2017/2260(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1

– having regard to Articles 3 and 5 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU),

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)

– having regard to the UN Sustainable Development Goals,

Amendment 100 #

Jana TOOM, Marian HARKIN, Ivo VAJGL, Jasenko SELIMOVIC, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, António MARINHO E PINTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the need for socially and economically balanced structural reforms aimed at improving inclusive labour market and social policies, in order to boost investment and create quality jobs, to help the workforce to acquire the skills they need and to promote equal opportunities in the labour market, fair working conditions, increasing labour productivity to support wage growth, and sustainable and adequate social protection systems; Reminds that structural reforms should take account of distributional effects on different people; Calls for measures preventing a race to the bottom in terms of taxation and social standards, which leads to an increase in inequalities;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the need for structural reforms aimed at improving labour market and social policies, in order to help the workforce to acquire the skills they need and to promote equal opportunities in the labour market, fair working conditions, increasing labour productivity to support wage growth, and sustainable and adequate social protection systems; emphasises the need of reinforcing a favourable environment for business with a view to creating more employment while balancing the social and economic dimensions; calls on the Member States to gradually shifting taxes from labour to other sources;

Amendment 102 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the need for structural reforms aimed at improving labour market and social policies, in order to help the workforce to acquire the skills they need and to promote equal opportunities in the labour market, fair working conditions, increasing labour productivity to support wage growth, and sustainable and adequate social protection systemocially responsible reforms based on solidarity, integration, social justice and a fair distribution of wealth, a model that ensures equality and social protection, protects vulnerable groups and improves living standards for all citizens;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the ne~~ed for structural~~cessity to refor~~ms aimed at improving~~ient the labour market and social policies towards the needs of workers and people in disadvantaged situation, in order to help the workforce to acquire the skills they need and to promote equal opportunities in the labour market, fair working conditions, increasing labour productivity to support wage growth, and sustainable and adequate social protection systems;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the ne~~ed for~~gative impact of the structural reforms aimed at improving labour market and social policies, in order to help the workforce to acquire the skills they need and to promote equal opportunities in the labour market, fair working conditions, increasing labour productivity to support wage growth, and sustainable and adequate social protection systemsplemented by the EU with regard to social policies and the labour market; takes the view that Member States should remain the only players and key decision-makers in social and employment-related matters, to ensure that citizens are provided with the continuity of public services that is necessary in order to deal with the disastrous consequences of the migration and austerity policies implemented by the EU;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the need for structural reforms aimed at improving labour market and social policies~~, in order to~~ towards materialising the “Social Triple A”, by helping the workforce to acquire the skills they need and to promoteing equal opportunities inand access to the labour market, fair working conditions, ~~increasing labour productivity to support wage growth,~~ and sustainable and adequate social protection systems;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Acknowledges that, despite improvements in the economic and employment situation in recent years in the EU as a whole, the number of people in a situation of poverty and social exclusion continues to be too high; calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue their efforts to improve the conditions for these persons and to give greater recognition to the work and expertise of NGOs, anti-poverty organisations and people experiencing poverty themselves, encouraging their participation in the exchange of good practices;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Urges the Commission to bring efforts to bear with a view to helping people suffering from given conditions, for example chronic pain, to enter or remain on the labour market; maintains that the labour market needs to be geared to such situations, and made more flexible and non-discriminatory, so as to ensure that the people concerned can likewise contribute to the EU’s economic development, thus relieving the strain on social security systems;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Calls for boosting social investment in view of their economic returns and social benefits. Reminds that economies with a higher degree of social investment are more resilient to shocks and that adequately resourced social protection systems can work as automatic stabilisers;

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Believes that reforms to social protections systems by the Member States must aim to facilitate labour market participation for those who can work, by making work pay; stresses in this regard that income support should be targeted at those most in need;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 b (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 13 December 2017 on the Recommendation following the inquiry on money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion,

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Calls on the Commission and Member States to allow room for public social investment at national level in the context of the Stability and Growth Pact, and to support this, calls on the Commission to carry out a more in-depth assessment of which types of spending can definitely be considered as social investment;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Expresses its concern about the continuing low participation in the labour market of ethnic minorities and of the Roma community in particular; in this connection, calls on the Member States to correctly implement Directive 2000/78/EC;

Amendment 112 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL, Jana TOOM

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)

2c. Welcomes the Commission's support for investment to enhance environmental sustainability and the acknowledgement of its potential across the economy; agrees that support for the transition towards a circular and green economy has a high net job creation potential;

Amendment 113 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights and believes that the European Semester must be a tool to develop its 20 key principles regarding equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions and social protection and inclusion ~~should serve as a point of reference when implementing the European Semester policy coordination cycle~~; Stresses, therefore, that the Proclamation has to be seen as a first step, and concrete legislative, financing and investment measures must be developed from 2018 and further to legally protect people’s labour and social rights and improve social justice in Europe and must be monitored by the European Semester in order to build a real Social Triple A for Europe, as stated by President Juncker;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) and believes its 20 key principles regarding equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions and social protection and inclusion should serve as a point of reference when implementing the European Semester policy coordination cycle; Highlights that the EPSR is a first step through consolidation of a common approach to the protection and development of social rights across the EU, which should be reflected in measures pursued by Member States; Reiterates the call on the Commission to continue to complement this with further measures on deepening the economic and monetary union;

Amendment 115 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Welcom~~Notes the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights and believes its 20 key principles regarding equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions and social protection and inclusion should serve as a point of reference when implementing the European Semester policy coordination cycle;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights and believes its 20 key principles regarding equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions and social protection and inclusion should serve as a point of reference when implementing the European Semester policy coordination cycle; calls on the Commission to put forward corresponding recommendations and interact with Member States in order to undertake relevant measures and dedicate adequate resources and financing for implementation of the Pillar and achieving of concrete results;

Amendment 117 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights and believes its 20 key principles regarding equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions and social protection and inclusion should serve as a point of reference and a recommendation when implementing the European Semester policy coordination cycle in order to create economic growth and a predictable, sustainable financial situation subordinate to the targets of economic and employment policy, thereby serving the main, prioritised aims of the EU2020 strategy;

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights and believes its 20 key principles regarding equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions and social protection and inclusion should serve as a point of reference when implementing the European Semester policy coordination cycle; points out that the European Semester coordination process is an essential means of consolidating the European social model, from which the Social Pillar derives;

Amendment 119 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights and believes its 20 key principles regarding equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions and social protection and inclusion should serve as a point of reference when implementing the European Semester policy coordination cycle; stresses that these principles must not be used as a vehicle for further initiatives at EU level which clearly fall within the competence of the member states;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 c (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 4 July 2013 on the Impact of the crisis on access to care for vulnerable groups (2013/2044(INI)),

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights and believes its 20 key principles regarding equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions and social protection and inclusion should not only serve as a point of reference when implementing the European Semester policy coordination cycle but be legally enforceable by adopting the appropriate legislation;

Amendment 121 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes in this regard the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights and believes its 20 key principles regarding equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions and social protection and inclusion should serve as a ~~point of reference~~framework when implementing the European Semester policy coordination cycle;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Recognises the efforts to strengthen the social dimension of the Semester; calls for further actions to balance social and economic priorities and to improve the quality of monitoring and recommendations in the social area;

Amendment 123 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls on the Commission, within the framework of the MFF 2014-2020 revision, to increase substantially the European Social Fund aimed specifically to support the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights;

Amendment 124 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Calls on the Commission to put forward a concrete legislative planning for the period 2018-2019 aiming to improve living and working conditions in the context of the Proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and specifically encourage the proclamation of a Social Protocol to be annexed to the Treaties to ensure that fundamental social rights take precedence over economic freedoms;

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the new scoreboard, which provides for 14 headline indicators ~~to screen~~relevant to the employment and social performance of Member States along the three broad dimensions, identified in the context of the Social Pillar but stresses that monitoring is not enough; calls therefore for the binding character of low levels of unemployment, poverty and inequalities in the same way economic indicators are binding; underlines the fact, that for the EU on average, 11 of the 14 headline indicators recorded an improvement over the last available year, confirming the steady improvement in the labour market and social situation which has accompanied the economic recovery; remains however concerned at the lack of control over the quality of job and educational opportunities created;

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the new scoreboard, which provides for 14 headline indicators to screen the employment and social performance of Member States, along three broad dimensions, ~~identified in the context~~reflecting part of the 20 principles of the Social Pillar; underlines the fact, that for the EU on average, 11 of the 14 headline indicators recorded an improvement over the last available year, confirming the ~~steady~~ improvement in the labour market and social situation which has accompanied the economic recovery; Recommends the development of indicators to cover also the Social Pillar principles that are not covered yet, so that the Pillar can be used in a meaningful way; Calls for the use of indicators in a way that allows triggering corrective action;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Welcom~~Notes the new scoreboard, which provides for 14 headline indicators to screen the employment and social performance of Member States along three broad dimensions, identified in the context of the Social Pillar; underlines the fact, that for the EU on average, 11 of the 14 headline indicators recorded an improvement over the last available year, confirming the steady improvement in the labour market and social situation which has accompanied the economic recovery;

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the new scoreboard, which provides for 14 headline indicators to screen the employment and social performance of Member States along three broad dimensions, identified in the context of the Social Pillar; at the same time, there is a need for professional agreements and meaningful consultations to pave the way for the wide-ranging, permanent and unified introduction and the balanced, reliable application of the scoreboard; underlines the fact, that for the EU on average, 11 of the 14 headline indicators recorded an improvement over the last available year, confirming the steady improvement in the labour market and social situation which has accompanied the economic recovery;

Amendment 129 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the new scoreboard, which provides for 14 headline indicators to screen the employment and social performance of Member States along three broad dimensions, identified in the context of the Social Pillar; underlines the fact, that for the EU on average, 11 of the 14 headline indicators recorded an improvement over the last available year, confirming the steady improvement in the labour market and social situation which has accompanied the economic recoverregrets, nonetheless, that 14 out of the 20 principles enshrined in the EPSR are not linked to any indicators in this new social scoreboard, and two of the remaining 6 are only covered partially;

Amendment 13 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 d (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 8 July 2015 on the Green Employment Initiative: Tapping into the job creation potential of the green economy (2014/2238(INI)),

Amendment 130 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the Commission, once again, to develop and complement the scoreboard of the Joint Employment Report with new indicators covering topics of the European Pillar of Social Rights related to the situation of women in labour market beyond pay, grounds of equal treatment in employment, quality of employment, living wages, protection against dismissal, collective bargaining coverage, unionization, access to care other than childcare, healthy and safe work places, social protection coverage, unemployment benefits, minimum income schemes, adequate pensions, inclusion of people with disabilities, long term care, access to housing and access to essential services;

Amendment 131 #

Jana TOOM, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Marian HARKIN, Ivo VAJGL, Jasenko SELIMOVIC, António MARINHO E PINTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls for partnerships encompassing employers, social partners, public and private employment services, public authorities, social services, and education and training institutions to be established and developed in order to provide the tools necessary to respond more effectively to labour market needs and prevent long-term unemployment; points out that it is essential to have personalised and individualised follow-up, capable of delivering effective solutions for the long-term unemployed;

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Notes that the percentage of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion remains high; points out that high levels of inequality reduce the output of the economy and the potential for sustainable growth;

Amendment 133 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the Commission to take into account the Social Development Goals when proposing policy recommendations in the context of the European Semester;

Amendment 134 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Underlines the fact, that for the EU on average, 11 of the 14 headline indicators recorded an improvement over the last available year, confirming the steady improvement in the labour market and social situation which has accompanied the economic recovery; notes, however, that action is required to achieve social upward convergence along the dimensions identified by the Social Pillar, as stated by the Commission, and that the analysis of the headlines indicators shows at least one "critical situation" for 17 out of 28 Member States;

Amendment 135 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

4c. Regrets that the way data is presented in the Joint Employment report is not clear and often inconclusive, especially in the area of poverty and social exclusion, or difficult to compare, for instance regarding the evolution of wages, productivity and capital gains, or the tax wedge for labour and capital; warns that multifactor productivity is not being measured, which is essential to understand the evolution of productivity in the European economy;

