2014/2059(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)

– having regard to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), in particular Article 3 thereof,

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas a smart compliance with the EU fiscal and macroeconomic surveillance framework ~~is essential to the proper~~ which fully uses the flexibilities foreseen in the framework can improve the functioning of the European Monetary Union (EMU);

Amendment 100 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines, once again, the fact that the overall indebtedness of Member States in the euro area was worsened by austerity policies; Notes that this situation is not only an obstacle to growth but also puts a huge burden on future generations;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines, once again, the fact that the overall excessive indebtedness ~~of Member States in the~~in several euro area is not only an obstacle to growth but also puts a huge burden on future generations; is still concerned at the lack of progress in reducing excessive private debt levels; points out that this is not only a concern for financial stability, but also limits the EU's sustainable growth potential;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls, therefore, for growth-enhancing measures to be taken into consideration, one possibility being to factor out investment in support of research and economic development, excluding it from calculation of the ratio of government deficit to gross domestic product under the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Reiterates, therefore, the fact that Member States should pay particular attention when devising economic policies and reforms as regards the impact on future generations not to deprive young people of their opportunities from the start, and that short-term policies are needed to create growth and employment;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Reiterates, therefore, the fact that Member States should pay particular attention when devising economic policies and reforms as regards the impact on this and future generations not to deprive young people of their opportunities from the start;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Reiterates, therefore, the fact that Member States should ~~pay~~take particular ~~attention~~care, when devising economic policies and reforms as regards the impact on future generations, not to d~~eprive young people of their opportunities from the star~~isregard their needs for good living conditions and job opportunities; our societies’ future must not be frittered away by non-decisions and political errors in the present;

Amendment 106 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Reiterates, therefore, the fact that Member States should pay particular attention when devising economic policies and reforms as regards the impact on future generations not to deprive young people of ~~their~~job opportunities ~~from th~~, decent work and welfare starte;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Underlines the fact that the EMU is far from complete and reminds the Commission of its obligations and commitments to enhance economic convergence and strengthen competitiveness in the EU as well as set up a social investment policy; welcomes, in this respect, the commitment by the next President-elect of the Commission to deliver on the roadmap set out the report of 5 December 2012 entitled ‘'Towards a Genuine Economic and Monetary Union’'; welcomes as well the commitments to enhance European investment by 300 billion Euros. Calls on the next Commission to implement these priorities without delay;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Underlines the fact that the EMU is far from complete and reminds the Commission of its obligations and commitments to take into account macroeconomic imbalances inside the EU and notably the eurozone to enhance economic convergence and strengthen competitiveness in the EU; welcomes, in this respect, the commitment by the next President-elect of the Commission to deliver on the roadmap set out the report of 5 December 2012 entitled ‘Towards a Genuine Economic and Monetary Union’;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas account should be taken of the view expressed at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting by a number of prominent holders of the Nobel Prize for Economics, that the recovery of the eurozone is inconceivable while retaining the euro;

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Underlines the fact that the EMU is far from complete and reminds the Commission of its obligations and commitments to ~~enhanc~~achieve economic convergence and strengthen competitiveness in the EU; welcomes, in this respect, the commitment by the next President-elect of the Commission to deliver on the roadmap set out the report of 5 December 2012 entitled ‘Towards a Genuine Economic and Monetary Union’in the EU;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Underlines the fact that the EMU is ~~far from complete and reminds the Commission of its obligations and commitments to~~currently not enhanceing economic convergence and strengthen competitiveness in the EU; welcomes, in this respect, the commitment by the next President-elect of the Commission to deliver on the roadmap set out the report of 5 December 2012 entitled ‘Towards a Genuine Economic and Monetary Union’growth and competitiveness in the euro area; reminds the Commission of its commitments to enhance competitiveness in the EU;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Underlines the fact that the EMU is far from complete and reminds the Commission of its obligations and commitments to further enhance economic ~~convergence~~and budgetary coordination and strengthen competitiveness in the EU; ~~welcome~~also refers, in this respect, to the commitment by the ~~next~~ President-elect of the Commission to deliver on the roadmap set out the report of 5 December 2012 entitled ‘Towards a Genuine Economic and Monetary Union’;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Stresses the importance of speeding up the process of harmonising Member States' fiscal and social policies in order to create an effective internal market, which is a necessary precondition for restoring the European economy;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Welcomes also the commitments to enhance European investment by 300 billion Euros and calls on the next Commission to implement these priorities without delay;

Amendment 115 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7b. Calls again on the Commission to put forward proposals for the completion of the EMU without delay in accordance with all the guidelines in its blueprint on a deep and genuine EMU; notes that the completion of the EMU should be based on the community method; Reiterates once more its demand for a legal act on ‘convergence guidelines’ to be adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure, laying down, for a set period, a very limited number of targets for the most urgent reform measures and its request that the Member States ensure that the national reform programmes should be established on the basis of the aforementioned convergence guidelines and verified by the Commission; calls on the Member States to commit themselves to fully implementing their national reform programmes; suggests that, on this basis, the Member States could enter into a ‘convergence partnership’ with the EU institutions, with the possibility of conditional funding for reform activities; reiterates that such stronger economic cooperation should go hand in hand with an incentive-based financial mechanism; considers that any additional funding or instruments, such as a solidarity mechanism, must be an integral part of the EU budget, but outside the agreed multiannual financial framework (MFF) envelope;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

~~8. Calls, in this connection, on the future Commission to put forward a proposal on the single external representation of the euro area based on Article 138 TFEU;~~deleted

Amendment 117 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

~~8. Calls, in this connection, on the future Commission to put forward a proposal on the single external representation of the euro area based on Article 138 TFEU;~~deleted

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

~~8. Calls, in this connection, on the future Commission to put forward a proposal on the single external representation of the euro area based on Article 138 TFEU;~~deleted

Amendment 119 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

~~8. Calls, in this connection, on the future Commission to put forward a proposal on the single external representation of the euro area based on Article 138 TFEU;~~deleted

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

~~B. whereas enhanced coordination between Member States’ macroeconomic and budgetary policies is needed in order to achieve a genuine EMU;~~deleted

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

~~8. Calls, in this connection, on the future Commission to put forward a proposal on the single external representation of the euro area based on Article 138 TFEU;~~deleted

Amendment 121 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

~~8. Calls, in this connection, on the future Commission to put forward a proposal on the single external representation of the euro area based on Article 138 TFEU;~~deleted

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls, in this connection, on the future Commission to put forward a ~~proposal on the single external representation of the euro area based on Article 138 TFEU~~five year forecast of how the growing economic divergences within different countries and territories of the euro area can be expected to shape up under prevailing policies, analysing the emerging trends and the reasons for their establishment;

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls, in this connection, on the future Commission to put forward a proposal on the single external representation of the euro area based on Article 138 TFEU with the pre-condition to have an efficient euro area with a common position on issues within the range of the competences of this representation;

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls, in this connection, on the future Commission to put forward a proposal on the single external representation of the euro area based on Article 138 TFEU; recalls that the new President of the Commission pledged for "the EMU and the euro to be represented by one chair, by one place, by one voice in the institutions of Bretton Woods" in his speech just before being elected by the European Parliament on Tuesday 15th July 2014;

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls, in this connection, on the future Commission to put forward, inter alia, a proposal on the single external representation of the euro area based on Article 138 TFEU as well as to present the report committed in the 'two pack' and the roadmap 'Towards a Genuine EMU' on the possibilities offered by the Union's existing fiscal framework to balance public investments needs with the fiscal discipline objectives;

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission to strengthen the European Semester process by, inter alia, making sure that sufficient time and resources are allocated to the design and follow-up to the recommendations, thereby making the recommendations as relevant as possible for EU- and national-level economic policy-making; calls on the Commission to submit proposals on ways in which the recommendations of the European Semester could be made more binding;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission to strengthen the European Semester process by, inter alia, ~~making~~while taking care not to carry forward one-size fits all approaches that quickly become economically and socially counter-productive, make sure that sufficient time and resources are allocated to the design and follow-up to the recommendations, thereby making the recommendations as relevant as possible for EU- and national-level economic policy-making;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas enhanced coordination between Member States’ macroeconomic and budgetary policies and a comprehensive, Commission-led policy for the euro area is needed in order to achieve a genuine EMU;

Amendment 130 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission to strengthen the European Semester process by, inter alia, making sure that sufficient time and resources are allocated to the design and follow-up to the recommendations, thereby making the recommendations as relevant as possible for EU- and national-level economic policy-making; stresses the importance of involving the European Parliament at an early stage and to the greatest extent possible, so as to prevent – given Parliament’s growing significance and binding role – the emergence of a legitimacy gap in the political opinion- forming process;

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Notes the 2014 package of country- specific recommendations (CSRs) by the Commission, although little progress has been made in drafting recommendations for each Member State given the effect on the euro area as a whole; notes the Commission’s assessment that some progress has been achieved in sustaining fiscal consolidation and structural reform, particularly in reforming labour markets;

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Notes the 2014 package of country- specific recommendations (CSRs) by the Commission; notes the Commission’'s assessment that some progress has been achieved in sustaining fiscal consolidation and structural reform, particularly in reforming labour markets; Regrets however that the Commission has not taken into account the conclusions of the Troika reports of the European Parliament both in their economic and employment aspects; Urges the Commission to ensure that they will be included in the next Annual Growth Survey;

Amendment 133 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Notes the 2014 package of country- specific recommendations (CSRs) by the Commission; notes the Commission’s assessment that some progress has been achieved in sustaining fiscal consolidation and structural reform~~, particularly in reforming labour markets~~; regrets however that the Commission has not taken into account the conclusions of the Troika reports of the European Parliament both in their economic and employment aspects; urges the Commission to ensure that they will be included in the next Annual Growth Survey;

Amendment 134 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Notes the 2014 package of country- specific recommendations (CSRs) by the Commission; ~~notes~~Is puzzled by the Commission’'s assessment that some progress has been achieved in sustaining fiscal consolidation ~~and structural reform, particularly in reforming labour markets~~when the opposite has occurred;

Amendment 135 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Notes in this context the European Council’s endorsement of the CSRs and the recommendations by the Council, particularly the specific recommendations on the euro area;

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Supports the objective of placing emphasis on policies that enhance competitiveness, support job creation, fight unemployment and improve the functioning of the labour market; stresses that the dual-track training model has proved particularly valuable in combating youth unemployment;

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Supports the objective of placing emphasis on policies that enhance competitiveness, support job creation, fight unemployment and social exclusion, and improve the functioning of the labour market;

Amendment 138 #

Pablo ZALBA BIDEGAIN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Supports the objective of placing emphasis on policies that enhance competitiveness, support job creation, fight unemployment and improve the functioning of the labour market; In this respect, celebrates the 300bn EUR investment plan proposed by the incoming European Commission president;

Amendment 139 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Supports the objective of placing emphasis on policies that enhance competitiveness, support job creation, fight unemployment and improve the functioning of the labour market in particular in sectors with high growth potential;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas enhanced coordination between Member States’ macroeconomic ~~and budgetary~~ policies is needed in order to achieve a genuine EMU;

Amendment 140 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Supports the objective of placing emphasis on policies that support investment, enhance competitiveness, support job creation, fight unemployment and improve the functioning of the labour market;

Amendment 141 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Supports the objective of placing emphasis on policies that ~~enhance competitiveness,~~ support job creation, fight unemployment and improve the functioning of the labour market; Notes however that emphasis on labour market and "competitiveness" that has inspired those policies has failed to deliver on any those objectives;

Amendment 142 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Supports the objective of placing emphasis on policies that enhance co~~mpetitiveness, support job creation, fight unemployment~~st and non-cost competitiveness, increase overall productivity and resource efficiency, support quality job creation, fight unemployment, reduce poverty, promote inclusion and improve the functioning of the labour market;

Amendment 143 #

Olle LUDVIGSSON, Tibor SZANYI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Calls on the Commission to put in place a comprehensive mechanism promoting the exchange of best-practices between all national actors responsible in the field of youth unemployment; reiterates the fact that although a one-size-fits-all solution cannot be implemented, certain Member States have addressed youth unemployment in a more effective way than others;

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Stresses that the social partners, with full respect for their autonomy and rights, should be much more actively involved in the European Semester; underlines that strong social dialogue at all levels is a crucial key to making the European labour market work;

Amendment 145 #

Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ, Andreas SCHWAB

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Underlines the need to fully take into account the Europe 2020 Strategy in the implementation of the European Semester; urges the Commission to make Single Market governance too as a key priority, since it contributes substantially to reaching the targets of the European Semester, namely sustainable economic growth and employment;

Amendment 146 #

Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Georgios KYRTSOS, Brian HAYES, Ivana MALETIĆ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12b. Stresses that cohesion policy provides for the necessary critical mass of growth friendly expenditure, including investments in innovation and research, digital agenda, expenditure to facilitate the access of SMEs to finance, investments in environmental sustainability, in priority Trans-European Transport links, as well as in education and social inclusion; points out that all its instruments (the ESI Funds) are now conditional on the respect of sound economic governance procedures;

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Recalls, however, that Member States’ track record of implementing the CSRs is very low; believes that there is an inconsistency between European commitment and national implementation of the CSRs by Member States, certain Member States being reluctant to adopt the appropriate reforms within the required time frame; stresses the importance of ‘national ownership’ by the relevant governments of EU-level commitments;

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Recalls, ~~however,~~ that Member States’ track record of implementing the CSRs is very low; believes that there is an inconsistency between European commitment and national implementation of the CSRs by Member States; stresses the importance of ‘national ownership’ by the relevant governments of EU-level commitments;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas a genuine EMU can only function properly with a strong social pillar including binding social indicators;

Amendment 150 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

Amendment 151 #

Philippe DE BACKER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Recalls, however, that Member States’ track record of implementing the CSRs is very low; believes that there is an inconsistency between European commitment and national implementation of the CSRs by Member States; stresses the importance of ‘national ownership’ by the relevant governments of EU-level commitments, especially of the largest and most important economies that are a benchmark to other Member States;

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Recalls, however, that Member States’ track record of implementing the CSRs is very low; believes that there is an inconsistency between European commitment and national implementation of the CSRs by Member States; stresses the importance of ‘national ownership’ by the relevant governments of EU-level commitments; the "national ownership" would be strengthened if CSRs policies' instruments were left to the decision of the national authorities;

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Recalls, however, that Member States’' track record of implementing the CSRs is very low; believes that there is an inconsistency between European commitment and national implementation of the CSRs by Member States; stresses the importance of ‘'national ownership’' by the relevant governments of ~~EU-level commitment~~the European Semester process;

Amendment 154 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Recalls, however, that Member States’ track record of implementing the CSRs is v~~ery low~~ariable; believes that there is an inconsistency between European commitment and national implementation of the CSRs by Member States; stresses the importance of ~~‘national ownership’ by the relevant governments of EU-level commitment~~respecting the sovereignty of elected governments and deplores persistent attempts by the Commission to put pressure or override national institutions;

Amendment 155 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Recalls, however, that Member States’ track record of implementing the CSRs is very low; believes that there is an inconsistency between European commitment and national implementation of the CSRs by Member States; stresses the importance of ‘national ownership’ by the relevant governments of EU-level commitments; further stresses that in areas where Member State governments do assume national ownership, the consistent involvement of the European Parliament is indispensable;

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Recalls, however, that Member States’' track record of ~~implement~~addressing the CSRs is very low; believes that there is an inconsistency between European commitment and national implementation of the CSRs by Member States; stresses the importance of ‘national ownership’ by the relevant governments of EU-level commitmentstresses the importance of 'national ownership' by the relevant governments of EU-level commitments; points out that CSRs should be formulated so as to provide policy space to Member States for designing the measures and specific reforms required for addressing such recommendations;

Amendment 157 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Deems useful that draft CSRs were consulted by national parliaments before being adopted by the Council;

Amendment 158 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Calls in particular the Commission to explore the development of result oriented common benchmarks to measure and compare structural reforms in the framework of any forthcoming proposal aiming at enhancing economic policy coordination in the EMU;

Amendment 159 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. ~~Notes the fact~~Is concerned that, according to the Commission, only 10 % of the CSRs for 2013 have been fully implemented; notes, furthermore, that 45 % of CSRs have seen limited or no progress;

Amendment 16 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

~~C. whereas the European Semester plays an essential role in coordinating economic and budgetary policies in the Member States;~~deleted

Amendment 160 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Notes the fact that, according to the Commission, only 10 % of the CSRs for 2013 have been fully implemented; notes, furthermore, that 45 % of CSRs have seen limited or no progress, particularly in certain Member States which, in view of the size of their economies, could damage the European economy as a whole;

Amendment 161 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Notes the fact that, according to the Commission, only 10 % of the CSRs for 2013 have been fully implemented; notes, furthermore, that 45 % of CSRs have seen limited or no progress; reiterates the need to ensure a more balanced approach in the evaluation of the implementation of CSRs; calls in this respect to enhance the qualitative analysis of the implementation of CSRs that goes beyond macroeconomic indicators;

Amendment 162 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Underlines the fact that the implementation of CSRs is a precondition for achieving economic convergence in the EMU, which is key to the proper functioning thereof, allowing for financial and economic stability and a high level of competitiveness for the European economy that is conducive to growth and jobs;

Amendment 163 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Underlines the fact that the implementation of a more social balanced CSRs is a precondition for achieving economic convergence in the EMU, which is key to the proper functioning thereof, allowing for financial and economic stability that is conducive to growth and jobs;

Amendment 164 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Underlines the fact that the implementation of CSRs is a ~~pre~~n important condition for achieving economic convergence in the EMU, which is key to the proper functioning thereof, allowing for financial and economic stability that is conducive to growth and jobs;

Amendment 165 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Underlines the fact that the implementation of CSRs is a fundamental precondition for achieving economic convergence in the EMU, which is key to the proper functioning thereof, allowing for financial and economic stability that is conducive to growth and jobs; looks to Member State governments to actively defend and implement at national level decisions on CSRs which have been bindingly adopted by all Member States in the Council (‘national ownership’);

Amendment 166 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Underlines th~~e fact that the~~at voluntary implementation of CSRs ~~is a precondition for achieving economic convergence in the EMU, which is key to the proper functioning thereof, allow~~can be beneficial for achieving ~~for~~ financial ~~and economic stability~~stability in the EMU that is conducive to growth and jobs;

Amendment 167 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Matt CARTHY, Miguel VIEGAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. ~~Under~~Realinzes theat this fact that ~~the~~such low levels of implementation of CSRs is ~~a preco~~inseparable from the poor track record of European recommendiation ~~for~~s in achieving economic convergence in the EMU, which is key to the proper functioning thereof~~, allowing for financial and economic stability that is conducive to growth and jobs~~;

Amendment 168 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Underlines the fact that a proper, democratically accountable system for the European semester as well as the implementation of CSRs ~~is a pre~~are important conditions for achieving economic convergence in the EMU, which is key to the proper functioning thereof, allowing for financial and economic stability that is conducive to growth and jobs;

Amendment 169 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Underlines th~~e fact that the implementation of CSRs is a precondition for achiev~~at compliance with the 'comply or explain' principle regarding CSRs is important for fostering economic convergence in the EMU, which is key to the proper functioning thereof, allowing for financial and economic stability that is conducive to growth and jobs;

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the European Semester plays an essential role in coordinating economic ~~and budgetary~~ policies in the Member States;

Amendment 170 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

Amendment 171 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

Amendment 172 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

Amendment 173 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Underlines the fact that a number of CSRs are based on EU legal acts and that failure to act upon them may result in legal procedures; in this regard reminds Member States of the euro area to deliver on their legal obligations under EU law;

Amendment 174 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Underlines the fact that a number of CSRs are based on EU legal acts and that failure to act upon them may result in legal procedures; reminds Member States to deliver on their legal obligations under EU law; calls in this connection for the targets to be made more binding and urges that there should be the option of accompanying these targets with positive and negative sanctions;

Amendment 175 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Underlines the fact that a number of CSRs ~~are based on EU~~have no legal ~~act~~basis and ~~that failure to act upon them may result in legal procedures; reminds Member States to deliver on their legal obligations under EU law~~are examples of interference of the Commission on national policies;

Amendment 176 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Underlines the fact that a number of CSRs are based on EU legal acts and that failure to act upon them may result in legal procedures; reminds Member States to deliver on their legal obligations under EU law; Takes notes of the Commission’s assessment that a number of important macroeconomic imbalances are being corrected; points out that, in order to further strengthen the overall competitiveness of the EU, the Commission needs stress also the current account surplus of a Member State relative to the rest of the euro area; points out that the objective of the macroeconomic imbalance procedure is to prevent the negative spill-over effects of ill-designed national policies to other euro area Member States; is concerned that the Commission, in its reading of the scoreboard, does not take sufficient account of the fact that the euro area and the Member States included therein are interdependent and open economies;

Amendment 177 #

Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Georgios KYRTSOS, Ivana MALETIĆ, Brian HAYES, Neena GILL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Notes a growing number of CSR addressed to the regional level recognizing subnational competences; is concerned about growing regional disparities within Member States, which poses a real risk to convergence

Amendment 178 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

~~17. Calls on the Commission, as guardian of the Treaty, to make full use of all measures provided for in EU law to support the enforcement of the implementation of the CSRs;~~deleted

Amendment 179 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls on the Commission, as guardian of the Treaty, to make full use of all measures provided for in EU law to support the enforcement of the implementation of the CSRs, so that all Member States adopt within the required time frame economic and financial policies tailored to their situation, without any option of exemption from them;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the European Semester plays an essential role in coordinating economic, employment, social and budgetary policies in the Member States;

Amendment 180 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls on the Commission, as guardian of the Treaty, to make full use of all measures provided for in EU law to ~~support the enforcement of the implementation of the CSRs~~create a democratically accountable system for the European Semester which involves formally the European Parliament;

Amendment 181 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Matt CARTHY, Miguel VIEGAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls on the Commission, ~~as guardian of the Treaty, to make full use of all measures provided for in EU law to support the enforcement of the implementation of the CSRs~~to assess the results of the implementation of the CSRs and other European policies on eurozone economic performance and evaluate the impact of its guidelines on growth and job creation;

Amendment 182 #

Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Georgios KYRTSOS, Ivana MALETIĆ, Brian HAYES

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls on the Commission, as guardian of the Treaty, to make full use of all measures provided for in EU law to support ~~the enforcement of the implementation of~~enhanced economic policy coordination and convergence in the ~~CSRs~~EMU;

Amendment 183 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Calls on the Commission and the Members States to ensure from the programming stage of the ESI Funds, namely the adoption of Partnership Agreements and Programmes, the correct setting of priorities in order to adequately address the challenges identified in the relevant Country Specific Recommendations and relevant Council recommendations, so as to provide for full alignment with the economic governance procedures from the start and avoid reprogramming requests on short and medium term;

Amendment 184 #

Ivana MALETIĆ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Calls on the Commission, in order to ensure proper implementation of cohesion policy and stop growing regional disparities, and to serve as an incentive to efficiently use investments backed by ESI funds, to encourage the use of these funds especially were they would be used as a flanking measure for structural reforms; expects that the prolongation of the fiscal adjustment period, which is made possible under the condition that structural reforms are decided and implemented, will together with the use of the ESI funds create synergy effects;

Amendment 185 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Requests that the Commission report on a quarterly basis in Parliament’s competent committee on the measures taken to ensure progress on the implementation of the CSRs and on the progress achieved thus far; invites Member States of the euro area to explain the reasons for non- compliance with the CRSs in Parliament’s competent committee;

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Requests that the Commission report on a quarterly basis in Parliament’'s competent committee on the measures taken to ensure progress on the implementation of the CSRs and on the progress achieved thus far; ~~invites Member States to explain the reasons for non- compliance with the CRSs in Parliament’s competent committee;~~

Amendment 187 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Requests that the Commission report s on a quarterly basis in Parliament’'s competent committee on the measures taken to ensure progress on the implementation of the CSRs ~~and~~, on the progress achieved thus far~~; invites Member States to explai~~ and on the reasons for non- compliance with ~~the CRSs in Parliament’s competent commit~~CSRs by Member Statees;

Amendment 188 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Requests that the Commission report on a quarterly basis in Parliament’s competent committee on the measures taken to ensure progress on the implementation of the CSRs and on the progress achieved thus far; iInvites Member States to explain the reasons for non-compliance with the CRSs in Parliament’s competent committee;

Amendment 189 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. ~~Requests that~~Invites the Commission to report on a ~~quarterly~~regular basis in Parliament’'s competent committee on the measures taken to ensure progress on the implementation of the CSRs and on the progress achieved thus far; ~~invites~~ Member States ~~to explain the reasons for n~~should be given the opportunity to voluntarily participate in an exchange of views on- compliance with the CRSRs in Parliament’'s competent committee;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the European Semester ~~plays an essential r~~is a consultative toole in coordinating economic and budgetary policies in the Member States;

Amendment 190 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Matt CARTHY, Miguel VIEGAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Requests that the Commission report on a quarterly basis in Parliament’s competent committee on the measures taken to ensure progress on the implementation of the CSRs and on the progress achieved thus far; invites Member States to explain the reasons for non- compliance with the CRSs in Parliament’s competent committee; suggests that the economic results of complying member- states are compared with those of non- complying ones;

Amendment 191 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Requests that the Commission report on a quarterly basis in Parliament’'s competent committee on the measures taken to ~~ensure progress on the implementation of the CSRs and on the~~monitor progress achieved thus far regarding CSRs; invites Member States to explain the reasons for non- compliance with the CRSs in Parliament’'s competent committee;

Amendment 192 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Matt CARTHY, Miguel VIEGAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls on the President of the Eurogroup to effectively monitor the implementation of the CSRs by the Member States of the euro area, and to report on the progress made and the results as part of the assessment by the Eurogroup of the draft 2015 budgetary plans, to be submitted by mid-October 2014 by the Member States concerned;

Amendment 193 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls on the President of the Eurogroup to effectively monitor ~~the implementation~~progress made ofn the CSRs by the Member States of the euro area, and to report on the progress made as part of the assessment by the Eurogroup of the draft 2015 budgetary plans, to be submitted by mid-October 2014 by the Member States concerned;

Amendment 194 #

Olle LUDVIGSSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19a. Deplores that the gender equality aspect is often neglected in the framework of the European Semester; stresses that structural reforms to enhance gender equality are essential in building stronger economies and that this factor should never be overlooked in economic analyses or recommendations;

Amendment 195 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Believes that with regard to the forthcoming European Semester, the policy of growth-friendly fiscal consolidation should be ~~pursued to improve fiscal sustainability; stresses, however, the fact that special emphasis should be placed on growth-enhancing reforms and policies~~continued in Member States with fiscal sustainability problems, while an expansive fiscal policy should be applied in countries whose fiscal position is sound, together with structural reforms aimed at further consolidating the single market to encourage growth;

Amendment 196 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Believes that with regard to the forthcoming European Semester, ~~the policy of~~ growth- friendly ~~fiscal consolidation should be pursued to improve fiscal sustainability; stresses, however, the fact that special emphasis should be placed on growth-enhancing reforms and policie~~economic policies should be implemented more purposefully to improve conditions for EU citizens;

