energya significant proportion of people affected by energy povertyare at risk of poverty and social exclusion and, as a consequence, have few or no financial means which would allow them to escape this type of poverty;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 5
Subheading 5
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recalls that targeting Union funding towardswith a view to reducing energy costs of poor households by investing in renewables or energy efficiency has multiple positive effects: at household level, it, in particular the improvesment of living conditions and of the health of those people concerned as well as decreasing, the reduction of household costs and therefore, which provides budgetary relief for poor families; at regional and local level, funding will provide for local investment; at Union level it helps to both decrease poverty,, the reduction of the number of people who are close to poverty or social exclusion in Europe, the improvement of energy efficiency and decrease energythe reduction of greenhouse gas emissions;
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the fact that targeting household costs relating to energy by supporting investment in energy efficiency and renewables is programmed into and therefore in principle possible under the ESI Funds 2014-2020investment in energy efficiency and renewables may be eligible under the scope of the ESI Funds 2014-2020, given the importance that they may have in reducing households’ energy costs;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls therefore on the Member States and the Commission to ease the use of cross- financing mechanisms especially between ESF and ERDF as regards renewable or energy efficiency projects targeting energy-poor households; stresses the multiple benefits of multi-fund programs to tackle crosscutting issues such as relating to energy poverty;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Draws attention to the major effort required of the EU and the Member States to reduce energy costs in household budgets, the former by ensuring security of supply to protect against major price fluctuations in the energy market, and the latter by strengthening their policies in support of household energy efficiency;
Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6
Subheading 6
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Member States not to exempt the energy intensive industries from taxes, but to use these revenues forStates to put in place measures that benefit low-income households, including targeted energy efficiency measures and financing of social security systems, which can in turn reduce the burden on labour costs; considers that such an offsetting mechanism could be an integral element of a socially equitable tax shift as proposed by the Commission in the current employment guidelines;
Amendment 352 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. calls on the Member States to sign up to a European winter heating disconnection moratorium so as to ensure that during a defined winter period no household can be cut off from energy or that those who are must be reconnected to energy needed for heating that meets World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for adequate housing temperature; points out that such apoints out that a European winter heating disconnection moratorium aims to decrease excess winter mortality, supporting the most vulnerable groups, especially young children, the elderly and permanently sick and disabled people so as to protect, thus enabling their health and well-being; to be protected; (Certain items are referred to in other paragraphs.)
Amendment 360 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6 a (new)
Subheading 6 a (new)
Housing and poverty (To be considered as a heading)
Amendment 361 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Recommends to the Member States a proactive policy in relation to decent housing so as to ensure universal access to quality housing at an affordable cost or a preferential purchase price, since a lack of housing constitutes a serious affront to dignity, as well as a proactive energy policy strengthening the use of renewables and energy efficiency so as to combat energy poverty; calls, in the context of housing, for more attention to be paid to migrants, who are often exploited and forced to live in sub- standard housing; recalls Protocol 26 annexed to the Treaty of Lisbon, which concerns social housing, and calls for its provisions to be respected, in particular as regards the Member States’ freedom to organise social housing, including the question of financing; encourages the Member States to implement special housing programmes and opportunities for homeless people, with a view to guaranteeing the most basic living standards for the most vulnerable members of society;
Amendment 362 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 c (new)
Paragraph 24 c (new)
24 c Recommends that the Member States expand the supply of quality social housing in order to guarantee access for all, and in particular for the most disadvantaged, to decent, affordable housing; considers that it costs society and the community more to rehouse people who have been evicted from their accommodation than it does to keep them there; invites the Member States to apply to the European Fund for Strategic Investments for the purposes of their qualitative and quantitative improvement projects in relation to their social housing offering, in view of the added value on a European level and the socio-economic benefits that they represent; recommends the implementation of policies for preventing evictions;
Amendment 370 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6 b (new)
Subheading 6 b (new)
Poverty and access to healthcare (To be considered as a heading)
Amendment 371 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 e (new)
Paragraph 24 e (new)
24 e. Recalls that equal access to high- quality universal healthcare is internationally recognised – especially within the EU – as a fundamental right;
Amendment 372 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 f (new)
Paragraph 24 f (new)
24 f. Recalls that access to healthcare is very often limited as a consequence of financial or regional constraints (for example in sparsely populated regions), especially in relation to routine care (such as dental or optical care) and preventative measures relating thereto;
Amendment 373 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 g (new)
Paragraph 24 g (new)
24 g. Stresses that the combination of poverty and other forms of vulnerability, such as childhood or old age, disability or minority background, further increases the risks of health inequalities, and that ill health can lead to poverty;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 h (new)
Paragraph 24 h (new)
24 h. Stresses the importance of health and care services for bridging gaps relating to capabilities, through promoting people’s social integration and combating poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 375 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 i (new)
Paragraph 24 i (new)
24 i. Welcomes the Commission’s Communication entitled ‘eHealth Action Plan 2012-2020: Innovative healthcare for the 21st century’, which puts in place additional initiatives, in particular with a view to improving access to health services, reducing health costs and ensuring greater equality between European citizens;
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 j (new)
Paragraph 24 j (new)
24 j. Calls on the Commission and Member States to press ahead with their efforts to tackle socio-economic inequalities, which would ultimately make it possible to reduce some of the inequalities relating to healthcare; also calls on the Commission and the Member States, on the basis of the universal values of human dignity, liberty, equality and solidarity, to focus their attention on the needs of vulnerable groups such as people living in poverty;
Amendment 377 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 k (new)
Paragraph 24 k (new)
24 k. Calls on the Member States to solve problems of inequality in access to healthcare that affect people’s everyday lives, for example in the areas of dentistry and ophthalmology;
Amendment 378 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 l (new)
Paragraph 24 l (new)
24 l. Urges the Commission to do its utmost to encourage Member States to offer reimbursements to patients and to do everything necessary to reduce inequalities in access to medication for the treatment of those conditions or illnesses, such as post-menopausal osteoporosis and Alzheimer's Disease, which are not reimbursable in certain Member States, and to do so as a matter of urgency;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6 c (new)
Subheading 6 c (new)
Information and communications technology and poverty (To be considered as a heading)
Amendment 380 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 n (new)
Paragraph 24 n (new)
24 n. Deplores that the Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe published by the Commission does not take account of the need to ensure universal, equal and unrestricted access to new digital technologies, markets and telecommunications, in particular with regard to people at risk of poverty or social exclusion;
Amendment 381 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 o (new)
Paragraph 24 o (new)
24 o. Encourages the Member States and the Commission to put in place strategies aimed at reducing the digital divide and promoting equal access to new information and communications technologies, in particular for people at risk of poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 382 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 p (new)
Paragraph 24 p (new)
24 p. Water and poverty (To be considered as a heading)
Amendment 383 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 q (new)
Paragraph 24 q (new)
24 q. Recalls that the General Assembly of the United Nations recognises the right to clean and high-quality drinking water and to sanitation facilities as a human right that is essential for full enjoyment of the right to life;
Amendment 384 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 r (new)
Paragraph 24 r (new)
24 r. Recognises, however, that in certain regions, especially rural and remote regions, access to drinking water is not guaranteed;
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 s (new)
Paragraph 24 s (new)
24 s. Encourages, therefore, the Member States to do everything possible to ensure that all of their people have access to drinking water as soon as possible;