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Calls for improving work quality both in terms of working conditions, health and safety as well as in terms of wages allowing for a decent leaving and family planning; stresses the importance of tackling undeclared work in an effective manner, involving social partners and imposing appropriate fines;

Amendment 137 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)

4d. Stresses that fiscal consolidation programmes should by no means impose austerity measures undermining social policies that suffer substantial cuts; any proposed fiscal measure should be assessed and monitored against its social impact;

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Reiterates its concern about the ~~level of youth unemployment, which remains high, with the number of NEETs having stagnated; welcomes, in this respect, an increase i~~variability in employment and unemployment rates recorded in different Member States and is particularly concerned by the level of youth unemployment and long-term unemployment that threaten the ability to integrate in the medium and long term of a large number of young and elderly unemployed; warns about the worrying degree of and rising trend towards underemployment and hidden fun~~ding for the Youth Employment Initiative by EUR 2.4 billion for the period 2017-2020~~employment and that unemployment rate might capture only about two-thirds of the extent of European underemployment;

Amendment 139 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Reiterates its concern at the level of youth unemployment, which remains high, with the number of NEETs having stagnated; welcomes, in this respect, an increase in funding for the Youth Employment Initiative by EUR 2.4 billion for the period 2017-2020 reminding that this amount is nevertheless not sufficient in relevance to the number of addressees and calls for additional funds to be provided to this end during the current financial framework and for adequate funds to be timely proposed for the next multiannual financial framework;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 e (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 13 September 2016 on creating labour market conditions favourable for work- life balance (2016/2017(INI)),

Amendment 140 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Reiterates its concern at the level of youth unemployment, which remains high, with the number of NEETs having stagnated; ~~welcom~~stresses, in this re~~spect, an increase in funding for the~~ gard the European Court of Auditors special report no. 5 "Youth EUnemployment ~~Initiative by EUR 2.4 billion for the period 2017-2020~~- have EU policies made a difference" which emphasises that expectations on the YEI need to be managed and interventions should be redesigned in light of the available funding and based on better gap assessments and market analyses;

Amendment 141 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Reiterates its concern that the level of youth unemployment~~, w~~ remains hicgh ~~remains high~~– over 11% – in the EU, with the exception of a few Member States (Austria, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Hungary, Malta and Germany), with the number of NEETs having stagnated; welcomes, in this respect, an increase in funding for the Youth Employment Initiative by EUR 2.4 billion for the period 2017-2020;

Amendment 142 #

Jana TOOM, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Ivo VAJGL, Jasenko SELIMOVIC, António MARINHO E PINTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Reiterates its concern at the level of youth unemployment, which remains high~~, with the number of NEETs having stagnated; welcomes, in this respect, an increase in funding for the Youth Employment Initiative by EUR 2.4 billion for the period 2017-2020~~;

Amendment 143 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Reiterates its concern at the level of youth unemployment, which remains high, with the number of NEETs having stagnated; welcomes, in this respect, an increase in funding for the Youth Employment Initiative by EUR 2.4 billion for the period 2017-2020; highlights that Member States should ensure that the Youth Guarantee is fully open to all groups, including vulnerable persons;

Amendment 144 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Considers that is specially worrying the high level of NEETs and early school leavers that still remain in several countries, as well as the very long- term unemployed pockets with increasingly scarce opportunities to integrate in a normal way in the labour market; Notes, in this respect, that the increase in funding for the Youth Employment Initiative by EUR 2.4 billion for the period2017-2020 seems insufficient and calls on the Commission and the Member States to raise the funding level of the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) for the period 2018-2020 to at least EUR 21 billion, including young people under 30;

Amendment 145 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Welcomes the focus in the 2018 AGS on adequate social housing and other housing assistance as essential services, including protecting people in vulnerable situations against unjustified forced eviction and foreclosures, and tackling homelessness; calls for re- enforced monitoring of homelessness and housing exclusion in the Semester and recommendations as required; calls for greater consistency within the Semester between the consideration of housing from macroeconomic and social rights perspectives;

Amendment 146 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses the need to implement effective labour market policies in order to reduce long-term unemployment; Member States should further help those out of work by providing affordable, accessible and quality services support for job search, training and requalification, while protecting those unable to participate;

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Is concerned by mass poverty and growing inequalities in the EU and its Member States and by the increasing share of workers at risk of poverty not only for part-time workers, but also for full-time workers; considers that it is crucial that wages be increased, in line with growing productivity;

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses that the YEI was designed as a temporary response to an economic crisis and should not become a permanent transfer mechanism;

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Agrees with the Commission that "Social protection systems should ensure the right to minimum income benefits"; calls on Member States to set adequate minimum income above the poverty line and to ensure it is easily accessible to all people who need it; considers that to be effective in the fight against poverty, minimum income schemes should be accompanied by access to quality services and measures to facilitate entry or re- entry in the labour market for people in vulnerable situations, if they can work; urges the Commission to use the European Semester to demand from all Member States to introduce adequate minimum income schemes where these are not yet in place and to progressively improve the levels of existing schemes to be above the poverty line;

Amendment 15 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 f (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 11 June 2013 on social housing in the European Union (2012/2293(INI)),

Amendment 150 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Calls on the Commission to strengthen their efforts through the ESF and the European Semester to support comprehensive public policies in the Member States, focused to provide smoother transitions from education and (long-term) unemployment to work and specifically for the full implementation of the measures at national level outlined in the Council Recommendation on the labour market integration of the long- term unemployed;

Amendment 151 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Considers that labour market segmentation, which especially affects young people, must be stopped, therefore it is necessary to prohibit and control the use of atypical contracts and non- standard forms of work, such as zero- hour contracts or unpaid traineeship, as well as guarantee fair and non- discriminatory working conditions for all workers;

Amendment 152 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5d. Welcomes the Commission Proposal for a Directive on transparent and predictable working conditions in the European Union replacing the current Written Statement Directive, but calls on the Commission to reconsider further expanding the scope and enforcement of the proposal in the Member States, with the aim of effectively extending to all workers not only rights but also minimum working conditions across Europe, regardless the type of contract or job that is exercised;

Amendment 153 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5e. Recalls that the creation of the European Labour Authority as an inspectorate body with powers to carry out controls and impose sanctions and penalties on non-compliant companies, would be a guarantee of the enforcement of labour and social legislation in the European single market to combat social dumping, exploitation and abuse of workers;

Amendment 154 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 f (new)

5f. Calls on the Commission to create the European social security card in order to facilitate information exchange and to provide people with a record of their current and past entitlements and to prevent abuse;

Amendment 155 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 g (new)

5g. Recalls to the Commission that access to social protection is fundamental for creating fair working conditions and that following up the consultations of the social partners it is needed to come along with concrete proposals to ensure that all people in all forms of work build up social security entitlements, including for adequate pensions;

Amendment 156 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 h (new)

5h. Considers that despite the general increase of employment rates in Europe, these have not been accompanied by a decline in the levels of inequality and risk of poverty or social exclusion; Gains produced in recent years have been distributed unevenly, with the majority of the population, especially the most needy, receiving scarcely nothing of these profits;

Amendment 157 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

5i. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to reverse the downward tax competition through coordination of tax rates and compensation schemes between countries; Calls on the Commission to support the establishment of a UN intergovernmental body for tax cooperation and to initiate discussions on a European financial register;

Amendment 158 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 j (new)

5j. Calls on the Commission to encourage tax systems reforms focused in increase the top rate of income tax specifically capital income taxation, generating resources for transferring public goods and services and reversing threatening trends on growth and job creation because of income and wealth inequalities, affecting mostly 40% of the population at the bottom of income distribution;

Amendment 159 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 k (new)

5k. Notes that wealth is more unequally distributed than income and that the rate of capital return is much higher than the economic growth rate, and considers worrying that the real estate market in some countries is generating arbitrary effects on inter- generational distribution of wealth ; Calls on the Commission and the Member States to coordinate tax reforms in order to establish annual tax on wealth holdings and inheritance tax rates aimed to reduce wealth inequality and promote meritocracy and redistribution;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)

– having regard to the Commission communication of 3 March 2010 entitled ‘Europe 2020 – A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ (COM(2010)2020), and to its resolution of 16 June 2010 on EU2020,

Amendment 160 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 l (new)

5l. Taking into account the intensive dependence of middle-class earns on nominal wages, is concerned about the negative relationship between market wage inequality and trade union organizational density and notes the positive link between worker’s share in the production value and the coverage of collective bargaining; Calls on the Commission and the Member States to reverse the most aggressive labour market reforms carried out in the past and encourage unionisation, wider coverage of collective bargaining agreements and strengthening coordinated forms of wage- setting, aimed to promote nominal wage growth in line with the sum of productivity growth plus the inflation target of the ECB;

Amendment 161 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 m (new)

5m. Calls on the Commission to coordinate the Member States in the adoption of duly designed frameworks of Minimum Wages Systems at national level, in accordance with their national practices and the involvement of Social Partners, aimed to reach a universal minimum level of earns according with a national living wage as the income needed to meet a family’s basic needs for each Member State and region;

Amendment 162 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 n (new)

5n. Notes that one of the most relevant public policies to promote equal opportunities is encouraging equal and affordable access to high-quality public goods and service specially ensuring universal access to health, (early-age) education, childcare, social housing and public transport;

Amendment 163 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 o (new)

5o. Is concerned about the remaining high levels of poverty in Europe almost a decade after the onset of the crisis and the inter-generational divide produced including those Member States performing better in terms of share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion; Is especially worried about the increasing rates of child poverty and in- work poverty registered in several Member States despite the macroeconomic recovery recorded in recent years; Notes that more than a third of Member States report a critical situation in relation to the share of children participating in early childhood care and education; calls on the Commission to support the Member States in the design and implementation of structural reforms evaluating the social and distributional impact of them;

Amendment 164 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 p (new)

5p. Asks the Commission to adopt all the necessary measures to drastically reduce poverty in Europe, and particularly child poverty, and therefore to put forward a regulation establishing a European Child Guarantee with corresponding funds, according with their Recommendation on Investing in Children, the preparatory actions established by the EU Budget 2017 and 2018, and the EP Resolutions, by ensuring that every child at risk of poverty will have access to free healthcare, free education, free childcare, decent housing and adequate nutrition; Stresses the need for the Member States to adopt national plans to reduce child poverty, specifically addressing the limited impact of social transfers in reducing the risk of poverty;

Amendment 165 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 q (new)

5q. Highlights that the modernisation of benefit systems must be a priority for the Member States and Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the unemployed are provided with adequate income and social benefits for enough time and parents have access to generous child-allowances schemes and affordable quality pre-school childcare and education; Calls on the Commission to encourage more progressive means-tested benefit systems in the Member States aimed to achieve affordability and universal access;

Amendment 166 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 r (new)

5r. Points out that social protection systems should ensure the right to minimum income benefits for people lacking sufficient resources and promote social inclusion by encouraging all to participate in the labour market and in society; Calls on the Commission to coordinate the Member States in the adoption of a common framework to implement such Minimum Income Benefits Systems according with their national practices and the involvement of social partners;

Amendment 167 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 s (new)

5s. Is convinced that the development of a European Unemployment Insurance Scheme duly designed as a complement of the National Benefits Systems, would improve not only the possibilities of absorbing economic crises with asymmetric results, but also a way to strengthen the Social Dimension of the EU;

Amendment 168 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 t (new)

5t. Stresses the higher unemployment rates of young people and low-skilled workers compared with adult high-skilled workers; Calls on the Commission and the Member States to speed up the implementation of the New Skills Agenda aimed to up-skill persons with specific skills problems to re-integrate the labour market;

Amendment 169 #

Robert ROCHEFORT, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to maximise their efforts in investing in high-quality education and training in order to guarantee that the skills acquired will match labour market demand and to reduce the number of young people who leave school early; underlines, in this respect, the growing demand for digital and other transferable skills and insists that the development of these skills is urgent and particularly necessary; stresses the importance of initiatives to support the long-term mobility of students and young graduates from education and vocational training, which will make it possible to develop a skilled and mobile labour force in sectors with potential;

Amendment 17 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 b (new)

– having regard to the Commission’s Social Investment Package of 20 February 2013, including recommendation 2013/112/EU entitled ‘Investing in Children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage’,