Amendment 197 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

Amendment 198 #

Werner LANGEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Believes that with regard to the forthcoming European Semester, the policy of growth- and investment-friendly fiscal consolidation should be pursued to improve fiscal sustainability; stresses, however, the fact that special emphasis should be placed on growth-enhancing reforms and policies;

Amendment 199 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Believes that with regard to the forthcoming European Semester, the policy of growth-friendly fiscal consolidation should be ~~pursued to improve fiscal sustainability~~implemented; stresses, however, the fact that special emphasis should be placed on growth-enhancing ~~reforms and policies~~inclusive and socially sustainable reforms and policies that ensure quality job creation, poverty reduction and an environmentally sustainable economy;

Amendment 2 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)

- having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

Amendment 20 #

Pablo ZALBA BIDEGAIN

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas indecreasing overall unemployment, and youth unemployment ~~in particular,~~, show a gradual recovery, the current levels remains a major threat to economic and social convergence in the EU;

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Believes that with regard to the forthcoming European Semester, the policy of growth-friendly fiscal consolidation should be pursued to improve fiscal sustainability; stresses, however, the fact that special emphasis should be placed on growth-enhancing reforms and policies; points out that the existing legal framework makes it possible, alongside the structural reforms which have been initiated, to allow Member States a degree of flexibility, and urges that this flexibility should be exploited;

Amendment 201 #

Philippe DE BACKER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Believes that with regard to the forthcoming European Semester, the policy of growth-friendly fiscal consolidation should be pursued to improve fiscal sustainability; stresses, however, the fact that special emphasis should be placed on growth-enhancing reforms and policies, especially by those Member States that have fiscal space to invest in order to promote growth and facilitate rebalancing in the Euro area;

Amendment 202 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Believes that with regard to the forthcoming European Semester~~, the~~ a policy of ~~growth-friendly fiscal consolidation should be pursued to improve fiscal sustainability; stresses, however, the fact that special emphasis should be place~~promoting growth and investment should be pursued; emphasises that this is a prerequisite for medium- and lon ~~growth-enhancing reforms and policies~~g-term fiscal consolidation;

Amendment 203 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Believes that with regard to the forthcoming European Semester, the policy of ~~growth-friendly~~ fiscal consolidation through growth should be pursued to improve fiscal sustainability; stresses, however, the fact that special emphasis should be placed on ~~growth-enhancing~~demand-oriented reforms ~~and~~, policies and investment;

Amendment 204 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Believes that with regard to the forthcoming European Semester, ~~the policy of~~a long- term and balanced strategy for growth- friendly fiscal consolidation should be pursued to improve fiscal sustainability; stresses, however, the fact that special emphasis should be placed on sustainable and inclusive growth-enhancing reforms and policies that ensure quality job creation, poverty reduction and an environmentally sustainable economy;

Amendment 205 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20a. Underlines the need to boost private and public investment at sub-national level by making full use of the new European Structural and Investment Funds programmes, which are closely linked with the Europe 2020 objectives, innovative financial instruments and by enhancing the quality of public spending;

Amendment 206 #

Krišjānis KARIŅŠ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20a. Underlines that fiscal sustainability is a prerequisite for a long term growth;

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20a. Points out that specific attention needs to be paid to both gender mainstreaming and policies targeted at equality between women and men throughout the European Semester process; calls on the Commission to continue to provide CSRs with regard to improved childcare services and to pay particular attention to flexible working time arrangements, to the needs of persons with disabilities and ageing men and women as regards long-term care and to the elimination of gender pay and pension gaps;

Amendment 208 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)

20b. Calls on Member States to pay specific attention to the gender dimension throughout their National Reform Programmes under the European Semester, in particular as regards systematic measures for advancing gender equality in the fields of employment, social inclusion, fight against poverty, education and research and innovation;

Amendment 209 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas increasing overall unemployment, and women and youth unemployment in particular, remains a major threat to economic and social convergence in the EU;

Amendment 210 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. ~~Encourages Member States to overcome domestic political opposition~~Considers that the priority of the Member States should be to modernise their economies, social security systems and health care, in order to avoid placing an excessive burden on future generations;

Amendment 211 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Encourages Member States to overcome domestic political opposition to modernise their economies, social security systems and health care, in order to avoid placing an excessive burden on future generations and urges the EU and all the euro area governments to set aside national short-sightedness, in favour of a pan-European economic policy;

Amendment 212 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Encourages Member States to ~~overcome domestic political opposition~~ensure that the reforms proposed to modernise their economies, social security systems ~~and health care, in order to avoid placing an excessive burden on future generations;~~, pension system and health care are sustainable and socially balanced

Amendment 213 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Encourages Member States to ~~overcome domestic political opposition~~promote and launch full and democratic debate regarding the need to modernise their economies, social security systems and health care, with a view to achieving national consensus on the way forward, in order to avoid placing an excessive burden on future generations;

Amendment 214 #

Marisa MATIAS, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY, Fabio DE MASI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Encourages Member States to ~~overcome domestic political opposition to modernise their economies,~~strengthen their public social security systems and health care, in order to avoid ~~placing an excessive burden on future generations~~robbing future generations of the welfare state;

Amendment 215 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Encourages Member States to ~~overcome domestic political opposition to~~ modernise their economies, social security systems, pension systems and health care, in ~~order~~such way as to avoid placing an excessive burden on persons currently experiencing poverty, unemployment and social exclusion, or future generations;

Amendment 216 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Encourages Member States to ~~overcome domestic political opposition~~ to modernise their economies, social security systems and health care, in order to avoid placing an excessive burden on future generations as well as on persons currently experiencing poverty, unemployment and social exclusion;

Amendment 217 #

Philippe DE BACKER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21a. Points out that the recent decision of the ECB on cutting interest rates and implementing additional unconventional measures, such as quantative easing, increases the risk of moral hazard and reform fatigue;

Amendment 218 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Believes that structural reforms should particularly be targeted at improving labour markets’ capacity to integrate young people into the workforce; takes the view that the system combining education with vocational training is a particularly effective way of achieving this aim; believes, also, that structural reform should be aimed at the mid- and long-term sustainability of social security, health-care and pension systems;

Amendment 219 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Believes that structural reforms should particularly be targeted at improving labour markets’' capacity to integrate young people into the workforce; believes, also, that structural reform should be aimed at the mid- and long-term sustainability of social security, health-care and pension systems as well as tackling social exclusion and poverty;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas increasing overall unemployment, and youth unemployment in particular, remains a major threat to economic and social stability and convergence in the EU;

Amendment 220 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Believes that structural reforms should particularly be targeted at improving labour markets’ capacity to integrate young people into the workforce and should be able to present opportunities to older workers; believes, also, that structural reform should be aimed at the mid- and long-term sustainability of social security, health-care and pension systems;

Amendment 221 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Believes that structural reforms should particularly be targeted at improving labour markets’ capacity to integrate, or re- integrate, young people and women into the workforce; believes, also, that structural reform should be aimed at the mid- and long-term sustainability and equality of social security, health-care, child-care and pension systems;

Amendment 222 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Believes that structural reforms should particularly be targeted at i~~mproving labour markets’ capacity to integrate young people into the workforce~~ntegrating young people into the workforce, as well as other excluded groups; believes, also, that structural reform should be aimed at the mid- and long-term sustainability of social security, health-care and pension systems, while ensuring that the number of people experiencing poverty in the short term is drastically reduced, health- care and social security are universally available and pensions are poverty- proofed;

Amendment 223 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Believes that structural reforms should particularly be targeted at improving labour markets’ capacity to integrate young people into the workforce; believes, also, that structural reform should be aimed at the mid- and long-term sustainability of social security, health-care and pension systems, as well as lowering energy prices to increase the competitiveness of European enterprises;

Amendment 224 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Believes that structural reforms should particularly be targeted at improving labour markets’ capacity to integrate young people into the workforce; believes, also, that ~~structural reform should be aimed at the~~unemployment is, by far, the greatest threat to mid- and long-term sustainability ofor social security, health-care and pension systems, making job creation the absolute priority to protect these systems;

Amendment 225 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Believes that structural reforms should particularly be targeted at improving labour markets’' capacity to integrate young people as well as other excluded groups into the workforce; believes, also, that structural reform should be aimed at improving the mid- and long-term sustainability of social security, health-care and pension systems; while ensuring that the number of people experiencing poverty is drastically reduced, health-care and social security are universally available and pensions are poverty-proofed;

Amendment 226 #

Olle LUDVIGSSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Stresses that the social dimension should be comprehensively strengthened throughout the system of EU economic governance; welcomes the proposal of Jean-Claude Juncker, in his political guidelines for the next European Commission presented to the European Parliament in July 2014, to make any future support or reform programme subject to a social impact assessment;

Amendment 227 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Points out that the absence of a well functioning internal labour market and of a positive approach to immigration hampers growth in the EU; calls on the Commission and the Member States to establish a common labour market and a modern immigration policy;deleted

Amendment 228 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 229 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas, youth unemployment has to be addressed in a pro-active manner, thereby enhancing and extending the current framework of cooperation between national authorities responsible in this field;

Amendment 230 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Points out that ~~the absence of a well functioning internal labour market and of a positive approach to immigration hampers growth in the EU~~labour immigration constitutes an economic adjustment variable and a factor in depressing wages, which penalises the employment of the resident population; calls on the Commission and the Member States to establish a ~~common labour market and a modern immigration policy~~firm immigration policy which is in step with the needs of their economies, the latter being characterised by stagnating growth, mass unemployment and excessive public debt;

Amendment 231 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Points out that the absence of a well functioning internal labour market that maintains the integrity of the European social model and of a positive approach to immigration hampers growth in the EU; calls on the Commission and the Member States to establish a common labour market which preserves and enhances the institutions and practices of social solidarity and a modern immigration policy;

Amendment 232 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Points out that the absence of a well functioning ~~internal~~ labour markets and ~~of a positive approach to immigration hampers growth in the EU; calls on the Commission and the Member States to establish a common labour market and a modern immigration policy~~managed immigration hampers economic growth;

Amendment 233 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Points out that the absence of a well functioning internal labour market and of a positive approach to immigration hampers growth in the EU; calls on the Commission and the Member States to establish a ~~common~~n inclusive labour market and a modern immigration policy;

Amendment 234 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 235 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Points out that the absence of a well functioning internal labour market and of a ~~positiv~~sustainable approach to immigration hampers growth in the EU; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ~~establish a common labour market and a modern~~take steps to reform the labour market and education and training policies, as outlined in particular in the country- specific recommendations, and establish an appropriate immigration policy;

Amendment 236 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

Amendment 237 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Points out that the absence of a well- functioning internal labour market ~~and of a positive approach to immigration~~ hampers growth in the EU; calls on the Commission and the Member States to establish a common labour market ~~and a modern immigration policy~~;

Amendment 238 #

Olle LUDVIGSSON, Tibor SZANYI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Points out that ~~the absence of a well functioning internal labour market~~rising levels of unemployment and precarious work and of a positive approach to immigration hampers growth in the EU; calls on the Commission and the Members States to establish a common labour market ~~and a~~based on solid rights and an open modern immigration policy;

Amendment 239 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Underlines that fair and equal treatment of workers is a crucial key to building a more dynamic internal labour market; stresses, in line with the political guidelines for the next European Commission presented by Mr Jean- Claude Juncker in July 2014, that social dumping has no place in the EU and that the same work at the same place should be remunerated in the same manner;

Amendment 24 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas low or negative growth and unemployment are responsible for lower revenues and increasing social expenditure and are, thus, the main cause for fiscal unsustainability;

Amendment 240 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Observes that energy policy and economic growth are closely related; urges therefore that an ambitious European energy policy should be pursued which, by increasing security of supply and innovation in the energy sector, can bring about greater economic stability and growth;

Amendment 241 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Observes that no serious work has yet been done on the extent to which demographic trends are responsible for the regular decline in growth which has been experienced by European countries in the past two decades; stresses that the lack of a functioning internal labour market also damages the Union’s potential for growth; calls on the Commission and Member States to establish a genuine common labour market and to mobilise all the Union’s resources in order to implement a common immigration policy in the spirit of the proposals made by the President- elect;

Amendment 242 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Stresses, once again, its call on Member States to simplify their tax systems so as to restore a favourable environment for undertakings in all Member States without exception, and reiterates its call to shift taxes from labour to consumption to make the use of resources more efficient and sustainable; calls on the Commission to take urgent action and develop a comprehensive strategy based on concrete legislative measures to fight tax fraud and tax evasion;

Amendment 243 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Stresses, once again, its call on Member States to simplify their tax systems and reiterates its call to shift taxes from labour to ~~consumption~~business profits and wealth capital stock to make the use of resources more efficient and sustainable; calls on the Commission to take urgent action and develop a comprehensive strategy based on concrete legislative measures to fight tax fraud and tax evasion;

Amendment 244 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Stresses, once again, its call on Member States to simplify their tax systems and reiterates its call to shift taxes from labour to consumption to make the use of resources more efficient and sustainable; calls on the Commission to take urgent action and develop a comprehensive strategy based on concrete legislative measures to fight tax fraud, tax avoidance, and tax evasion;

Amendment 245 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Stresses, once again, its call on Member States to simplify their tax systems and reiterates its call to shift taxes from labour to consumption and to real estate to make the use of resources more efficient and sustainable; calls on the Commission to take urgent action and develop a comprehensive strategy based on concrete legislative measures to fight tax fraud and tax evasion;

Amendment 246 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

Amendment 247 #

Tibor SZANYI, Olle LUDVIGSSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Stresses, once again,~~Reiterates its call on Member States to simplify their tax systems ~~and reiterates its call to shift taxes from labour to consumption to make the use of resources more efficient and sustainable~~, to structure the taxation of economic activities in such a way as to offer growth incentives and to reduce spending where possible whilst continuing to meet their social responsibilities; calls on the Commission to take urgent action and develop a comprehensive strategy based on concrete legislative measures to fight tax fraud and tax evasion;

Amendment 248 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Matt CARTHY, Miguel VIEGAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Stresses, once again, its call on Member States to simp~~lify~~rove the redistributive capacity of their tax systems and reiterates its call to shift taxes from ~~labour to~~ consumption to ~~make the use of resources more efficient and sustainabl~~revenue; calls on the Commission to take urgent action and develop a comprehensive strategy based on concrete legislative measures to fight tax fraud and tax evasion banning tax heavens and creating and a minimum corporate tax rate in the eurozone;

Amendment 249 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Stresses, once again, its call on Member States to simplify their tax systems ~~and reiterates its call to shift taxes from labour to consumption to make the use of resources more efficient and sustainable; calls on the Commission~~; calls on the Commission, drawing from the experiences of delivering on the 2012 Action Plan in this area to take urgent action and develop a comprehensive strategy based on concrete legislative measures to fight tax fraud and tax evasion;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas, in the context of persistently high debt and unemployment levels, low nominal GDP growth, and the challenges of an ageing society and of supporting job creation, particularly for young people, fiscal ~~consolidation must continue in a growth-friendly and differentiated manner~~policy must offer a comprehensive strategy and differentiated measures for each Member State, with some countries continuing their fiscal consolidation while others pursue an expansive fiscal policy;

Amendment 250 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Stresses, once again, its call on Member States to simplify their tax systems and reiterates its call to shift taxes from labour to c~~onsumption to~~apital and consumption, in such a way as to offer appropriate incentives and make the use of resources more efficient ~~and sustainable~~; calls on the Commission to take urgent action and develop a comprehensive strategy based on concrete legislative measures to fight tax fraud and tax evasion; calls on the Member States not to engage in damaging tax competition, to create a common assessment base for corporation tax and to introduce minimum corporation tax rates in the EU;

Amendment 251 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

Amendment 252 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Stresses, once again, its call on Member States to simplify their tax systems and reiterates its call to shift taxes from labour to ~~consumption~~unsustainable consumption and environmental taxation so as to make the use of resources more efficient and sustainable; calls on the Commission to take urgent action and develop a comprehensive strategy based on concrete legislative measures to fight tax fraud and tax evasion; calls in particular to the Commission to address country-specific- recommendations regarding the phasing- out of aggressive tax planning to those Member States it has itself identified as places where these practices are well established;

Amendment 253 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24a. Calls on the Commission to produce by the end of 2014 a clear definition and common set of criteria to identify tax havens and a public European blacklist of tax havens; Reminds the Commission of the proposals made in the recent Parliament Report (KLEVA KEKUS Report) on tax evasion and avoidance; calls also on the Commission to put into place an effective legal system forcing multinationals to pay all due taxes in the Member States in which economic activity occurs, to close loopholes and to reduce substantially the scope for regulatory arbitrage on fiscal matters;

Amendment 254 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)

24b. Encourages the Commission and the Member States to enhance the use of the European semester by integrating the EU tax gap strategy into the annual national stability and growth programmes and national reform programmes;

Amendment 255 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Reiterates the fact that structural reforms must be complemented by longer- term investment in education, research, innovation, modern infrastructure and sustainable energy; stresses, however, the fact that private investment is more conducive to growth than public investment;

Amendment 256 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

Amendment 257 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Reiterates the fact that structural reforms must be complemented by longer- term investment in education, research, innovation and sustainable energy~~; stresses, however, the fact that private investment is more conducive to growth than public investment;~~.

Amendment 258 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Reiterates the fact that structural reforms must be complemented by longer- term investment in education, research, innovation and sustainable energy; ~~stresses, however, the fact that private investment is more conducive to growth than public investment~~notes that desirable rates of growth can best be achieved by ensuring that greater levels of investment are promoted at both public and private levels on a complementary basis;

Amendment 259 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas, in the context of persistently high debt and unemployment levels, low nominal GDP growth, and the challenges of an ageing society and of supporting job creation, particularly for young people, fiscal consolidation must continue in a growth-friendly and differentiated manner that also takes into account the gender- specific effects of consolidation in the Member States;

Amendment 260 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

Amendment 261 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Reiterates the fact that structural reforms must be complemented by longer- term investment in education, research, innovation and sustainable energy; stresses~~, however, the fact that private investment is more conducive to growth than public investmen~~ the role that must be played by the Union budget in these fundamental fields of common interest;

Amendment 262 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Reiterates the fact that structural reforms must be complemented by measures to boost growth and by longer- term investment in education, research, innovation and sustainable energy; ~~stresses, however, the fact that private investment is more conducive to growth than public investment~~deplores the current tendency to deny the leading role which public investment can play in that connection; notes that this is taking place against the background of general acceptance of the doctrine of fiscal consolidation; emphasises that private investment can also take its cue from public models and thinking and that an increase in private investment will not in itself be enough to lift us out of the crisis;

Amendment 263 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Reiterates the fact that structural reforms must be complemented by longer- term investment in education, research, innovation and sustainable energy; stresses, however, the fact that, in some fields, private investment is more conducive to growth than public investment;

Amendment 264 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

Amendment 265 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Reiterates the fact that structural reforms must be complemented by longer- term investment in education, research, innovation and sustainable energy; underlines that investment in research, innovation, education and infrastructure is a prerequisite for competitiveness, sustainable growth and job creation; stresses, however, the fact that private investment is more conducive to growth than public investment;

Amendment 266 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Reiterates the fact that structural reforms must be complemented byand articulated with longer- term investment in education, research, innovation and sustainable energy; ~~stresses, however, the fact that private investment is more conducive to growth than public investment;~~

Amendment 267 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

Amendment 268 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

Amendment 269 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas, in the context of persistently high debt and unemployment levels, low nominal GDP growth, and the challenges of an ageing society and of supporting job creation, particularly for young people, fiscal consolidation must continue in a ~~growth-friendly and differentiated manner~~more differentiated and more intelligent manner, in combination with explicit growth impulses;

Amendment 270 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

Amendment 271 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Points out that government-induced growth risks being unsustainable over the medium term in the absence of a complementary surge in private investment; stresses the fact that the already high levels of public debt do not allow for a significant increase in spending, if the reform and consolidation efforts are not to be in vain;

Amendment 272 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Points out that government-induced growth risks being unsustainable over the medium term; stresses the fact that the already high levels of public debt do not allow for a significant increase in spending, if the reform and consolidation efforts are not to be in vainhigh levels of state indebtedness make it essential that intelligent ways should be found of funding public investments; emphasises that the need for fiscal consolidation makes it all the more important to foster investment in the future by setting the right priorities and developing appropriate new sources of revenue;

Amendment 273 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Matt CARTHY, Miguel VIEGAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Points out that government-induced growth risks being unsustainable over the medium term; stresses the fact that the already high levels of public debt do not allow for a significant increase in spending, if the reform and consolidation efforts are not to be in vainin a liquidity trap scenario, with historically low levels of credit to the real economy, even unconventional monetary policy will prove ineffective without public expenditure and investment; stresses the fact that austerity reforms and consolidation efforts proved counter- productive, particularly in the countries under the adjustment programmes which have consistently failed all consolidation objectives;

Amendment 274 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

Amendment 275 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Points out that ~~government-induced growth risks being unsustainable over the medium term; stresses the fact that~~ the already high levels of public debt do not allow for a significant increase in spending, if the reform and consolidation efforts are not to be in vain; agrees however with the ECB President that in the current downturn there is leeway to achieve a more growth-friendly composition of fiscal policies and that fiscal policy could play a greater role in consistency with the existing fiscal and macroeconomic surveillance framework, alongside accommodative monetary policy and sustainable structural reforms;

Amendment 276 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26a. Underlines that flexibility exists within the Stability and Growth Pact and should be used, but requires primarily Member States to come up with reforms considered credible by the Commission and the other Member States;

Amendment 277 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)

26b. Recalls the balanced remarks by Mario Draghi on August 22nd stating: "no amount of fiscal or monetary accommodation, however, can compensate for the necessary structural reforms in the euro area." and "a coherent strategy to reduce unemployment has to involve both demand and supply side policies, at both the euro area and the national levels. And only if the strategy is truly coherent can it be successful.";

Amendment 278 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

~~27. Believes that the biggest limitation on the EU economy is the low level of private investment;~~deleted

Amendment 279 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Believes that the biggest limitation on the EU economy is the low level of ~~private investment~~aggregate demand, combined with the debt problems of some Member States;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas, in the context of persistently high debt and unemployment levels, low nominal GDP growth, and inflation, and the high level of people at risk of poverty, as well as the challenges of an ageing society and of supporting job creation, particularly for young people, fiscal consolidation must ~~continue in a~~be growth-friendly and carried out in a differentiated manner;

Amendment 280 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Believes that the biggest limitation on the EU economy is the low level of ~~private~~ investment;

Amendment 281 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Believes that the biggest limitation on the EU economy is the low level of private investment as well as the huge level of youth unemployment, the social exclusion and the high level of poverty in some Member States;

Amendment 282 #

Pervenche BERÈS, Tibor SZANYI, Olle LUDVIGSSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Believes that the biggest limitation on the EU economy is the l~~ow level of private investment~~ack of a European vision concerning those projects which are vital to our future; remains convinced that the low level of private investment - a level which certainly needs to be increased - can partly be explained by the lack of a template setting out the tasks the EU is to perform in the future and how those tasks should be divided up;

Amendment 283 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Believes that the biggest limitations on the EU economy isare the low level of private investment and the lack of leverage effect from the public investment at the current level;

Amendment 284 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Believes that the ~~biggest limitation on the EU economy is the low~~low level of private investment is not the cause but rather a symptom of a deep-rooted crisis whose origins lie in excessive levels of ~~private investment~~State and bank indebtedness and the lack of exchange-rate flexibility in the eurozone;

Amendment 285 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Believes that the biggest limitation on the EU economy is the low level of aggregate demand, which leads to low levels of private investment;

Amendment 286 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Believes that the biggest limitation on the EU economy is the low level of ~~private~~overall investment;

Amendment 287 #

Costas MAVRIDES

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Believes that the biggest limitation on the EU economy is the low level of private investment; stresses the need of fundamental reform of bankruptcy and insolvency procedures in order to deal with the debt overhang in the euro-area periphery;

Amendment 288 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

Amendment 289 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Underlines the fact that private investment is crucial, as it works on the supply and demand side of the economy creating jobs, generating incomes for households, increasing tax revenue, helping governments consolidate and boosting growth; believes that,, in the short-term, private debt problems in some Member States, combined with difficulties linked to the transfer of monetary policy and the ECB’s limited space for manoeuvre, make it necessary to create a pan-European public investment programme designed to help consolidate the single market and assist short-term economic recovery

Amendment 29 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas, in the context of persistently high debt and unemployment levels, low nominal GDP growth, and the challenges of ~~an ageing society and of~~ supporting job creation, particularly for young people, ~~fiscal consolidation must continue in a growth-friendly and differentiated manner~~growth and job creation policies are the crucial pre- conditions to fiscal consolidation;

Amendment 290 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Underlines the fact that public and private investment is crucial, as it works on the supply and demand side of the economy, creating jobs, generating incomes for households, increasing tax revenue, and helping governments ~~consolidate and~~to boost~~ing~~ growth;

Amendment 291 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Underlines the fact that public and private investment isare crucial, as ithey works on the supply and demand side of the economy creating jobs, generating incomes for households, increasing tax revenue, helping governments consolidate and boosting growth;

Amendment 292 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Underlines the fact that private investment is ~~crucial~~important, as it works on the supply and demand side of the economy creating jobs, generating incomes for households, increasing tax revenue, helping governments consolidate and boosting growth;

Amendment 293 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Underlines the fact that private investment is also crucial, as it works on the supply and demand side of the economy creating jobs, generating incomes for households, increasing tax revenue, helping governments consolidate and boosting growth;

Amendment 294 #

Miguel VIEGAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Underlines the fact that public and private investment is crucial, as it works on the supply and demand side of the economy, creating jobs, generating incomes for households, increasing tax revenue, helping governments consolidate and boosting growth;

Amendment 295 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Matt CARTHY, Miguel VIEGAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Underlines the fact that public and private investment iss are crucial, as it works on the supply and demand side of the economy creating jobs, generating incomes for households, increasing tax revenue, ~~helping governments~~ consolidateing and boosting growth;

Amendment 296 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Underlines the fact that public and private investment is crucial, as it works on the supply and demand side of the economy creating jobs, generating incomes for households, increasing tax revenue, helping governments consolidate and boosting growth;

Amendment 297 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Calls on the Commission finally to deliver on its commitment to complete the single market, particularly as regards services; urges the Member States to deliver on their commitments on the EU2020 strategy, particularly with regard to research and innovation;deleted

Amendment 298 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

Amendment 299 #

Olle LUDVIGSSON, Tibor SZANYI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Calls on the Commission finally to deliver on its commitment to complete the single market, ~~particularly as regards~~while safeguarding the right to decent, quality work and the principle of equal pay for equal work and access to quality social protection systems and services; urges the Member States to deliver on their commitments on the EU2020 strategy, particularly with regard to ~~research~~employment, R&D, education, poverty, renewable energy, emissions reduction and innovation;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)

- having regard to the Commission Communication of 6 December 2012 on An Action Plan to strengthen the fight against tax fraud and tax evasion (COM(2012)0722),

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas, in ~~the~~a context of persistently high debt and unemployment levels, and low nominal GDP growth, ~~and~~in which our societies face the challenges of an ageing society and of supporting job creation, particularly for young people, a long term strategy for fiscal consolidation ~~must continue~~should be pursued in a growth-friendly and differentiated manner and should balance productive investments needs with fiscal discipline objectives;

Amendment 300 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. ~~Calls on the Commission finally to deliver on its commitment to complete the single market, particularly as regards services; u~~Urges the Member States to deliver on their commitments on the EU2020 strategy, particularly with regard to research and innovation an objective only possible with full use of existing public resources and further public investment in this area;

Amendment 301 #

Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ, Andreas SCHWAB

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

Amendment 302 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Calls on the Commission finally to deliver on its commitment to complete the single market~~, particularly as regards services~~; urges the Member States to deliver on their commitments on the EU2020 strategy~~, particularly with regard to research and innovation~~; therefore, calls on the Commission to step up its actions in ensuring the proper implementation and enforcement of EU legislation in the Member States by making determined use of all its powers;

Amendment 303 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)

29a. Invites the Commission to investigate on the reasons of the weak level of private investment in the EU.

