Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund

• on the European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social aspects in the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy 2020 (2019/2212(INI)) The European Parliament, having regard to the Commission communication of 17 December 2019 on the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy 2020 (COM(2019)0650), having regard to the proposal for a joint employment report from the Commission and the Council of 17 December 2019 accompanying the communication on the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy 2020 (COM(2019)0653), having regard to the Commission recommendation of 17 December 2019 for a Council recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area (COM(2019)0652), having regard to the Commission report of 17 December 2019 entitled Alert Mechanism Report 2020 (COM(2019)0651), having regard to the Commission communication of 20 November 2019 on the 2020 Draft Budgetary Plans: Overall Assessment (COM(2019)0900), having regard to the Council Decision (EU) 2019/1181 of 8 July 2019 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States[1], having regard to its resolution of 10 October 2019 on employment and social policies of the euro area[2], having regard to its resolution of 13 March 2019 on the European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social aspects in the Annual Growth Survey 2019[3], having regard to the Political Guidelines for the next European Commission 2019-2024: A Union that Strives for More, presented by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, having regard to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in September 2015 and endorsed by the Council, which voiced its commitment to their implementation, having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) proclaimed by the European Council, Parliament and the Commission in November 2017, having regard to its resolution of 19 January 2017 on a European Pillar of Social Rights[4], having regard to the Commission report of 8 November 2019 entitled Labour Market and Wage Developments in Europe Annual Review 2019, having regard to the Council conclusions of 24 October 2019 on the Economy of Wellbeing[5], having regard to its resolution of 16 November 2017 on combating inequalities as a lever to boost job creation and growth[6], having regard to the OECD study of 15 June 2018 entitled A Broken Social Elevator?
• How to Promote Social Mobility, having regard to its resolution of 24 October 2017 on minimum income policies as a tool for fighting poverty[7], having regard to its resolution of 25 October 2017 on the fundamental rights aspects in Roma integration in the EU: fighting anti-Gypsyism[8], having regard to the Commission communication of 10 June 2016 on a new skills agenda for Europe working together to strengthen human capital, employability and competitiveness (COM(2016)0381), having regard to its resolution of 11 December 2018 on education in the digital era: challenges, opportunities and lessons for EU policy design[9], having regard to its resolution of 14 September 2017 on a new skills agenda for Europe[10], having regard to its resolution of 26 May 2016 on poverty: a gender perspective[11], having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 19 September 2018 on the digital gender gap[12], having regard to its resolution of 15 November 2018 on care services in the EU for improved gender equality[13], having regard to the Council Recommendation of 8 November 2019 on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed[14], having regard to its position of 2 February 2016 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing a European Platform to enhance cooperation in the prevention and deterrence of undeclared work[15], having regard to the Commission communication of 2 June 2016 on a European agenda for the collaborative economy (COM(2016)0356), having regard to the Council conclusions of 8 June 2010 on Equity and Health in All Policies: Solidarity in Health, having regard to the OECD and Commission initiative entitled State of Health in the EU cycle, having regard to its resolution of 11 September 2018 on pathways for the reintegration of workers recovering from injury and illness into quality employment[16], having regard to its resolution of 25 November 2015 on the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2014-2020[17], having regard to the Commission communication of 20 February 2013 entitled Towards Social Investment for Growth and Cohesion including implementing the European Social Fund 2014-2020 (COM(2013)0083), and the Staff Working Documents accompanying the Communication entitled Investing in Health (SWD(2013)0043) and Long-term care in ageing societies -Challenges and policy options (SWD(2013)0041), having regard to the Commission Staff Working Document of 4 September 2013 entitled Report on health inequalities in the European Union (SWD(2013)0328), having regard to the Commission communication of 4 April 2014 on effective, accessible and resilient health systems (COM(2014)0215), having