Amendment 170 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Ivo VAJGL, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to maximise their efforts in investing in high-quality education and training in order to guarantee that the skills acquired will match labour market demand; underlines, in this respect, the growing demand for digital and other transferable skills and insists that the development of these skills is urgent and particularly necessary; the creation of jobs though requires also an individualised approach according to the local necessities and particularities of the labour markets; cognitive and soft skills must equally be developed valuing personal abilities and offering on the job satisfaction;

Amendment 171 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to maximise their efforts in investing in high-quality education ~~and training~~, training, labour productivity growth and active labour market policies in order to guarantee that the skills acquired will match labour market demand and empower people and integrate them in the labour market; underlines, in this respect, the growing demand for digital and other transferable skills and insists that the development of these skills is urgent and particularly necessary; Believes that Member States should work towards more effective and tailor-made public and private employment services;

Amendment 172 #

Jana TOOM, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Marian HARKIN, Ivo VAJGL, Jasenko SELIMOVIC, António MARINHO E PINTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to maximise their efforts in investing in high-quality education and training in order to guarantee that the skills acquired will match labour market demand; underlines, in this respect, the growing demand for digital and other transferable skills and insists that the development of these skills is urgent and particularly necessary; calls for additional efforts to ensure that benefits of globalisation and technological changes, including digitisation, are distributed in a socially just way among people, notably to support low-skills workers and young people;

Amendment 173 #

6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to maximise their efforts in investing in high-quality education and training in order to guarantee that the skills acquired will match labour market demand; underlines, in this respect, the growing demand for digital and other transferable skills and insists that the development of these skills is urgent and particularly necessary; takes the view that mutual recognition of qualifications will be beneficial for overcoming the gap between skills shortages on the European labour market and jobseekers, especially young people;

Amendment 174 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to maximise their efforts in investing in high-quality education and training – taking into account the geographical-demographical-income discrepancies within individual regions and countries – in order to guarantee that the skills acquired will match labour market demand; underlines, in this respect, the growing demand for digital and other transferable skills and insists that the development of these skills is urgent and particularly necessary;

Amendment 175 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to maximise their efforts in investing in affordable and universal access to high-quality education and training in order to guarantee that the skills acquired ~~will match labour market demand~~are adequate to facilitate labour market integration of workers; underlines, in this respect, the growing demand for digital and other transferable skills and insists that the development of these skills is urgent and particularly necessary;

Amendment 176 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to tackle the multidimensionality of poverty and inequalities and to propose an integrated anti-poverty strategy in order to achieve the Europe 2020 targets; reiterates its call for a green paper on inequalities and how this is hampering economic recovery; calls on the Commission and Member States to step up their work on the monitoring and implementation of the Recommendation on Investing in children; reiterates its call on the Commission and the Member States for a child guarantee placing children in the centre of existing poverty alleviation policies and ensuring special dedicated resources necessary for its full implementation;

Amendment 177 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Points out that qualifications and skills acquired in non-formal and informal learning contexts are important to the extent that they improve the employability of young people and those who have been out of the labour market because they have had to act as carers; points, therefore, to the importance of establishing a validation system for non- formal and informal forms of knowledge and experience, especially those acquired through volunteering; welcomes the fact that the Commission has in the AGS taken into account the importance of recognising those skills for the purposes of the New Skills Agenda for Europe;

Amendment 178 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Underlines that Member States and the Commission should maximize efforts to ensure equal opportunity and access to education and training to ensure social inclusion and better economic outcomes; Calls on the Commission and Member States to upgrade vocational training and strengthen work-based learning, including quality apprenticeships; Recalls that recognition of skills acquired outside formal education and training and support for adults should also be made easier;

Amendment 179 #

Jana TOOM, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Marian HARKIN, Ivo VAJGL, Jasenko SELIMOVIC, António MARINHO E PINTO, Robert ROCHEFORT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Underlines that the integration of long-term unemployed individuals through individually tailored measures is a key factor for fighting poverty and social exclusion and contributing to the sustainability of national social security systems; highlights, in this context, the importance of skills and competences acquired in non-formal and informal learning environments;

Amendment 18 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)

– having regard to the Commission publication of the seventh edition of the annual ‘Employment and Social Developments in Europe (2017)’ focused on intergenerational fairness and solidarity in Europe,

Amendment 180 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Calls on the Member States to support apprenticeship programmes and make full use of the ERASMUS+ funding available for trainees in order to guarantee the quality of training of this kind and make it attractive, and draws the Commission’s attention to the need to boost the uptake of this programme by young people in the outermost regions, as was outlined in the Commission communication entitled ‘A stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the EU’s outermost regions’;

Amendment 181 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to take all the necessary measures to improve the services and legislation that are important for a proper work-life balance; calls for the development of accessible and affordable childcare and early education services, and for the creation of favourable conditions for parents and carers by allowing for advantageous family leave take-up and flexible working arrangements ~~which tap into the potential of new technologies; underlines, in this respect, the potential of public-private partnerships~~; Is concerned about the lack of gender perspective and indicators in the framework of the European Semester and calls for greater inclusion of the gender mainstreaming perspective in the formulation of country-specific recommendations, convergence programmes and national reform programmes; urges the need for monitoring of social and gender progress and impact of reforms overtime;

Amendment 182 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to take all the necessary measures to improve the services and legislation that are important for a proper work-life balance; calls for the development of accessible and affordable childcare and early education services, and for the creation of favourable conditions for parents and carers by allowing for advantageous family leave take-up and flexible working arrangements which tap into the potential of new technologies; stresses the necessity though of lifting the burden of obligatory care from family members and asks for the creation of a regulated domain of domestic workers and carers that will facilitate the work-life balance while contributing jobs creation; underlines, in this respect, the potential of public-private partnerships;

Amendment 183 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL, Jana TOOM, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls ~~on the Member States and the Commission to take all the~~for all necessary measures to be taken to improve the services and legislation that are important for a proper work-life balance; calls for Member States to be able to go back to investing – over and beyond the EU-imposed budgetary constraints – in the development of accessible and affordable childcare and early education services, and for the creation of favourable conditions for parents and carers by allowing for advantageous family leave take-up and flexible working arrangements which tap into the potential of new technologies; underlines, in this respect, the potential of public-private partnerships;

Amendment 184 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to take all the necessary measures to improve the services and legislation that are important for a proper work-life balance and for gender equality; calls for the development of accessible, quality and affordable childcare and early education services, and for the creation of favourable conditions for parents and carers by allowing for advantageous family leave take-up and flexible working arrangements ~~which tap into the potential of new technologies; underlines, in this respect, the potential of public-private partnerships~~;

Amendment 185 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to take all the necessary measures to improve the services and legislation, and families’ financial and tax situation, that are important for a proper work-life balance; calls for the development of accessible and affordable childcare and early education services, and for the creation of favourable conditions for parents and carers by allowing for advantageous family leave take-up and flexible working arrangements which tap into the potential of new technologies; underlines, in this respect, the potential of public-private partnerships;

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ~~take all the necessary measures~~propose appropriate measures in line with the principle of subsidiarity to improve the services and national legislation that ~~are~~is important for a impro~~per~~ving work-life balance; calls for the development of accessible and affordable childcare and early education services, and for the creation of favourable conditions for parents and carers by allowing for advantageous family leave take-up and flexible working arrangements which tap into the potential of new technologies; underlines, in this respect, the potential of public-private partnerships;

Amendment 187 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

Amendment 188 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

Amendment 189 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 26 a (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 24 November 2015 on reducing inequalities with a special focus on child poverty,

Amendment 190 #

Jana TOOM, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Marian HARKIN, Ivo VAJGL, António MARINHO E PINTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to introduce targets on care for elderly persons, persons with disabilities and other dependants, similar to the Barcelona targets, with monitoring tools to ensure these targets are met; calls on the Commission and Member States towards qualitative standards for all care services, including on their availability, accessibility and affordability; calls on Member States and the Commission to take up the EPSCO Council conclusions on enhancing community-based support and care for independent living, and develop a clear strategy and strong investment to develop modern high- quality community-based services and to increase support for caregivers, especially family carers;

Amendment 191 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to enforce at European and National level wage transparency and conducting pay audits on the company level in order to achieve equal pay for the same work in all sectors and professions; Calls on the Commission to put forward initiatives, if necessary, to remove any kind of gender pay gap, setting penalties for Work places that violate the right to equality, establishing different wages for identical job categories, depending on whether they are occupied mainly by men or by women;

Amendment 192 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Calls on the Member States to provide labour inspectorates or other relevant public bodies with adequate resources to address the issue of undeclared work, as well as to reinforce labour inspection mechanisms and design measures to enable workers to move from the grey to the formal economy in order to have access to employment and social protection systems;

Amendment 193 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to adopt all the necessary measures to reduce poverty in Europe, and particularly child poverty, in line with the 2013 Commission's Recommendation Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage"; stresses the need for the Member States to adopt national plans to reduce child poverty;

Amendment 194 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Calls on Member States to ensure that active labour market policies are efficient and effective and are designed to support mobility between sectors and the re-training of workers, which will become increasingly important as our labour markets adapt to the digital transformation of our economies;

Amendment 195 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines the potential of SMEs in job creation and the economy as a whole~~; considers it vital to~~ but points out that entrepreneurship alone does not promote industrialization or solve unemployment or poverty problems and it is a solution that does not fit everyone; considers it vital to assess the high rate of start-up failure in order to draw lessons on how to better support entrepreneurship and to improve the business environment ~~by removing administrative burdens,~~, considers important improving access to finance and supporting the development of tax models and simplified tax compliance procedures favouring SMEs, entrepreneurs, micro- entities and start-ups promoting a progressive tax collection, avoiding tax evasion and the lack of records of the fundamental information to identify the tax bases and their real owners;

Amendment 196 #

Jana TOOM, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Marian HARKIN, Ivo VAJGL, António MARINHO E PINTO, Robert ROCHEFORT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines the potential of SMEs in job creation and the economy as a whole; considers it vital to support entrepreneurship also through the development and support of the social and circular economy models and to improve the business environment by removing administrative burdens, improving access to finance and supporting the development of tax models and simplified tax compliance procedures favouring SMEs, entrepreneurs, micro-entities and start-ups;

Amendment 197 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines the potential of SMEs, as well as health and social services and social enterprises, in job creation and the economy as a whole; considers it vital to support entrepreneurship and to improve the business environment by removing administrative burdens, improving access to finance and supporting the development of tax models and simplified tax compliance procedures favouring SMEs, entrepreneurs, micro-entities and start-ups;

Amendment 198 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines the potential of SMEs in job creation and the economy as a whole; considers it vital to support entrepreneurship and to improve the business environment by ~~remov~~adjusting administrative ~~burd~~requirements, improving access for micro-entrepreneurs to social protection and to finance, and supporting the development of tax models and simplified tax compliance procedures favouring SMEs, entrepreneurs, micro- entities and start-ups;

Amendment 199 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines the potential of SMEs in job creation and the economy as a whole; considers it vital to support entrepreneurship and to improve the business environment by removing administrative burdens, improving access to finance and supporting the development of tax models and simplified tax compliance procedures favouring SMEs, entrepreneurs, the self-employed, micro- entities ~~and~~, start-ups and social economy enterprises;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)

– having regard to the revised European Social Charter,

Amendment 20 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 28 a (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 14 June 2017 on the need for an EU strategy to end and prevent the gender pension gap,

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls on the Commission to use the EU Semester to support green job creation; calls on the Commission to issue country-specific recommendations that can contribute to higher employment and smaller ecological footprints, and calls for detailed independent studies on the costs and benefits of a shift in tax burdens (e.g. from labour to environmental taxation); Stresses that such recommendations must not have unwanted repercussions on social security systems or impact disproportionately those on low incomes;

Amendment 201 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls on the Member States to develop policies which foster a real entrepreneurship culture among young people from an early age, providing them with internship and company visit opportunities; urges, in this context, the Commission to continue the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programmes; calls on the Member States to support associations and initiatives which help young entrepreneurs to develop innovative projects;

Amendment 202 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Recognises that women continue to be under represented in the labour market; believes in this regard that flexible employment contracts including voluntary temporary and part-time contracts can play an important role in increasing the levels of participation from groups that might otherwise have been excluded from the labour market including women;

Amendment 203 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)