Amendment 304 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Is very concerned about p~~rotection~~opulist tendencies in certain Member States~~; points out that the Treaty does not provide for the restriction of~~ especially as regards free movement of people; points out that the Treaty guarantees the free movement of people, services or capital, and recalls that the Commission must safeguard and enforce these freedoms;

Amendment 305 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Is concerned about protectionist tendencies in certain Member States; ~~points out that the Treaty does not provide for the restriction of the free movement of people, services or capital, and recalls that the Commission must safeguard and enforce these freedoms;~~

Amendment 306 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. ~~Is concerned about protectionist tendencies in certain Member States; points out that the Treaty does not provide for the restriction of~~Acknowledges that it is legitimate for Member States to seek alternative solutions in view of the excesses of the globalised liberal model, in order to generate more employment and greater prosperity; stresses theat free movement of people, and services ~~or capital~~has promoted the stagnation of wages, particularly for unskilled work, and cre~~calls that the Commission must safeguard and enforce these freedoms~~ated situations in which there is unfair competition to the detriment of undertakings and workers in the countries of the Union which have the most protective social legislation;

Amendment 307 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. ~~Is concerned abou~~Notes that protectionist tendencies in certain Member States~~; points out that the Treaty does not provide for the restriction of the free movement of people, services or capital, and recalls that the Commission must safeguard and enforce these freedoms~~ reflect the failure of eurozone to deliver on economic growth and convergence, job creation and improving social indicators and quality of life;

Amendment 308 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Underlines the fact that ~~a lack of~~problems in access toing finance, particularly for SMEs, poses a huge obstacle to growth in the EU; acknowledges, however, that the causes are many and varied and cannot be traced back solely to supply-side problems;

Amendment 309 #

Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Underlines the fact that a lack of access to finance, particularly for SMEs, poses a huge obstacle to growth in the EU; calls therefore for the Commission to prioritise work on alternative sources of financing for SMEs, in particular through the structural funds, the European Investment Bank, the European Investment Fund and public development banks;

Amendment 31 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas, in the context of persistently high debt and unemployment levels, low nominal GDP growth and inflation, and the challenges of an ageing society and of supporting job creation, particularly for young people, fiscal consolidation must continue in a growth-friendly and differentiated manner;

Amendment 310 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Underlines the fact that ~~a lack of access to finance, particularly for SMEs, poses a huge obstacle to growth in the EU~~SMEs main obstacle is a depressed demand;

Amendment 311 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Underlines the fact that a lack of access to finance, particularly for SMEs, poses a huge obstacle to growth in the EU; stresses the need to do away with even more of the bureaucratic obstacles facing small and medium-sized undertakings and to apply the principle of proportionality more strictly in EU lawmaking in the future;

Amendment 312 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Underlines the fact that a lack of access to finance, particularly for SMEs, poses a huge obstacle to growth in the EU; reiterates the important role of EU financing institutions, such as EIB, in ensuring adequate financing for SMEs;

Amendment 313 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)

31a. Believes that urgent reforms should be envisaged for all those states where the difficulties for the creation of enterprises hamper potential growth and job creation.

Amendment 314 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)

31a. Takes note on the Commission's follow-up document to the EP Troika report; recalls the Commission to act to fully align the legal obligations arising from the 'two-pack' with the current economic adjustment programmes; underlines in particular that a certain number of requirements of Regulation (EU) N° 472/2013 referred to in Article 1 on the respect of collective agreements as well as in Article 7 on the need to ensure sufficient means for fundamental policies, such as education and health are not yet explicitly addressed in the updated programmes;

Amendment 315 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Matt CARTHY, Miguel VIEGAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Calls on the Commission urgently to propose measures to complete the internal market for capital to improve the allocation of capital to businesses in order to revitalise the real economy; believes that further alternatives to bank financing are needed, particularly by improving the conditions for financing through the capital markets;deleted

Amendment 316 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Calls on the Commission urgently to propose measures to complete the internal market for capital to improve the allocation of capital to businesses in order to revitalise the real economy; believes that further alternatives to bank financing are needed, particularly by improving the conditions for financing through the capital markets and investing in the development of innovative financing channels such as crowdfunding;

Amendment 317 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. ~~Calls on the Commission urgently to propose measures to complete the internal market for capital to improve the allocation of capital to businesses in order to revitalise the real economy;~~ believes that further alternatives to bank financing are needed, particularly by improving the conditions for financing through the capital markets;

Amendment 318 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

Amendment 319 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas the spirit of the European Semester entails a commitment to economic solidarity among Member States and whereas they bear a responsibility proportionate to their respective contributions to the overall economic performance of the Union;

Amendment 320 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Calls on the Commission urgently to propose measures to complete the internal market for capital to improve the allocation of capital to businesses in order to revitalise the real economy; believes that further alternatives to bank financing are needed, for both large and small and medium-sized undertakings, particularly by improving the conditions for financing through the capital markets; points out, however, that this must not go hand in hand with a watering-down of the safeguards introduced in response to the financial crisis;

Amendment 321 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Calls on the Commission urgently to propose measures to complete the internal market for capital to improve the allocation of capital to businesses in order to revitalise the real economy; regrets that the monitoring of unit capital costs is not yet integrated in the surveillance of macroeconomic imbalances; reiterates its requests to integrate such monitoring as well as the monitoring of resource efficiency in the framework of the scoreboard for macroeconomic imbalances; believes that further alternatives to bank financing are needed, particularly by improving the conditions for financing through the capital markets;

Amendment 322 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

32a. Underlines the upmost importance of setting up the legislation on long-term investments.

Amendment 323 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

~~33. Stresses the importance of the expedition and completion of the banking union; believes that completion of the banking union must be achieved by means of an insurance and markets union;~~deleted

Amendment 324 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

Amendment 325 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

Amendment 326 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

Amendment 327 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Stresses the importance of the expedition and completion of the banking union; believes that completion of the banking union must be achieved by means of an insurance and markets union; reiterates that the cost of failure of banking institutions should be borne by the banking sector itself;

Amendment 328 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Stresses the importance of the expedition and completion of the banking union; believes that completion of the banking union must be achieved by means of an insurance and markets union that does not lead to an increase in operating costs within the national economies, not least with regard to the operating costs of SMEs and traditional industries; ;

Amendment 329 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Stresses the importance of the expedition and completion of the banking union; ~~believ~~notes that ~~completion of the banking union must be achieved by means of~~approval of the three pillars of the banking union and implementation of new own-capital rules for credit institutions and insurance ~~and markets union~~companies can help to restore faith in the resilience of the European financial sector;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas the priorities for this year’s European Semester were established by the European Council in March, and were reconfirmed in June; whereas the emphasis is on policies that enhance competitiveness, support job creation and fight unemployment, and on the follow-up to reforms to ~~improve~~restore investment capacity and improve the financing of the economy and the functioning of labour markets;

Amendment 330 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Stresses the importance of the expedition and coimplementation of the banking union; believes that ~~completion of~~ the banking union ~~must be achieved by means of an insurance and markets union~~can help to restore confidence and stability;

Amendment 331 #

Werner LANGEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. ~~Stresses the importance of the expedition and completion~~Notes that, despite short-term improvements in the situation, the crisis ofn the ~~banking union; believes that completion of the banking union must be achieved by means of an insurance and markets union~~financial markets has not yet been overcome, and calls on the ECB to sell off, and not buy up more, high-risk securities, and thus avoid slowly turning into the European bad bank, as this would only serve to prolong the crisis;

Amendment 332 #

Werner LANGEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)

33a. Calls on the European Council and the Commission to put forward as soon as possible legislative proposals designed to safeguard legal certainty by enshrining in the EU Treaties the provisions governing banking supervision by the ECB and the banking union;

Amendment 333 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Stresses the fact that a solid ~~and stable~~, stable and transparent financial system is crucial for future growth;

Amendment 334 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Stresses the fact that a solid, transparent and stable financial system is crucial for future growth ensuring fair distribution of the benefits;

Amendment 335 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Matt CARTHY, Miguel VIEGAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Stresses the fact that a solid and stable financial system, only possible with strong market-making public institutions, is crucial for future growth;

Amendment 336 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Stresses the fact that a solid and stable, downsized, recapitalized and well diversified financial system is crucial for future growth;

Amendment 337 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)

34a. Reiterates its call on the Commission and Member States to disaggregate data by gender so that progress on the EU 2020 headline targets and the corresponding national targets can be monitored, and to define additional gender-specific indicators where necessary;

Amendment 338 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 b (new)

34b. Asks the Commission to engage women's NGOs in the European semester and to inform properly about the achievements of Member States that received CSRs related to gender equality ;

Amendment 339 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

Amendment 34 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas the priorities for this year’s European Semester were established by the European Council in March, and were reconfirmed in June; whereas the emphasis is on policies that enhance competitiveness, ~~support job creation and fight unemployment,~~ and on the follow-up to reforms to ~~improve the functioning of~~further deregulate labour markets;

Amendment 340 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

Amendment 341 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

Amendment 342 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

Amendment 343 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Stresses the fact that the European Semester must in no way jeopardise the prerogatives of the European Parliament or those of the national and regional parliaments; underlines the fact that there should be a clear division between EU and national competences, and that Parliament is the seat of accountability at Union level;

Amendment 344 #

Miguel VIEGAS, Marisa MATIAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Stresses the fact that the European Semester must in no way jeopardise the prerogatives of the European Parliament or those of the national parliaments; underlines the fact that there should be a clear division between EU and national competences, and that Parliament is the seat of accountability at Union level; emphasises that in future, in keeping with the principles underpinning the codecision procedure, the European Parliament should be involved more closely in the work of preparing and organising the European Semester; stresses that every transfer of powers from national to EU level must be matched by a strengthening of the role of the European Parliament, in order to ensure that no democratic deficit is created;

Amendment 345 #

Miguel VIEGAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)

35a. Maintains that, as the President of the ECB has said, action must not be confined to austerity measures, given that Member States have a vital role to play in boosting aggregate demand, a key factor in economic growth and employment;

Amendment 346 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)

Amendment 347 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Stresses the need to strengthen democratic accountability to the ~~European Parliament and the~~ national parliaments as regards essential elements of the euro area’s operation, such as the European Stability Mechanism, Eurogroup decisions, and the monitoring and evaluation of financial assistance programmes;

Amendment 348 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Stresses the need to strengthen democratic accountability to the European Parliament and the national parliaments as regards essential elements of the euro area’s operation, such as the European Stability Mechanism, Eurogroup decisions, and the monitoring and evaluation of financial assistance programmes; asks the Commission to conduct and publish internal ex-post evaluations of its recommendations and its participation in Troika.

Amendment 349 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the Europe 2020 strategy is one of the elements of the EU’s response to the global economic crisis and whereas the Commission acknowledges that most of the EU 2020 Strategy objectives will not be met;

Amendment 350 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Stresses the need to strengthen democratic accountability to the European Parliament and the national parliaments as regards essential elements of the euro area’s operation, such as the European Central Bank, the European Stability Mechanism, Eurogroup decisions, and the monitoring and evaluation of financial assistance programmes;

Amendment 351 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Stresses the need to strengthen democratic accountability to the European Parliament and the national parliaments as regards essential elements of the euro area’'s operation, such as the European Stability Mechanism, Eurogroup decisions, and the monitoring and evaluation of financial assistance programmes; recalls in that perspective for an Interinstitutional Agreement in order to involve Parliament in the drafting and approval of the AGS and the Economic Policy and Employment Guidelines;

Amendment 36 #

Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Georgios KYRTSOS, Ivana MALETIĆ, Brian HAYES

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the Europe 2020 strategy is one of the elements of the EU’s response to the global economic crisis and future challenges;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

Ga. whereas cohesion policy represents the main EU investment tool in the real economy, accounting for over one third of the EU Budget and the ESI Funds are key delivery instruments of Europe 2020 Strategy's goals of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth;

Amendment 38 #

Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Georgios KYRTSOS, Ivana MALETIĆ, Brian HAYES

Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)

Gb. whereas support from the ESI Funds is closely linked to the respect of sound economic governance, so as to ensure the effectiveness of the EU expenditure;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the global financial crisis and the ~~sovereign~~banking and debt crisis in the EU have significantly hampered access by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to financial resources;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)

- having regard to the European Parliament's resolutions adopted on the 13th March 2013 concerning the role and the operations of the Troika (2014/2007(INI) and 2014/2277 (INI),

Amendment 40 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the global financial crisis and the ~~sovereign debt crisis in the EU have significantly hampered access by~~austerity policies have significantly hampered demand, restricting the flow of credit to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) ~~to financial resources~~;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the global financial crisis and the ~~sovereign~~ debt crisis in the EU have significantly hampered access by small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) to financial resources;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas the European Parliament has several times requested the strengthening of the governance framework;

Amendment 43 #

Krišjānis KARIŅŠ

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas single market, especially as regards services, is not fully operational;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes the fact that economic recovery in the EU is under way; reiterates, however, that this recovery is fragile and uneven, and must be sustained in order to deliver more growth and jobs in the medium term;deleted

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes ~~the fact that~~certain signs of economic recovery in the EU ~~is under way~~; reiterates, however, that this recovery is fragile and uneven, and must be sustained in order to deliver more growth and jobs in the medium term;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes the fact that economic recovery in the EU is not yet under way; reiterates, ~~howe~~moreover, that thie danger signs areco very ~~is fragile and uneven, and must be sustained in order to deliver more growth and jobs in the medium term~~alarming, suggesting as they do that the slow-down is extending even to the German economy, which has over the years been a driving force;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes th~~e fact that economic recovery in the EU is under way; reiterates, however, that this recovery is fragile and uneven, and must be sustained in order to deliver more growth and jobs in the medium term~~at the main euro zone countries are falling into structural economic recession;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes the fact that economic recovery in the EU is under way; reiterates, however, that this recovery is very fragile and uneven, and must be sustained in order to deliver more growth and jobs ~~in the~~, and less social inequality in the short and medium term;

Amendment 49 #

Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ, Andreas SCHWAB

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes the fact that economic recovery in the EU is under way; reiterates, however, that this recovery is fragile and uneven, in particular with regards to young people and women, and must be sustained in order to deliver more growth and jobs in the medium term;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 25 February 2014 on Single Market governance within the European Semester 20141, ________________________________ 1 Texts adopted, P7_TA(2014)0130.

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes the fact that ~~economic recovery in the EU is under way~~the first signs of short-term economic recovery in the EU are visible, but that in the longer term there is a danger of stagnation; reiterates~~, however,~~ that this recovery is fragile and uneven, and must be sustained in order to deliver more growth and jobs in the medium term;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes the fact that, compared to the peak during the recent crises, economic recovery in the EU is under way; reiterates, however, that this recovery is fragile and uneven, and must be sustained in order to deliver more growth and jobs in the medium term;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes th~~e fac~~at thate econom~~ic recover~~y in the EU ~~is under way; reiterates, however, that this recovery is fragile and uneven, and must be sustained~~has stabilised after a lengthy and profound crisis, but is in grave danger of falling into a new recession and therefore requires further support in order to deliver more growth and jobs in the ~~medium~~short term;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes the fact that economic recovery in the EU ~~is under way; reiterates, however,~~had encouraging signs in the last previous two years and has slowed down since the first quarter of 2014; notes also that this recovery is fragile and uneven, and must be sustained in order to deliver more growth and jobs in the medium term;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes the ~~fact that~~analysis regarding economic recovery in the EU ~~is under way~~; reiterates, however, that this recovery is fragile and uneven, and must be sustained in order to deliver more growth and jobs in the medium term;

Amendment 55 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes the fact that ~~economic recovery in the EU is under way; reiterates, how~~growth in the EU has stagnated, with 0,2% in the 2nd semester of 2014. Furthermore, ever,n th~~at this recovery is fragile and uneven, and must be sustained in order~~is stagnation scenario is uneven, with several member-states in recession. In any case, austerity policies are failing to deliver more growth and jobs ~~in the medium term~~;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes ~~the fact~~ that economic ~~recovery~~development in the EU is ~~under way; reiterates, however, that this recovery is fragile and uneven, and must~~fragile and unbalanced; emphasises that a starting recovery in some countries is counterbalanced by slackening economic developments in other countries as well as by deflationary tendencies; notes that economic recovery should be sustained in order to deliver more growth and jobs in the medium term;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes the fact that ~~economic recovery in the EU is under way; reiterates, however, that this recovery is fragile and uneven, and must be sustain~~, in nearly all Member States, the economy has still not recovered from the consequences of the financial and economic crisis; notes that the EU economy is in danger of seeing a trend towards a prolonged period of stagnation; stresses that the economy must urgently be stimulated in order to deliver more growth, prosperity and jobs in the medium term;

Amendment 58 #

Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Georgios KYRTSOS, Ivana MALETIĆ, Brian HAYES

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Notes~~Is strongly worried by the fact that the economic recovery in the EU ~~is under way; reiterates, howe~~has significantly lost impetus and came to an halt in the euro area over, th~~at this recovery is fragile and uneven, and must be sustained i~~e second quarter of 2014 in a context where the zero-lower bound has been reached and very low inflation rates are generalised; underlines that an ambitious plan for~~der to deliver more growth and jobs in the medium term~~ triggering investment across the EU is urgently required to address the current economic downturn;

Amendment 59 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Notes that even this extremely low growth was only possible because of 0,3% rise in household consumption, showing the importance of a shift from labour market deregulation to demand-oriented policies and wages increases;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)

- having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European Regional development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council regulation (EC) No 1083/2006,

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Notes that the most important targets of economic policy are to restore the Member States’ competitiveness and reduce unemployment;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Stresses that the challenges of the current economic situation, characterised by sluggish GDP – stable in the eurozone and rising by 0.2% in the EU28 during the second quarter of 2014 – remarkably low inflation – down to 0.3% in August 2014, its lowest level since November 2009 – and unacceptably high unemployment – 11.5% in the eurozone and 10.2% in the EU28 in July 2014 - have to be addressed urgently;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Welcomes the course set by the European Central Bank, which was explained in the address given by its President at Jackson Hole on 4 August 2014; considers that the approach for which the European Central Bank has opted will act in synergy with Parliament's measures in support of coherent and coordinated monetary, budgetary and structural policies on the part of the States of the Union to promote employment and growth;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Urges once again the Commission to ensure concrete recommendations to the Member States and for the EU as a whole, including those under economic adjustment programmes, so that they not only address fiscal consolidation but also structural reforms that lead to real, sustainable and socially balanced growth, employment, strengthened competitiveness and increasing convergence;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Calls in this context for the adoption of a monetary and fiscal policy stance that boosts aggregate demand, a position shared by the President of the ECB in his speech at the Annual central bank symposium in Jackson Hole on 22 August 2014;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the ambitious structural reforms implemented by many Member States under the macroeconomic adjustment programmes, and calls on the Member States to persist in pursuing this necessary ambition; finds it regrettable that the Member States in the rest of the euro area are less ambitious in modernising their economies, which is one of the reasons for the low growth prospects in the medium and long term;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the ambitious structural reforms implemented by Member States under the macroeconomic adjustment programmes; finds it regrettable that the Member States in the rest of the euro area are less ambitious in modernising their economies, which is one ofMaintains that the current situation proves that EU austerity policies have failed utterly, given that the economic and social aims embodied in the Trea~~sons for the low growth prospects in the medium and long term~~ty have been disregarded;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Welcomes the ambitious structural~~Reminds the Commission of the two refpormts implemented by Member States under the macroeconomic adjustment programmes; finds it regrettable that the Member States in the rest of the euro area are less ambitious in modernising their economies, which is adopted by the European Parliament concerning the Troika in March 2014, which criticizes the ad hoc system of the Troikas and request the Commission to implement the recommendatione of the ~~reasons for the low growth prospects in the medium and long term~~European Parliament without delay. Notes the ambitious structural reforms implemented by Member States under the macroeconomic adjustment programmes;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the ~~ambitious~~large scale structural reforms implemented by Member States under the macroeconomic adjustment programmes; ~~finds it regrettable~~notes that the Member States in the rest of the euro ~~area are less ambitious in~~still need to modernis~~ing~~e their economies~~, which is one of the reasons for the low growth prospects in the medium and long term~~;

Amendment 69 #

Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Georgios KYRTSOS, Ivana MALETIĆ, Brian HAYES

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the ambitious structural reforms implemented by Member States under the macroeconomic adjustment programmes; finds it regrettable that the Member States in the rest of the euro area are less ambitious in modernising their economies, which is one of the reasons for the low growth prospects in the medium and long term; stresses that reforms must be pursued with determination and must be monitored in order to ensure that their effectiveness is sustainable;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 b (new)

- having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on Guidelines on the application of the measures linking effectiveness of the European Structural and Investment Funds to sound economic governance according to Article 23 of Regulation (EU) 1301/ 2013, COM(2014)494 final, 30.07.2014,

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Welcom~~Notes the ambitious structural reforms ~~implemented by Member States~~some Member States have implemented and are implementing under the macroeconomic adjustment programmes; finds it regrettable that the ~~Member States in the rest of the euro area are less ambitious in modernising their economies, which is one of the reason~~se reforms have mostly not proved successful in terms of their impact on overall economic growth; criticises the Heads of State and Government for not yet recognising that they are largely responsible for this lack of success and for still refusing to budge from the failed ‘austerity only’ policy; also criticises the Heads of State and Government for their persistent failure to change course, resulting in the crisis being prolonged, which in turn – combined in some cases with missed opportunities for reform – is now threatening Europe's fcor ~~the low~~e countries and holding back growth prospects in the medium and long term;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the ambitious structural reforms implemented by Member States under the macroeconomic adjustment programmes; stresses that structural reforms fall under the core prerogatives of the Member States; finds it regrettable that the Member States in the rest of the euro area are less ambitious in modernising their economies, which is one of the reasons for the low growth prospects in the medium and long term;

Amendment 72 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Welcomes the ambitious~~Notes the structural reforms implemented by Member States under the macroeconomic adjustment programmes; finds it regrettable that the Member States in the rest of the euro area are less ambitious in modernising their economies, which is one of the reasons for the low growth prospects in the medium and long term which have caused recession, huge rises in unemployment and also public debt relative to GDP;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Welcom~~Notes the ~~ambitious~~large scale structural reforms implemented by Member States under the macroeconomic adjustment programmes; finds it regrettable that the Member States in the rest of the euro area are less ambitious in modernising their economies, which is one of the reasons for the low growth prospects in the medium and long term, but draws attention that the structural reforms should always be balanced and socially sustainable;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Welcomes the ambitious~~Takes notes of the far reaching structural reforms implemented by Member States under the macroeconomic adjustment programmes; finds it regrettable that thsome Member States in the rest of the euro area ~~are less~~lack ambitiousn in modernising their economies, which is one of the reasons for the low sustainable growth prospects in the medium and long term;

Amendment 75 #

Costas MAVRIDES

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Welcomes the ambitious~~Notes the structural reforms implemented by Member States under the macroeconomic adjustment programmes; ~~finds it regrettable that the Member States in the rest of the euro area are less ambitious in mod~~points to the negative social consequences including pernsis~~ing their economies, which is one of the reasons for the low growth prospects in the medium and long term~~tently high unemployment, increase of the number of people in poverty, budget cuts in health and social sector, growing inequalities, in the Members States under assistance programmes;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Reminds the Commission of the two reports adopted by the European Parliament concerning the Troika in March 2014, which criticizes the ad hoc system of the troikas; calls on the Commission to implement the recommendation of the European Parliament without delay.