regard to the Council conclusions of 20 June 2014 on the economic crisis and healthcare[18], having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), having regard to the concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of 3 September 2015 on the initial report of the European Union to the Committee of 5 June 2014 on the implementation of the CRPD, having regard to its resolution of 29 November 2018 on the situation of women with disabilities[19], having regard to the Commission communication of 11 December 2019 on the European Green Deal (COM(2019)0640), having regard to the Commission communication of 14 January 2020 on a strong social Europe for just transitions (COM(2020)0014), having regard to the Circular Economy Package (Directives (EU) 2018/849[20], 2018/850[21], 2018/851[22] and 2018/852[23]), having regard to its resolution of 15 January 2020 on the European Green Deal[24], having regard to the debate with representatives of national parliaments on the priorities of the 2020 European Semester, having regard to Rule 54 of its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Culture and Education, having regard to the position in the form of amendments of the Committee on Womens Rights and Gender Equality, having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A9-0025/2020), A.whereas the employment rate of people aged 20-64 reached 73.9 % in the EU in the second quarter of 2019, and 72.7 % in the euro area; whereas 241.9 million people were in employment in the EU in the third quarter of 2019, the highest level ever reached; whereas high labour market participation is a prerequisite for a social Europe; whereas the employment rate may come close to the Europe 2020 target, but is unlikely to reach it; whereas the total hours worked have reached the 2008 level; whereas the employment rate of vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities (50.6% in 2017), the homeless and the Roma (43%), is significantly lower; B.whereas the employment rate of older workers (55-64) increased to 58.7 % in 2018; whereas older workers continue to be the main driver of employment growth; whereas the lack of adequate care services, such as child and elderly care, is a barrier to keeping older workers, especially women, in the labour market; C.whereas the increase in the employment rate has been accompanied by an increase in atypical and non-formal forms of employment, including zero-hour contracts; whereas precarious workers are usually unable to enforce their rights, have little or no job security and social insurance protection, face higher health and safety risks and receive incomes that are insufficient for a decent standard of living; whereas the proportion of part-time workers is still higher than the 2008 level; whereas the share of involuntary part-time workers remains substantial; whereas the share of temporary employees is still high; D.whereas the youth employment rate has increased, but is still below the pre-crisis level; whereas there are substantial differences in youth unemployment rates between and within Member States; E.whereas unemployment fell to 6.3% in the third quarter of 2019 in the EU and to 7.5% in the euro area; whereas it remains high in some Member States and regions; whereas long-term unemployment remains high in half of the Member States; F.whereas labour shortages and the brain drain rate have reached critical levels in some Member States and pose a barrier to further economic growth; whereas the future world of work will require tailor-made solutions fitting various labour markets and traditions, while at the same time protecting mobile workers; G.whereas social dialogue is a central component of a European social model and is essential to finding tailor-made solutions for the labour market; whereas there is a clear positive correlation between social dialogue and industrial competitiveness and efficiency; whereas social dialogue requires strong and representative social partners; whereas social dialogue has been weakened and collective bargaining coverage has shrunk across Europe, with huge disparities between Member States; whereas the share of employees in Member States covered by any form of collective wage agreement ranged from 98% to 7.1% in 2016; whereas inadequate civil dialogue widens the gap between citizens and institutions; H.whereas income inequalities remain at a high level; whereas many Member States are facing wage stagnation; whereas the economic crisis has led to an increase in the number of low wage earners; whereas tax and labour cost competition is harmful for the single market and for cohesion among the Member States; whereas high taxation on low wage earners increases inequalities; whereas intergenerational social mobility is limited in most Member States; whereas the OECD estimates that even in the best-performing countries, it would take two to three generations for those born into low-income families to approach the mean income for their country; I.whereas more than one in five EU residents are at risk of poverty and social exclusion; whereas the Europe 2020 headline