8b. Points out that social economy enterprises were crucial in minimising the impact of the crisis; stresses, therefore, the need to give those enterprises more support, particularly with regard to access to the different forms of financing, including European funds, and reducing their administrative burden; stresses the need to give them a legal framework which recognises their activities in the EU and prevents unfair competition; deplores the fact that the assessment of their activities is not reflected in the AGS, as requested by Parliament;

Amendment 204 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)

8b. Emphasises the need for more tax policy coordination and for improving the efficiency and transparency of tax systems in terms of tax collection and redistribution to support the proper financing of social systems;

Amendment 205 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)

8c. Urges the Member States to double down on their efforts to transform undeclared work into declared work by bolstering their labour inspection mechanisms and putting measures in place that enable workers to move from the informal economy to the formal economy; reminds the Member States of the existence of the Undeclared Work Platform, which they should actively participate in by using it for the exchange best practices and with a view to tackling undeclared work, letterbox companies and bogus self-employment, all of which jeopardise both the quality of work and workers’ access to social protection systems and national public finances, leading to unfair competition between European enterprises;

Amendment 206 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to invest in and promote the development of new production technologies and services in the framework of a just transition; underlines their potential to increase ~~productiv~~sustainability, create new quality jobs and stimulate long- term ~~growth~~development;

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to invest in research and promote the development of new production technologies and services; underlines their potential to increase productivity, create new jobs and stimulate long-term growth;

Amendment 208 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Is concerned that the use of more flexible and non-standard forms of employment creates risk for job security, earnings, working conditions and could lead to exclusion from social protection; urges Member States to provide and implement adequate labour and social protection legislation in order to counteract the increased risks for job security, earnings, working conditions and social protection due to the rapidly spreading use of flexible and non- standard forms of employment;

Amendment 209 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote investment in the R & D sector in accordance with the 2020 Strategy; maintains that investments in this sector help to increase the competitiveness and productivity of the economy and hence promote the creation of stable jobs and higher wages;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 28 b (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 14 March 2017 on equality between women and men in the European Union in 2014-2015,

Amendment 210 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Emphasises the importance of ensuring access to broadband in all regions, including rural areas and regions with serious and permanent natural or demographic problems, so as to promote harmonious development throughout the EU;

Amendment 211 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL, Jana TOOM

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Considers demographic decline, which affects EU regions to different extents, to be ~~among~~just one of the serious obstacles hindering EU growth, which require differing approaches and commitments, which are conceivable while respecting the powers of the Member States and the wishes of local electorates; calls on the Commission and the Member States to introduce measures designed to address this challenge; underlines the fact that demographic decline requires a holistic approach, which should include the adaptation of the necessary infrastructure, and the enhancement of public services and flexible working arrangements;

Amendment 212 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Considers demographic decline, which affects EU regions to different extents, to be among the serious obstacles hindering EU growth; calls on the Commission and the Member States to introduce measures designed to address this challenge; underlines the fact that demographic decline requires a holistic approach, which should include the adaptation of the necessary infrastructure, and the enhancement of public services and flexible working arrangements; Insists that innovation forms of work should go hand in hand with adequate job security and accessible social protection;

Amendment 213 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. ~~Considers~~Notes with concern the demographic decline, which is affectsing all EU regions to different extents, to be among the serious obstacles hindering EU growth; calls on the Commission and the Member States to introduce measures designed to address this challenge; underlines the fact that demographic decline requires a holistic approach; stresses the need for Member States to be able to urgently regain their own economic and monetary autonomy in order to effectively address the employment emergency and be able to develop, through adequate public investment, a long-term structural plan for boosting the birth rate, which should include the adaptation of ~~the necessary~~ infrastructure, and the enhancement of public services ~~and flexible working arrangements~~;

Amendment 214 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Considers demographic decline, which affects EU regions to different extents, to be among the serious obstacles hindering EU growth; calls on the Commission and the Member States to introduce measures designed to address this challenge; underlines the fact that demographic decline requires a holistic approach, which should include the adaptation of the necessary infrastructure, and the enhancement of public services and voluntary flexible working arrangements guarantying social security;

Amendment 215 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Considers demographic decline, which affects EU regions to different extents, to be among the serious obstacles hindering EU ~~growth~~development; calls on the Commission and the Member States to introduce measures designed to address this challenge; underlines the fact that demographic decline requires a holistic approach, which should include the adaptation of the necessary infrastructure, quality jobs with decent wages, and the enhancement of public services and flexible working arrangements;

Amendment 216 #

Robert ROCHEFORT, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Welcomes the fact that the Commission has included the need to provide statistics on demographic challenges such as depopulation and the population dispersion in its European Statistical Programme; considers that this data will provide an accurate picture of the problems facing these regions, thus allowing better solutions to be found; calls on the Commission to take account of these statistics in the future multi- annual financial framework;

Amendment 217 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Calls on Member States and the Commission to promote lifelong learning, especially for older workers, to adapt their skills and facilitate their employability;

Amendment 218 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. ~~Recalls that increasing life expectancy requires the adaptation of~~Points out that life expectancy declined in 2016 for the first time since 2002 and that it is necessary to assess whether this is going to be a trend before adapting pensions systems ~~in order to~~; stresses that ensureing a good quality of life for elderly people~~; stresses that this can be achieved by linking retirement age not only~~ can be achieved by universal access to public, solidarity-based and adequate retirement schemes; calls on the Commission to support Member States in strengthening public and occupational pension systems to provide an adequate retirement income above the poverty threshold and to allow pensioners to maintain their standard of living and to lifve ~~expectancy but also to insurance contribution years, and by preventing early exit from the labour market~~in dignity and independence; reiterates its call for care credits in pension systems to compensate for lost contributions of women and men due to child and long-term care responsibilities as a tool to reduce the gender pension gap; highlights that while personal pension schemes can be important tools to improve pension adequacy, statutory solidarity-based pension systems remain the most efficient tool to combat old-age poverty and social exclusion;

Amendment 219 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recalls that increasing life expectancy requires the adaptation of pensions systems in order to ensure a good quality of life for elderly people; stresses that this can be achieved by linking retirement age not only to life expectancy but also to insurance contribution years, and by preventing early exit from the labour market; stresses that the absurd phenomenon of maintaining people longer to work while experiencing youth unemployment should be remedied while refugees and migrants should have their skills recognised or be offered skills development opportunities in order to be given the chance to enter the labour market while at the same time supporting to sustainability of pension systems;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 a (new)

– having regard to the Eurofound report ‘Income inequalities and employment – patterns in Europe before and after the Great Recession’,

Amendment 220 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recalls that increasing life expectancy requires the adaptation of pensions systems in order to ensure a good quality of life for elderly people; stresses that this can be achieved by providing adequate minimum pensions, offering adequate working conditions to provide opportunities for those wishing to work longer or by linking retirement age not only to healthy life expectancy but also to insurance contribution years~~, and by preventing early exit from the labour market~~;

Amendment 221 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recalls that increasing life expectancy requires the adaptation of pensions systems in order to ensure their sustainability and a good quality of life for elderly people; stresses that this can be achieved by linking retirement age not only to life expectancy but also to insurance contribution years, and by preventing early exit from the labour market;

Amendment 222 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to pursue the policy of active ageing, the social inclusion of elderly people and solidarity between generations; Recalls that more cost- effective health systems and long-term care that ensure timely access to affordable preventive and curative healthcare of good quality are also fundamental for productivity;

Amendment 223 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Points out to the Member States, in view of the ageing of EU citizens and the high unemployment rates among young people in some parts of the EU, the social risk implied in not being able to guarantee the sustainability, safety, adequacy and effectiveness of social security systems over the coming decades; encourages the Member States, therefore, to tackle worklessness among people of working age;

Amendment 224 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Is of the opinion that Cohesion Policy, as the main investment policy of the European Union, has demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing inequalities and should therefore be maintained at at least a similar budgetary level in the future multiannual financial framework; considers that the European Social Fund should be ~~retained as the main EU instrument for the integration and reintegration of workers into the labour market~~increased to ensure that they reach at least the equivalent of 30% of the current Structural and Investment Funds in the next MFF targeted to tackle inequality, reduce poverty and implement the principles enshrined in the European Pillar of Social Rights;

Amendment 225 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Is of the opinion that Cohesion Policy, as the main public investment policy of the European Union, has demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing inequalities and should therefore be maintained at least a similar budgetary level in the future multiannual financial framework; considers that the European Social Fund should be retained as the main EU instrument for the integration and reintegration of workers into the labour market, as well as for supporting measures for social inclusion, combating poverty and inequalities;

Amendment 226 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Is of the opinion that Cohesion Policy, as the main investment policy of the European Union, has demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing inequalities and ~~should therefore be maintained at least a similar budgetary level~~enhancing inclusion and poverty reduction and should therefore be increased in the future multiannual financial framework; considers that the European Social Fund should be retained as the main EU instrument for the integration and reintegration of workers into the labour market;

Amendment 227 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Recognises the potential of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) in supporting growth and employment in high-risk investment projects; is concerned, however, about the enormous imbalance in use of the Fund between the EU15 and the EU13[1];[1] http://www.eib.org/attachments/ev/ev_eval uation_efsi_en.pdf

Amendment 228 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Stresses also the role of the EaSI programme for promoting high levels of quality and sustainability of employment, for guaranteeing adequate and decent social protection and for combating social exclusion and poverty;

Amendment 229 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Is of the opinion that the resources for social inclusion and poverty reduction in the future Multiannual Financial Framework should be increased and efforts strengthened to prevent and tackle child poverty;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 b (new)

– having regard to the Eurofound overview report ‘Sixth European Working Conditions Survey’,

Amendment 230 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Urges the Member States to assess whether they could reduce taxes on essential items, particularly food, a step which constitutes one of the most basic social justice measures;

Amendment 231 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13b. Stresses the necessity to attribute at least 5% of the EFSI to programmes especially tackling the youth and long- term unemployment and allow the EU contribution to exceed if necessary the 50% of the total required for countries experiencing exceptional disadvantages;

Amendment 232 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)

13c. Suggests to exempt from the EU Stability and Growth Pact the financial resources allocated to programmes in support of the unemployed, mainly through active labour market policies including job creation in countries with unemployment above the Eurozone average as an investment to human capital sustaining potential growth since, according to the EESC the spending policy can not be measured by just an accounting result as deficit but on the impact it has on the real economy;

Amendment 233 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL, Jana TOOM, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up efforts for further inclusion of people with disabilities into the labour market by removing legislative barriers and creating incentives for their employment; stresses that training and education are the best means to boost quality employment and argues that measures should be taken to integrate people with disabilities in all levels of education and training, with the resources to meet their special needs;

Amendment 234 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up efforts for further inclusion of people with disabilities into the labour market by removing legislative barriers and creating incentives for their employment; Recalls that an adapted work environment for people with disabilities as well as targeted financial support to help them participate fully in the labour market and in the society as a whole are essential;

Amendment 235 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up efforts for further inclusion of people with disabilities into the labour market by removing legislative barriers and creating incentives for their employment; calls on the Commission to include in the social scoreboard indicators regarding labour and social inclusion of people with disabilities;

Amendment 236 #

Jana TOOM, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Marian HARKIN, Ivo VAJGL, Jasenko SELIMOVIC, António MARINHO E PINTO, Robert ROCHEFORT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up efforts for further inclusion of people with disabilities into the labour market by removing legislative barriers ~~and~~, tackling discrimination and adapting work places as well as by creating incentives for their employment;

Amendment 237 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Encourages the Member States to implement the necessary measures for the social inclusion of refugees as well as people of ethnic minority or immigrant origin;

Amendment 238 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Underlines the fact that the non- alignment of labour demand with labour supply is a problem that encompasses all EU regions, ~~including the most developed~~and that cannot be solved by forcing people into insecure working lives, with discontinuous careers, with constant changes in jobs, sectors and cities, with very little prospect for stability and professional progress and promotion; calls on the Commission and the Member States to tackle this issue by introducing measures to ensure stability and decent working conditions that will facilitate the mobility of workers across jobs, sectors and locations ~~in order to meet labour demand in less and better developed regions alike~~; calls on the Commission and the Member States, furthermore, to devote particular attention to the unique circumstances of cross-border workers and workers in peripheral regions;