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Points out that a necessary condition for the success of financial assistance programmes is a combination of solidarity and conditionality, strong ownership and commitment to reform; urges the Commission and the Member States, to incorporate financial assistance and the ad hoc system of the Troika into an improved legal structure compliant with the EU economic governance framework and community law, thereby guaranteeing democratic accountability;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that the euro area and the EU risk falling further behind other regions in terms of deflation, economic development and opportunities, making the EU less attractive for investment from within and outside the EU;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Points out~~Regrets that the euro area and the EU risk falling further behind other regions in terms of economic development and opportunities, making the EU less attractive for investment from within and outside the EU;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas ~~compliance with the EU f~~under the Treaties the Union is cal ~~and macroeconomic surveillance framework is essential to the proper functioning of the European Monetary Union (EMU)~~led upon to work for sustainable development based on economic growth aiming at full employment and social progress;

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that the euro area ~~and the EU~~ risks falling further behind other regions in terms of economic development and opportunities, making the EU less attractive for both membership and investment from within and outside the EU;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that the euro area and the EU, owing to the current dogmatic insistence on budget cuts and structural reforms and the constant denial of the need for growth stimuli, risk falling further behind other regions in terms of economic development and opportunities, making the EU less attractive for investment from within and outside the EU;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that the euro area and the EU risk falling further behind other regions in terms of economic ~~development~~prospects and opportunities, making the EU less attractive for investment from within and outside the EU;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that the financial, sovereign debt and competitiveness crisis cannot be overcome by means of a loose monetary policy; stresses, therefore, the importance of continuing the process of deep and sustainable structural reforms to deliver on growth and jobs; reiterates, in this connection, the fact that the EU cannot compete on costs alone, but needs to invest more in research and development, education and skills, and resource efficiency, both at national and European level;

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Stresse~~Calls, therefore, ~~the imp~~fort an~~ce of continuing the process of deep and sustainable structural reforms to deliver on growth and job~~ immediate review of all rules imposing unreasonable fiscal constraints on Member States; reiterates, in this connection, the fact that the EU cannot compete on costs alone, but needs to invest more in research and development, education and skills, and resource efficiency, both at national and European level;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses, therefore, the importance of continuing the process of deep and sustainable structural reforms to deliver on growth ~~and jobs~~, jobs and social welfare; reiterates, in this connection, the fact that the EU cannot compete on costs alone, but needs to invest more in research and development, education and skills, ~~and~~jobs resource efficiency and in tackling social injustice, and child poverty, both at national and European level;

Amendment 86 #

Tibor SZANYI, Olle LUDVIGSSON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses, therefore, the importance of continuing the process of deep ~~and~~, balanced and socially sustainable structural reforms to deliver on growth and jobs; reiterates, in this connection, the fact that the EU cannot and should not primarily compete on costs ~~alone~~, but needs to invest much more in research and development, education and skills, and resource efficiency, both at national and European level;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses, therefore, the importance of continuing the process of ~~deep and~~ sustainable structural reforms to deliver on growth and jobs; reiterates, in this connection, the fact that the EU ~~cannot~~should not primarily compete on costs ~~alone~~, but needs to invest more in research and development, education and skills, and resource efficiency, both at national and European level, to enhance digital and ecological transition;

Amendment 89 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Rina Ronja KARI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses, therefore, the importance of ~~continuing the process of deep and sustainable structural reform~~shifting from austerity to public investment and demand-oriented policies to deliver on growth and jobs; reiterates, in this connection, the fact ~~that~~ the EU cannot compete on costs ~~alone~~, but needs to invest more in research and development, education and skills, and resource efficiency, both at national and European level;

Amendment 9 #

Marisa MATIAS, Fabio DE MASI, Miguel VIEGAS, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas ~~compliance with the EU fiscal and macroeconomic surveillance framework~~fiscal sustainability is essential to the proper functioning of the European Monetary Union (EMU);

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses, therefore, the importance of c~~ontinuing the process of deep and sustainable structural reforms to deliver on growth and job~~hanging course, since the policy pursued in recent years has clearly not had the desired success; further stresses that the process of structural reforms needs to be reorganised and realigned, but is still not sufficient on its own to deliver on growth and jobs and must therefore be accompanied by growth impulses and investments; reiterates, in this connection, the fact that the EU cannot compete on costs alone, but needs to invest more in research and development, education and skills, and resource efficiency, both at national and European level; calls on the Commission and the Member States to exploit more fully the potential of promotional banks to stimulate the economy in the European Union;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses, therefore, the importance of continuing the process of deep and sustainable structural reforms to deliver on growth and jobs; reiterates, in this connection, the fact that the EU cannot compete on costs alone, but needs to invest more in research and development, education and skills, and resource efficiency, both at national and European level; recalls that the very aim of structural reforms and decreasing the level of public debt is to be able to focus on growth friendly policies and ultimately to provide jobs and fight poverty;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Recalls that the EU 2020 priorities and targets such as fighting poverty and social exclusion remain valid and should be implemented;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

~~5. Underlines, once again, the fact that the overall indebtedness of Member States in the euro area is not only an obstacle to growth but also puts a huge burden on future generations;~~deleted

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

~~5. Underlines, once again, the fact that the overall indebtedness of Member States in the euro area is not only an obstacle to growth but also puts a huge burden on future generations;~~deleted

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines, once again, the fact that the overall indebtedness of some Member States in the euro area is not only an obstacle to growth but also puts a huge burden on future generations;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines, ~~once again,~~ the fact that the o~~verall~~utstanding indebtedness ofas well as excessive consolidation of some Member States in the euro area is not only an obstacle to growth but also puts a huge burden on future generations;

Amendment 98 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines, once again, the fact that the ~~overall~~excessive indebtedness ofin several Member States in the euro area is not only an obstacle to growth but also puts a huge burden on future generations;

Amendment 99 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Underlines~~, once again,~~ the fact that, in the ~~overall~~medium to long term, the indebtedness of Member States in the euro area is ~~not only~~ an obstacle to growth ~~but also~~and puts a huge burden on future generations; stresses once again in this connection, however, that fiscal consolidation should begin not just on the expenditure side but also on the revenue side;

source: 537.316

2014/09/10 ENVI 41 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines th~~e fact that the~~at the market-led greening of EU economies has the potential to contributes to long-term and crisis-resilient growth, increases competitiveness and creates jobs, while improving the Union’s energy security and energy independence;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to include ~~fully~~ the greening of EU economies in the priorities of the Annual Growth Survey 2015~~, the European Semester~~ and the review of the Europe 2020 strategy, in order to support the transition to resource- efficient and low-carbon economies in the EU;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Calls on the Member States to fully respect the national energy efficiency targets as part of the National Reform Programmes, in the light of the headline targets under the Europe 2020 Strategy;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2 b. Emphasises that in order for the Member States to boost their employment by exploiting the employment potential of the green economy, action is required on three main fronts: boosting labour demand in eco-industries through adequate levels of investments, anticipating and managing skills needs in both green and greening sectors, and ensuring job quality for high-, medium-, and low-skill occupations; from the point of view of the labour market policy, increased attention should be given to devising adequate training programmes as to address specific skill shortages, and to consider the dynamic interaction between skills supply and age structure of the workforce in green and traditional industries;

Amendment 13 #

Giorgos GRAMMATIKAKIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)

2 c. Calls on the Commission to assess the potential of green jobs creation within the framework of EU's climate and environment policies and set indicative employment targets for each Member State;

Amendment 14 #

Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)

2 d. Stresses that improving resource and energy efficiency helps European businesses, especially SMEs, to create savings, capture growing markets, and reduce raw materials;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Reiterates the need to phase out environmentally harmful subsidies by 2020 and to shift taxes away from labour to more growth-friendly bases, such as~~Acknowledges the Commission's country-specific recommendations in the field of environmental taxation;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Reiterates the need to phase out environmentally harmful subsidies by 2020 and to shift taxes away from labour to more growth-friendly bases, such as environmental taxation;~~ Stresses the importance of the impact on the European economy resulting from a taxation system more favorable to the investment and growth, through the change of the tax incidence on labour to resource use and consumption, as well the elimination of the existing incentives harmful to the environment.

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Reiterates the need to phase out environmentally harmful subsidies by 2020 and to shift taxes away from labour to ~~more growth-friendly bases, such as~~ environmental taxation;

Amendment 18 #

Giorgos GRAMMATIKAKIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Reiterates the need to phase out environmentally harmful subsidies by 2020 and to shift taxes away from labour to more growth-friendly bases, such as environmental taxation; stresses that the shift to growth-friendly taxation will be the most effective if implemented in a coordinated way across Member States; points out that the European Semester is an appropriate tool for the coordination of such policies;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Calls both Member States and the European Commission, in this period of economic crisis, to avoid most damaging measures like short-term savings which will lead to high costs in the mid to long- term and instead to concentrate on further development of high-quality and high-efficiency health care systems;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the fact that the greening of EU economies contributes to long-term and crisis-resilient ~~growth~~sustainable development, increases competitiveness and creates jobs, while improving the Union’s energy security and energy independence;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses ~~the fact~~ that improving resource efficiency is crucial, as it increases competitiveness by creating savings and reducing dependency on raw materials and energy; reiterates, therefore, its call to integrate ~~comprehensively~~ the resource efficiency agenda into the European Semester;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers that measurement and benchmarking methodologies for resource efficiency, and a non-binding lead indicator and target, should be included in both the European Semester and the review of the Europe 2020 strategy;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers that measurement and benchmarking methodologies for resource efficiency, and a lead indicator and target should be included in both the European Semester in the framework of the scoreboard for macroeconomic imbalances and the review of the Europe 2020 strategy;

Amendment 23 #

Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Reiterates its call to foster eco- innovation through specific recommendations in the European Semester as it presents clear prospects for new businesses and revitalisation of traditional sectors with greener jobs;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Considers that European Semester should also incorporate reporting on renewable energy and energy efficiency on the basis of legally binding targets set in Union legislation;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Deplores that recent Commission estimates suggest that the EU is on course to achieve only half of the 20 % objective and that current plans by Member States risk falling far short of the overall 20 % energy efficiency target set in the Europe 2020 strategy, which would lead to lost opportunities for growth across many sectors and regions and loss of employment-creation possibilities and hence negatively impact productivity, competitiveness and social cohesion of the EU;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Stresses the fact~~Notes that divergences between Member States, as identified in the Annual Growth Survey 2014, are curbing the growth potential of the green economy; underlines, therefore, the urgent need to implement in fully the EU waste acquis, including minimum targets, and through national waste prevention and management strategies, and to implement EU energy efficiency requirements.

Amendment 27 #

Piernicola PEDICINI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Invites the Council to formulate final country-specific recommendations that: a) encourage Member States not to include into their own budgetary laws those revenues generated by the extraction of fossil fuels; b) adopt structural reforms in respect of the subsidiarity and proportionality principle, recognising the pivotal role of regional and local authorities in the choice of economic and energy strategies affecting their territory such as the extraction of oil.

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6 b. Stresses the need for an assessment of climate, environmental and social impacts of country specific recommendations as well as economic and structural reform plans, also to achieve more efficient coordination across policies;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)

6 c. Underlines the need for increased involvement of EU Environment ministers in the European Semester process at Council level;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the fact that the greening of EU economies and putting at equal stand the Europe 2020 targets contributes to long-term and crisis-resilient growth, increases competitiveness ~~and~~, creates jobs, ~~while~~ improving the Union’s energy security and energy independence while enhancing sustainable development;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)

6 d. Calls for increased and structured involvement of civil society and environmental organisations so as to safeguard the legitimacy and improve the effectiveness of the European semester process;

Amendment 31 #

Peter LIESE, Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY, Nuno MELO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)

6 e. Notes that the EU still generates about five tonnes of waste per person per year on average, and little more than a third of that is effectively recycled; Stresses that Europe should make more progress in turning waste into a resource and promoting sustainable ways of waste management such as recycling; Calls on the Member States to fully implement the European waste legislation at national level in order to reduce the current disparities and move towards a more circular economy;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 f (new)

6 f. Stresses the importance of an effective and sustainable healthcare system for the patients and for the economy in general and ask to include specific knowledge on health policy in the process of the European Semester;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 g (new)

6 g. Stresses that investment in health is an essential element of the package of social investment (Towards Social Investment for Growth and Cohesion - including implementing the European Social Fund 2014-2020) adopted on 20th February 2013 by the European Commission; this approach results from the annual Growth Survey 2013, which recognizes the contribution of health to an economic recovery that leads to job creation;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 h (new)

6 h. Calls on the European Commission to place greater emphasis in its package of country-specific recommendations to reforms needed to support the sustainability, efficiency and quality of the national healthcare systems; stresses the fact that reforms of healthcare systems should be undertaken not only to ensure its cost-effectiveness and more efficient use of public resources, but also to improve access and availability of high quality healthcare to general public across Europe in order to improve the overall health status of the population; calls also on the European Commission to develop more reliable methods of measuring equitable access to quality healthcare;

Amendment 35 #

Françoise GROSSETÊTE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 i (new)

6 i. Considers that public health must be seen as a long term investment. Reminds that reforms of social security systems in Member States are necessary but shall not be done at the expense of patients' access to medical innovation, a population in good health being a prior condition for social and economic growth.

Amendment 36 #

Andrey KOVATCHEV

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 j (new)

6 j. recalls the overarching values of universality, access to good quality care, equity and solidarity, as recognized by the Council in its 2006 Conclusions on Common values and principles in European Union Health Systems; underlines that health systems in Europe contribute to economic growth and will generate significant job opportunities in the year to come, as identified in the Annual Growth Survey 2014.

Amendment 37 #

Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 k (new)

6 k. Notes the recommendations for more cost-efficient healthcare; stresses the need to provide quality healthcare services and in particular assure access for the most vulnerable;

Amendment 38 #

Andrey KOVATCHEV

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 l (new)

6 l. stresses that whilst strengthening the efficiency and financial sustainability of health systems is important, this needs to be accompanied by specific commitments to ensure access to high-quality healthcare for all;

Amendment 39 #

Robert Jarosław IWASZKIEWICZ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 m (new)

6 m. Strengthens the effective investment in health is an essential condition for economic prosperity and promoting growth, with results in terms of productivity, labour supply, human capital and public spending;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the fact that the greening of EU economies contributes to long-term and crisis-resilient growth, increases competitiveness and creates jobs, while improving the Union’s energy security and energy independence; underlines the fact that shale gas might be the answer for Europe’s problems with energy dependence from Russia;

Amendment 40 #

Andrey KOVATCHEV

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 n (new)

6 n. calls on the Commission to improve measurement of accessibility of healthcare and performance of health systems so as to help reducing divergences and health inequalities between and within Member States;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 o (new)

6 o. Stresses the need to develop common tools and mechanisms at European level to tackle the shortage of human and financial resources and facilitate the adoption of innovation in health care, in order to contribute to the innovative and sustainable health systems.

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines the fact that the greening of EU economies contributes to long-term and crisis-resilient growth, increases competitiveness and creates jobs, while improving the Union’s energy security and energy independence; the green economy should be seen as a major driver for the development of the economy;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Reiterates that the sustainable development indicators measured by Eurostat include, amongst others, climate change and energy, natural resources and public health;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Underlines the fact that ensuring equal access to health care contributes to social cohesion, social justice, to tackling social exclusion and it contributes to a sustainable development as it adds to intergenerational solidarity and can correct negative population health externalities;

Amendment 8 #

Robert Jarosław IWASZKIEWICZ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1 c. Stresses the importance of the sustainability of the healthcare sector which plays an important role in the overall economy as it accounts for 8% of the total European workforce and for 10% of GDP in the European Union; for being able to provide equal access to healthcare services for the citizens, as health is an essential factor of stability, sustainability and further development of Member States and their economy;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to include fully the greening of EU economies in the priorities of the Annual Growth Survey 2015, the European Semester and the review of the Europe 2020 strategy, in order to support the transition to resource-efficient and low-carbon economies in the EU;deleted

source: 537.482

2014/09/15 EMPL 313 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Jussi HALLA-AHO, Vicky FORD

Draft opinion
Recital -A (new)

-A. whereas in 2010 the Member States committed themselves to the EU2020 goals for a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy as the direction in which the EU is to develop; whereas there is a lack of consistency between policies in the economic, employment and social field with recommendations often contradicting each other;

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Citation 3 a (new)

– having regard to Article 125 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. whereas the labour market is now one of the major causes of inequality between Member States and between different sectors, owing to divergences in access to employment, working conditions, or wage levels insufficient to guarantee decent living standards;deleted

Amendment 10 #

Philippe JUVIN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the shift in the 2014 country- specific recommendations to strengthening growth and employment, but calls for more determined efforts to guide and coordinate national and EU policies so as to complete the Single Market and reap its potential to boost growth and create jobs while continuing on the path of ambitious structural reforms in the Member States;

Amendment 100 #

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Philippe DE BACKER, Ulla TØRNÆS, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. ~~Welcome~~Asks the Commission~~’s call, in its umbrella communication on the CSR in the EU as a whole,~~ to invest more in R&D, innovation, education, skills and active labour market policies, together with energy, transport and the digital economy; ~~considers, however, that in the context of the current process of fiscal consolidation these goals can be achieved only through greater flexibility within the SGP;~~

Amendment 101 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. Welcomes the Commission’'s call, in its umbrella communication on the CSR in the EU as a whole, to invest more in R&D, innovation, education, skills and active labour market policies, together with energy, transport and the digital economy; c~~onsiders, however, that in the context of the current process of fiscal consolidation these goals can be achieved only through greater flexibility within the SGP~~alls on Member States to make use of the given flexibility within the economic governance rules;

Amendment 102 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Is concerned that financial fragmentation in the Euro area is, in some cases, jeopardising SMEs growth and sustainability; calls for a restoration of the economy's lending capacity, which allows SMEs to invest and create jobs, as well as for easing the access to entrepreneurship and the access of SMEs to programs such as COSME or Horizon 2020;

Amendment 103 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 b (new)

11 b. Calls on Member States to eliminate unnecessary administrative burdens and bureaucracy for the self-employed, micro- enterprises and SMEs and to facilitate the conditions for start-up of businesses;

Amendment 104 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12

12. ~~Calls on the Commission, as a matter of urgency, to give tangible form to the pr~~Welcomes the announcement by the President of the new Commisedsion of a EUR 300 billion investment plan~~, and calls for an assessment as to whether this figure is sufficient~~ to restore the EU’s full potential for growth and quality job creation;

Amendment 105 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12

12. Calls on the Commission, as a matter of urgency, to give tangible form to the promised EUR 300 billion investment plan, and calls for an assessment as to whether this figure is sufficient to restore the EU’s full potential for growth and quality job creation; stresses the fact that priority should be given to finance measures to boost quality job creation and investments in public infrastructures, as a means to re-launch economic growth and to trigger economies of scale;

Amendment 106 #

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Philippe DE BACKER, Ulla TØRNÆS, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12

12. Calls on the Commission, as a matter of urgency, to give tangible form to the promised EUR 300 billion investment plan, and calls for an assessment as to whether this figure is sufficient to restore the EU’s full potential for growth and quality job creation; recalls the Commission's recognition of the health and social care sectors as holding significant potential for growth and representing crucial areas for investment in pursuit of sustainable economies; invites the Commission to report on progress in developing initiatives, as part of the Europe 2020 Strategy, for investment in the health and social care sectors with regards to quality employment;

Amendment 107 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12

Amendment 108 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12 a. Calls on the Commission to provide, on the basis of Article 9 TFEU, a detailed social impact assessment of the EUR 300 billion investment plan;

Amendment 109 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States, as a matter of urgency, to exclude productive investments, for instance in education or research and development, from the deficit targets established under EU and national rules;deleted

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. whereas the labour market fragmentation is now one of the major causes of inequality between Member States and between different sectors, owing to divergences in access to employment, working conditions, or wage levels insufficient to guarantee decent living standards;

Amendment 11 #

Pascal DURAND

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the shift in the 2014 country- specific recommendations to strengthening growth and employment, but calls for more determined efforts to guide and coordinate national and EU policies so as to complete the Single Market and reap its potential to boost ~~growth and create jobs~~smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, employment and social cohesion;

Amendment 110 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 13

Amendment 111 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 13

Amendment 112 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States, as a matter of urgency, to exclude productive investments, for instance in green growth, infrastructure, education or research and development, from the deficit targets established under EU and national rules;

Amendment 113 #

Georgi PIRINSKI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States, as a matter of urgency, to exclude productive investments, for instance in education or research and development, ~~from the deficit targets established under EU and national rule~~innovations and investments in professional qualifications and skills from the deficit targets established under EU and national rules; stresses that, more specifically, priority shall be given to excluding the net increases of public expenditures in the above mentioned policy areas from deficit targets on a year- to-year basis;

Amendment 114 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Considers that the generalisation in all Member States of structural reforms only aiming at the reduction of labour cost leads to a counterproductive race to the bottom and is inefficient for the achievement of the objective of full employment; considers that this situation illustrates the absence of a genuine coordination of fiscal, social and tax policies in Europe;

Amendment 115 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Stresses that welfare services are essential for the social cohesion in Member States and that they play a crucial role in maintaining a well- functioning workforce; calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Member States to immediately exclude welfare spending from the deficit targets established under EU and national rules;

Amendment 116 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission to strengthen EU industry through the application of a ~~more flexible competition policy in favour of competitiveness and employment, together with an ecological and digital transition plan~~coherent strategy to strengthen industrial competitiveness without placing an excessive regulatory burden on businesses, in particular SMEs; reiterates its call on the Commission to draw up, after consulting the social partners, a proposal for a legal act on the provision of information to, and consultation of, workers and the anticipation and management of restructuring in order to ensure economic and socially responsible adaptation to change by EU industry;

Amendment 117 #

Jutta STEINRUCK, Evelyn REGNER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission to strengthen EU industry through the application of a more flexible competition policy in favour of competitiveness and employment, together with an ecological and digital transition plan; reiterates its call on the Commission to ~~draw up~~analyse the necessity of a proposal for a legal act on the provision of information to, and consultation of, workers and the anticipation and management of restructuring in order to ensure economic and socially responsible adaptation to change by EU industry;

Amendment 118 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission to strengthen EU industry through the application of a more flexible competition policy in favour of competitiveness and employment, - such as guaranteeing workers' rights, including the right to collective bargaining - together with an ecological and digital transition plan; reiterates its call on the Commission to draw up a proposal for a legal act on the provision of information to, and consultation of, workers and the anticipation and management of restructuring in order to ensure economic and socially responsible adaptation to change by EU industry;

Amendment 119 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission together with the Member States to strengthen EU industry through the application of a more flexible competition policy in favour of competitiveness and employment, together with an ecological and digital transition plan; reiterates its call on the Commission to draw up a proposal for a legal act on the provision of information to, and consultation of, workers and the anticipation and management of restructuring in order to ensure economic and socially responsible adaptation to change by EU industry;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. wWhereas the labour market is now one of the major causes of inequality between Member States and between different sectors, owing to divergences in access to employment, working conditions, or wage levels insufficient to guarantee decent living standards; and growing polarisation between low and high-skilled work which can prevent movement within the labour market;

Amendment 12 #

Virginie ROZIÈRE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 120 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission to strengthen EU industry ~~through the application of a more flexible competition policy in favour of competitiveness and~~in favour of employment, together with an ecological and digital transition plan; reiterates its call on the Commission to draw up a proposal for a legal act on the provision of information to, and consultation of, workers and the anticipation and management of restructuring in order to ensure economic and socially responsible adaptation to change by EU industry;

Amendment 121 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Calls on the new Commission to ensure that trade union rights are upheld, to take action against the practice of blacklisting in employment, to promote worker consultation in wage setting and to ensure that companies' economic freedoms are not prioritised over workers' social rights;

Amendment 122 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Stresses the need to shift the tax burden away from labour towards other forms of sustainable tax in order to promote growth and job creation;

Amendment 123 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 15

Amendment 124 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 15

15. Is concerned that, in many Member States and sectors, job losses are coupled with a decline in job quality, an increase in precarious forms of employment and a deterioration in basic labour standards; stresses that the Commission and the Member States need to make dedicated efforts to address the increase in involuntary part-time employment and temporary contracts, payless internships and apprenticeships, and bogus self- employment, together with the activities of the black economy; points out that undeclared work is a rising problem in most Member States and especially in cross-border work, which can only be effectively tackled by clear regulation and by much closer cooperation between the Member States, i.e. by setting up a European Platform on undeclared work, of binding nature for the Member States;

Amendment 125 #

Jutta STEINRUCK, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 15

15. Is concerned that, in many Member States and sectors, job losses are coupled with a decline in job quality, an increase in precarious forms of employment ~~and a deterioration in basic labour standards; stresses that the Commission and the Member States~~, such as part time and zero hours contracts and bogus self-employment; stresses that the Commission and the Member States, in order to protect workers from discrimination and exploitation, need to make dedicated efforts to address the increase in involuntary part-time employment and temporary contracts, payless internships and apprenticeships, and bogus self- employment, together with the activities of the black economy;

Amendment 126 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 15

15. Is concerned that, in many Member States and sectors, job losses are coupled with a decline in job quality, an increase in precarious forms of employment and a deterioration in basic labour standards; stresses that the Commission and the Member States need to make dedicated efforts to address the increase in involuntary part-time employment and temporary contracts, payless internships and apprenticeships, ~~and~~ bogus self- employment, ~~together with the activities of the black economy~~and undeclared work; welcomes therefore the Commission's initiative on a European platform on undeclared work; stresses however that the platform needs to be made binding for every Member State and that also operational measures such as common controls need to be implemented;

Amendment 127 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 15

15. Is concerned that, in many Member States and sectors, job losses are coupled with a decline in job quality, an increase in precarious forms of employment and a deterioration in basic labour standards; stresses that the Commission and the Member States need to make dedicated efforts to address the increase in involuntary part-time employment and temporary contracts, payless internships and apprenticeships, and bogus self- employment, together with the activities of the black economy; believes that all types of contractual arrangements should give workers access to a core set of rights; reiterates its call on Member States to ensure that people with precarious, temporary or part-time contracts or who are self-employed have adequate social protection, pension rights and access to life-long learning;

Amendment 128 #

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Philippe DE BACKER, Ulla TØRNÆS, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 15

15. ~~Is concerned that, in many Member States and sectors, job losses are cou~~Stresses the need to ensure that peopled with ~~a decline in job quality, an increase in precariou~~temporary or part-time contracts for~~ms of employment and~~ who are self-employed have a de~~terioration in basic labour standards~~quate social protection; stresses that the Commission and the Member States need to make dedicated efforts to ~~address the increase in involuntary part-time employment and temporary contracts, payless internships and apprenticeships, and bogus self- employment, together with~~guarantee job quality and to tackle the activities of the black economy;

Amendment 129 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 15

15. Is concerned that, in many Member States and sectors, job losses are coupled with a decline in job quality, an increase in ~~precarious forms of~~hurdles to employment and a deterioration in basic labour standards; stresses that the Commission and the Member States need to make dedicated efforts to address ~~the increase in~~matching skills with labour market needs as well as involuntary part-time employment and temporary contracts, ~~payless internships and apprenticeships, and~~ bogus self- employment, together with the activities of the black economy;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. whereas the labour market is now one of the major causes of inequality between Member States and between different sectors, showing to divergences in access to employment, working conditions, or wage levels ~~insufficient to guarantee decent living standards~~;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the shift in the 2014 country- specific recommendations to strengthening growth and employment, but calls for more determined efforts to ~~guide and~~ coordinate national and EU policies so as to complete the Single Market and reap its potential to boost growth and create jobs;

Amendment 130 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Calls on the Commission to ensure that in their policy guidance labour market reforms are aimed at, amongst others, reducing segmentation, promoting transition between jobs, advancing the inclusion of vulnerable groups in the labour market, reducing in-work poverty, promoting gender equality, strengthening the rights of workers with a-typical contracts and provide more social protection for self-employed workers;

Amendment 131 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 16

16. Observes that, in its 2013 annual report on the EU employment and social situation, the Commission highlighted the importance of social protection expenditure as a safeguard against social risks; notes, however, that social policies and social standards have been widely used as adjustment factors by those EMU members experiencing negative economic shocks; considers it regrettable that the CSRs do not refer to European automatic stabilisers; recalls the importance of such stabilisers in dealing with asymmetrical shocks, in avoiding excessive depletion of national welfare states and thus intakes note of the potential value of European automatic stabilisers for strengthening the sustainability of the EMU as a whole; ~~reiterates its call on the Commission to produce a Green Paper on automatic stabilisers in the eurozone~~stresses that such stabilisers should not lead to the creation of permanent transfers;

Amendment 132 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 16

16. Observes that, in its 2013 annual report on the EU employment and social situation, the Commission highlighted the importance of social protection expenditure as a safeguard against social risks; notes, however, that social policies and social standards have been widely used as adjustment factors by those EMU members experiencing negative economic shocks; considers it regrettable that the CSRs do not refer to ~~European~~ automatic stabilisers at European level, but do refer negatively to precise examples at national level such as wage price indexation systems; recalls the importance of such stabilisers in dealing with asymmetrical shocks, in avoiding excessive depletion of national welfare states and thus in strengthening the sustainability of EMU as a whole; reiterates its call on the Commission to produce a Green Paper on automatic stabilisers in the eurozone;

Amendment 133 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 16

16. Observes that, in its 2013 annual report on the EU employment and social situation, the Commission highlighted the importance of social protection expenditure as a safeguard against social risks; notes, however, that social policies and social standards have been widely used as adjustment factors by those EMU members experiencing negative economic shocks; considers it regrettable that the CSRs do not refer to European automatic stabilisers; recalls the importance of suchrecalls the importance of the automatic stabilisers in dealing with asymmetrical shocks, in avoiding excessive depletion of national welfare states and thus in strengthening the sustainability of EMU as a whole; reiterates its call on the Commission to produce a Green Paper on automatic stabilisers in the eurozone;

Amendment 134 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 16

16. Observes that, in its 2013 annual report on the EU employment and social situation, the Commission highlighted the importance of social protection expenditure as a safeguard against social risks; notes, however, that social policies and social standards have been widely used as adjustment factors by those EMU members experiencing negative economic shocks; considers it regrettable that the CSRs do not refer to European automatic stabilisers; recalls the importance of such stabilisers in dealing with asymmetrical shocks, in avoiding excessive depletion of national welfare states and thus in strengthening the sustainability of EMU as a whole; reiterates its call on the Commission to produce a Green Paper on automatic stabilisers in the eurozone such as the implementation of a European Unemployment Benefit Scheme;