target to reduce the number of persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) by 20 million remains out of reach; whereas in 2018, 9.5% of workers lived in households that were at risk of poverty; whereas children continue to face a high risk of poverty or social exclusion and the average AROPE rate for children in 2018 was 24.3%, with several Member States registering alarming rates of more than 30%; whereas in-work poverty remains high; whereas 6% of the EU population lives in severe material deprivation; J.whereas in 2017 one in ten EU residents were living in substandard housing and spent 40% or more of their household income on housing; whereas one EU resident in ten is overburdened by housing costs, especially low-income households and people living in cities; whereas the fight against climate change may have a further impact on housing costs; whereas affordable housing is a serious and growing problem that is leading to an ever larger number of people becoming housing insecure or homeless; K.whereas homelessness has increased over the last decade in most Member States and poor households are increasingly overburdened by rising housing costs; whereas housing and assistance for the homeless is one of the priorities outlined in the EPSR; whereas homelessness is a crucial health issue with the life expectancy of homeless people being significantly lower than that of the general population; L.whereas early school leaving and poor educational outcomes are obstacles to employment and economic growth and are closely related to poverty, social exclusion and segregation; whereas education systems should provide sufficient support for social mobility; whereas the rate of adult learning in the EU reached 11.1% in 2018 far lower than the 2020 target of 15% and the rates for Roma are with 70% significantly higher than for other categories of pupils; M.whereas technology and innovation can unlock new opportunities for growth and job creation; whereas in the digital era, digital skills are essential, and yet more than 40 % of adults in the EU do not have basic digital skills; whereas digitalisation can be an opportunity to reduce social inequalities, but must be accompanied by measures to prevent and reduce digital exclusion and precarious forms of work; N.whereas small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent more than 90% of businesses in Europe and are thus important for sustainable development, inclusive growth and job creation; whereas the Commission should support enterprise development and focus on SMEs; O.whereas the principle of gender equality is a core value of the EU and is enshrined in Articles 2 and 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union; whereas Articles 8 and 19 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and Article 23 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights clearly state the EUs commitment to gender mainstreaming in all of its policies and activities; P.whereas promoting gender equality, improving employment opportunities for women, ensuring equal pay, facilitating the reconciliation of work, care and private life, and preventing and combating violence against women are vital to the economic growth, productivity, long-term fiscal sustainability and societal stability of the EU; Q.whereas women are underrepresented in well-paid sectors and decision-making positions and there are persistent gender gaps in the EU labour market, such as the gender employment gap (11.5%), the gender pay gap (16%) and the gender pension gap (35.7%), which can put women in vulnerable or precarious situations; whereas the gender pay and pension gaps are higher for migrant and ethnic minority women; whereas ambitious efforts are needed to close the gender pay and pension gaps; R.whereas one reason for such gaps are disproportionate care responsibilities, limited access to care services for children and the elderly and resulting periods of absence from the labour market; whereas only 3 in 10 children under the age of three are in childcare; whereas the quality of and access to care services varies widely within and among the Member States; S.whereas the EPSR stipulates equal treatment and equal opportunities for men and women, equal pay for work of equal value and access to affordable care services of good quality; whereas the EPSR principles should be monitored in the context of the European Semester; T.whereas women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers; whereas the increased participation of women in STEM education is essential to reducing the gender gap in STEM professions; U.whereas Article 168 of the TFEU provides that a high level of human health protection shall be ensured in the definition and implementation of all Union policies and activities; whereas the 20 principles of the EPSR include healthy, safe and well-adapted work environment, and health care; V.whereas one of the main goals of the European Green Deal is to protect peoples health and well-being from environment-related risks and impacts; whereas universal health coverage is also fundamental for