Amendment 239 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Underlines the fact that the non- alignment of labour demand with labour supply is a problem that encompasses all EU regions, including the most developed; calls on the Commission and the Member States to tackle this issue by introducing measures to facilitate the mobility of workers across jobs, sectors and locations in order to meet labour demand in less and better developed regions alike; acknowledges that intra EU labour mobility across member states helps to meet supply and demand but stresses that high labour mobility can bring social stress on receiving regions; calls on the Commission and the Member States, furthermore, to devote particular attention to the unique circumstances of cross-border workers and workers in peripheral regions;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 c (new)

– having regard to the Eurofound report ‘Social mobility in the EU’,

Amendment 240 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Underlines the fact that the non- alignment of labour demand with labour supply is a problem that encompasses all EU regions, including the most developed; calls on the Commission and the Member States to tackle this issue by introducing measures to facilitate the mobility of workers across jobs, sectors and locations in order to meet labour demand in less and better developed regions alike; calls on the Commission and the Member States, furthermore, to devote particular attention to the unique circumstances of cross-border workers and workers in peripheral and outermost regions;

Amendment 241 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Deplores the fact that, after countless requests from the European Parliament, the outermost regions are still not included in the AGS; urges the Commission, with the aim of guaranteeing equity between regions and furthering upward convergence, which has been much discussed, to step up the application of Article 349 TFEU in an effort to boost the integration of the outermost regions into the EU; stresses that the special attention given to the outermost regions must be maintained, not only with regard to allocation of funds but also in the light of the impact that European policies can have on their social situation and levels of employment;

Amendment 242 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Welcomes new initiatives proposed by the Commission such as the launching of a public consultation on a European Labour Authority, as well as a European Social Security Number; calls, therefore, on the Member states to provide labour inspectorates with adequate resources, and also to improve cross-border cooperation between inspection services and the electronic exchange of information and data, in order to improve the efficiency of the controls intended to combat and prevent social fraud and undeclared work and reduce administrative burden;

Amendment 243 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to continue initiatives aimed at increasing access to better education, skills and employment and to ensure a stronger focus on the green and circular economy throughout all their work on skills;

Amendment 244 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Believes that in order to maintain and increase global competitiveness, the labour market regulatory framework in Member States needs to be clear, simple and flexible while maintaining high labour standards;

Amendment 245 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15b. Believes it is important to foster intercultural dialogue in order to make it easier for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to enter the labour market and become integrated into society; Recalls that newcomers bring new skills and knowledge with them, and calls for the development of tools providing multilingual information about the existing opportunities for formal and informal learning, professional training, traineeships and voluntary work;

Amendment 246 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15b. Calls for stronger commitment to combat poverty and rising inequality, and, where needed, for greater investment in social infrastructure and support for those hit hardest to address inequalities correctly notably through social protection systems that provide adequate and well-target income support but also through the design of national tax and benefits systems;

Amendment 247 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)

15c. Calls on the Member States to incorporate the gender dimension and the principle of equality between woman and man in their National Reform Programs and stability and convergence programs through the setting of qualitative targets and measures that address persisting gender gaps;

Amendment 248 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)

15c. Highlights that in the period 2014 to 2016, real wage growth lagged behind productivity growth despite improvements in the labour market; Recalls that growth in real wages, as a result of increased productivity, is crucial to tackle inequalities;

Amendment 249 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Underlines the role of the social partners, as essential stakeholders, the national social dialogue practices and the civil society, in the reform process and the added value of their active involvement in the drafting, sequencing and implementation of reforms; stresses that being effectively involved in the design of the policies will allow social partners to feel more engaged in the national reforms adopted as a result of the Country-specific recommendations of the Semester and therefore their ownership of the outcomes will be reinforced; supports the opinion that new forms of employment in the globalised market call for new forms of social dialogue; a~~ffirms that the Member States need to help people build the skills required in the labour marke~~nd calls on the Commission and the Member States to support the creation of these new forms of social dialogue and the extension of collective agreements and protection to these new forms of employment;

Amendment 25 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 d (new)

– having regard to the Eurofound report ‘New forms of employment’,

Amendment 250 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Underlines the role of the social partners as essential stakeholders in the reform process and the added value of their involvement in the drafting, sequencing and implementation of reforms; supports the opinion that new forms of employment in the globalised market call for new forms of social dialogue; stresses though the necessity of restoring instead of deregulating labour relations supporting collective agreements for all; workers must be informed on their rights and be protected in case of whistleblowing to report abusive practices; affirms that the Member States need to help people build the skills required in the labour market;

Amendment 251 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Underlines the role of the social partners as essential stakeholders in the reform process and the added value of their involvement in the drafting, sequencing and implementation of reforms; supports the opinion that new forms of employment in the globalised market call for new forms of social dialogue; affirms that the Member States need to help people build the skills required in the labour market; Believes that, if we are to move towards upward convergence, social dialogue must be pursued in every phase of the European Semester process;

Amendment 252 #

Jana TOOM, Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Marian HARKIN, Ivo VAJGL, Jasenko SELIMOVIC, António MARINHO E PINTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Underlines the role of the social partners and civil society as essential stakeholders in the reform process and the added value of their involvement in the drafting, sequencing and implementation of reforms; supports the opinion that new forms of employment in the globalised market call for new forms of social dialogue; affirms that the Member States need to help people build the skills required in the labour marketcalls on the Commission to propose guidelines and mechanisms for adequate involvement of all relevant stakeholders; supports the opinion that new forms of employment in the globalised market call for new forms of social and civil dialogue;

Amendment 253 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

Amendment 254 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

Amendment 255 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Affirms that the Member States need to help people build the skills required in the labour market; highlights that according to CEDEFOP and the EU2020 scoreboard the distribution of skills in the labour force largely matched the qualification requirements of the labour market in 2016, that labour supply exceeded demand for all qualification types, being particularly high for low and medium level qualifications; stresses that Cedefop forecasts show a parallel rise in skills from both the demand and the supply side until 2025 and that skills levels are expected to change faster for the labour force than those required by the job market; therefore calls on the Commission and the Member States to carefully reassess the difficulties in accessing labour market; is concerned about the increase in the over qualification rate (25% in 2014);

Amendment 256 #

Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Highlights that gender discrimination such as gender pay gap or the gap in the employment rate between men and woman are still huge with the average gross hourly earnings of male employees about 16% higher than those of female employees; stresses that these gaps are due to underrepresentation of women in well-paid sectors, discrimination in the labour market and the high rate of women in part-time work; urges that further progress is needed to narrow these gaps; recalls in this context the Commission to introduce into the EU 2020-strategy a gender equality pillar and an overarching gender equality objective

Amendment 26 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 e (new)

– having regard to Eurofound’s topical update, ‘Pay inequalities experienced by posted workers: Challenges to the “equal treatment” principle’, which provides a detailed overview of governments’ and social partners’ positions across Europe as regards the principle of equal remuneration for equal work,

Amendment 27 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 f (new)

– having regard to the Eurofound report ‘Developments in working life in Europe: EurWORK annual review 2016’, and specifically to its chapter ‘Pay inequalities –Evidence, debate and policies’,

Amendment 28 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 g (new)

– having regard to the Eurofound report ‘Occupational change and wage inequality: European Jobs Monitor 2017’,

Amendment 29 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 h (new)

– having regard to the Eurofound report ‘Women, men and working conditions in Europe’,

Amendment 3 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)

– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,

Amendment 30 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 i (new)

– having regard to Eurofound studies on the Involvement of the social partners in the European Semester and on the Role of the social partners in the European Semester during the period 2011 to 2014,

Amendment 31 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Brando BENIFEI, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the employment rate in the EU is increasing and has reached 235.4 million people in jobs in the second quarter of 2017, which constitutes an employment rate of 72.3 %, meaning that the EU is on track to reach the 75 % employment rate target specified in the Europe 2020 strategy; whereas, nonetheless, employment rates diverge widely, ranging from much below the EU average of 65% in Greece, Croatia, Italy and Spain, to higher than 75% in the Netherlands, Denmark, United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden;

Amendment 32 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL, Jana TOOM, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the employment rate in the EU is increasing and has reached 235.4 million people in jobs in the second quarter of 2017, which constitutes an employment rate of 72.3 %, meaning that the EU is on track to reach the 75 % employment rate target specified in the Europe 2020 strategy; whereas very substantial differences persists in many Member States and employment rates have still some way to go to recover from the crisis and notably also to attain the Europe 2020 national targets;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the employment rate in the EU is increasing and has reached 235.4 million people in jobs in the second quarter of 2017~~, which constitutes an employment rate of 72.3 %, meaning that the EU is on track to reach the 75 % employment rate target specified in the Europe 2020 strategy~~;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the employment rate in the EU is increasing and has reached 235.4 million people in jobs in the second quarter of 2017, which constitutes an employment rate of 72.3 %, ~~meaning that the EU is on track to~~a progress towards reaching the 75 % employment rate target specified in the Europe 2020 strategy; whereas 18.9 million people are still without a job, investment still remains too low, wage growth is subdued and in-work poverty remains on an increasing trend;

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the employment rate in the EU is increasing and has reached 235.4 million people in jobs in the second quarter of 2017, which constitutes an employment rate of 72.3 % the quality of which is not specified though, meaning that the EU is on track to reach the 75 % employment rate target specified in the Europe 2020 strategy; which in itself is not adequate since art3 of the TEU stipulates that the Union is aiming at full employment;

Amendment 36 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas employment measured in terms of hours worked per employee remains 3% below the pre-crisis level in the EU and 4% in the Euro Area due to increases in part-time work and reductions in the hours worked by full- time employees;

Amendment 37 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the EU unemployment rate is at its lowest level in nine years and stands at 7.5 %; whereas, nonetheless, the vary on unemployment rates is still relevant, ranging from around 4% in Germany to almost 20% in Spain and 23.6% in Greece; whereas hidden unemployment was at 20% in 2016 (unemployed, willing to work but not actively searching for employment);

Amendment 38 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL, Jana TOOM, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas although the EU unemployment rate is at its lowest level in nine years and stands at 7.5 % this recovery remains very uneven among Member-States to the benefit of those countries that did not need to implement deep structural reforms or follow adjustment programs;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas ~~the EU unemployment rate is at its lowest level in nine years and stands at 7.5 %~~18.9 million people are still without a job despite that the EU unemployment rate and the euro area unemployment is at its lowest level in nine years and eight years and stands at 7.5 % and 8.9% respectively;

Amendment 4 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)

– having regard to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’), and, in particular, to Target 7 (‘ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes by 2030’) and to Target 8 (‘Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all’),

Amendment 40 #

B. whereas although the EU unemployment rate is at its lowest level in nine years and stands at 7.5 %, the share of long-term unemployment remains alarmingly high at above 45%;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas according to Eurostat (2017) from 2013 to 2016 involuntary part-time employment in the EU-28 as a percentage of the total part-time employment has decreased from 26% to 24.6%;

Amendment 42 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas employment growth has been stronger among older workers, high- skilled employees and among men rather than young people, low-skilled workers and women;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas the employment rate for women is still 11 pps below that of men, demonstrating a persistent gender gap;

Amendment 44 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas part-time work has increased 11% compared to 2008, and full-time employment has dropped by 2% in the same period, while involuntary part-time work still represents almost one- third of this type of contracts;

Amendment 45 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)

Bc. whereas labour market segmentation between permanent and atypical jobs remains worrying, with countries showing a percentage of temporary contracts ranging from 10% to 20%, with particularly low transition rates towards permanent contracts and temporary jobs representing "dead ends" rather than "stepping stones" towards permanent jobs; whereas this phenomenon is impeding large numbers of workers to benefit from secure, relatively well-paid employment and good prospects, creating a wage gap between permanent and temporary workers; whereas labour market segmentation worsens due to many EU countries adopting two-tier reforms in employment protection legislation, easing the use of temporary contract;

Amendment 46 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas, although a slight improvement in the youth unemployment rate can be observed, it still remains disturbingly high at 16.6 % (18.7 % in the euro area); whereas ~~in 2016 there were still 6.3 million young people aged 15-24 not in employment, education or training (NEETs);~~ , according to the Draft Joint Employment Report, young people are more often employed under non- standard and atypical forms of employment, including temporary jobs, involuntary part-time work and lower wage jobs; whereas some countries have introduced measures such as reduced minimum wage to encourage employers to recruit young people, which constitutes an unacceptable treatment of young people based on the prohibition of discrimination as regards age in relation to article 19 of TFEU and the Directive 2000/78 on Employment Equality;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas~~, although a slight improvement in~~ the youth unemployment rate ~~can be observed, it~~ still remains disturbingly high at 16.6 % (18.7 % in the euro area); whereas in 2016 there were still 6.3 million young people aged 15-24 not in employment, education or training (NEETs);