Amendment 135 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 16

16. Observes that, in its 2013 annual report on the EU employment and social situation, the Commission highlighted the importance of social protection expenditure as a safeguard against social risks; notes, however, that social policies and social standards have been widely used as adjustment factors by those EMU members experiencing negative economic shocks; considers it regrettable that the CSRs do not refer to European automatic stabilisers; recalls the importance of such stabilisers in dealing with asymmetrical shocks, in avoiding excessive depletion of national welfare states and thus in strengthening the sustainability of EMU as a whole; reiterates its call on the Commission to produce a Green Paper on automatic stabilisers in the eurozone;

Amendment 136 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Welcomes the intention of the Italian Presidency, as delineated in its programme, to look into the matter of automatic stabilizers at the EU level, with special attention to the possible establishment of a EMU-wide unemployment benefit scheme;

Amendment 137 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 17

17. Stresses the importance of active and inclusive labour market policies in the current context; is deeply concerned that several Member States, despite rising unemployment rates, have reduced budget allocations to finance active and inclusive labour market policies; calls on the Member States to increase the coverage and effectiveness of active labour market policies, in close cooperation with the social partners;

Amendment 138 #

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Philippe DE BACKER, Ulla TØRNÆS, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 17

17. Stresses the importance of active labour market policies as a strategic tool for the promotion of employment in the current context; is deeply concerned that several Member States, despite rising unemployment rates, have reduced budget allocations to finance active labour market policies; calls on the Member States to increase the coverage and effectiveness of active labour market policies, in close cooperation with the social partners;

Amendment 139 #

Jana ŽITŇANSKÁ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 17

17. Stresses the importance of active labour market policies in the current context; is deeply concerned that several Member States, despite rising unemployment rates, have reduced budget allocations to finance active labour market policies; ~~calls on th~~encourages those Member States ~~to increase the coverage and effectiveness of active labour market policies, in close cooperation with the social partners~~concerned to re- consider these budget allocations and to support programmes empirically proven to help regain employment;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. whereas the labour market is ~~now~~ one of the ma~~jor causes of inequality~~in divergences between Member States and between different sectors~~, owing to divergences in access to employment, working conditions, or wage levels insufficient to guarantee decent living standard~~ due to lack of reform, working conditions and living standards as well as divergences in access to employment, such as high entrance hurdles;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Notes that Single Market legislation is generally a topic for the EU-28, but, given that the need for integration is much more significant in the Euro area, calls on the Commission to explore the possibility for EMU members to engage in enhanced cooperation with a view to adopting legislation that fosters intra- EMU labour mobility more quickly and efficient;

Amendment 140 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Calls on the Commission to conduct an EU-wide study into whether, as a result of recent changes made to Member State labour laws with a view to making the labour market more flexible, employees' social security cover has not been diminished and the principle of flexibility with security has not been infringed;

Amendment 141 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 18

Amendment 142 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 18

Amendment 143 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 18

18. ~~Not~~Welcomes the adoption of the European Parliament and Council decision on enhanced cooperation between Public Employment Services (PES); welcomes the January 2014 proposal for a EURES (European Job Mobility Portal) regulation; calls for Parliament and the Council to deliberate on the reform as a matter of urgency so that EURES can become an effective instrument for boosting freedom of movement; recalls that mobility must remain voluntary and must not limit efforts to create jobs and training places on the spot;

Amendment 144 #

Jutta STEINRUCK, Evelyn REGNER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 18

Amendment 145 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 18

18. Notes the January 2014 proposal for a EURES (European Job Mobility Portal) regulation; calls for Parliament and the Council to deliberate on the reform as a matter of urgency so that EURES can become an effective instrument for boosting freedom of movement in line with the provisions taken in Regulation (EU) Nr. 1296/2013; recalls that mobility must remain fair and voluntary and must not limit efforts to create quality jobs and training places on the spot; stresses that reliable professional information on the working and living conditions in other Member States is a prerequisite of a well- functioning European Economic Area;

Amendment 146 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 18

Amendment 147 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

Amendment 148 #

Krisztina MORVAI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

19. Highlights the rising number of workers, particularly young people, departing their countries of origin for other Member States in search of employment opportunities, and is deeply concerned about the persistent divergences between those Member States creating employment and those supplying a low-cost labour force; urges the Commission to develop a better legal framework for cross-border movement of workers in order to ensure freedom of movement while consecrating the principle of equal treatment and safeguarding wages and social standards; calls on the Commission to urgently develop a legal and policy framework based on the principle of equal treatment, to decrease the huge differences that presently exist between the remuneration (payment gap) and working conditions of workers employed in identical or basically similar positions and by the same company (group) in different Member States, in violation of the most fundamental values of the EU, including non-discrimination and cohesion; calls for the establishment in each Member State, either by law or through collective bargaining, of a minimum wage equivalent to at least 60 % of the respective national average wage;

Amendment 149 #

Mircea DIACONU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas there is ample evidence that wage inequality is lower when worker representation is high and wages are set through collective bargaining and other processes involving worker and trade union participation; whereas higher wages stimulate demand and can therefore act as an economic stimulus for job creation and growth;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Welcomes steps taken so far by Member States to enhance the Points of Single Contact and improve the functioning of the service sector, but shares the Commission's concerns that further improvements could be made to reduce barriers and enhance competition in the areas of services, including financial services;

Amendment 150 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

Amendment 151 #

Csaba SÓGOR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

Amendment 152 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

Amendment 153 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

Amendment 154 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

19. Highlights the rising number of workers, particularly young people, departing their countries of origin for other Member States in search of employment opportunities, and is deeply concerned about the persistent divergences between those Member States creating employment and those supplying a low-cost labour force; urges Member States to ensure that freedom of movement is not restricted and access to public services of mobile young students and workers is not limited or denied; in this sense, calls on the Commission to put forward proposals to further facilitate the voluntary mobility of young people across the EU; urges the Commission to develop a better legal framework for cross-border movement of workers in order to ensure freedom of movement while consecrating the principle of equal treatment and safeguarding wages and social standards; calls for the establishment in each Member State, either by law or through collective bargaining, of a minimum wage equivalent to at least 60 % of the respective national average wage;

Amendment 155 #

Marita ULVSKOG, Miapetra KUMPULA-NATRI, Ole CHRISTENSEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

Amendment 156 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

Amendment 157 #

Ádám KÓSA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

19. Highlights the rising number of workers, particularly young people, departing their countries of origin for other Member States in search of employment opportunities, and is deeply concerned about the persistent divergences between those Member States creating employment and those supplying a low-cost labour force; urges the Commission to develop a ~~better legal framework for cross-border movement of worker~~roadmap for cross-border movement of workers in order to ensure freedom of movement while consecrating the principle of equal treatment and safeguarding wages and social standards based on the principle of equal treatment on the ground of nationality, to decrease the huge differences that presently exist between the remuneration (payment gap) and working conditions of workers employed in identical or basically similar positions and by the same company (group) operating in different Member States since their joining the EU in order to contribute to further and reasonable harmonisation among wages in all Member States by not generating further unemployment in New Member States in order to ensure freedom of movement while consecrating the principle of equal treatment and safeguarding wages and social standards; calls for the establishment in each Member State, either by law or through collective bargaining, of a minimum wage equivalent to at least 60 % of the respective national average wage; based on an established roadmap;

Amendment 158 #

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Philippe DE BACKER, Ulla TØRNÆS, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

Amendment 159 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

C a. Whereas the Commission has acknowledged that, contrary to the Europe 2020 targets, poverty has increased by 10 million between 2010 and 2012 instead of being reduced;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Supports the Commission's analysis calling for the 'economic needs test' to be abolished due to the restrictions it places on businesses wishing to operate in other Member States;

Amendment 160 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19

Amendment 161 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Calls for the repeal of all Union legislation regarding the freedom of movement to allow Member States to control immigration, employment and social security rights according to their own national laws;

Amendment 162 #

Marita ULVSKOG, Ole CHRISTENSEN, Miapetra KUMPULA-NATRI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Calls on Member States to step up their efforts to combat undeclared employment and precarious work, including 'mini jobs' and false part-time jobs, and to ensure that all workers enjoy appropriate social protection; deplores, furthermore, the abuse of non-standard employment contracts in order to avoid having to comply with employment and social protection obligations;

Amendment 163 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Considers that Europe needs stronger nominal wage dynamics to steer the economy away from the debt deflation trap, and robust increases in real wages to put the economy onto a strong growth trajectory; considers furthermore that the respect and promotion of autonomous collective bargaining is the best instrument to achieve these goals, as well as for negotiating restructuring processes, supporting productivity and investment, fostering redistribution and fighting poverty, and for restoring democracy and workers' participation at the workplace; underlines that the statutory minimum wage should be increased substantially in those countries where the social partners consider it necessary; stresses that these minimum wages need to respect the European Social Charter of the Council of Europe which calls for a remuneration that will give workers and their families a decent standard of living;

Amendment 164 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Is concerned that the supply of science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills (STEM) will not match the increasing demands of businesses in the coming years thereby reducing the capacity of the EU labour force to adapt and progress; calls on Member states to invest in the modernisation of education and training systems, including life-long learning, in particular dual learning schemes, and to facilitate the transition from school to work;

Amendment 165 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19 b. Believes there is a need to improve leadership, management and entrepreneurial skills among young people to enable new businesses and start- ups to take advantage of new markets, to realise their growth potential so that young people will become employers and not only employees;

Amendment 166 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 19 c (new)

19 c. Notes that bank lending is still the most common source of finance in Europe; believes however, that there are real benefits in new forms of financing through innovative schemes and non- bank routes, such as crowd funding, SME angels, peer-to-peer lending, micro- lending, easily accessible microcredit agencies and other tools, which can provide vital investment for start-ups and SMEs to grow and create jobs;

Amendment 167 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 20

20. Welcomes the mild decline in youth unemployment, but points out that it is still at alarming levels: 22 % in the EU-28 and 23.1 % in the eurozone; highlights the worrying differences between Member States (7.8 % in Germany and 53.5 % in Spain); considers it regrettable that even when young people do find a job, many of them – 43 % on average, compared with 13 % of adult workers – find themselves working under precarious conditions or on part-time contracts, making it difficult for them to live independently from their families and resulting in a loss of innovation and expert resources which affects production and growth; also expresses concern at the increasing level of unemployed homeless youth in many Member States;

Amendment 168 #

Mircea DIACONU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 20

20. Welcomes the mild decline in youth unemployment, but points out that it is still at alarming levels: 22 % in the EU-28 and 23.1 % in the eurozone; highlights the worrying differences between Member States (7.8 % in Germany and 53.5 % in Spain); considers it regrettable that even when young people do find a job, many of them – 43 % on average, compared with 13 % of adult workers – find themselves working under precarious conditions or on part-time contracts, making it difficult for them to live independently from their families and resulting in a loss of innovation and expert resources which affects production and growthalls on the Commission to prioritise the implementation of any measures necessary to level the playing field between the Member States, recognising the threats that these large differences pose to youth across Europe;

Amendment 169 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 20

20. Welcomes the mild decline in youth unemployment, but points out that it is still at alarming levels: 22 % in the EU-28 and 23.1 % in the eurozone; highlights the worrying differences between Member States (7.8 % in Germany and 53.5 % in Spain); considers it regrettable that even when young people do find a job, many of them – 43 % on average, compared with 13 % of adult workers – find themselves working under precarious conditions or on involuntary part-time contracts, making it difficult for them to live independently from their families and resulting in a loss of innovation and expert resources which affects production and growth;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

C a. Whereas the economic and financial crisis has highlighted the fragility of public finances in some Member States;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Calls for stronger efforts to promote the Single Market tools available to businesses and citizens, including the Points of Single Contact, so that they are better aware of the available opportunities to generate growth and jobs in the Single Market;

Amendment 170 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 20

20. Welcomes the mild decline in youth unemployment, but points out that it is still at alarming levels: 22 % in the EU-28 and 23.1 % in the eurozone; highlights the worrying differences between Member States (7.8 % in Germany and 53.5 % in Spain); stresses that job insecurity and underemployment have also risen significantly and considers it regrettable that even when young people do find a job, many of them – 43 % on average, compared with 13 % of adult workers – find themselves working under precarious conditions or on part-time contracts, making it difficult for them to live independently from their families and resulting in a loss of innovation and expert resources which affects production and growth;

Amendment 171 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 20

20. Welcomes the ~~mild~~ decline in youth unemployment, but points out that it is still at alarming levels: 22 % in the EU-28 and 23.1 % in the eurozone; highlights the worrying differences between Member States (7.8 % in Germany and ~~53.5 % in Spain~~Greece (56.3% in April 2014)); considers it regrettable that even when young people do find a job, many of them – 43 % on average, compared with 13 % of adult workers – find themselves working under precarious conditions or on part-time contracts~~, making it difficult for them to live independently from their families and resulting in a loss of innovation and expert resources which affects production and growth~~;

Amendment 172 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 20

20. Welcomes the mild decline in youth unemployment, but points out that it is still at alarming levels: 22 % in the EU-28 and 23.1 % in the eurozone; highlights the worrying differences between Member States (7.8 % in Germany and 53.5 % in Spain); ~~considers it regrettable that even~~notes that when young people do find a job, ~~many~~some of them – 43 % on average, compared with 13 % of adult workers – find themselves working under p~~recarious conditions or on part-time contracts, making it difficult for them to live independently from their families and resulting in a loss of~~ art-time contracts, which can be a stepping stone for full-time employment, enabling different sectors to be more innovationve and ~~expert resources~~flexible, which affects production and growth;

Amendment 173 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20 a. Welcomes the mentioning of the Youth Guarantee in the majority of the country specific recommendations; however, calls for more transparency in the monitoring of the implementation and for more ambition with regard to addressing the Member States showing no progress in this regard; calls on the European Commission to closely monitor the challenges that have been identified in the 2014 Country Specific Recommendations, regarding the quality of offers, the lack of active outreach to NEETs, the administrative capacity of Public employment services and the lack of effective engagement with all the relevant partners; stresses that the Youth Employment Initiative should be regarded as an incentive to all Member States to use the European Social Fund to finance broader projects related to youth, especially on poverty and social inclusion;

Amendment 174 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20 a. Calls for obligatory bench-learning of EU Member States policy especially as regards European labour market policy, which means implementation of binding monitoring and recording of best practice models and methods in Europe focusing on the reduction of unemployment rates, primarily of youth unemployment, which shall result in mandatory bench-marking and ranking of all national examples, leading to concrete political consequences to be drawn from these findings by all EU Member States;

Amendment 175 #

Mircea DIACONU

Draft opinion
Paragraph 20 b (new)

20 b. Considers it regrettable that even when young people do find a job, many of them – 43 % on average, compared with 13 % of adult workers – find themselves working under precarious conditions or on part-time contracts, making it difficult for them to live independently from their families and resulting in a loss of innovation and expert resources which affects production and growth;

Amendment 176 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21

21. Calls on the Commission to ~~propose a binding European framework for~~closely follow the implementation of the Youth Guarantees so as to prevent the funds being misused in such a way as to aggravate national internal wage devaluation processes; takes the view that this legal framework should introduce binding minimum standards for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees, including; calls on the Member States to implement the Youth Guarantee without delay, with a specific focus on the quality of apprenticeships, decent wages for young people and access to employment services, and ~~should cover~~including young people aged between 25 and 30; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make the Youth Guarantees a priority and to ~~increase~~ensure that the available budget, at the latest in the promised mid-term review of the multiannual financial framework, up to at least the sum of EUR 21 billion estimated by the International Labour Organisation to be necessary to resolve the problem in the eurozon is adequate;

Amendment 177 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21

21. Calls on the Commission to propose a binding European framework for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees so as to prevent the funds being misused in such a way as to aggravate national internal wage devaluation processes; takes the view that this legal framework should introduce binding minimum standards for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees, including the quality of apprenticeships, decent wages for young people and access to employment services, and should cover young people aged between 25 and 30; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make the Youth Guarantees a priority and to increase the available budget, at the latest in the promised mid- term review of the multiannual financial framework, up to at least the sum of EUR 21 billion estimated by the International Labour Organisation to be necessary to resolve the problem only in the eurozone; stresses furthermore that youth unemployment costs €153 billion every year and that thus the costs of inaction are significantly higher;

Amendment 178 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21

21. Calls on the Commission to propose a binding European framework for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees so as to prevent the funds being misused in such a way as to aggravate national internal wage devaluation processes; takes the view that this legal framework should introduce binding minimum standards for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees, including the quality of apprenticeships, decent wages for young people and access to employment services, and should cover young people aged between 25 and 30; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make the Youth Guarantees a priority and to increase the available budget, at the latest in the promised mid- term review of the multiannual financial framework, up to at least the sum of EUR 21 billion estimated by the International Labour Organisation to be necessary to resolve the problem in the eurozone; regards this increase as necessary investment considering the enormous annual economic loss of youth unemployment amounting to EUR 153 billion, corresponding to 1,2% of EU GDP (Eurofound, 2012)1 a ; __________________ 1a Eurofound (2012), NEETs: young people not in employment, education or training: characteristics, costs and policy responses in Europe, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.

Amendment 179 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21

21. Calls on the Commission to propose a binding European framework for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees so as to prevent the funds being misused in such a way as to aggravate national internal wage devaluation processes; takes the view that this legal framework should introduce binding minimum standards for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees, including the quality of apprenticeships, decent wages for young people and access to employment services, and should cover young people aged between 25 and 30; calls on the Commission to closely monitor the introduction and the implementation of the Youth Guarantee Programme with regard to the Member States showing no progress in this regard; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make the Youth Guarantees a priority and to increase the available budget, at the latest in the promised mid- term review of the multiannual financial framework, up to at least the sum of EUR 21 billion estimated by the International Labour Organisation to be necessary to resolve the problem in the eurozone;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas cases of vulnerable workers being abused in the EU and labour- market compartmentalisation with varying levels of protection for different contract types and job relationships still exist, leading to social maladjustment and inequality;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)

3d. Outlines the potential of the manufacturing sector in the Single Market; in this regard, stresses the importance of reducing barriers for the production, distribution and procurement of industrial products in manufacturing;

Amendment 180 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21

Amendment 181 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21

21. Calls on the Commission to propose a binding European framework for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees so as to prevent the funds being misused in such a way as to aggravate national internal wage devaluation processes; takes the view that this legal framework should introduce binding minimum standards for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees, including the quality of apprenticeships, decent wages for young people and access to employment services, and should cover young people aged between 25 and 30; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make the Youth Guarantees a priority and to increase the available budget, at the latest in the promised mid- term review of the multiannual financial framework, up to at least the sum of EUR 21 billion estimated by the International Labour Organisation to be necessary to resolve the problem in the eurozone; welcomes the decision by the Commission to 'frontload' the available funding for the Youth Employment Initiative; regrets that the allocated funds to the YEI are not in any way sufficient to achieve such objectives; highlights the need for a rapid and timely implementation of the Youth Employment Package, in particular the Youth Guarantee, in order to maximise the potential benefits of the frontloading in those regions who are most in need;

Amendment 182 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21

21. Calls on the Commission to propose a binding European framework for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees so as to prevent the funds being misused in such a way as to aggravate national internal wage devaluation processes; takes the view that this legal framework should introduce binding minimum standards for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees, including the quality of apprenticeships, decent wages for young people and access to employment services, and should cover young people aged between 25 and 30Recommends Member States to implement Youth Guarantees schemes in order to promote youth employment; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make the Youth Guarantees a priority and to increase the available budget, at the latest in the promised mid-term review of the multiannual financial framework~~, up to at least~~; Notes the sum of EUR 21 billion estimated by the International Labour Organisation to be necessary to resolve the problem in the eurozone;

Amendment 183 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21

21. Calls on the Commission to propose a ~~binding~~ European framework for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees so as to prevent the funds being misused in such a way as to aggravate national internal wage devaluation processes; takes the view that this legal framework should introduce ~~binding~~ minimum standards for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees, including the quality of apprenticeships, ~~decent wages for young people~~quality of job offers and access to employment services, and should cover young people aged between 25 and 30; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make the Youth Guarantees a priority and to increase the available budget, at the latest in the promised mid- term review of the multiannual financial framework, up to at least the sum of EUR 21 billion estimated by the International Labour Organisation to be necessary to resolve the problem in the eurozone;

Amendment 184 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21

21. Calls on the Commission to propose a binding European framework for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees so as to prevent the funds being misused in such a way as to aggravate national internal wage devaluation processes; takes the view that this legal framework should introduce binding minimum standards for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees, including the quality of apprenticeships, the creation of jobs with rights, decent wages for young people, permanent contracts and access to employment services, and should cover young people aged between 25 and 30; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make the Youth Guarantees a priority and to increase the available budget, at the latest in the promised mid- term review of the multiannual financial framework, up to at least the sum of EUR 21 billion estimated by the International Labour Organisation to be necessary to resolve the problem in the eurozone;

Amendment 185 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21

21. Calls on the Commission to propose a binding European framework for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees so as to prevent the funds being misused in such a way as to aggravate national internal wage devaluation processesand the Member States to make the Youth Guarantees a priority and to use efficiently the available budget; takes the view that th~~is legal~~e framework should introduce binding minimum standards for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees, including the quality of apprenticeships, decent wages for young people and access to employment services, and should cover young people aged between 25 and 30; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make the Youth Guarantees a priority and to increase the available budget, at the latest in the promised mid-term review of the multiannual financial framework, up to at least the sum of EUR 21 billion estimated by the International Labour Organisation to be necessary to resolve the problem in the eurozonefacilitate the school-to-work transition and focus equipping young people with the right skills that correspond to the labour market needs, including giving them a chance to start their own businesses;

Amendment 186 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21

21. Calls on the Commission to ~~propose a binding European~~consider developing a framework for the implementation of the Youth Guarantees so as to prevent the funds being misused ~~in such a way as to aggravate national internal wage devaluation process~~or used to subsidise national approaches; takes the view that this ~~legal~~ framework should introduce ~~binding minimum standards for the~~standards for Member States to effectively implement~~ation of~~ the Youth Guarantees, including the quality of apprenticeships, decent wages for young people and access to employment services, and should cover young people aged between 25 and 30; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make the Youth Guarantees a priority and to increase the available budget by identifying savings elsewhere in the EU budget, at the latest in the promised mid-term review of the multiannual financial framework~~, up to at least the sum of EUR 21 billion estimated by the International Labour Organisation to be necessary to resolve the problem in the eurozone~~;

Amendment 187 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21 a. Notes that a variety of pathways must be available to young people, and that the definitions of such pathways (internships, traineeships) vary across Europe; strongly believes that applying a single definition across all Member States will create greater confusion;

Amendment 188 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21 a. Stresses the importance of emphasizing practical skills and the dual system of vocational training which makes young people more employable;

Amendment 189 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 21 b (new)

21 b. Calls on the Member States to improve cooperation between businesses and the education sector at all levels;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas the setting of minimum wages is a competence of the Member States;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)

3e. Supports the Commission's work on regulated professions but considers it necessary to take more action against restrictions placed at a national level especially those which affect the access to regulated professions to support jobs, growth and mobility of qualified professionals in the Single Market; also calls for increased monitoring of barriers in the Single Market for goods;

Amendment 190 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 22

22. Urges the Member States to go above and beyond the March 2014 Council recommendation for a Quality Framework for Traineeships in order to prevent discrimination and exploitation of young workers; calls for the adoption of a directive on decent conditions and minimum standards for ~~intern~~apprenticeships and traineeships, giving interns and trainees clearly defined rights that include access to social protection, binding written contracts and fair remuneration and introducing limits on the use of trainees and interns in companies so as to prevent abuses;

Amendment 191 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 22

22. Urges the Member States to go above and beyond the March 2014 Council recommendation for a Quality Framework for Traineeships in order to prevent discrimination and exploitation of young workers; calls for the adoption of a directive on decent conditions and minimum standards for ~~intern~~traineeships and ~~traine~~apprenticeships, giving interns and trainees clearly defined rights that include access to social protection, binding written contracts and fair remuneration and introducing limits on the use of trainees and interns in companies so as to prevent abuses and the misuse of such schemes to replace jobs;

Amendment 192 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 22

22. Urges the Member States to go above and beyond the March 2014 Council recommendation for a Quality Framework for Traineeships in order to prevent discrimination and exploitation of young workers; calls for the adoption of a directive on decent conditions and minimum standards for internships and traineeships, giving interns and trainees clearly defined rights that include access to social protection, binding written contracts and fair remuneration ~~and introducing limits on the use of trainees and interns in companies so as to prevent abuses;~~.