achieving the SDGs; W.whereas health is an investment in human capital and social and economic development and is a key determinant of a persons well-being; whereas significant health inequalities still prevail across the EU, are strongly linked to income and wealth inequalities, poverty and social exclusion, affect life expectancy and limit opportunities to fully engage in society; X.whereas in 2019, country-specific recommendations on national health systems were issued to 16 Member States; Y.whereas the demographic old age dependency ratio is projected to increase significantly in the EU in the coming decades; whereas the challenge of ensuring inclusive growth in ageing and diversifying societies requires a comprehensive approach based on a mix of policy solutions in the fields of pensions, social security, long-term care, health systems, social inclusion and work-life balance; Z.whereas 80 million EU residents have disabilities; whereas the implementation of accessibility measures continues to be insufficient; whereas the employment rate of people with disabilities was 50.6% in 2017 versus a total employment rate of 74.8%; whereas persons with disabilities are more likely to face in-work poverty; AA.whereas cohesion policy, as the EUs main investment policy for social, economic and territorial development, has demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing inequalities and regional differences, in particular regarding the poorest regions; AB.whereas social protection systems and labour market policies are deeply rooted in national traditions and there is great variation between the Member States, which should be maintained when working towards common social goals through the European Semester; whereas issues lacking a transnational dimension are dealt with at national level in line with the treaties and the principle of subsidiarity; AC.whereas the green transition and the digitalisation of the economy will involve substantial economic diversification and transformation of business models and policymaking; whereas that will create new opportunities as well as significant socio-economic challenges in many regions and industrial sectors; whereas the EU needs a common strategy to accompany workers and businesses concerned in order to ensure that no one is left behind; AD.whereas productivity growth in the EU remains significantly below that of global competitors; whereas improved productivity is crucial for improved wellbeing; whereas reforms that can lead to enhanced productivity, including the reduction of unnecessary administrative burdens, should be welcomed as they promote the creation of fair jobs, sustainable growth and social protection; AE.whereas sound public finances are essential; whereas countries that were hit hardest by the financial crisis also had to conduct the toughest cuts to potentially growth-enhancing public expenditure; whereas social cuts have detrimental effects on vulnerable people and hamper employment, consumption and sustainable and inclusive growth, not least by curtailing access to essential services (health, housing, education); AF.whereas fair wages, strong collective bargaining systems, democracy at work, wage transparency, predictable working hours, adequate social protection and tax benefits can reduce in-work poverty, decrease inequalities and generate demand; 1.Welcomes the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy (ASGS) 2020 and the Commissions aim to complement the European Semesters current approach by including the SDGs and the objectives of the European Green Deal; underlines that the EUs new growth strategy will have to contribute to the creation of quality sustainable jobs and the strengthening of competitiveness, innovation and productivity and maximise benefits for health, quality of life and resilience while moving towards a circular and carbon-neutral economy; reiterates the need to put sustainability, social inclusion and peoples wellbeing at the heart of the EUs economic policy-making, ensuring that social, environmental and economic objectives have equal priority; 2.Calls on the Commission to identify EU-specific targets and headline indicators in relation to the SDGs to reflect the realities and challenges facing the EU in the area of employment and social affairs, to measure the effectiveness of policy decisions, and to ensure better targeting of funding and a proper and coherent follow-up to the Europe 2020 strategy; 3.Welcomes the inclusion of the EPSR in the ASGS 2020; calls for fairness and social rights to have equal importance in the new economic model as environmental sustainability and macro-economic stability; emphasises the central role of the Social Scoreboard in the European Semester; calls on the Commission to build upon existing indicators and reinforce the scoreboard by integrating further indicators and clear targets reflecting all 20 principles of the EPSR, such as inclusive access to education, health, nutrition, employment, housing, and the preservation of social rights, and to ensure that such indicators are analysed on a disaggregated basis (e.g.