Amendment 48 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas in 2016 there were still 6.3 million young people aged 15-24 not in employment, education or training (NEETs); whereas the early school leavers rate stills score around 20% in several Member States as Malta, Spain, Romania and above the EU target of 10% in Portugal, Bulgaria, Italy, Hungary, United Kingdom and Greece; whereas early school leaving represents a complex challenge at individual, national and European levels; whereas young people who leave education and training early are often both socially and economically disadvantaged; whereas early school leaving is fundamentally due to the socio- economic situation of students, such as difficult family situations, unemployment, low household income and low levels of parental education; whereas early school leaving reduction is shaped by countries' broader policies for the economy, employment, social affairs, health and also rely on improvements in the socio- economic climate – on higher economic growth, measures to combat poverty and improve health, and the effective integration of migrants and minorities into society;

Amendment 49 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas the primary responsibility for tackling youth unemployment rests with the Member States in terms of developing and implementing labour market regulatory frameworks, education and training systems and active labour market policies;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 b (new)

– having regard to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’),

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas 46.4% of the unemployed in EU28 are long-term unemployed, that is to say, they have been out of work for 12 months or more (the corresponding figure for the euro area is 49.7%);

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)

Cb. whereas in seven member-states, the long-term unemployment rate (as a percentage of total unemployment) exceeds that of the Eurozone average (49.7%) by 4% to 23%, indicating a potential permanent trend;

Amendment 52 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas, although the differences in unemployment rates among the Member States are smaller, they still remain above the pre-crisis level; whereas long-term unemployment remains above 50% of total unemployment in some Member States and represents 45,6% in the EU and 49,7% in the Euro Area; whereas unemployment rate only tracks individuals who do not have a job and have actively looked for work in the last 4 weeks and long term unemployment rate only measures the share of the economically active population aged 15 to 74 who has been unemployed for 12 months or more;

Amendment 53 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas wage growth remains subdued in the EU, increasing less than 1% in the last two years and dispersion of compensation of employees is rather wide in the EU, ranging from 4,6 euros per hour worked in Bulgaria to 43,3 in Luxembourg; whereas real wage growth lagged behind average productivity growth in 18 out of 28 Member States and is even lagging behind the drop of unemployment;

Amendment 54 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL, Jana TOOM

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas austerity measures, the imposition of the single currency and economic constraints prescribed by the EU treaties have had a depressive and destabilising effect on the economies of the Member States and the euro area, causing a collapse in internal demand, growing unemployment levels and a dramatic increase in social inequalities;

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas the accompaniment of the long-term unemployed is essential, since otherwise this situation will begin to affect their self-confidence, wellbeing and future development, putting them at risk of poverty and social exclusion and undermining the sustainability of social security systems, as well as the European social model;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas in some Member States, unemployment remains high due to a lack of growth and structural weakness that derive to a large extent from ineffective and in many cases rigid labour market regulatory frameworks; Believes in this regard that insufficient labour market reforms are the main reason for high unemployment;

Amendment 57 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)

Db. whereas other Member States are faced with structural challenges in the labour market such as low participation as well as skills and qualification mismatches; whereas there is a growing need for concrete measures for the integration or re-integration of inactive workforce to meet labour market demands;

Amendment 58 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)

Db. whereas gender employment gap still remain above 10 pps, scoring 11.6 % for the EU, with a 76.9% employment rate for men and 65.3% for women, and even wider gaps among non-EU born and Roma women;

Amendment 59 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)

Dc. whereas gender gap in part-time employment is even wider amounting a difference of 23 pps in 2016, and exceeding 30 pps in four Member States and scoring 23.5% of female involuntary part-time employment;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 c (new)

– having regard to Sustainable Development Goal 5 (‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’),

Amendment 60 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)

Dd. whereas the employment rate of women with at least one child under the age of 6 is 9 pps less than the employment rate of women without children and 19% of the EU potential female workforce in 2016 was inactive because of looking after children or incapacitated adults;

Amendment 61 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital D e (new)

De. whereas, due to lower full-time equivalent employment rates, women suffer from a significant pay gap of 16.3% in 2015 in the EU on average, ranging from 26.9%in Estonia to 5.5% in Italy and Luxemburg;

Amendment 62 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas societies in the European Union are ageing, which presents additional ~~challenges for Member States’ social security and healthcare system~~duties for Member States to ensure well-funded and robust social security and health care systems; whereas life expectancy at birth in the EU-28 slightly declined in 2015, it was estimated at 80.6 years (0.3 years lower than 2014), reaching 83.3 years for women (0.3 years lower than 2014), and 77.9 years (0.2 years lower than 2014) for men; whereas this was the first decline in EU-28 life expectancy since the year 2002, when life expectancy data became available for all EU Member States, and it can be observed in the majority of the Member States; whereas according to Eurostat it is not yet possible to say whether the reduction in life expectancy observed between 2014 and 2015 is only temporary or whether the reduction will continue in the following years;

Amendment 63 #

E. whereas ~~societies in the European Union are ageing, which presents additional challenges for Member States’~~the growing number of older people (nearly 20 % of the European population is over 65 and the estimation is that this rate will reach 25 % by 2050), the declining number of working age people and public budget constraints, especially austerity measures implemented in the EU, are having a significant impact on social security and healthcare systems;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas societies in the European Union are ageing~~, which presents additional challenges for Member States’ social security and healthcare systems~~ and the birth rate is in constant decline;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas the social economy sector comprises 2 million businesses (roughly 10% of the EU total) employing more than 14 million people (about 6.5% of EU workers); whereas this sector has an important role to play in meeting the innumerable challenges facing present- day societies, not least the ageing of their populations;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas demographic challenges include factors such as depopulation and population dispersion hampering the growth of regions affected and threatening the economic, social and territorial cohesion of the EU;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas, although a certain amount of progress in reducing poverty and social exclusion can be observed, ~~there are still disadvan~~one out of four Europeans is still affected by (the risk of) poverty, leaving the EU far off track in achieving the EU2020 targe~~d groups in society and regional disparities persist;~~ t and regional disparities persist; whereas income inequality continues to grow; whereas high levels of inequality remain an obstacle to equal opportunities in access to education, training and social protection, and therefore are detrimental to social justice, social cohesion and sustainable economic development;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas, although a certain amount of progress in reducing poverty and social exclusion can be observed, there are still disadvantaged groups in society with an unacceptable 119 million poor in the EU of which more than 25 million children across of Europe (more than 1 in 4 children) and regional disparities persist;

Amendment 69 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas, although a certain amount of progress in reducing poverty and social exclusion can be observed, there are still disadvantaged groups in society ~~and regional disparities persist~~, as well as unacceptable levels of inequalities, poverty and regional disparities persist within Member States and the Union as a whole;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 d (new)

– having regard to Sustainable Development Goal 8 (‘Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’), and, in particular, to Target 5 (‘Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value by 2030’), to Target 6 (‘Substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training by 2020’), and to Target 8 (‘Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment’),

Amendment 70 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

Ga. whereas disadvantaged socio- economic background, migrant origin students and those with special needs, are the most significant factors associated with low educational achievement, taking into account that the EU average proportion of low achievers in science within the bottom socio-economic quartile of the 2015 PISA student population is around 34%, 26 pps more than in the top socio-economic quartile;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

Ga. whereas the number of children experiencing poverty remains alarmingly high in Europe, currently standing at more than 25 million;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

Ga. whereas the number of children experiencing poverty remains alarmingly high in Europe, currently standing at more than 25 million;

Amendment 73 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)

Gb. whereas education is a crucial determinant of young people's integration into the labour market, taking into account that the employment rate of young people with higher education (aged 20-34) is 82.8% in the EU, more than 10 pps above those with upper secondary education;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)

Gb. whereas fiscal policy in Member States plays a role in the stabilisation of the macroeconomic environment, while also having other objectives such as fiscal sustainability and redistribution functions;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)

Gb. whereas the overall policy outlook of the European Semester remains concerned with fiscal consolidation and deregulation of labour markets;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas high-quality education and training must be accessible to all, as the Commission has stated in the AGS; whereas vocational training is starting to become more credible both in the eyes of young Europeans and in the eyes of the businesses which are recognising their abilities; whereas training acquired in an informal context also provides Europeans with essential tools for the labour market;

Amendment 77 #

Ha. whereas, in accordance with Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, a high level of human health protection should be ensured in the definition and implementation of all Union policies and activities; whereas this would contribute to social inclusion, social justice and equality; whereas this requirement is currently being challenged by high prices of medicines;

Amendment 78 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas gross disposable household income (GDHI) per capita has still not recovered in different Member States from its pre-crisis levels, several of them recording levels from 20 to 30 pps lower than 2008;

Amendment 79 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Stresses that building up social policies is not a question of choice but of human dignity, an indispensable factor for maintaining cohesion and the legitimacy of the EU;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 e (new)

– having regard to Sustainable Development Goal 10 (‘Reduce inequality within and among countries’), and, in particular, to Target 4 (‘Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality’),

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas wage-setting is a matter of national competence;

Amendment 81 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)

Hb. whereas income inequalities increases have not been reversed from the onset of the crisis in several Member States, and in some cases even have worsened and taking into account that in the EU as a whole the richest 20% of households received an income share that is 5.1 times that of the poorest 20%, with ratios of 6.5 or above in some Eastern and Southern European countries, almost twice as high as values for some Center Europeans and Nordic best performers countries;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)

Hb. whereas technological and scientific advances, which this AGS welcomes, are making it possible to find better, more efficacious, and more affordable treatments and medicines; whereas this progress is helping to ensure that people suffering from given conditions, for instance those suffering from chronic pain, will be fit to enter the labour market or continue working for much longer;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)

Hb. whereas the provision and management of social security systems are a Member State competence which the Union coordinates but does not harmonise;

Amendment 84 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Hc. whereas, according to the Commission publication ‘Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2017’, in 2015 there were 118,8 million people at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE), 1,7 million above the 2008 level and far from the Europe 2020 Strategy target of reducing AROPE by 20 million, with wide disparities between Member States, ranging from 5% or less in the Czech Republic or Germany to around 20% in Greece and Spain; whereas children AROPE rate (0-17) in 2016 is 26,4%, higher than 24,2% of adult people (16-64) and almost10 pps higher than AROPE rate of 18,3% for elder people (65+); whereas, the number of children experiencing poverty remains alarmingly high in Europe, currently standing at more than 25 million and whereas the impact of poverty on children can last a lifetime and perpetuates the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H c (new)

Hc. whereas population ageing and the rise in the number of dependent older people are having, and will have, a growing impact on health services and long-term care systems, as well as on the need for formal and informal care provision; whereas informal carers constitute a vital asset to society;

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H c (new)

Hc. whereas the capacity of the EU's economy to drive long-term growth is below that of our major competitors; whereas the Commission has estimated that potential growth is around 1.4% in the EU, compared with of 2% in the US;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H d (new)

Hd. whereas undeclared work deprives workers of their rights, encourages social dumping, entailing serious budgetary implications, and adversely affects employment, productivity, the quality of work and skills development, and the efficiency and effectiveness of the pension entitlements system; whereas continued efforts must be brought to bear in order to turn undeclared work into declared work;

Amendment 88 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital H d (new)

Hd. whereas increasing in-work poverty remains in Europe as a whole, with highest levels recorded in Spain (13.1%), Greece (14%) and Romania (18.6%), showing that employment alone is not always sufficient to lift people out of poverty and reflecting different labour market patterns, including part-time and/or temporary jobs, wage levels and work intensity in the households and poor working conditions;

Amendment 89 #

Enrique CALVET CHAMBON, Robert ROCHEFORT, Ivo VAJGL, Jana TOOM

Motion for a resolution
Recital H e (new)

He. whereas the outermost regions have to contend with immense difficulties related to their specific characteristics that limit their potential for growth; whereas in those regions unemployment rates range between 11.2% and 27.1%, and the long-term unemployment rate, between 54.5% and 80.9%; whereas in those regions youth unemployment is above 40%;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)