Amendment 193 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 22

22. ~~Urges the Member States to go above and beyond~~Welcomes the March 2014 Council recommendation for a Quality Framework for Traineeships in order to prevent discrimination and exploitation of young workers; calls for the adoption of a directive on decent conditions and minimum standards for internships and traineeships, giving interns and trainees clearly defined rights that include access to social protection, binding written contracts and fair remuneration and introducing limits on the use of trainees and interns in companies so as to prevent abuses;

Amendment 194 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 22

22. Urges the Member States to go above and beyond the March 2014 Council recommendation for a Quality Framework for Traineeships in order to prevent discrimination and exploitation of young workers; calls for the adoption of a directive on decent conditions and minimum standards for internships and traineeships, giving interns and trainees clearly defined rights that include access to social protection, binding written contracts and fair remuneration and introducing limits on the use of trainees and interns in companies so as to prevent abuses;

Amendment 195 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 22

22. ~~Urg~~Welcomes the ~~Member States to go above and beyond~~adoption of the March 2014 Council recommendation for a Quality Framework for Traineeships in order to prevent discrimination and exploitation of young workers; calls for the adoption of a directive on decent conditions and minimum standards for internships and traineeships, giving interns and trainees clearly defined rights that include access to social protection, binding written contracts and fair remuneration and introducing limits on the use of trainees and interns in companies so as to prevent abuses;

Amendment 196 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 22

22. ~~Urges the~~Calls on Member States to ~~go above and beyond~~implement the March 2014 Council recommendation for a Quality Framework for Traineeships in order to prevent discrimination and exploitation of young workers; calls for the adoption of a directive on decent conditions and minimum standards for internships and traineeships, giving interns and trainees clearly defined rights that include access to social protection, binding written contracts and fair remuneration and introducing limits on the use of trainees and interns in companies so as to prevent abuses;

Amendment 197 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 23

Amendment 198 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 23

23. Observes with concern that female unemployment rates are higher than the total rates (11.7 % in the EU-18 and 10.4 % in the EU-28, compared with 11.5 % and 10.2 % respectively); calls, therefore, for specific decent-job creation plans with targeted measures for women; calls for the establishment of specific recommendations with a view to reducing the gender pay gap, which is not only a drag on the economy and on competitiveness but also a sign of social injustice; calls on the Member States to safeguard their maternity entitlements, to take measures to prevent the unfair dismissal of employees during pregnancy and to protect women and men with care responsibilities from unfair dismissal; calls also on the Council to speed up the adoption of the directive concerning the implementation of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of pregnant workers, workers who have recently given birth and women who are breastfeeding;

Amendment 199 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 23

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas, after six years of economic crisis and negative growth rates, the Commission’s forecasts for the economic recovery are still fragile and insufficient to achieve citizens’ employment and social demands; whereas the Commission recognises that in many parts of the EU the social situation is depressed, that unemployment has reached unprecedented heights and that the divergences among regions and Member States are growing; whereas measures to tackle this employment and social ~~emergency~~situation are needed to ~~be put in place as a matter of urgency~~restore productivity and competitiveness as these are vital to the EU's growth prospects;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that ~~the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy are yet to be achieved and believes that, with a view to the update required, stronger measures should be put in place to bridge the present gap~~currently the EU is about to face complete failure regarding the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy and suggests to reassess the efficiency of recent methods as well as consider the development of new approaches;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)

C b. whereas EU legislation on working conditions, discrimination and health and safety in the workplace grants protection for workers from exploitation and discrimination and also helps to facilitate the incorporation of groups, such as women and disabled people, into the labour market; whereas the cost of accidents at work and occupational ill health is estimated to represent between 2.6% and 3.8% of GDP, while it is estimated that for every euro spent on implementing health and safety standards, companies receive a return of 2.2 euros;

Amendment 20 #

Jutta STEINRUCK, Evelyn REGNER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Considers that the European Semester process needs to be inclusive, and that political priorities also have to be discussed outside of government circles, in order to spread national ownership and effectively implement both economic governance and Single Market governance; in this regard, calls for the support of the Commission in assisting Member States with the implementation of complex Single Market legislation;

Amendment 200 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 23

Amendment 201 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 23

23. Observes with concern that female unemployment rates are higher than the total rates (11.7 % in the EU-18 and 10.4 % in the EU-28, compared with 11.5 % and 10.2 % respectively); ~~calls, therefore, for specific decent-job creation plans with targeted measures for women;~~ calls for the establishment of specific recommendations with a view to reducing the gender pay gap, ~~which is not only a drag on the economy and on competitiveness but also a sign of social injustice~~calls for specific attention to the integration of women in the labour market;

Amendment 202 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23 a. Welcomes the recommendations addressing the low participation of women in the labour market; calls on the Commission to include a broader gender equality perspective beyond employment rates in in the next Annual Growth Survey; calls on the Commission to address labour market segregation, unequal distribution of care responsibilities and the effects of fiscal consolidation on women in its policy guidance;

Amendment 203 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23 a. Calls for affordable and quality public services in the field of child and dependent people care which will permit, especially for women, the return to employment and to facilitate the conciliation of work and private life;

Amendment 204 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23 a. Calls on the Member States to guarantee adequate social security also for the most vulnerable groups such as the unemployed, the disabled, single- parent families, young families, the young, the elderly and pensioners; calls also on the Member States to ensure that social services are made more accessible for all members of vulnerable social groups and persons with long-term care needs, particularly in rural areas and disadvantaged regions;

Amendment 205 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 23 b (new)

23 b. Calls on the Member States to pay particular attention to high unemployment rates among disadvantaged groups, giving priority to accession and integration into the labour market and the mainstreaming of accession and integration policies, as employment is the key to successful integration;

Amendment 206 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 24

Amendment 207 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 24

24. Is deeply concerned that long-term unemployed people, people with chronic or terminal illnesses and senior workers are experiencing higher unemployment rates and additional difficulties in re- entering the labour market; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make full use of the European Social Fund to help these workers; urges the adoption of a directive on decent working conditions, defining core labour rights for all workers, including those returning to work after ill health, and introducing common minimum standards so as to prevent this kind of labour discrimination;

Amendment 208 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 24

Amendment 209 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 24

Amendment 21 #

Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ, Andreas SCHWAB, Anna Maria CORAZZA BILDT, Vicky FORD

Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)

C b. Whereas budget and fiscal consolidation have been necessary to avoid bankruptcy of some Member States and to guarantee the sustainability and viability of the EU economy and the EU welfare state;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Considers that the European Semester process needs to be inclusive, and that political priorities also have to be discussed outside of government circles, in order to spread national ownership and effectively implement both economic governance and Single Market governance; acknowledges that the dialogue with national parliaments and civil society plays an essential role in restoring confidence in the Single Market;

Amendment 210 #

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Philippe DE BACKER, Ulla TØRNÆS, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 24

24. Is deeply concerned that long-term unemployed people and senior workers are experiencing higher unemployment rates and additional difficulties in re-entering the labour market; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make full use of the European Social Fund to help these workers; urges the adoption of a directive on decent working conditions, defining core labour rights for all workers and introducing common minimum standards so as to prevent this kind of labour discrimination; calls on Member States to ensure that employment policies reach also those furthest away from the labour market, including people with migrant background and the Roma and to take action to ensure that anti-discrimination legislation relating to employment matters is implemented;

Amendment 211 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 24

24. Is deeply concerned that long-term unemployed people and senior workers are experiencing higher unemployment rates and additional difficulties in re-entering the labour market; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make full use of the European Social Fund to help these workers; ~~urges the adoption of a directive on decent working conditions, defining core labour rights for all workers and introducing common minimum standards so as to prevent this kind of labour discrimination~~calls for increasing the flexibility of labour markets in order to adapt to specific competences and allow specific remuneration schemes bringing labour cost in line with productivity and stepping away from pay based on seniority;

Amendment 212 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24 a. Observes with concern that employees aged 40+ often no longer have appropriate training and further education on their job; calls therefore on employers, social partners and national governments to execute true life-long learning (LLL) concepts and measurements on the labour market to achieve marked improvements in qualification of elder workers as soon as possible;

Amendment 213 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 25

25. Welcomes those CSRs aimed at increasing the adequacy and coverage of minimum income schemes and social protection, and the number of CSRs relating to labour market inclusion policies; takes the view, however, that the uneven and fragile growth expected by the Commission in 2014 and 2015 will not by itself be able to tackle the severe impact that ~~austerity measures and~~ the crisis haves had on the fight against poverty and social exclusion and on the achievement of the Europe 2020 goals; ~~demands that~~calls on the Member States to propose specific, targeted measures within their NRPs with a view to tackling poverty, especially child poverty;

Amendment 214 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 25

25. Welcomes those CSRs aimed at increasing the adequacy and coverage of minimum income schemes and social protection, and the number of CSRs relating to labour market inclusion policies; takes the view, however, that the uneven and fragile growth expected by the Commission in 2014 and 2015 will not by itself be able to tackle the severe impact that austerity measures and the crisis have had on the fight against poverty and social exclusion and on the achievement of the Europe 2020 goals; demands that the Member States propose specific, targeted measures within their NRPs with a view to tackling poverty, especially child poverty and homelessness;

Amendment 215 #

Anne SANDER, Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER, Jérôme LAVRILLEUX

Draft opinion
Paragraph 25

25. Welcomes those CSRs aimed at increasing the adequacy and coverage of minimum income schemes and social protection, and the number of CSRs relating to labour market inclusion policies; takes the view, however, that the uneven and fragile growth expected by the Commission in 2014 and 2015 will not by itself be able to tackle the severe impact that austerity measures and the crisis have had on the fight against poverty and social exclusion and on the achievement of the Europe 2020 goals; ~~demands that the~~urges Member States to propose specific, targeted measures within their NRPs with a view to tackling poverty, especially child poverty;

Amendment 216 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 25

25. Welcomes those CSRs aimed at increasing the adequacy and coverage of minimum income schemes and social protection, and the number of CSRs relating to labour market inclusion policies; takes the view, however, that the uneven and fragile growth expected by the Commission in 2014 and 2015 will not by itself be able to tackle the ~~severe~~ impact that ~~austerity measures and~~ the crisis have had on the fight against poverty and social exclusion and on the achievement of the Europe 2020 goals; demands that the Member States propose specific, targeted measures within their NRPs with a view to tackling poverty, especially child poverty;

Amendment 217 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 25

25. Welcomes those CSRs aimed at increasing the adequacy and coverage of ~~minimum income scheme~~safety nets and social protection, and the number of CSRs relating to labour market inclusion policies; takes the view, however, that the uneven and fragile growth expected by the Commission in 2014 and 2015 will not by itself be able to tackle the ~~severe impact that austerity measures and the crisis have had on the fight against poverty and social exclusion and on the~~ achievement of the Europe 2020 goals; demands that the Member States propose specific, targeted measures within their NRPs with a view to tackling poverty, especially child poverty;

Amendment 218 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 25

25. Welcomes those CSRs aimed at increasing the adequacy and coverage of minimum income schemes and social protection, and the number of CSRs relating to labour market inclusion policies; takes the view, however, that the uneven and fragile growth expected by the Commission in 2014 and 2015 will not by itself be able to tackle the severe impact that austerity measures and the crisis have had on the fight against poverty and social exclusion and on the achievement of the Europe 2020 goals; demands that people who cannot fully participate in the labour market are not neglegted and calls therefore for a comprehensive active inclusion strategy that allows full access to quality social services; demands furthermore that the Member States propose specific, targeted measures within their NRPs with a view to tackling poverty, especially child poverty;

Amendment 219 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 25

25. Welcomes those CSRs aimed at increasing the adequacy and coverage of minimum income schemes and social protection, and the number of CSRs relating to labour market inclusion policies; takes the view, however, that the uneven and fragile growth expected by the Commission in 2014 and 2015 will not by itself be able to tackle the severe impact that austerity measures and the crisis have had on the fight against poverty and social exclusion and on the achievement of the Europe 2020 goals; demands that the Member States follow up closely the recommendations, deliver on them and propose specific, targeted measures within their NRPs with a view to tackling poverty, especially child poverty;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)

C b. whereas, to tackle the crisis, certain Member States have made severe cuts in public expenditure at the same time as demand for social protection has increased in response to the rise in unemployment; whereas national budget allocations for social security cover have been further stretched as contributions have fallen in the wake of wide-scale job losses or wage cuts, thus placing the European social model at a real risk;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 220 #

Csaba SÓGOR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25 a.Calls on Member States, taking note of the Council recommendation from 9 and 10 December 2013 on effective Roma integration measures in the Member States, to implement long-term, targeted and integrated measures for reducing the level of social and economic marginalization of Roma communities, especially through the adoption of measures for their integration in the labour market, including through strengthened links between social assistance and activation, and through the increase of school attendance by Roma children and the reduction of early school leaving;

Amendment 221 #

Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Jutta STEINRUCK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25 a. Encourages Member States to take practical steps to combat poverty and social exclusion, by providing an appropriate minimum income and a social security system, in accordance with their own national practices, including provisions set out in collective agreements or national legislation;

Amendment 222 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25 a. Calls on the Commission to immediately tackle the alarming increase in child poverty throughout Europe through the introduction of a child guarantee against poverty; believes that such a guarantee is of upmost importance in order to protect children that have been affected by the consequences of the current economic and social crisis;

Amendment 223 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25 a. Calls on the Commission to link the European Semester more closely to the Europe 2020 social objectives; National Reform Programmes (NRPs) should report on progress on the national poverty targets demonstrating the contribution to the commonly agreed headline poverty target under Europe 2020; Calls on the Commission to issue CSRs on fighting poverty to all MSs in the future; Calls on Member States to have specific social inclusion and anti-discrimination measures in place to reduce poverty aiming groups most at risk from social exclusion;

Amendment 224 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 26

26. Regrets the fact that the Commission recommendations on pensions were made without taking into full account Parliament’s position on the Green and White Papers on pensions, in particular with regard to Parliament's recommendation of collective, solidarity- based supplementary occupational pension savings, preferably resulting from collective agreements and established at the national, sectorial or company level; is concerned that reforms to guarantee the sustainability of pensions have focused solely on population ageing, without taking into account the importance of the employment rate, especially in pay- as-you- go systems; recalls that guaranteeing decent pensions above a minimum level is an effective way to fight poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 225 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 26

26. Regrets the fact that the Commission recommendations on pensions were made without taking into account Parliament’s position on the Green and White Papers on pensions; is concerned that reforms to guarantee the sustainability of pensions have focused solely on population ageing, without taking into account the importance of the employment rate, especially in pay- as-you-go systems; strongly stresses the principle of subsidiarity and emphasises that national particularities, especially as regards occupational pension funds, have to be respected; recalls that guaranteeing decent pensions above a minimum level is an effective way to fight poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 226 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 26

26. Regrets the fact that the Commission recommendations on pensions were made without taking into account Parliament’s position on the Green and White Papers on pensions; ~~is concerned that~~calls for reforms to guarantee the sustainability of pensions ~~have focused sole~~, which focus not only on population ageing~~, without taking~~ but also on the future generation and take into account the importance of the employment rate, especially in pay- as-you-go systems; recalls that guaranteeing decent pensions above a minimum level is an effective way to fight poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 227 #

Evelyn REGNER, Jutta STEINRUCK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 26

26. Regrets the fact that the Commission recommendations on pensions were made without taking into account Parliament’s position on the Green and White Papers on pensions; is concerned that reforms to guarantee the sustainability of pensions have focused solely on population ageing, without taking into account the importance of the employment rate, especially in pay- as-you-go systems; recalls that raising the statutory retirement age, without significant rises in senior and young workers employment rates only transfers the cost from pension schemes to other social security schemes and workers; recalls that guaranteeing decent pensions above a minimum level is an effective way to fight poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 228 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 26

26. Regrets the fact that the Commission recommendations on pensions were made without taking into account Parliament’s position on the Green and White Papers on pensions; is concerned that reforms to guarantee the sustainability of pensions have focused solely on population ageing, without taking into account the importance of the employment rate (respectively the dependency ratio), especially in pay- as- you-go systems; recalls that guaranteeing decent pensions above a minimum level is an effective way to fight poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 229 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 26

26. Regrets the fact that the Commission recommendations on pensions were made without taking into account Parliament’s position on the Green and White Papers on pensions; icalls con~~cerned that reforms to guarantee the sustainability of pensions have focused solely on population ageing, without taking into account the importance of the employment rate,~~ Member States to carry out the reforms needed to guarantee the sustainability of pensions systems; taking into account the population ageing; notes the importance of linking retirement age to life esxpec~~ially in pay-as-you-go systems~~tancy; recalls that guaranteeing decent pensions above a minimum level is an effective way to fight poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Recital C c (new)

C c. whereas once the economic and budgetary sustainability can be guaranteed, efforts should be focused on economic growth, job creation and social aspects;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Believes that within the European Semester process a more open and effective political coordination is needed, notably through a greater involvement of national parliaments, a stronger and earlier contribution of the social partners and by enhancing prerogatives of the European Parliament;

Amendment 230 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 26

26. Regrets the fact that the Commission recommendations on pensions were made without taking into account Parliament’s position on the Green and White Papers on pensions; is concerned that reforms to guarantee the sustainability of pensions have focused solely on population ageing, without taking into account the importance of the employment rate, especially in pay- as-you-go systems; recalls that guaranteeing ~~decent~~ pensions above a minimum level is an effective way to fight poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 231 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 26

26. Regrets the fact that the Commission recommendations on pensions were made without taking into account Parliament’'s position on the Green and White Papers on pensions; is concerned that reforms to guarantee the sustainability of pensions have focused solely on population ageing, without taking into account the importance of the ~~employment rate~~contributions from the employed population, especially in pay- as-you-go systems and of possibilities of second and third pillar pensions systems for optimising pension pay outcome; recalls that guaranteeing decent pensions above a minimum level is an effective way to fight poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 232 #

Jana ŽITŇANSKÁ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 26

26. ~~Regret~~Notes the fact that the Commission recommendations on pensions were made without taking fully into account Parliament’'s position on the Green and White Papers on pensions; is concerned that reforms to guarantee the sustainability of pensions have focused solely on population ageing, without taking into account the importance of the employment rate, especially in pay-as-you-go systems; recalls that guaranteeing decent pensions above a minimum level is an effective way to fight poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 233 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 27

27. Considers it regrettable that very few CSRs tackle the issue of in-work poverty or homelessness; points out that new forms of poverty affecting the middle and working classes are emerging in some cases, with difficulties in paying mortgages and high energy prices creating energy poverty and giving rise to an increasing number of evictions and foreclosures; is concerned by evidence that levels of homelessness and housing exclusion are increasing; recalls that this represents a violation of fundamental rights; recommends that the Member States and their local authorities introduce integrated strategies to confront homelessness, neutral housing policies favouring social and affordable housing, tackle the issue of housing vacancy and implement effective prevention policies aimed at reducing the number of evictions;

Amendment 234 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 27

27. Considers it regrettable that very few CSRs tackle the issue of in-work poverty; calls on the Commission to explicitly address in-work poverty and poverty among people with limited or no link to labour market in the AGS 2015; points out that new forms of poverty affecting the middle and working classes are emerging in some cases, with difficulties in paying mortgages and high energy prices creating energy poverty and giving rise to an increasing number of evictions and foreclosures; is concerned by evidence that levels of homelessness and housing exclusion are increasing; recalls that this represents a violation of fundamental rights; recommends that the Member States and their local authorities introduce neutral housing policies favouring social and affordable housing, tackle the issue of housing vacancy and implement effective prevention policies aimed at reducing the number of evictions;

Amendment 235 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 27

27. Considers it regrettable that very few CSRs tackle the issue of in-work poverty; points out that new forms of poverty affecting the middle and working classes are emerging in some cases, with difficulties in paying mortgages and high energy prices creating energy poverty and giving rise to an increasing number of evictions and foreclosures; is concerned by evidence that levels of homelessness and housing exclusion are increasing; recalls that this represents a violation of fundamental rights; recommends that the Member States and their local authorities introduce neutral housing policies favouring social and affordable housing, tackle the issue of housing vacancy and implement effective prevention policies aimed at reducing the number of evictions; calls therefore for an integrated strategy with poverty targets encompassing all sorts of poverty;

Amendment 236 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 27

27. Considers it regrettable that very few CSRs tackle the issue of in-work poverty; points out that new forms of poverty affecting the middle and working classes are emerging in some cases, with difficulties in paying mortgages and high energy prices creating energy poverty and giving rise to an increasing number of evictions and foreclosures; is concerned by evidence that levels of homelessness and housing exclusion are increasing; recalls that this represents a violation of fundamental rights; recommends that the Member States and their local authorities ~~introdu~~have in place neutral housing policies favouring ~~social and~~ affordable housing~~, tackle the issue of housing vacancy and implement effective prevention policies aimed at reducing the number of evictions~~;

Amendment 237 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Ask the European Commission to develop a strategy that would support Member States to tackle homelessness through integrated policies and appropriate social investment;

Amendment 238 #

Jana ŽITŇANSKÁ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 28 a (new)

28 a. Notes the Commission's support for active inclusion strategies; believes however, that such strategies must include measures to integrate people with disabilities and reduced work capacities into the labour market; encourages the Member States to consider the added value of incentivising employers to employ those furthest from the labour market by developing a well balanced mix of responsibilities and support networks involving all relevant actors in the development of Member States labour market policies;

Amendment 239 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 29

29. Calls on the Commission to support the effective and efficient use of EU funds to reduce poverty through partnership approaches involving civil society; calls on the Member States, especially those with the highest rates of unemployment and poverty, to ~~use~~consider using 25 % of their cohesion funding for programmes related to the European Social Fund; ~~also requests, in view of the high poverty rates, an evaluation as to whether the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived is sufficiently well-funded;~~

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Recital D

D. whereas ~~the Commission has acknowledged that excessive austerity policies have had a negative impact on economic growth because they failed to take into account the effects of the~~ policies of fiscal consolidation have had a signifiscal multipliers, and that such austerity policies have resulted in tough cuts to social spending in fundamental areas such as education, health and pensions, resulting in unprecedented levels of inequality and poverty in the EUnt impact on spending in fundamental areas such as education, health and pensions; whereas the social impact of future reform proposals should be evaluated;

Amendment 24 #

Marlene MIZZI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Recognizes that the Single Market is one of the most important elements of the European project creating benefits for both citizens and enterprises; reiterates that the Single Market remains highly fragmented and the large potential for growth, innovation and jobs highly untapped; calls on the European Commission and Member States to live up to their commitments and safeguard the re-launch of the Single Market among the Union's greatest priorities;

Amendment 240 #

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Philippe DE BACKER, Ulla TØRNÆS, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 29

29. Calls on the Commission to support the effective use of EU funds to reduce poverty through partnership approaches involving civil society; calls on the Member States, especially those with the highest rates of unemployment and poverty, to use 25 % of their cohesion funding for programmes related to the European Social Fund; also requests, in view of the high poverty rates, an evaluation as to whether the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived is sufficiently well-funded, and if it is not, considering the possibility for an increment during the mid-term review of the multiannual financial framework;

Amendment 241 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 29

29. Calls on the Commission to support the effective use of EU funds to reduce poverty through partnership approaches involving civil society; calls on the Member States, especially those with the highest rates of unemployment and poverty, to use 25 % of their cohesion funding for programmes related to the European Social Fund; also ~~reque~~insists, in view of the high poverty rates, ~~an evaluation as to whether~~that Member States make efficient use of the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived ~~is sufficiently well-fund~~where it is implemented;

Amendment 242 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 29 a (new)

29 a. Agrees with the Commission that Member States must confront homelessness through comprehensive strategies based on prevention, housing- led approaches and reviewing regulations and practices on eviction and stopping criminalisation of homeless people; calls for improvement with regard to transnational exchange of best practices and mutual learning and acknowledges the role of PROGRESS in this context;

Amendment 243 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 31

31. Notes the Commission recommendation to reform healthcare systems so that they deliver on their objectives of providing universal access to high-quality care in a cost-effective manner, and to secure their financial sustainability; calls for the goals of meeting social needs, providing a social safety net and achieving financial sustainability to be put on an equal footing, and for sufficient resources to be allocated for social protection and health systems;

Amendment 244 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 31

31. Notes the Commission recommendation to reform healthcare systems so that they deliver on their objectives of providing public and universal access to high-quality care in a cost-effective manner, and to secure their financial sustainability; calls for the goals of meeting social needs, providing a social safety net and achieving financial sustainability to be put on an equal footing, and for sufficient resources to be allocated for social protection and health systems;

Amendment 245 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 31

31. Notes the Commission recommendation to reform healthcare systems so that they deliver on their objectives of providing universal access to high-quality care in a cost-effective manner, and to secure their financial sustainability; calls for the goals of meeting ~~social needs, providing a social safety net~~inclusion, access and quality provisions and achieving financial sustainability to be put on an equal footing, and for sufficient resources to be allocated for social protection and health systems;

Amendment 246 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 31 a (new)

31 a. Regrets the insufficient democratic legitimacy of the European Semester procedure resulting from the exclusion of the European and national Parliaments in the whole process; considers it therefore a matter of democratic urgency to submit the Annual Growth Survey to the codecision procedure;

Amendment 247 #

Draft opinion
Title 2 a (new)

2 a. Democratic legitimacy

Amendment 248 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 32

32. Reiterates its call for increased and structured involvement of civil society and trade union stakeholders at EU as well as national level, so as to safeguard the legitimacy and improve the effectiveness of the European Semester process by developing concrete guidelines and monitoring mechanism; looks forward, in this connection, to the Commission’'s planned involvement of the social partners in the context of the Social Dialogue Committee prior to the adoption of the 2015 Annual Growth Survey and the improvement of the involvement of civil society at EU level as well as expansion of national pilot projects for involvement of civil society at national level;

Amendment 249 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 32

32. Reiterates its call for increased and structured involvement of civil society and trade union stakeholders at national and EU level, so as to safeguard the legitimacy and improve the effectiveness of the European Semester process; looks forward, in this connection, to the Commission’s planned involvement of the social partners in the context of the Social Dialogue Committee prior to the adoption of the 2015 Annual Growth Survey;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Recital D

D. whereas the Commission has acknowledged that excessive austerity policies have had a negative impact on economic growth because they failed to take into account the effects of the fiscal multipliers, and that such austerity policies have resulted in tough cuts to social spending in fundamental areas such as education, health and pensions, resulting in unprecedented levels of inequality and poverty in ~~the EU~~many Member States;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Highlights that European economies need to perform by taking full advantage of their interdependence in the Single Market, while taking into account the varying development stages and priorities of the Member States; believes that specific focus should be put both on industry and services with a view to fostering virtuous convergence between production systems and positive spill-over across the Single Market;

Amendment 250 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 32

32. Reiterates its call for increased and structured involvement of civil society ~~and trade union~~ stakeholders so as to safeguard the legitimacy and improve the effectiveness of the European Semester process; looks forward, in this connection, to the Commission’'s planned involvement of the social partners in the context of the Social Dialogue Committee prior to the adoption of the 2015 Annual Growth Survey;

Amendment 251 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 33

33. ~~Criticises the fact~~Notes that not all the Member States have involved both their national parliament and their national social partners in the drafting of their NRPs.