• children, youth, seniors, gender, migrants and persons with disabilities); calls on the Commission to safeguard the diversity of national social systems and labour market models and to come forward with a social action plan to further implement the EPSR and the revised European Social Charter by adopting dedicated measures at the appropriate level; 4.Calls for the greater involvement of relevant ministers in charge of social, health and environmental affairs in the Semester Process at Council level; regrets that many country-specific recommendations (CSRs) have not been implemented at all or have not been fully implemented; calls on the Member States to implement all CSRs, including those on employment and social aspects; Unemployment 5.Is concerned that rates of unemployment, youth unemployment and long-term unemployment are still high in some Member States with strong regional disparities; stresses, therefore, the need for individually tailored measures to integrate the unemployed into the labour market, in particular in social enterprises and the green economy, and to fight poverty and social exclusion; calls on the Member States to adequately invest in effective active labour market policies and make full use of existing EU funding instruments in order to prevent youth and long-term unemployment; believes that consideration should also be given to structural reforms of the labour market in order to maintain investment in society and citizens and safeguard the future and stability of the Members States and the EU as a whole; stresses the importance of a financially enhanced European Social Fund Plus and a strong Just Transition Fund in this context; Equal opportunities 6.Is concerned about the limited intergenerational social mobility and increased income inequality compared to pre-crisis levels; points out that high levels of inequality reduce economic output and the potential for sustainable growth; calls on the Commission and the Member States to tackle inequalities and fight discrimination, including by promoting adequate wages, high collective bargaining coverage, equal opportunities in education and training, gender equality and universal access to quality services; stresses that national tax and benefit systems must be designed in a way not only to ensure financial sustainability but also to reduce inequalities, promote fairness and transparency, and provide incentives for labour market participation; Minimum wages and collective bargaining 7.Welcomes the Commissions consultation of social partners on an EU framework for minimum wages; calls on the Commission to take measures designed to foster increased social convergence based on the results of the consultation; calls for adequate minimum wage levels to be set above the poverty threshold through collective agreements or through national law, in line with national traditions and with due respect for the autonomy of national social partners and well-functioning collective bargaining models; calls for a coordinated approach at EU level in order to avoid unhealthy labour cost competition and increase upward social convergence for all; 8.Considers that wages in some Member States are stagnating with a detrimental effect on the EU economy and the single market; stresses that full-time wages should be sufficient to ensure a decent standard of living; Social dialogue 9.Highlights that well-functioning social dialogue is a key tool in shaping working and employment conditions; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support the capacity building of social partners, to safeguard and strengthen social dialogue, collective bargaining rights and coverage at all levels, and to take the views of social partners into account in policymaking, including for the European Semester; underlines, moreover, the importance of structured and systematic dialogue with civil society at national level with a view to increasing ownership; Poverty and social exclusion 10.Reiterates its concern about the high number of persons at risk of poverty and social exclusion; is especially worried about the high rates of child poverty and in-work poverty; calls on the Commission to present a comprehensive EU anti-poverty strategy based on integrated active inclusion and to establish a European Child Guarantee with adequate funding and well-designed support services, in order to contribute to childrens equal access to free quality healthcare, free quality education, free quality childcare, decent housing and adequate nutrition; 11.Underlines the importance of increasing funding for the most deprived under the new European Social Fund Plus as a key element of European solidarity and a way of helping to combat the worst forms of poverty in the EU, such as food deprivation and child poverty; stresses that the European Child Guarantee should not be funded at the expense of existing financial instruments; 12.Calls for a new EU framework for national Roma inclusion strategies with concrete objectives; 13.Notes that various forms of minimum income schemes exist in all Member States in order to provide a social protection floor and safety net for those in need; underlines that minimum income schemes should not be confused with the concept of a basic income for everyone; calls on the Commission to conduct a comparative study on the different minimum incomes schemes in the Member States and to highlight best practice cases with a view to presenting a framework in this regard; stresses that minimum income should be complemented by active inclusion measures; Housing and homelessness 14.