– having regard to the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights on 17 November in Gothenburg,

Amendment 90 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital H e (new)

He. whereas, according to Eurofound research the involvement of the social partners in the elaboration of the National Reform Programmes is gradually improving in most Member States, although significant differences and outcomes remain in the quality and effectiveness of the national social partners engagement in the European Semester process;

Amendment 91 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Recital H f (new)

Hf. whereas the Eurofound forthcoming study on the involvement of the social partners in the European Semester reports a process of consolidation and growing awareness, following the Employment Guideline No.7; Nevertheless, the social partners highlight the need to ensure a proper engagement through facilitating meaningful and timely consultation, exchange of contributions and feedback, as well as giving visibility to their views;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 a (new)

-1a Underlines that for a “Social Europe” to be achieved decisions on economic and social issues are necessary to be taken jointly in a complementary way;

Amendment 93 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Welcomes~~Notes that the Annual Growth Survey 2018, as an important part of the European investment process, is once again based on a strategy of investment, structural reforms and responsible public finances; calls on the Member States to take account of the priorities identified in the survey in their national policies and strategies to promote growth, employment and social protectionbalanced budgetary policies and neutral fiscal stance; stresses that socially responsible public finances are those ensuring quality public services and better opportunities for citizens tackling income inequalities and promoting sustainable growth, decent job creation and social protection; highlights that the main priorities of the European Semester for coordination of employment and social policies must be to reduce inequalities and poverty, to increase wages and the quality of employment, including by strengthening unions and collective bargaining systems, and to improve social protection and access and quality of public services;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the integration of the European Pillar of Social Rights in the Annual Growth Survey 2018 as an important part of the European investment process aiming at increasing decent employment, based on a strategy of investment, and social justice via structural reforms and responsible public finances; calls on the Member States to ~~take account of~~follow the priorities identified in the ~~survey~~Joint Employment Report accompanying the survey as well as the European Pillar of Social Rights in their national policies and strategies to promote growth, employment and social protection;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Welcome~~Regards the Annual Growth Survey 2018 as an important part of ~~the Europe~~overall policies for jobs, growth and investment ~~process, based on a~~; considers that the strategy of investment, structural reforms and responsible public finances must be coupled with implementing policies and measures for fulfilling the principles and objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights; calls on the Member States to take account of the priorities identified in the survey in their national policies and strategies to promote growth, employment, social cohesion and social protection; and inclusion;

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the inclusion of the European Pillar of Social Rights in the Annual Growth Survey 2018 as an important part of the European investment process, based on a strategy of investment, structural reforms and responsible public finances; calls on the Member States to take account of the priorities identified in the survey in their national policies and strategies to promote ~~growth, employment and~~sustainable economic development, quality employment and high levels of social protection;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Welcom~~Notes the Annual Growth Survey 2018 as an important part of the European investment process, based on a strategy of investment, structural reforms and responsible public finances; calls on the Member States to take account of the priorities identified in the survey in their national policies and strategies to promote growth, employment and social protection; stresses that the long economic and financial crisis experienced by Europe has highlighted the structural limitations of the EU governance framework and the ineffectiveness of the European Semester, which, through its country-specific recommendations, promotes an asymmetrical and arbitrary approach to the rules on economic governance;

Amendment 98 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Recalls that inequalities threaten the future of the European project, erode its legitimacy and can damage trust in the EU as an engine of social progress and that the reduction of inequalities must be one of the main priorities at the European level, as recently stated by the Parliament; reminds, therefore, that the Commission should improve, within the framework of the European Semester, the process of policy coordination in order to better monitor, prevent and correct negative trends that could increase inequalities and weaken social progress or negatively affect social justice, putting in place preventive and corrective measures when necessary;

Amendment 99 #

Javi LÓPEZ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Agnes JONGERIUS, Siôn SIMON, Brando BENIFEI, Rory PALMER, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Evelyn REGNER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. States that after seven years from the onset of the European Semester cycle of economic policy coordination, some of the more relevant employment and social imbalances of Europe, as labour market segmentation, wage dispersion or child poverty, have not been resolved but have worsened, evidencing that public policies at the national level are insufficient for building a fairer European labour market, and stronger and wider policies at European level are needed to complement current national efforts; Notes that there have been positive steps to rebalance economic and social priorities in the European Semester, but fiscal flexibility to support social investment in social rights is vital as well as mainstreaming all principles enshrined in the European Pillar of Social Rights effectively at all stages;

source: 616.558

2018/01/29 CULT 73 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the adoption of the European Pillar of Social Rights joint proclamation and thexpects a true political shift away from austerity to the promotion of social policies ~~that it reflects; recalls, nevertheless, the need for~~; recalls that, without concrete measures ~~to make~~, the proclamation ~~a reality, with a shared priority~~will remain ineffective and that priority should be given to inequalities reduction ~~and~~, the fight against poverty and accessibility to quality education;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Notes that, in spite of the proclaimed intention to curb inequalities within the European Member States and societies, inequalities have in fact been deepening worldwide and specifically in Europe according to a recent report by the NGO Oxfam; notes, in this regard, that the level of inequalities will also be greatly affected by the tax reforms implemented in Member States such as France, which clearly favour the more affluent parts of the population;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. WBel~~comes~~ieves that the intention to incorporate the new Pillar of Social Rights into the implementation of the European Semester~~, as social investments and measures must be fully part of Member States’ policy coordination efforts in order to build a Social Union~~ will not contribute to a Social Union; considers that the European Semester cannot be embellished or rectified with the inclusion of a Social Pillar because its suffocating framework does not allow for the implementation of social policies;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the intention to incorporate the new Pillar of Social Rights into the implementation of the European Semester, ~~as social investments and measures must be~~including in country-specific recommendations, as social investments and measures must not be merely a positive side effect of economic policy, but fully part of Member States’ policy coordination efforts in order to build a Social Union; encourages Member States to exchange best practices in the field;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the intention to incorporate the new Pillar of Social Rights into the implementation of the European Semester, as social investments and measures must be fully part of Member States’ policy coordination efforts in order to ~~build a Social Union~~support the European social models;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Notes with great concern the still high number of European citizens with poor literacy skills or literacy difficulties, including functional and media illiteracy, which raises grave concerns in terms of adequate participation in public life and in the labour market;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Notes that, although the inclusion of the new Pillar of Social Rights within the European Semester is a positive development, the focus on mobility within the European Union has undermined any effort towards a Social Union in particular due to the wide discrepancies in terms of wages and social systems within the European Union and to specific schemes such as the posting of workers;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)

2c. Notes with concern that the Bulgarian Presidency expressed its wish to move forward with a further liberalisation of services between the Member States; recalls that such reforms have systematically led to a deterioration in the quality both of services and of employment;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)

2d. Notes that the European Semester is one of the EU's most undemocratic mechanisms, which institutionalises austerity and leads to long-lasting recessions and permanently high levels of unemployment and poverty;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. In this perspective, calls on ~~the Commission to use the Stability and Growth Pact’s flexibility clause, allowing~~ Member States to enhance investment in cultural and youth policies, education, training, research and innovation, while nonetheless adhering to the principle of balanced budgets;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the adoption of the European Pillar of Social Rights joint proclamation and the ~~political shift away from austerity to the~~ promotion of social policies that it reflects; recalls, nevertheless, th~~e need for concrete measures to make the proclamation a reality, with a shared priority given to inequalities reduction and the fight against poverty~~at all initiatives which follow from the Pillar must be consistent with the fact that, pursuant to Article 5 TFEU, employment is a Member State competence;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. In this perspective, calls on the Commission to fully use the Stability and Growth Pact’s flexibility clause, allowing Member States to ~~enhance~~make robust investments in cultural and youth policies, education, training, research and innovation, which are of fundamental importance in forming active citizens, creating a well- functioning labour market and generating stable and long-term economic prosperity;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. In this perspective, calls on the Commission to use the Stability and Growth Pact’s flexibility clause, allowing Member States to enhance ~~investment~~any necessary investment, in particular in cultural and youth policies, education, training, research and innovation;

Amendment 23 #

Luigi MORGANO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. In this perspective, calls on the Commission to use the Stability and Growth Pact’s flexibility clause, allowing Member States to enhance investment in cultural and youth policies, education, training, research and innovation and family policies;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Stresses that the austerity measures imposed on the Member states have had profound and detrimental effects on the educational systems and that these effects are not just temporary but may have a long-lasting impact on the performance of these Member States’ educational systems, as confirmed by a range of international rankings and surveys; stresses, in particular, that the Southern European Member States, such as Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy, have been lagging behind in international surveys such as PISA (2015), with notably sub-par results in mathematics and sciences, since, according to the Financial Times, Spain, Italy and Greece scored below the OECD average in sciences in its latest assessment (12/2016);

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Stresses that the aforementioned sub- par results in sciences and mathematics jeopardise the long-term growth and economic recovery of the aforementioned Member States, and, generally speaking, of the whole European Union, given that, according to a recent study by the European Parliament (2015), seven million jobs will be created in STEM- related fields by 2025 in the European Union compared to 2015, which is significantly higher than in the economy as a whole, and that, in the meantime, the proportion of students enrolled in STEM- related higher education programmes has remained steady over the past decade (2003-2013) in spite of the already apparent skill shortages in specific STEM-related fields of business;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Stresses that, as far as higher education is concerned, austerity measures have widened the gap between high-achieving countries and low- achieving countries; highlights that, in particular according to the data compiled by the Times Higher Education (29/10/2014), Member States such as Ireland, Spain and Greece saw drops in public investment in education ranging from 15 % to 54 % in Greece between 2008 and 2013, whilst enrolment kept climbing, whereas countries such as Sweden and Germany were able to substantially increase their public spending by an average of 23%;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)

3d. Stresses that the widening discrepancies in higher education funding and performance are accentuated by the outflows of students and highly-skilled graduates or workers from the aforementioned Southern Member States to other Member States offering more favourable educational environments and job prospects, which may lead to the emergence of a multi-speed European Union; suggests that all the European programmes relating to the mobility of workers and students also tackle this issue, namely by providing incentive mechanisms for the repatriation or the relocation of these expatriates;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)

3e. Notes that, after six years of implementation of the European Semester, public spending on education and culture have fallen victim to 'fiscal consolidation'; observes that underfunding and cuts in public spending on education devalue educational systems and, in combination with disinvestment, generate high rates of long-term unemployment, up to 40% among young people, resulting in the deregulation of labour relations and the intensification of the 'brain drain';

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 f (new)

3f. Welcomes the Erasmus+ contribution to fostering mobility and cultural exchanges across the EU and with third countries; calls for better promotion and use of the European tools for transparency, mobility and recognition of skills and qualifications with a view to facilitating mobility as regards learning and working;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes progress in terms of reduction of early school leaving and higher education attainment, but reminds the Commission ~~and the Member States of the need to promote the right to high-quality inclusive education and training for all, invest in outreach and provide support to the most vulnerable learne~~that education and training are Member State competences purs uan~~d disadvantaged individuals~~t to Article 6 TFEU;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes progress in terms of reduction of early school leaving and higher education attainment, but reminds the Commission ~~and~~that the Europe 2020 target has not yet been met and that there are still wide differences between and within the Member States of; stresses the need to promote the right to high-quality inclusive education and training for all, invest in outreach and ~~provide~~develop concrete measures to support to the most vulnerable learners and disadvantaged individuals;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes progress in terms of reduction of early school leaving and higher education attainment~~, but~~; highlights, nevertheless, that the most recent Education and Training Monitor and PISA survey show a decrease in basic skills attainment and that disparities between countries, gender and social categories remain high; recalls that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds remain at a higher risk of being NEETS (Not in Education, Employment or Training) or in low-skilled, unstable or low-paid employment; therefore reminds the Commission and the Member States of the need to promote the right to high- quality inclusive education and training for all ages and types of learners, invest in outreach and provide support tofor the most vulnerable learners and disadvantaged individuals, such as learners with disabilities, NEETs and young people and children with migrant backgrounds, and ensure their systematic inclusion in mainstream education;

Amendment 34 #

María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Jana TOOM, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Robert ROCHEFORT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes progress in terms of reduction of early school leaving and higher education attainment, but recalls that, in some Member States, these problems still persist; reminds the Commission and the Member States of the need to promote the right to high-quality inclusive education and training for all, invest in outreach and provide support to the most vulnerable learners and disadvantaged individuals;