Amendment 252 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 33

33. Criticises the fact that not all the Member States have involved both their national parliament and their national social partners and civil society in the drafting of their NRPs., calls on the Member States to include a detailed overview in their NRP explaining who was involved in what manner; calls on the Commission to take stock of the different national practices of parliamentary procedures and stakeholder involvement in the European Semester;

Amendment 253 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 33

33. Criticises the fact that not all the Member States have involved both their national parliament and their national social partners in the drafting of their NRPs., considers that national Parliaments should be given the possibility to amend and adopt NRPs established by their governments in order to improve the democratic legitimacy and national ownership of the European Semester procedure;

Amendment 254 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 33 a (new)

33 a. Expresses its concern about the fact that no recommendations have been made on the Europe 2020 objectives to those Member States with a financial assistance programme; calls on the Commission to assess the impact of the economic adjustment programme on progress towards the Europe 2020 headline targets and to propose modifications designed to bring the adjustment programme into line with the Europe 2020 objectives;

Amendment 255 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 33 b (new)

33 b. Calls on the Commission and Council to enter into an inter-institutional agreement with Parliament in order to give Parliament a full role in the drafting and approval of the Annual Growth Survey and the Economic Policy and Employment Guidelines;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Recital D

D. whereas the Commission has acknowledged that excessive austerity policies ~~have had a negative impact on economic growth~~, undertaken because of the~~y failed to take into account the effects of the fiscal multipliers, and that such austerity polic~~ severe situation of several EU economies, have ~~resulted in tough cuts to social spending in fundamental areas such as education, health and pensions, resulting in unprecedented levels of inequality and poverty in the EU~~had a negative impact on economic growth and social aspects;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Considers that~~Emphasises that a only a strong injection of EU funding ~~is funda~~or none are reasonable options, as public investmental, in order to stimulate the real economy and to foster recovery in ~~all~~the Member States, needs to be of substantial size or otherwise might prove ineffective and a futile waste of financial resources; supports the Commission’s recommendation to give priority to public investment in infrastructure, research, innovation and human capital; additionally recommends the IT and energy sector to alleviate the high dependence on foreign imports in these crucial markets;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Recital D

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers that a ~~strong injec~~dequate allocation of EU funding is ~~fundamental~~necessary in order to stimulate the real economy and to foster recovery in all Member States; supports the Commission’s recommendation to give priority to ~~public investment in infrastructure, research, innovation and human capital~~enhancing access to finance for SME's including start-ups in the digital environment, investment in infrastructure, research, innovation and human capital and reducing barriers and costs for businesses operating in the Single Market, which should enhance the competitiveness of the EU;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Recital D

D. whereas the Commission has acknowledged that ~~excessive austerity policies have had a negative impact on economic growth because they failed to take i~~several Member States are making progress in reducing their currento account the effects of the fiscal multipliers, and that such austerity policies have resulted in tough cuts to social spending in fundamental areas such as education, health and pensions, resulting in unprecedented levels of inequality and poverty in the EUdeficits and reversing losses in competitiveness, allowing future spending in fundamental areas such as education, health and pensions, however further progress in needed to address high debt and the net international position of the most indebted economies;

Amendment 28 #

Philippe JUVIN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers that a strong injection of ~~EU funding~~public and private funds is fundamental in order to stimulate the real economy ~~and~~, to foster recovery in all Member States and to create jobs for the young; welcomes therefore the 300 billion euro investment programme proposed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker; supports the Commission’s recommendation to give priority to public investment in infrastructure, research, innovation and human capital;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Recital E

E. whereas Article 9 TFEU 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, the fight against social exclusion, and a high level of education, training and protection of human health’, and whereas ~~this horizontal clause has not been implemented~~it is important to implement this horizontal clause sufficiently in all policy areas so as to achieve the objectives of Article 3 TEU;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers that a ~~strong injection of~~targeted EU funding is fundamental in order to stimulate the real economy and to foster recovery in all Member States; stresses that the financing of the real economy, and of SMEs in particular, has not been fully restored; points out that major differences in access to credit further exacerbate the growing internal divergence trends; supports the Commission’s recommendation to give priority to public investment in infrastructure, research, innovation and human capital;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas, after six years of economic crisis and negative growth rates, the economic recovery is gaining ground and it is expected to be spread to all Member States by 2015; whereas the Commission’s forecasts for the economic recovery are still fragile ~~and insufficient~~, the reforms must continue to achieve citizens’ employment and social demands; whereas the Commission recognises that in many parts of the EU the social situation is depressed, that unemployment has reached unprecedented heights and that the divergences among regions and Member States are growing; whereas measures to tackle this employment and social emergency need to be put in place as a matter of urgency;

Amendment 3 #

Marlene MIZZI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Notes that the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy are yet to be achieved and believes that, with a view to the update required, stronger measures should be put in place to bridge the present gap; emphasises that the current revision of the Europe 2020 Strategy has to be consistent with the pressing challenges of social cohesion and economic growth making room for better coordination of the different economic and social policies at EU level;

Amendment 30 #

Dennis de JONG, Jiří MAŠTÁLKA

Draft opinion
Recital E

E. whereas Article 9 TFEU 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, the fight against social exclusion, and a high level of education, training and protection of human health’~~, and whereas this horizontal clause has not been implemented sufficiently in all policy areas so as to achieve the objectives of Article 3 TEU~~;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers that a strong injection of EU funding is fundamental in order to stimulate the real economy and to foster recovery in all Member States; supports the Commission’s recommendation to give priority to public investment in infrastructure, research, innovation and human capital; calls on the Commission to focus on jobs, in particular for young people, by ensuring adequate training programmes;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Recital E a (new)

E a. Whereas only 7,5 million people, 3,1 % of the workforce in the EU, are currently employed in another Member State and whereas young people are the group more likely to be mobile;

Amendment 31 #

Virginie ROZIÈRE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers that a strong injection of EU funding is fundamental in order to stimulate the real economy and to foster recovery in all Member States; supports the Commission’s recommendation to give priority to public investment in infrastructure, research, innovation and human capital; considers, furthermore, that these investments should serve the launch of a consistent and integrated industrial policy;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Recital E a (new)

E a. Whereas Art. 174 TFUE provides that "In order to promote its overall harmonious development, the Union shall develop and pursue its actions leading to the strengthening of its economic, social and territorial cohesion. In particular, rural areas, areas affected by industrial transition, and regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps such as the northernmost regions with very low population density and island, cross- border and mountain regions";

Amendment 32 #

Jérôme LAVRILLEUX, Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER, Anne SANDER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers that ~~a strong injection of EU funding is fundamental in order~~efficient use of EU funding is important to stimulate the real economy and to foster recovery in all Member States; supports the Commission’s recommendation to give priority to public investment in infrastructure, research, innovation and human capital;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Recital E a (new)

E a. Whereas the Commission has to establish trust with economic actors, support enterprise development and in particular focus on supporting SME development, with the aim to promote economic growth and to support employment in Europe;

Amendment 33 #

Pascal DURAND

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers that a strong injection of EU funding is fundamental in order to stimulate the real economy, green the economy and to foster recovery in all Member States; supports the Commission’s recommendation to give priority to public investment in infrastructure, research, innovation and human capital;

Amendment 34 #

Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ, Andreas SCHWAB, Anna Maria CORAZZA BILDT, Vicky FORD

Draft opinion
Recital E a (new)

E a. whereas the European Parliament adopted its resolutions of 14 September 2011 and of 16 January 2014 on an EU Homelessness Strategy;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Urges the Commission to take additional measures to improve access to finance for SMEs, as well as to ensure improvement of business environment, simplify procedures and reduce administrative burdens on businesses in the Single Market;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Recital E a (new)

E a. whereas, as a result of the crisis, SMEs and micro-enterprises are facing an extremely high cost of and difficulty in accessing finance, thus hampering their ability to grow and create jobs;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Considers easier access to funding for SMEs as a priority and calls on the full implementation of the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs (COSME) (2014-2020);

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the ~~fact that the~~ focus of the 2014 country-specific recommendations (CSRs) ~~has shifted from solely boosting fiscal consolidation t~~on strengthening the conditions for sustainable growth and employment; recalls that within the current Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) there are still margins intended to facilitate economic growth in the EU, and that differences in the Member States’ economic and social situations need to be taken into account; calls for greater flexibility margins in order to boost job creation; takes the view, however, that some of the structural reforms promoted by the Commission – especially labour reforms, wage devaluation, pension reforms, etc. – may result in the same contractionary effects on the economy or on internal demand as the excessive austerity conducted up to nowhighlights the importance of structural reforms to attract the private investments that create growth and jobs; calls on the Commission~~, therefore,~~ to assess the economic and social impact of ~~such policies before recommending them~~recommended policies;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Considers necessary a re- industrialisation of Europe based on strategic sectors; therefore calls on the Commission and the Member States to elaborate a joint and urgent Strategy to strengthen European industry with the aim of increasing equitable competitiveness and creating quality jobs;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the fact that the focus of the 2014 country-specific recommendations (CSRs) has shifted from solely boosting fiscal consolidation to strengthening the conditions for sustainable growth and employment; recalls that within the current Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) there are still margins intended to facilitate economic growth in the EU, and that differences in the Member States’' economic and social situations need to be taken into account; calls for greater flexibility margins in order to boost job creation with special focus on green jobs and in line with a resource efficient economy; takes the view, however, that some of the structural reforms promoted by the Commission – especially labour reforms, wage devaluation, pension reforms, etc. – may result in the same contractionary effects on the economy or on internal demand as the excessive austerity conducted up to now; calls on the Commission, therefore, to assess the economic and social impact of such policies before recommending them;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Emphasises that in order to achieve an equitable growth and a sustainable development of the society, the EU needs an internal market based on a social economy that stresses the support to social entrepreneurs and social innovators;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the fact that the focus of the 2014 country-specific recommendations (CSRs) has shifted from solely boosting fiscal consolidation to strengthening the conditions for sustainable growth and employment; recalls that within the current Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) there are still margins intended to facilitate economic growth in the EU, and that differences in the Member States’ economic and social situations need to be taken into account; calls for ~~greater flexibility margins in order to boost job cre~~an uninterrupted continuation of consolidation; takes the view, however, that some of the structural reforms promoted by the Commission – especially labour reforms, wage devaluation, pension reforms, etc. – may result in the same contractionary effects on the economy or on internal demand as the excessive austerity conducted up to now; calls on the Commission, therefore, to assess the economic and social impact of such policies before recommending themo reduce the budgetary deficit of the EU Member States as means to guarantee consolidation while ensuring growth will have to be established, considering an adequate social compatibility of measurements; calls for greater flexibility margins in order to boost job creation;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Shares the Commission’s concerns about the increasing number of multinational companies that are using corporate tax strategies to reduce or evade their global tax burden by taking advantage of mismatches between tax systems; stresses that better and stronger tax coordination is needed in order to ensure a level playing field and to avoid unfair competition and detrimental distortions within the Single Marketax; calls therefore for greater emphasis on good tax governance in both the private and public sector in the EU;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the fact that the focus of the 2014 country-specific recommendations (CSRs) has shifted from solely boosting fiscal consolidation to strengthening the conditions for sustainable growth and employment; recalls that within the current Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) there are still margins intended to facilitate economic growth in the EU, and that differences in the Member States’ economic and social situations need to be taken into account; calls for greater flexibility margins in order to boost job creation; takes the view, however, that some of the structural reforms promoted by the Commission – especially labour reforms, wage devaluation, pension reforms, etc. – may result in the same contractionary effects on the economy or on internal demand as the excessive austerity conducted up to now; calls on the Commission, therefore, to assess the economic and social impact of such policies before recommending them;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas, notwithstanding a mild decline in, EU unemployment, and youth unemployment rates ~~in the EU~~ are still incredibly alarming (25.005 million unemployed in the EU-28 in June 2014 and 5.06 million young unemployed in the EU-28 in July 2014); whereas, furthermore, the differences between Member States’ unemployment and youth unemployment rates (5 % in Austria unemployed, compared with 27.3 % in Greece; 9.3 % young unemployed in Austria, compared with 53.8 % in Spain) represent a major risk both for the economic stability of the EU and for European social cohesion;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to use the opportunity presented by the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the revision of the Integrated Guidelines to strengthen the role of the Single Market in growth, innovation and jobs and to reinforce EU competiveness in the key growth areas identified as the services sector, the energy sector, the transport sector and the digital single market;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the fact that the focus of the 2014 country-specific recommendations (CSRs) has shifted from solely boosting fiscal consolidation to strengthening the conditions for sustainable growth and employment; recalls that ~~within the current Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) there are still margins intended to facilitate economic growth in~~the Member States have taken a commitment to adhere to the ~~EU,~~SGP and that differences in the Member States’ economic and social situations need to be taken into account; calls for greater flexibility margins in order to boost job creation; takes the view, however, that some of the structural reforms promoted by the Commission – especially labour reforms, wage devaluation, pension reforms, etc. – may result in the same contractionary effects on the economy or on internal demand as the excessive austerity conducted up to now; calls on the Commission, therefore, to asse full set of economic governance principles; calls on the Commission to continue the growth friendly consolidation strategy in order to facilitate growth and job creation and the Member Statess t~~he economic and social impact of such policies before recommending them~~o better implement the CSRs;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Shares the Commission’s concerns about the increasing number of multinational companies that are using corporate tax strategies to reduce or evalude their global tax burden by taking advantage of mismatches between tax systems; stresses that better and stronger tax coordination is needed in order to ensure a level playing field and to avoid unfair competition and detrimental distortions within the Single Market;

Amendment 41 #

Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ, Andreas SCHWAB, Vicky FORD

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Underlines that while wages are an important variable in resolving euro-area macro-economic imbalances, they are not merely a tool for economic adjustment, but above all the income that workers need to live on; calls on the Commission to ensure that recommendations in the field of wages do not increase in-work poverty or wage inequalities within Member States, or harm low-income groups;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Considers that there is a need to create, on the basis of a thorough analysis, an EU-wide tax information system serving not to harmonise the different national tax structures, but to facilitate their coordination in a continuous and transparent manner, keeping track of the cuts and increases made by Member States; notes that for the functioning of such a system, the framework of the European Semester would be a good basis, since – in tandem with other specific macroeconomic measures – it could keep good record of the various tax policies of the different Member States, taking fully into account the general economic forecast as well as the fundamentals and future perspectives of the Member States concerned and common European objectives; in light of this, encourages the Commission and the Member States to integrate a strategy aimed at reducing the tax gap into the European Semester;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Welcomes the Commission's recognition that fiscal consolidation must continue in a growth-friendly and differentiated manner, which will allow Member States not only to invest in growth and job creation, but also to tackle high debt, unemployment or the challenges of an ageing society;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Considers that the Single Market is an essential lever for growth, and that the key sectors identified by the Commission – services, financial services, transport, energy and the digital market – are decisive for its full integration;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Notes that the neoliberal measures, so-called of austerity, which have been reinforced, notably as part of the so-called National Reform Plans, Economic Governance and the European Semester are contributing to the deepening of the social and economic crisis in a number of countries with more fragile economies, making life more and more difficult for families of the working class and in particular for young people, women and children, who are the main victims of the increase of poverty, unemployment and precarious and poorly paid work;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Emphasises that the economic crisis has greatly worsened the living conditions of many European citizens and has led to a sharp increase in levels of inequality; points out that universal access to high- quality public services is kea way to ~~fostering~~support economic growth while guaranteeing social cohesion and allowing for more resilient economies and societies; moreover brings to mind that the massive reallocation of public money via ESM and bilateral treaties to directly or indirectly support and bail-out private entities in the financial sector is also responsible for the raising financial inequality in the EU;

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Highlights the job potential of the green economy which according to Commission estimates could create 5 million jobs by 2020 in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors alone, provided that ambitious climate and energy policies are put in place; calls on the Member States to ensure sufficient levels of investment in these sectors and to anticipate future skills of workers; calls on the Commission to include the exploitation of the job potential of the green economy as a key priority in the Annual Growth Survey of 2015;

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

Amendment 45 #

Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ, Anna Maria CORAZZA BILDT, Vicky FORD

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Welcomes the fact that the Commission takes into account the divergences between Member States apparent in National Reform Programmes (NRPs), but calls on the Commission and Member States to pay special attention to those regions with permanent natural or demographic handicaps, in particular when considering fund allocations;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Emphasises that the economic crisis has greatly worsened the living conditions of many European citizens and has led to a sharp increase in levels of inequality; points out that ~~universal access to high- quality~~citizens and businesses having access to efficient public services is key to fostering economic growth while guaranteeing social cohesion and allowing for more resilient economies and societies;

Amendment 46 #

Dennis de JONG, Jiří MAŠTÁLKA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Stresses that social and employment policies should not merely be looked at from a cost perspective, but consideration should also be given to structural reforms of the labour market and the long term benefit perspective, in order to maintain investments in society and citizens with a view to reaching the goals of the EU2020 strategy and safeguarding the future and stability of the Member States and the EU as a whole;

Amendment 46 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Emphasises that the economic crisis has greatly worsened the living conditions of many European citizens and has led to a sharp increase in levels of inequality and poverty; points out that universal access to high- quality public services is key to fostering economic growth while guaranteeing social cohesion and poverty eradication and allowing for more resilient economies and societies;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Is deeply concerned that, up to now, the recommendations made as part of the European Semester have taken us further away from achieving the employment and social targets of the Europe 2020 strategy; calls on the new Commission to ask immediately that the Member States report on national progress on the Europe 2020 strategy and correct this discrepancy in their national reform programmes (NRPs) to be presented as part of the next European Semester;deleted

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Emphasises that the economic crisis has greatly worsened the living conditions of many European citizens and has led to a sharp increase in levels of inequality and poverty; points out that universal access to high- quality public services is key to fostering economic growth while guaranteeing social cohesion and allowing for more resilient economies and societies;

Amendment 48 #

Dennis de JONG, Jiří MAŠTÁLKA, Jutta STEINRUCK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Is deeply concerned that, up to now, the recommendations made as part of the European Semester have taken us further away from achieving the employment and social targets of the Europe 2020 strategy; calls on the new Commission to ~~ask~~fix an immediate~~ly that~~ deadline for the Member States to present report on national progress on the Europe 2020 strategy and correct this discrepancy in their national reform programmes (NRPs) to be presented as part of the next European Semester;

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Calls on the Commission in this regard to consider applying a solidarity check on its recommendations, thus measuring the effects on inequality and poverty, as well as social cohesion;

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Is deeply concerned that~~, up to now, the recommendations made as part of the European Semester have taken us furthe~~ the EU is far away from achieving the employment and social targets of the Europe 2020 strategy; calls on the new Commission to ask ~~immediately~~ that the Member States report on national progress on the Europe 2020 strategy ~~and correct this discrepancy in their national reform programmes (NRPs) to be presented as part of the next European Semester~~, in particular relating to progress made by Member States to modernise their labour markets and to integrate more people into the workforce;

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Urges to create a genuine internal market for energy that ensures fair market access, high level of consumer protection and an accessible market especially for SMEs;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas, notwithstanding a mild decline in unemployment, unemployment rates in the EU are still incredibly alarming (25.005 million in the EU-28 in June 2014); whereas, furthermore, the differences between Member States’ unemployment rates (5 % in Austria, compared with 27.3 % in Greece) represent a major risk both for the economic stability of the EU and for European social cohesion; whereas this is particularly the case concerning youth unemployment, having more than 5 million people unemployed under the age of 25 years in the EU28 and countries with youth unemployment rates higher than 50% (Spain, Greece);

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to use the opportunity presented by the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the revision of the Integrated Guidelines to strengthen the role of the Single Market, in cluding the ever growing importance of the digital agenda, in growth, innovation and jobs;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Is deeply concerned that, up to now, the recommendations made as part of the European Semester have taken us further away from achieving the employment and social targets of the Europe 2020 strategy~~; calls on the new Commission~~, with especially the poverty reduction target lagging behind as poverty is increasing rather than decreasing; calls on the new Commission to adopt a consistent approach and to ask immediately that the Member States report on national progress on the Europe 2020 strategy and its targets and correct this discrepancy in their national reform programmes (NRPs) to be presented as part of the next European Semester and to aim Country Specific Recommendations at poverty reduction in all those Member States where more should be done in this area; furthermore calls for more transparency and policy coherence with regard to the overlapping EU level economic and employment strategies;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Emphasises that the European Semester is a great opportunity to urge Member States to step up their efforts towards the Digital Single Market which not only means more growth and jobs, especially in the SMEs sector and among young people, but also a future-oriented modern EU;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Is deeply concerned that, up to now, the reco~~mmendations made as part of the European Semester~~nomic and financial situation haves taken us further away from achieving the employment and social targets of the Europe 2020 strategy; calls on the new Commission to ask immediately that the Member States report on national progress on the Europe 2020 strategy and correct this discrepancy in their national reform programmes (NRPs) to be presented as part of the next European SemesterMember States to set up well-defined national strategies to move forward with the Europe 2020 strategy in their national reform programmes (NRPs);

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Believes that Member States have to step up their efforts to modernise their public administrations, by providing more and better digital services for citizens and businesses, reducing costs and enhancing efficiency; ~~highlights that the proper and quick implementation of EU~~suggests to respect the various concerns of EU citizens in the sector of public procurement ands well as concessions legislation ~~would provide a great opportunity to modernise public administration, at both government and local levels, by enhancing the quality and effectiveness of public spending and investment~~and to reflect this in legislative initiatives.

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Calls for ex-ante coordination of fiscal, economic and social policies recommended under the European Semester and in particular in the Annual Growth Survey and the Country Specific Recommendations;

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Believes that Member States ~~have to step up their~~should make an efforts to modernise their public administrations, by completing reforms of their respective Public Administration laws and codes of conduct for public servants, providing more and better digital services for citizens and businesses, with an aim of reducing costs and enhancing efficiency; highlights that the ~~proper~~full and quick implementation of EU public procurement ~~and concessions~~ legislation would provide a great opportunity to enhance innovation, access for SMEs and to modernise public administration, at both government and local levels, by enhancing the quality and effectiveness of public spending and investment.

Amendment 53 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for a true «social pillar’ to be implemented within economic and monetary union (EMU) as part of the process of improving economic governance mechanisms in these Member States, so as to reduce unemployment, poverty and social exclusion, overcome social dumping and prevent competition for the lowest social standards ~~in the EU~~;

Amendment 53 #

Evelyn REGNER, Jutta STEINRUCK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Believes that Member States have to step up their efforts to modernise their public administrations, by providing more and better digital services for citizens and businesses, reducing costs and enhancing efficiency, and facilitating cross border cooperation and interoperability of public administrations; highlights that the proper and quick implementation of EU public procurement and concessions legislation would provide a great opportunity to modernise public administration, at both government and local levels, by enhancing the quality and effectiveness of public spending and investment.

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for a true «social pillar’ to be implemented within economic and monetary union (EMU) as part of the process of improving economic governance mechanisms, so as to reduce unemployment, poverty and social exclusion, overcome social dumping and prevent competition for the lowest social standards in the EU; calls on the Commission and the Member States to bring economic measures implemented in the course of the European Semester in line with the social targets of the Europe 2020 strategy and the social principles set out in the Treaties;

Amendment 54 #

Virginie ROZIÈRE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. ~~Believes~~Calls on thate Member States ~~have to step up their efforts~~ to modernise their public administrations, by providing more and better digital services for citizens and businesses, reducing costs and enhancing efficiency; highlights that the proper and quick implementation of EU public procurement and concessions legislation would provide a great opportunity to modernise public administration, at both government and local levels, by enhancing the quality and effectiveness of public spending and investment.

Amendment 55 #

Sergio Gaetano COFFERATI, Catherine STIHLER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for ~~a true «social pillar’ to be implemented within~~continuing the development of the social dimension of the economic and monetary union (EMU) as part of the process of improving economic governance mechanisms, so as to reduce unemployment, poverty and social exclusion, overcome social dumping and prevent competition for the lowest social standards in the EU;

Amendment 55 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Believes that Member States have to step up their efforts to modernise their public administrations, by providing more and better accessible digital services for citizens and businesses, reducing costs and enhancing efficiency; highlights that the proper and quick implementation of EU public procurement and concessions legislation would provide a great opportunity to modernise public administration, at both government and local levels, by enhancing the quality and effectiveness of public spending and investment.

Amendment 56 #

Jutta STEINRUCK, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Evelyn REGNER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for a true «social pillar’ to be implemented within economic and monetary union (EMU) as part of the process of improving economic governance mechanisms, so as to reduce unemployment, poverty and social exclusion, overcome social dumping and prevent competition for the lowest social standards in the EU; calls furthermore for a Social Union to be implemented including a Social Progress Pact with common binding targets on employment, education and research and development;

Amendment 56 #

Dennis de JONG, Jiří MAŠTÁLKA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Believes that Member States have to step up their efforts to modernise their public administrations, by providing more and better digital services for citizens and businesses, reducing costs and enhancing efficiency; highlights that the proper and quick implementation of EU public procurement and concessions legislation would provide a great opportunity to modernise public administration, at both government and local levels, by enhancing the quality, effectiveness and transparency of public spending and investment.

Amendment 57 #

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Philippe DE BACKER, Ulla TØRNÆS, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Call~~Acknowledges the Commission´s fwor ~~a tru~~k on the «"social pillar~~’ to be implemented within~~" of economic and monetary union (EMU) as part of the process of i~~mproving~~ntegrating the social dimension in the current structures for economic governance mechanisms~~, so as~~ to reduce unemployment, poverty and social exclusion~~, overcome social dumping and prevent competition for the lowest social standards in the EU~~;

Amendment 57 #

Marlene MIZZI

8a. Welcomes the European Commission initiative Regulatory Fitness and Performance programme (REFIT) to reduce regulatory burden and make simpler, clear and stable regulatory framework supporting growth and jobs, but calls on the European Commission to ensure that quality legislation and social aspects of the Single Market are preserved so that one ideal does not progress at the expense of the other;

Amendment 58 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the Commission’s use of the new employment and social scoreboard for this year’s CSRs; considers it regrettable, however, that these indicators have not been made binding in view of the current employment and social emergency; calls on the Commission, therefore, to put them on an equal footing with macroeconomic indicators, andalls on the Commission to include additional indicators – such as child poverty levels, access to healthcare, (youth-)homelessness, and a decent work index – in the scoreboard and, in order to allow more effective analysis ~~of Member States’ employment and social concern~~and to encourage the identification and exchange of best practices, calls for a detailed overview of Member States' choices in different policy fields and the corresponding results;

Amendment 58 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Considers it essential to override the current fragmentation of national rules regarding digital services and to build a more innovative and transparent digital Single Market based on sound competition, providing a high level of accessibility and consumer protection;

Amendment 59 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the Commission’s use of the new employment and social scoreboard for this year’s CSRs; considers it regrettable, however, that these indicators are only analytical and have not been made binding in view of the current employment and social emergency; calls on the Commission, therefore, to put them on an equal footing with macroeconomic indicators, and to include additional indicators – such as child poverty levels, access to healthcare, homelessness, and a decent work index – in the scoreboard in order to allow more effective analysis and monitoring of Member States’ employment and social concerns;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Reiterates its call on the Commission to put forward proposals, within the framework of the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy, to classify the Single Market as a specific pillar of the European Semester, including dedicated guidelines and country-specific recommendations thereon;

Amendment 60 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the Commission’s use of the new employment and social scoreboard for this year’s CSRs; considers it regrettable, however, that these indicators have not been made binding in view of the current employment and social emergency; calls on the Commission, therefore, to put them on an equal footing with macroeconomic indicators, and to include additional indicators – such as child poverty levels, access to healthcare, homelessness, and a decent work index – in the scoreboard in order to allow more effective analysis of Member States’ employment and social concerns;

Amendment 61 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the Commission’s use of the new employment and social scoreboard for this year’s CSRs; considers it regrettable, however, that these indicators have not been made binding in view of the current employment and social emergency; calls on the Commission, therefore, to put them on an equal footing with macroeconomic indicators, and to include additional indicators – such as decent work, child poverty levels, access to healthcare, and a homelessness~~, and a decent work~~ index – in the scoreboard in order to allow more effective analysis of Member States’ employment and social concerns;

Amendment 62 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the Commission’s use of the new employment and social scoreboard for this year’s CSRs; considers it regrettable, however, that these indicators have not been made binding in view of the current employment and social emergency; calls on the Commission, therefore, to put them on an equal footing with macroeconomic indicators, and to include additional indicators – such as child poverty levels, access to healthcare, homelessness, and a decent work index – in the scoreboard in order to allow more effective analysis of Member States’ employment and social concerns; calls on the Commission and Council to continue to improve indicators to monitor the social, environmental and innovation dimension of the EU 2020 Strategy in the framework of the European Semester;

Amendment 63 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the Commission’s use of the new employment and social scoreboard for this year’s CSRs; c~~onsiders it regrettable, however, that these indicators have not been made binding in view of the current employment and social~~ alls on the Commission and Membergency; calls on the Commission, therefore, to put them on an equal footing with macroeconomic indicators, and to include additional indicators – such as child poverty levels, access to healthcare, homelessness, and a decent work index – in the scoreboard in order to allow more effective analysis of Member States’ employment and social concerns States to strengthen the awareness for implementing CSRs in the European economy;

Amendment 64 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the Commission’s use of the new employment and social scoreboard for this year’s CSRs; considers it regrettable, however, that these indicators have not been made binding in view of the current employment and social emergency; calls on the Commission, therefore, to put them on an equal footing with macroeconomic indicators, and to includealls for the inclusion of additional indicators – such as child poverty levels, access to healthcare, homelessness, and a decent work index – in the scoreboard in order to allow more effective analysis of Member States’ employment and social concerns;