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to respond in a strong and integrated way by drawing up an action plan to tackle the lack of affordable housing, poor housing conditions, non-accessible housing and housing exclusion; notes the increase in the number of evictions and urges the Member States to tackle this problem; 15.Calls on the Commission to propose an EU framework for national homelessness strategies, and calls on the Member States to prepare their homelessness strategies by adopting the Housing First principle, prioritising the provision of permanent housing to homeless people, and ending the criminalisation of homelessness; stresses, moreover, the need to collect better and more harmonised data on homeless people in the EU; 16.Calls on the Commission to propose an EU framework for social and affordable housing in line with Principle 19 of the EPSR to ensure the efficient coordination of national housing policies; 17.Calls for investments in public housing to be made eligible for cohesion funding in order to improve existing public housing or build new accommodation; calls for the revision of State aid rules in this regard; 18.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to come up with specific proposals to ensure a just transition in relation to improving the energy efficiency of existing housing stock, without placing an excessive burden on vulnerable groups, and to adequately address the problem of energy poverty in the context of the Green Deal; Education and training 19.Is concerned about the stagnating share of early school leavers, especially amongst marginalised groups, and the increasing share of underperforming pupils; calls on the Member States to improve the quality, accessibility and inclusiveness of their education systems in a life-long learning perspective, taking into account not only employment needs but also the promotion of values such as human dignity, mutual respect and freedom of choice; underlines the need for adequate funding for education systems; stresses that gaps in basic numeracy, literacy and digital skills are severe impediments to meaningful participation in society and the labour market and calls on the Member States to ensure high-quality basic skills training with tailored support and active outreach, especially for the most marginalised groups in society; stresses that educational outcomes are negatively affected by social exclusion, discrimination, stereotyping, poverty and segregation, which must also be addressed; calls on the Commission to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the driving factors behind early school leaving, including social aspects, and present a proposal to tackle the problem; 20.Reiterates the importance of focussing on young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs) by removing barriers that prevent them from fulfilling their potential and successfully entering the labour market; stresses the need for a validation system for competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning, including non-cognitive or soft skills, in order to facilitate the participation in the labour market of workers with low education levels; 21.Welcomes the Commissions announcement that it will update the Skills Agenda for Europe to address the challenges of adapting skills to the ecological and digital transition, overcoming mismatches and meeting the needs of the labour market across the EU; calls on the Commission and the Member States to maximise their efforts to invest in affordable, accessible, inclusive and high-quality vocational education and training, to reinforce upskilling and reskilling measures, including digital and transferable skills, and to promote lifelong learning to prepare workers for the needs of the labour market affected by the green and digital transformations; takes the view that the mutual recognition of qualifications will be beneficial for overcoming skills shortages and skills mismatches; 22.Stresses the importance of closer cooperation between education systems and businesses, for example in the context of dual education, apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning; calls on the Member States to boost entrepreneurship among young people and to support associations and initiatives that help young entrepreneurs to develop innovative projects; 23.
• Calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up measures to promote quality apprenticeships in the EU and to explore ways of enacting an EU statute for apprenticeships; Labour mobility 24.Underlines the importance of labour mobility for a well-functioning single market; calls on the Commission and the Member States to facilitate labour mobility and the mobility of services to create new job opportunities for workers and to provide labour for companies; calls on the Member States to promote and use relevant EU tools, such as the job network EURES, and to establish cross-border partnerships to help mobile workers in cross-border regions; 25.Calls on the Commission to analyse mobility trends, including brain drains in certain regions and sectors, and to support mobile workers by ensuring fair mobility and strengthening the portability of rights and entitlements; underlines that the digitalisation of public services can help to facilitate fair labour mobility, particularly with regard to the coordination of social security systems; Small and medium-sized enterprises 26.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure a growth-friendly investment climate and to support SMEs and their employees in the transition to a more digital and greener economy, and to give adequate consideration to the interests of SMEs in the policymaking process by analysing the possible effects of policies on SMEs; highlights the importance of improving access for SMEs to public and private funding, including microcredits and crowdfunding, and reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens; underlines the adaptability and effectiveness of the social economy and calls on the Member States to create an appropriate legislative framework to promote social enterprises; Gender equality 27.