Amendment 35 #

Luigi MORGANO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes progress in terms of reduction of early school leaving and higher education attainment, but reminds the Commission and the Member States of the need to promote the right to high- quality inclusive education and training for all, invest in outreach and provide support to the most vulnerable learners and disadvantaged individuals, especially people with disabilities;

Amendment 36 #

4a. Notes that our education systems should be updated in accordance with the challenges of our society, such as those produced by globalisation and technological progress; highlights, in this regard, the importance of fostering ICT and media literacy, entrepreneurial education and the lifelong learning programmes to tackle poverty, social exclusion and unemployment in line with the targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy;

Amendment 37 #

María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Jana TOOM, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Robert ROCHEFORT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Emphasises the importance of the learning of foreign languages to enhance students’ and workers’ mobility and in order to achieve the Barcelona European Council’s objective of “mother tongue + two";

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Welcomes the Commission Communication on "Strengthening European Identity through Education and Culture", which includes bold objectives in the field of education, in particular the creation of a European Education Area and improving language learning in Europe;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)

4d. Stresses that, with respect to migrants who are considered as “vulnerable learners”, their effective integration within the educational systems of the Member States comes at a high cost in terms of public funding since migrant children are often low achievers, as the European Commission noted in its report “Addressing low achievements in technologies and science (2010‐2013)”, both because of their economic and social predicament and because of the cultural and linguistic hurdles they face; stresses that Member States such as Greece and Italy have already been under intense pressure to curb their public spending and have therefore curtailed the funding allocated to education, that they have also borne the brunt of the migration crisis and that, for all these reasons, ensuring a successful integration of migrants within their educational systems might amount to an unsustainable financial burden;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the adoption of the European Pillar of Social Rights joint proclamation and ~~the political shift away from austerity to~~highlights the promotion of social policies that it reflects; recalls, nevertheless, the need for concrete measures to make the proclamation a reality, with a shared priority given to inequalities reduction and the fight against poverty;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 e (new)

4e. Stresses that, although some progress has been made with respect to early school leaving, the recent PISA survey (2015) proves that some Member States are lagging behind in terms of academic performances, notably as far sciences and mathematics are concerned, and thus that that progress might be insufficient to meet the goal of diminishing the proportion of low achievers in these academic fields to just 15 % by 2020; considers that the integration of an increasing number of migrants will also thwart the achievement of this goal;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 f (new)

4f. Considers that migrants must have full access to education systems, which require additional, targeted public expenditure, and be able to benefit from high-quality social and environmentally sustainable investments designed to integrate workers into the labour market and reduce unemployment;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for proper recognition of the crucial role of informal and non-formal learning, especially for the most vulnerable people, including through the establishment of ambitious benchmarks and validation of acquired skills and qualifications; recalls, therefore, the need for a global strategy on lifelong learning in a fast-changing labour market with increasing needs for new skills and innovation;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for proper recognition of the crucial role of informal and non-formal learning, especially for the most vulnerable people, including through validation of acquired skills and qualifications, while recalling that, pursuant to Article 6 TFEU, the Union’s competence in education is limited to supporting, coordinating and supplementing Member State actions;

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Is concerned about the lack of basic and digital skills among adults that can hinder, among other things, their access to quality permanent jobs;

Amendment 46 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Shares the opinion set out in the Annual Growth Survey that Member States must, in a context of a fast- changing and increasingly connected economy, invest in equipping learners of all ages and backgrounds with social and transferable skills such as entrepreneurial skills, intercultural skills, creative and critical thinking as well as digital and media literacy, and ensure continuous quality training for teachers and trainers;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Recalls, in this regard, that the creative industries are amongst the most entrepreneurial sectors, and creative education develops transferable skills such as creative thinking, problem- solving, teamwork, and resourcefulness; given the close link between creativity and innovation, calls for the arts and creative learning to be incorporated into STEM studies;

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5d. Is of the opinion that a future-proof Skills Agenda should include learning for sustainability and be part of a broader reflection on occupational literacy in the context of a growing digitisation and robotisation of European societies, focusing not only on economic growth but also on learners’ personal development, improved health and well-being;

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5e. Highlights that Erasmus+ contributes to mobility and cultural exchange across and beyond the EU; calls for better promotion and use of European tools for mobility and recognition of skills and qualifications in order to facilitate mobility with regards to learning, training and employment; reaffirms that more mobility opportunities must be offered for people in vocational training, disadvantaged young people and people suffering from different and multiple forms of discrimination;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 f (new)

5f. Underlines the importance of entrepreneurship education in motivating young people to choose the entrepreneurship option for their career; notes that entrepreneurship education is an effective way to develop transversal skills and a sense of innovation and creativity, which are important both in self-employment and employment;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 g (new)

5g. Stresses that 80 million Europeans suffer from a disability and that integrating this vulnerable group into the workforce and ensuring equal access to education should be considered a priority for the European Union;

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Welcomes the boost in~~Takes note of the increased number of jobs creat~~ion~~ed across the EU~~; recalls, however,~~, while highlighting with concern the precarious nature of most of them; recalls that the long-term goal of European and national labour policies should be to create permanent quality jobs and that persistent inequalities in access to education must be better addressed and solved in order to efficiently and better fight youth unemployment and ensure the inclusion of vulnerable people in the labour market;

Amendment 53 #

6. ~~Welcomes the boost in job creation across the EU; recalls, however,~~Recalls that persistent inequalities in access to education must be better addressed in order to efficiently fight youth unemployment and ensure the inclusion of vulnerable people in the labour market;

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes the boost in job creation across the EU; recalls, however, that ~~persistent inequalities in access to education must be better addressed~~higher rates of attainment of basic maths and native language skills are necessary in order to efficiently fight youth unemployment and ensure the inclusion of vulnerable people in the labour market;

Amendment 55 #

María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Jana TOOM, Ilhan KYUCHYUK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

Amendment 56 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes the boost in job creation across the EU; recalls, however, that persistent inequalities in access to education must be better addressed in order to efficiently fight youth unemployment and ensure the inclusion of vulnerable people in the labour marketnotes, however, that youth unemployment rates remain very high, at 16.5 % in the EU-28 and 18.6 % in the Eurozone, according to 2017 Eurostat data; recalls, therefore, that the fight against youth unemployment must remain a priority, particularly in the Southern European countries, and that persistent inequalities in access to education must be better addressed to ensure the inclusion of vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the labour market; highlights the mismatch between the supply of and demand for skills, which could lead to skills polarisation in the labour market and weaker social cohesion; calls, therefore, on the Commission and Member States to take action to promote the interaction between educational institutions, business, the research sector and other relevant social partners;

Amendment 57 #

María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Jana TOOM, Ilhan KYUCHYUK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

Amendment 58 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Encourages Member States to scale up their efforts to implement the country- specific recommendations on education and youth and to foster the exchange of best practices;

Amendment 59 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Regrets that gender inequalities in the field of employment, including discriminatory hiring and firing policies, the pay gap, enforced part-time, sexual harassment, and insufficient parental leave measures ensuring a genuine work- life balance for both parents are still substantial despite the accumulated evidence and legislation; calls, therefore, for the enforcement and swift implementation of current legislation in the area of gender equality and calls on the Member States to further encourage women entrepreneurship;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Welcomes~~Highlights that the adoption of the European Pillar of Social Rights joint proclamation candnot guarantee the political shift away from austerity to the promotion of social policies ~~that it reflects~~; recalls, nevertheless, the need for ~~concrete measures to make the proclamation a reality~~a different mix of economic policies that will not reduce jobs or pressure national governments for structural reforms, but will promote solidarity and social justice and lead to sustainable growth and increased spending on education, youth and culture, with a shared priority given to inequalities reduction and the fight against poverty;

Amendment 60 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)

6c. Recalls the need to encourage girls and young women to pursue ICT studies and calls on Member States to encourage girls and young women to study STEM subjects, whilst also including arts and humanities, and to increase representation of women in STEM areas;

Amendment 61 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)

6d. Highlights that social entrepreneurship is a growing field that can boost the economy whilst simultaneously alleviating deprivation, social exclusion and other societal problems; Considers, therefore, that entrepreneurship education should include a social dimension, and address subjects such as fair trade, social enterprises, and alternative business models, including co-operatives, in order to strive towards a more social, inclusive and sustainable economy;

Amendment 62 #

Silvia COSTA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)

6e. Stresses the importance of facilitating the mobility of students and workers, with a particular focus on encouraging the learning of other European languages;

Amendment 63 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 f (new)

6f. Highlights the potential of CCIs regarding youth employment; stresses that further promotion of, and investment in, the cultural and creative sector (CCS) may contribute substantially to investment, growth, innovation and employment; calls on the Commission to consider, therefore, the special opportunities offered by the whole CCS, comprising NGOs and small associations, for example under the Youth Employment Initiative;

Amendment 64 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 g(new)

6g. Emphasises the huge innovation and employment potential of renewable energy sources, and the search for greater resource and energy efficiency; call on the Commission to incorporate a specific energy and environmental strategy into the European Semester with a view also to education and employment;

Amendment 65 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

~~7. Reiterates its call for the creation of a Child Guarantee and for proper and swift implementation of the Youth Guarantee, including through improved funding allocation.~~deleted

Amendment 66 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

~~7. Reiterates its call for the creation of a Child Guarantee and for proper and swift implementation of the Youth Guarantee, including through improved funding allocation.~~deleted

Amendment 67 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. RIs worried that youth unemployment rates remain dramatically high, especially in Southern Europe; reiterates its call for the creation of a Child Guarantee and for proper and swift implementation of the Youth Guarantee, ~~including~~which, owing to its ineffectiveness in certain Member States, particularly in Southern Europe, needs a thorough ~~improved funding allocation~~assessment followed by significant reform and tailored adjustments so that it provides young people with good quality employment offers and achieves their sustainable integration into the labour market; calls on the Member States to make effective improvements in their monitoring and reporting systems so as to facilitate the de- velopment of more evidence-based youth policies.

Amendment 68 #

María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Robert ROCHEFORT

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Reiterates its call for ~~the creation of a Child Guarantee and for~~ proper and swift implementation of the Youth Guarantee, including through improved funding allocation, and stresses the importance of implementing child guarantee policies within the existing tools and programmes.

Amendment 69 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Reiterates its call for the assessment of the need and feasibility of creati~~on of~~ng a Child Guarantee and for proper and swift implementation of the Youth Guarantee, including through ~~improved~~adequate funding allocation and better monitoring and communication;.

Amendment 7 #

María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Jana TOOM, Ilhan KYUCHYUK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the adoption of the European Pillar of Social Rights joint proclamation and the political shift away from austerity to the promotion of social policies that it reflects; recalls, nevertheless, the need for concrete measures to make the proclamation a reality, with a shared priority given to inequalities reduction and the fight against poverty; stresses that high-quality education is essential to meet the economic and social objectives of the European Union;

Amendment 70 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Reiterates its call for the creation of a Child Guarantee, including through the implementation of the Investing in Children Recommendations and through social investment in early childhood, and for proper and swift implementation of the Youth Guarantee, including through improved funding allocation.;

Amendment 71 #

Luigi MORGANO, Julie WARD

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7b. Recalls that the European Semester should be a more open, transparent and democratic process; calls on the Commission to introduce guidelines for stakeholder dialogue in order to improve the quality of civil society participation, using in this perspective the additional tools offered by e-democracy;

Amendment 72 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7a. Welcomes the mainstreaming of the rights of people with disabilities in the proposed new guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States annexed to the Annual Growth Survey 2018; calls, nonetheless, for these provisions to include concrete measures to achieve the declared goals, in line with the EU’s and the Member States’ obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD);

Amendment 73 #

Luigi MORGANO, Julie WARD

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)

7c. Recalls the strategic potential of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) to preserve and promote European cultural and linguistic diversity and their contribution to economic growth, innovation and employment, especially youth employment.

Amendment 8 #

Silvia COSTA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the adoption of the European Pillar of Social Rights joint proclamation and the political shift away from austerity to the promotion of social policies that it reflects; recalls, nevertheless, the need for concrete measures to make the proclamation a reality, with a shared priority given to inequalities reduction and the fight against poverty; not only in its economic dimension, but also with respect to education;

Amendment 9 #