Amendment 65 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the Commission’s use of the new employment and social scoreboard for this year’s CSRs; considers it regrettable, however, that Member States' targets regarding these indicators ~~hav~~were not ~~been made binding~~sufficiently ambitious in view of the current employment and social emergency~~; calls on the Commission, therefore, to put them on an equal footing with macroeconomic indicators, and to include additional indic~~ and the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy; calls on the Commission, therefore, to further insist on the full implementation of the European Platfor~~s – such as child poverty levels, access to healthcare, homelessness, and a decent work index – in the scoreboard~~m against Poverty and Social Exclusion, The Youth on the Move and the Agenda for New Skills and Jobs, in order to allow more effective analysis of Member States’ employment and social concerns;

Amendment 66 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the Commission’'s use of the new employment and social scoreboard for this year’'s CSRs; considers it regrettable, however, that these indicators have not been made binding in view of the current employment and social emergency; calls on the Commission, therefore, to put them on an equal footing with macroeconomic indicators, , in particular the references to unemployment levels, NEET and youth unemployment rates; considers it importandt to include additional indicators – such as child poverty levels, access to healthcare, and homelessness~~, and a decent work index~~ – in the scoreboard in order to allow more effective analysis of Member States’' employment and social concerns;

Amendment 67 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Reiterates its call for a meeting of the Eurogroup employment and social affairs ministers to be held prior to euro summits whenever necessary, so as to ensure that social and employment concerns are addressed more fully in the discussions and decisions of the eurozone authorities, and with a view to contributing to the meetings of the eurozone heads of state and government; believes ~~that~~in the importance of joint meetings between the EPSCO and ECOFIN Councils with the aim of achieving a coherent position ~~are also crucial~~whenever necessary;

Amendment 68 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the Commission’s recognition that the impact of fiscal consolidation measures on the EU employment and social situation has been severe and far-reaching; calls for ~~the immediate fulfilment of all~~increased efforts towards fulfilling the employment and social ~~obligation~~goals set out in the Treaties and in line with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; calls on the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights to assess thoroughly the impact of these measures on fundamental rights and to issue recommendations in the event of breaches of the Charter;

Amendment 69 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the Commission’s recognition that the impact of fiscal consolidation measures, taken in order to guarantee not only the sustainability of some Member States economies, but the sustainability of the whole European economy, on the EU employment and social situation has been severe and far- reaching; calls ~~for the immediate fulfilment of~~on Member States to fulfil all the employment and social obligations set out in the Treaties and in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; ~~calls on the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights to assess thoroughly the impact of these measures on fundamental rights and to issue recommendations in the event of breaches of the Charter;~~

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas, notwithstanding a ~~mild~~ decline in unemployment, unemployment rates in the EU are still incredibly alarming (25.005 million in the EU-28 in June 2014); whereas, furthermore, the differences between Member States’ unemployment rates (5 % in Austria, compared with 27.3 % in Greece) represent a major risk both for the economic stability of the EU and for European social cohesion;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the shift in the 2014 country- specific recommendations to strengthening growth and employment, but calls for more determined efforts ~~to guide and coordinate~~for structural reforms of national and EU policies sto ~~as to complete~~help strengthen the Single Market ~~and~~in order to reap its potential to boost growth and create jobs; highlights, in this regard, the need to maintain momentum on the Single Market policies priorities identified in the areas of services, networks and the digital economy;

Amendment 70 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the Commission’'s recognition that ~~the impact of fiscal consolidation measures~~year-long lack of structural reform in Member States, combined with excessive deficits and a large contraction in economic growth has had a negative effect on the EU employment and social situation has been severe and far-reaching; calls for the ~~immediate~~ fulfilment of all the employment and social obligations set out in the Treaties and in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; ~~calls on the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights to assess thoroughly the impact of these measures on fundamental rights and to issue recommendations in the event of breaches of the Charter;~~

Amendment 71 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Welcomes the intention of the Italian Presidency, as also included in the conclusions of the European Council extraordinary meeting on 30 August 2014, to hold a Conference at the level of Heads of State or Government on employment, especially youth employment;

Amendment 72 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

Amendment 73 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Welcomes the ~~abovementioned mild decline in unemployment rates in the EU; recalls, however~~reduction in unemployment rates particularly in some Member States; recalls, that the Europe 2020 strategy accurately states that the figure to watch is the employment rate, which indicates the availability of human and financial resources to ensure the sustainability of our economic and social model~~; asks that the slowdown in the unemployment rate not be confused with the recovery of lost jobs, as no account is taken of increased emigration or forced early retirement~~s;

Amendment 74 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Welcomes the abovementioned mild decline in unemployment rates in the EU; recalls, however, that the Europe 2020 strategy accurately states that the figure to watch is the employment rate, which indicates the availability of human and financial resources to ensure the sustainability of our economic and social modelwarns that the EU shall not only measure the employment rate, as accurately stated in the Europe 2020 strategy, but also the quality of those new jobs, as new jobs are a first step but must also be real, secure and decently paid with clearly defined rights; asks that the slowdown in the unemployment rate not be confused with the recovery of lost jobs, as no account is taken of increased emigration or forced early retirement;

Amendment 75 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Welcomes the abovementioned ~~mild~~ decline in unemployment rates in the EU; recalls, however, that the Europe 2020 strategy accurately states that the figure to watch is the employment rate, which indicates the availability of human and financial resources to ensure the sustainability of our economic and social model; asks that the slowdown in the unemployment rate not be confused with the recovery of lost jobs, as no account is taken of increased emigration or forced early retirement;

Amendment 76 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. ~~Welcomes the abovementioned mild decline in~~Is concerned with the persistently high unemployment rates in the EU; recalls, ~~howe~~moreover, that the Europe 2020 strategy accurately states that the figure to watch is the employment rate, which indicates the availability of human and financial resources to ensure the sustainability of our economic and social model; asks that the slowdown in the unemployment rate not be confused with the recovery of lost jobs, as no account is taken of increased emigration or forced early retirement; asks that the deterioration in job quality, including rising involuntary part-time and temporary employment, and involuntary self-employment, are given adequate consideration;

Amendment 77 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

Amendment 78 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Stresses the need for reforms in the labour market to put a strong focus on promoting quality of work, improved social security and social exclusion, enhancing existing and introducing new workers' rights, promoting health and safety at work, better social risk management and the reconciliation of work and non-work life;

Amendment 79 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Notes that the Commission draws attention to the need for structural reforms to improve framework conditions for growth and jobs, particularly at times of high unemployment and that many opportunities can be opened up at both national and European levels by completing the Single Market;

Amendment 8 #

Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ, Andreas SCHWAB, Philippe JUVIN

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas the Commission has noted that many Member States have already launched important reforms, including strengthening and improving the efficiency of active labour market policies and by creating a hospitable businesses environment;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the shift in the 2014 country- specific recommendations to strengthening growth and employment, lauds in this context the Commissions’ work to define country-specific recommendations relating to the Single Market, but calls for more determined efforts to guide and coordinate national and EU policies so as to complete the Single Market and reap its potential to boost growth and create jobs; emphasises that the assessment should also examine how the main stakeholders alike benefit from the Single Market and tackle obstacles in its performance;

Amendment 80 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the new Commission to make the employment recovery a ~~tru~~n absolute priority by establishing an ambitious and holistic strategy for ~~quality job creation~~the creation of growth and jobs, which should involve all the new Commissioners; takes the view that, to this end, each Commissioner should draw up a quality employment plan for their specific policy area, including concrete measures, a budget allocation and a calendar for its implementation;

Amendment 81 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the new Commission to make the employment recovery a true priority by establishing an ambitious and holistic strategy for quality job creation, and to promote access for excluded groups through integrated active inclusion approaches, which should involve all the new Commissioners; takes the view that, to this end, each Commissioner should draw up a quality employment plan for their specific policy area, including concrete measures, a budget allocation and a calendar for its implementation, also urges the Commission to demand from each Member State a National Job Plan for decent/quality job creation as agreed by Member States at the 2012 Spring Council;

Amendment 82 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the new Commission to make the employment recovery a true priority by establishing an ambitious and holistic strategy for quality job creation, which should involve all the new Commissioners; takes the view that, to this end, each Commissioner should draw up a quality employment plan for their specific policy area, including concrete measures, a budget allocation and a calendar for its implementation;

Amendment 83 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the new Commission to make the employment recovery a true priority by establishing an ambitious and holistic strategy for quality job creation, which should involve all the new Commissioners dealing with subjects which have an impact on the EU labour market; takes the view that, to this end, ~~each~~those Commissioners should draw up a quality employment plan for their specific policy area, ~~including concrete~~with recommendations for measures, a budget allocation and a calendar for its implementation;

Amendment 84 #

Martina DLABAJOVÁ, Philippe DE BACKER, Ulla TØRNÆS, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the new Commission to make the employment recovery a true priority by establishing an ambitious and holistic strategy for quality job creation, which should involve all the new Commissioners; takes the view that, to this end, each Commissioner should draw up a quality employment plan for their specific policy area, ~~includ~~as well as for the spending voices of the promised EUR 300 billion investment plan, indicating concrete measures, a budget allocation and a calendar for its implementation;

Amendment 85 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the new Commission to make the employment recovery a true priority by; calls on the Commission to motivate Member States to establish~~ing~~ an ambitious and holistic strategy for quality job creation, which should involve all the new Commissioners; takes the view that, to this end, each Commissioner should draw up a quality employment plan for their specific policy area, including concrete measures, a budget allocation and a calendar for its i and to take appropriate and energetic measures in the fight against unempleoyment~~ation~~;

Amendment 86 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

Amendment 87 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the new Commission to make the employment recovery a true priority by establishing an ambitious and holistic strategy for quality job creation, which should involve all the new Commissioners; takes the view that, to this end, each Commissioner should draw up a ~~quality~~n ambitious employment plan for their specific policy area, including concrete measures, a budget allocation where appropriate by identifying savings elsewhere in the EU budget and a calendar for its implementation;

Amendment 88 #

Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER, Jérôme LAVRILLEUX, Anne SANDER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Is concerned that the Commission’s strategy of restoring EU competitiveness through an excessive adjustment of unit labour costs via salary reductions has sharply eroded the purchasing power of many EU workers, lowered household incomes and depressed internal demand, further fuelling unemployment and social exclusion, particularly in those countries hit hardest by the crisis; points out that a cross-sectoral policy for restoring competitiveness must also contemplate strategies focusing on other production costs, price developments and profit margins, and on boosting innovation and excellence;deleted

Amendment 89 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

B b. whereas the Commission points to the role of innovation, research and development in generating added value, and that growing skills mismatches are particularly affecting knowledge based sectors;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the shift in the 2014 country- specific recommendations to strengthening growth and employment, but calls for more determined efforts to guide and coordinate national and EU policies so as to complete the Single Market and reap its potential to boost growth and create jobs, especially unleashing opportunities of the digital economy;

Amendment 90 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Is concerned that the Commission’s strategy of restoring EU competitiveness through an excessive adjustment of unit labour costs via salary reductions has sharply eroded the purchasing power of many EU workers, lowered household incomes and depConsiders that the EU competitiveness recovery cannot be reached by cost- cutting alone, but needs to be accompanied by incresased in~~ternal demand, further fuelling unemp~~vestment in research and develoypment ~~and social exclusion, particularly in those countries hit hardest by the crisis~~, education and skills and resource efficiency; points out that a cross-sectoral policy for restoring competitiveness must also contemplate strategies focusing on other production costs, price developments and profit margins, and on boosting innovation and excellence;

Amendment 91 #

Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER, Jérôme LAVRILLEUX, Anne SANDER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. ~~Is concerned that the Commission’s strategy of restoring EU competitiveness~~Notes that part of the recovery strategy went through an ~~excessive~~ adjustment of unit labour costs via salary reductions has sharply eroded the purchasing power of many EU workers, lowered household incomes and depressed internal demand, further fuelling unemployment and social exclusion, particularly in those countries hit hardest by the crisisand entitlement reductions bringing unit labour costs back in line with productivity; points out that a cross- sectoral policy for restoring competitiveness must also contemplate strategies focusing on other production costs, price developments and profit margins, and on boosting innovation and ~~excellence;~~

Amendment 92 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Is concerned that calls to 'modernise' EU labour markets will lead to de-regulation and the erosion of workers' rights and essential protection of workers health, safety and security; therefore calls on the new Commission to uphold workers' social rights and to ensure that all legislation grants appropriate protection to workers against exploitation, discrimination and ill-health and does so on the basis of risk, rather than the size of an enterprise;

Amendment 93 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Stresses that the Commission's strategy of restoring EU competitiveness should focus on a cross-sectorial policy in order to boost innovation and excellence;

Amendment 94 #

Evelyn REGNER, Jutta STEINRUCK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Is concerned about the ever rising inequalities in terms of wealth and income weakening the purchasing power and the internal demand as well as the investments in the real economy; calls on Member States to include measures to reduce these inequalities into their NRPs in order to boost growth, employment and social cohesion;

Amendment 95 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Furthermore regrets that, in the CSRs, the reduction of work taxation aimed to reinforce competitiveness and employment is proposed to be compensated only through rises in VAT or environmental taxation, and never through increases in capital taxation;

Amendment 96 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Insists that the Commission refrains from interfering in wage-setting mechanisms in Member States; wage- setting must remain the prerogative of the autonomous social partners, or by similar means, specific to the individual Member States;

Amendment 97 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Welcomes the Commission's Country Specific Recommendations in the field of environmental taxation and calls on Member States to implement this recommendation while ensuring that this will benefit lower incomes in particular; highlights the positive budgetary, employment, social, and environmental impacts of shifting taxation from labour to environmental taxation and of the phasing out of environmentally harmful subsidies; calls on the Commission to make environmental taxation a priority in the upcoming Annual Growth Survey;

Amendment 98 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. Welcomes the Commission’s call, in its umbrella communication on the CSR in the EU as a whole, to invest more in R&D, innovation, education, skills and active labour market policies, together with energy, transport and the digital economy; ~~considers, however, that in the context of the current process of fiscal consolidation these goals can be achieved only through greater flexibility within the SGP;~~

Amendment 99 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

source: 537.373

2014/09/17 BUDG 28 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines, once again, the important role of the EU budget in stimulating growth, boosting job creation and reducing macroeconomic imbalances in the EU; recalls, in particular, that without even considering its role as a catalyst for investment, some 60 % of the EU budget is directly devoted to the achievement of the Europe 2020 objectives; underlines moreover that many 2014-20 programmes contain innovative financial instruments which have the potential to play a key role in supporting both public and private investments in the Member States, particularly in respect of long term investments which is widely recognised as a major political priority;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the fact that the promotion of EU jobs and competitiveness requires that the formation of value chains in the EU be boosted and that EU companies be more firmly integrated at all value-chain levels; recalls the fact that such policies should cover undertakings of all sizes, be conducive to maintaining the production chain in Europe and support sectors with high sustainable growth potential, with a specific focus on innovation, skills, entrepreneurship and creativity;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses the fact that, at a time when many Member States are heavily reliant on a single energy supplier, including six who are entirely dependent on Russia for their natural gas, the promotion and safeguarding of jobs also requires a reduction in the EU’s vulnerability to external energy shocks, as evidenced by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine; welcomes, in this regard, the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 26- 27 June 2014 and expects these conclusions to be complemented no later than October 2014 by ambitious medium- to long-term measures to enhance the EU’s energy security; calls upon the Commission to re-evaluate its approach and to seriously take into consideration the project to construct the South stream as soon as possible, overcoming all the current constraints, and enabling the stream which avoids Ukraine's territory, on the basis of its instability;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses the fact that, at a time when many Member States are heavily reliant on a single energy supplier, including six who are entirely dependent on Russia for their natural gas, the promotion and safeguarding of jobs also requires a reduction in the EU’s vulnerability to external energy shocks, as evidenced by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine; welcomes, in this regard, the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 26- 27 June 2014 and expects these conclusions to be complemented no later than October 2014 by ambitious medium- to long-term ~~measures~~European measures, including financial ones, to enhance the EU’s energy security;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Underlines the fact that the tight 2014- 2020 ceilings in payments remain a crucial problem for the EU budget, having negative effects on economic recovery given that late payments are harmful primarily to direct beneficiaries; recalls the need to ensure, in the light of implementation, the orderly progression of payments so as to concomitantly deliver on both the payments stemming from past commitments and those resulting from prefinancing to promptly launch the new programmes, and to avoid any abnormal shift of outstanding commitments (RAL) onto the 2015 budget; urges, in this connection, the Council to adopt in full draft amending budget no 3/2014, as submitted by the Commission, in order for the EU budget to have maximum impact in terms of investment on the ground; Underlines that the various flexibility mechanisms included in the MFF Regulation must be used, where appropriate; Intends to continue monitoring the overall status of payments, particularly in relation to the high level of payments still needed to complete the previous MFF programmes; Underlines that the contingency margin must be considered, where appropriate, in accordance with Article 13 of the MFF Regulation; Calls for a quicker implementation of this mechanism when needed;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Underlines the fact that the tight 2014- 2020 ceilings in payments remain a crucial problem for the EU budget, having negative effects on economic recovery given that late payments are harmful primarily to direct beneficiaries; recalls the need to ensure, in the light of implementation, the orderly progression of payments so as to concomitantly deliver on both the payments stemming from past commitments and those resulting from prefinancing to promptly launch the new programmes, and to avoid any abnormal shift of outstanding commitments (RAL) onto the 2015 budget; urges, in this connection, the Council to adopt in full all draft amending budget ~~no 3/~~2014, as submitted by the Commission, in order for the EU budget to have maximum impact in terms of investment on the ground; underlines that the question of the recurrent payment crisis of the EU budget is to be addressed in a sustainable manner at the occasion of the post electoral revision of the MFF 2014-2020 due to be launched - as soon as possible - by the next European Commission to come into office on 1st November 2014;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

Amendment 16 #

Bernd KÖLMEL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Finds it regrettable that the Member States continue to underestimate the role and contribution of the EU budget in strengthening economic governance and budget coordination throughout the Union, and therefore calls on them not to consider their contribution to the EU budget as an adjustment variable in their consolidation efforts and not to seek to artificially reduce the volume of the EU budget’s growth-enhancing expenditure, in contradiction with the political commitments they have made at the highest level; believes, on the contrary, that fundingBelieves that where there is EU added value, growth-enhancing expenditure at EU level can generate savings for the Member States’ budgets;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Finds it regrettable that the Member States continue to underestimate the role and contribution of the EU budget in strengthening economic governance and budget coordination throughout the Union, and therefore calls on them not to consider their contribution to the EU budget as an adjustment variable in their consolidation efforts and not to seek to artificially reduce the volume of the EU budget’s growth- enhancing expenditure, in contradiction with the political commitments they have made at the highest level; calls once again on the Commission to take full account of this recurring and dangerous trend when assessing the budgetary plans of the Member States and to propose concrete actions to reverse it; believes, on the contrary, that funding at EU level can generate savings for the Member States’ budgets;

Amendment 18 #

Ingeborg GRÄSSLE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Calls, in this context, on the Member States to ensure that EU funding is directed, wherever possible, towards projects promoting the creation of jobs, in particular for young people, as well as sustainable growth and competitiveness;

Amendment 19 #

Bernd KÖLMEL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Recalls its view that ~~the fiscal situation of Member States can be eased through a new system of own resources to finance the Union budget that will reduce gross national income (GNI) contributions~~a new system of own resources should be explored, thus enabling Member States to meet their consolidation efforts without jeopardising EU funding to support investment in economic recovery and reform measures; underlines, therefore, the importance it attaches to the new high-level group on own resources~~, which should lead to a true reform of EU financing~~;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines, once again, the important role of the EU budget in stimulating sustainable growth, boosting job creation and reducing macroeconomic imbalances and social inequalities in the EU; recalls, in particular, that without even considering its role as a catalyst for investment, some 60 % of the EU budget is directly devoted to the achievement of the Europe 2020 objectives;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Recalls its view that the fiscal situation of Member States can be eased through a new system of own resources ~~to finance the Union budget~~, integrating taxation of the financial sector, to finance the Union budget and/or the EU Member States that will reduce gross national income (GNI) contributions, thus enabling Member States to meet their consolidation efforts without jeopardising EU funding to support investment in economic recovery and reform measures; underlines, therefore, the importance it attaches to the new high- level group on own resources, which shall ensure the due and full participation of all EP political groups in all stages of the process, should lead to a true reform of EU financing;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Recalls its view that the fiscal situation of Member States can be eased through a new system of own resources to finance the Union budget that will reduce gross national income (GNI) contributions, thus enabling Member States to meet their consolidation efforts without jeopardising EU funding to support investment in economic recovery and reform measures; reminds that the European Commission has tabled several legislative proposals in order to reform the own resources system and which have not been seriously discussed by the Council; underlines, therefore, the importance it attaches to the new high-level group on own resources, which should lead to a true reform of EU financing;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Recalls ~~its view~~ that the fiscal situation of the Member States can be ~~eas~~improved through a new system of own resources ~~to finance the Union budget that will reduce gross national income (GNI) contributions, thus enabling Member States to meet their consolidation efforts without jeopardis~~of the EU budget financing, reducing contributions based on gross national income, thereby allowing Member States to carry out efforts to strengthen without putting threatening EU funding to support investment in economic recovery and reform measures; ~~underlines, therefore,~~thus, stresses the importance it attaches to the new high- level group onto its own resources, which should lead to a ~~tru~~genuine reform of EU f~~inanc~~unding;.

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Urges the Commission, in the framework of its 2015 Annual Growth Survey (AGS) to be published in November 2014, to fully address and underline the role of the EU budget in the European Semester process by providing factual and concrete data on its triggering, catalytic, synergetic and complementary effects on overall public expenditure at local, regional and national level; Urges the Commission and Member States to monitor and report on the impact of the healthcare system reforms in order to ensure inclusion, prioritize prevention and early intervention methods and provide equal access, as recommended in the AGS;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Calls, furthermore, on the Commission, in its next AGS, to provide a full and complete picture of what has been achieved as a result of the implementation of the Compact for Growth and Jobs, adopted at the European Council meeting of June 2012, and to present new proposals on the role which the EU budget could play in further stimulating growth and job creation; Calls on the Commission and Member States to address the low participation in the labor market of disadvantaged groups, including persons belonging to minorities (eg Roma citizens) who come from the poorest micro or living with disabilities; Calls on the Commission and Member States also to address the unequal distribution of employment across regions and social groups and the effects of fiscal consolidation on vulnerable social groups, which require Member States to continue their efforts; stresses that efforts regarding structural reforms must still be made and the monitoring of these efforts must be ensured in order to ensure the effectiveness of reforms and consolidate progress; encourages the adoption and implementation of programmes of structural reforms to promote convergence and competitiveness at national and European level and enhance sustainable growth and promote employment;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Calls, furthermore, on the Commission, in its next AGS, to provide a full and complete picture of what has been achieved as a result of the implementation of the Compact for Growth and Jobs, adopted at the European Council meeting of June 2012 in order to move beyond the economic and fiscal crises, and to present new proposals on the role which the EU budget could play in further ~~stimulating growth~~creating smart, sustainable, inclusive resource- efficient and job -creationg growth;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Expects the next President-elect of the Commission to stick to its promise to present within the next 3 months of the new Commission's mandate a growth, job and investment package worth at least EUR 300 billion of additional public and private investment in Europe; expects this package to include new and efficient European instruments on top of those already agreed in the frame of the MFF 2014-2020;

Amendment 27 #

Bernd KÖLMEL

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. Welcomes the commitment by the President-elect of the Commission to deliver on the Commission’s roadmap entitled ‘Towards a genuine economic and monetary union’ of 5 December 2012; believes that any additional funding or instruments, such as a solidarity mechanism, must be an integral part of the EU budget, but over and above the agreed MFF ceilings. Reaffirms that increased economic cooperation should be accompanied by a financial mechanism based on incentives; believes that any funding or additional tools such as a solidarity mechanism must be part of the EU budget, while remaining outside of the package agreed in the multiannual financial framework (MFF);

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls the need, at the start of the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), for swift and effective implementation of the new programmes at both EU and Member State level, in order to allow these programmes to contribute to the economic recovery process; calls for a particularly speedy implementation of the programmes frontloaded to the first years of the MFF, such as Horizon 2020, COSME, Erasmus+ and the Youth Employment Initiative; stresses the fact that these programmes have a leverage effect and a synergetic and catalytic role in relation to national investment policies and growth and job creation; ~~welcomes~~takes note, in particular, of the ~~swift~~ launch of the 2014-2020 cohesion policy (in terms of partnership agreements already signed, operational programmes agreed and prefinancing disbursed)~~, the aim of which is to~~ while expresses its deep concern for all the delays and the lack of payment appropriations for all these programmes which aim at increasing the support of growth and job creation; furthermore, expresses its deep concerns on what might be the impact of the macroconditionality criteria and the insertion of the performance reserve on the full and timely implementation of these EU policies;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls the need, at the start of the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), for swift and effective implementation of the new programmes at both EU and Member State level, in order to allow these programmes to contribute to the economic recovery process; calls for a particularly speedy implementation of the programmes frontloaded to the first years of the MFF, such as Horizon 2020, COSME, Erasmus+ and the Youth Employment Initiative; stresses the fact that these programmes have a leverage effect and a synergetic and catalytic role in relation to national investment policies and growth and job creation; ~~welcomes, in particular, the~~underlines the need for a swift launch of the 2014-2020 cohesion policy (in terms of signing of partnership agreements, algre~~ady signed,~~ement of operational programmes a~~greed and prefinancing disbursed),~~ nd disbursement of prefinancing); highlights once more the undisputed role of cohesion policy in supporting growthe a~~im of which is to support growth and job creation~~nd job creation on the whole EU territory; expects the next European Commission due to come into office on 1st November 2014 to make concrete proposals in order to help those member states which face difficulties in mobilising the required co-financing part of their operational programmes;

Amendment 5 #

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Supports~~Considers that both the EU Youth Guarantee and the Youth Employment Initiative ~~as crucial~~could become important means to fighting the dramatically high level of youth unemployment~~; welcomes~~, if they would be re- structured and allocated an adequate level of resources; takes note of the recent steps taken by the Commission to assist Member States in the prompt programming of measures financed under the Youth Employment Initiative; insists that further measures need to be taken in order to fully and timely implement these programmes so that they can help in alleviating the inumerous situations of social emergency in several Member States;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Supports both the EU Youth Guarantee and the Youth Employment Initiative as crucial means to fighting the dramatically high level of youth unemployment; welcomes the recent steps taken by the Commission to assist Member States in the prompt programming of measures financed under the Youth Employment Initiative; Highlights the importance of initiatives in the field of employment among young people and that the proper, effective and rapid implementation of the programmes concentrated on fundings at an early stage can ensure economic growth and create jobs, particularly for youngsters;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the fact that the promotion of EU jobs and ~~competitiveness~~sustainable growth requires that the formation of value chains in the EU be boosted and that EU companies, namely the micro, small and medium enterprises be more firmly integrated at all value-chain levels; recalls the fact that such policies should ~~cover undertakings of all siz~~be allocated the sufficient financial resources, be conducive to maintaining the production chain in Europe and support sectors with high growth potential, with a specific focus on innovation, skills, entrepreneurship and creativity;

Amendment 9 #