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure gender equality and equal pay for equal work at the same place; calls on the Commission to deliver a directive on pay transparency; calls for more efforts to close the gender employment, pay and pensions gaps, and to tackle disincentives for women to work; calls for policies that support entrepreneurship among women and provide them with access to financing and business opportunities; is concerned about the lack of women in decision-making processes, particularly economic ones; calls on the Member States to unblock the Women on Boards Directive and the horizontal Anti-Discrimination Directive; calls on the Commission to strengthen the implementation of anti-discrimination legislation, policy and practice in order to effectively counter discrimination on all grounds; 28.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to improve the collection of gender-disaggregated data, especially on the participation of women in the labour market and the underlying causes of gender inequalities; 29.Calls on the Member States to swiftly and fully implement the Directive on work-life balance for parents and carers and to move towards fully paid maternity and paternity leave; calls on the Member States to ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in order to facilitate the labour market participation and economic independence of women and in order to act decisively to tackle sexual and gender-based harassment; 30.Regrets the lack of an even broader gender perspective and further indicators in the framework of the European Semester and calls on the Commission to include the Gender Equality Index as one of the European Semesters tools for monitoring progress towards employment and social targets and to acknowledge the gender effects of macroeconomic policies; 31.Calls on the Commission to pay greater attention to gender when formulating its country-specific recommendations so as to address persisting gender gaps; Care services 32.Calls for accessible and affordable quality childcare and early education services, as well as short-term and long-term care services, including for the elderly and people with disabilities, to facilitate womens participation in the labour market; calls for the development of an EU framework for care services to set minimum standards and quality guidelines; calls on the Member States to adopt appropriate legislation and to ensure sufficient funding for care services, making efficient use of relevant EU programmes, to set specific quantitative targets in their National Reform Programmes in order to achieve the Barcelona targets, and to exchange best practices; urges the Commission to support the Member States in this regard; Working conditions 33.Calls on the Member States to implement measures, as set out in the 2018 Council recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed in order to ensure access to social protection for all; stresses that people with atypical working arrangements, in particular voluntary part-time workers and those on temporary contracts, are especially vulnerable; notes with concern their lack of adequate access to social protection systems; 34.Acknowledges that the number of workers engaged in new forms of employment, such as platform work, is continuously rising; calls on the Commission to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the working conditions of such workers and to propose measures to strengthen their rights and social protection; calls on the Member States to ensure fair working conditions and proper collective bargaining coverage for platform workers; 35.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take action to eliminate the hidden costs of work; stresses that employers bear full responsibility for covering expenses for equipment needed to fulfil responsibilities in the workplace; Healthcare 36.Calls on the Member States to ensure access to high-quality healthcare that is affordable for all and to refocus health systems on preventive care, notably by implementing relevant CSRs; stresses the importance of prevention and health promotion campaigns; welcomes the shift from cost saving to performance orientation and health outcomes with regard to healthcare in the European Semester; calls for the development of common indicators and methodologies to assess health inequalities and the performance of healthcare systems; Occupational safety and health 37.Calls on the Commission to present a new EU strategy on occupational safety and health, including a vision for reducing fatal accidents at work and work-related cancer rates to zero, with further binding occupational exposure limit values and a stronger Asbestos Directive, as well as directives on work-related psychosocial health risks and work-related diseases; Demographic change and pensions 38.Considers that demographic changes pose a serious challenge to economic growth and will have a long-term impact on numerous aspects, including pension systems and healthcare; calls on the Commission and the Member States to introduce measures designed to address these challenges, including in the CSRs and through common guidelines; 39.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to pursue policies on active ageing, the social inclusion of elderly people and solidarity between generations; calls on the Commission to follow-up on its evaluation of the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations; 40.Stresses that access to public, solidarity-based and adequate retirement and old age pension systems must be granted to all; underlines that public pension systems should provide an adequate retirement income well above the poverty threshold, either in isolation or in combination with occupational pension systems; believes that the best way to ensure sustainable, safe and adequate pensions is to increase the overall employment, pay and participation rate and to improve working and employment conditions; Persons with disabilities 41.Calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up efforts towards the further inclusion of persons with disabilities in the open labour market in line with Principle 17 of the EPSR by prohibiting discrimination, removing barriers, ensuring reasonable accommodation in the workplace[25], creating incentives for employers and safeguarding access to education and training; recalls that the guiding principles of the CRPD, such as full and effective participation and inclusion in society, equality of opportunity and accessibility, must be fully implemented at both the EU and national levels with the active involvement of stakeholders; Cohesion funding 42.Calls for the strengthening of cohesion policy funding and ensuring that all EU regions, including rural areas and outermost regions, can participate; opposes the proposal by the Council to reduce funding for the European Social Fund Plus, despite its enlarged scope; calls on the Member States to make full use of the funding available; stresses the need for greater alignment of cohesion policy with the European Semester and the EUs policy objectives as well as the increased involvement of regional and local authorities in programming; calls on the Commission to closely monitor and evaluate the use of EU funds in the Member States and to strengthen efforts to tackle fraud, misuse and corruption; Unemployment benefit reinsurance scheme 43.Welcomes the Commission Presidents announcement that an EU unemployment benefit reinsurance scheme will be presented in order to better protect workers and reduce pressure from external shocks on public finances; calls on the Commission to analyse the need for minimum standards for unemployment insurance systems in the Member States; Just transition 44.Stresses that decisive support is needed to help society, workers and businesses to face the challenges of digitalisation and the transition to carbon neutrality; calls for strategies and support for those worst affected by the transition, especially vulnerable people, in order to ensure that no one is left behind; welcomes the creation of a Just Transition Fund and calls on the Commission to ensure its implementation is consistent with other cohesion funds; calls on the Member States to increase investment in social protection systems in order to enhance their resilience; 45.
• Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure adequate and equitable social and environmental investment in a true just transition as well as in the implementation of the EPSR and the achievement of the SDGs; welcomes the Commissions public consultation to examine the possible directions that the development of EU fiscal rules could take; Taxation 46.Calls on the Member States to shift taxation away from labour towards other sources where it will have a less detrimental effect on sustainable growth; calls on the Commission and the Member States to fight tax evasion and tax avoidance and effectively counter harmful tax practices; calls for new own resources for the EU budget in order to give the EU the tools to better tackle current and future challenges; Structural reforms 47.Notes that the EU continues to suffer from social problems caused by the financial and economic crisis and some subsequent policy decisions; underlines the need to boost domestic demand through future-oriented investment, and to promote balanced structural reforms, taking short-term fiscal implications and their long-term environmental, economic and social effects into account; highlights that responsible reforms must be based on solidarity, integration and social justice in order to improve living standards for all and ensure public support for transitions; Rule of law 48.Reiterates the importance of the rule of law including independent and efficient justice systems, quality public administrations and public procurement, and robust anti-corruption frameworks as the basis for a sound business environment, functioning labour markets and the proper use of EU funds; stresses that the assessment of the rule of law and the effectiveness of the justice system should thus continue to be included in the European Semester; calls on the Member States to ratify the revised European Social Charter; 49.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

• for the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs on the European Semester for economic policy coordination: Employment and Social Aspects in the Annual Sustainable Growth Survey 2020 Rapporteur for opinion: Sabine Verheyen SUGGESTIONS The Committee on Culture and Education calls on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution: 1.
• Calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up measures to promote quality apprenticeships in the EU and to explore ways of enacting an EU statute for apprenticeships; 6.
• Is of the opinion that the European Structural and Investment Funds play a crucial role in improving access to education materials and information and in the active inclusion of young people, especially those living in rural and remote areas or in areas with a shrinking population, and those with a migrant background; notes in this regard that innovative teaching and learning techniques combined with access to digital information sources can play a big role; 7.
• Maintains that in todays increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, proficiency in other languages is a vital skill that gives individuals the opportunity to engage with the world in a more immediate and meaningful way, while better preparing them to compete and succeed in the global society and economy; therefore calls on the Member States to implement their goal for all citizens to learn at least two foreign languages and to begin learning foreign languagesat an early age, as set out in the December 2017 Council Conclusions.
• INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum and Migration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Border Management and Visa Instrument

Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 23 October 2018 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2018/ of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 as regards the resources for economic, social and territorial cohesion and the resources for the Investment for growth and jobs goal (EP-PE_TC1-COD(2018)0265)

OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum and Migration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Border Management and Visa Instrument