### 9. calls on the commission and the member states to establish the necessary conditions and requirements to ensure that at least 80 % of corporations in the eu are covered by sustainable corporate governance agreements by 203025 ; calls , to this end , for the establishment of strategies agreed with workers to positively influence environmental , social and economic development through governance practices and market presence , to strengthen the role of directors in pursuing the long-term interests of their company , to improve directors’ accountability towards integrating sustainability into corporate decision-making , and to promote corporate governance practices that contribute to company sustainability , including corporate reporting , board remuneration , a maximum ceo-to-worker pay ratio , board composition and stakeholder involvement26 ; ### 9. calls on the commission and the member states to establish the necessary conditions and requirements to ensure that at least 80 % of corporations in the eu are covered by sustainable corporate governance agreements by 203025 while recognising the particular administrative burden for small and medium-sized enterprises; calls , to this end , for the establishment of strategies agreed with workers to positively influence environmental , social and economic development through governance practices and market presence , to strengthen the role of directors in pursuing the long-term interests of their company , to improve directors’ accountability towards integrating sustainability into corporate decision-making , and to promote corporate governance practices that contribute to company sustainability , including corporate reporting , board remuneration , a maximum ceo-to-worker pay ratio , board composition and stakeholder involvement26 ;


### 9. calls on the commission and the member states to establish the necessary conditions and requirements to ensure that at least 80 % of corporations in the eu are covered by sustainable corporate governance agreements by 203025 ; calls , to this end , for the establishment of strategies agreed with workers to positively influence environmental , social and economic development through governance practices and market presence , to strengthen the role of directors in pursuing the long-term interests of their company , to improve directors’ accountability towards integrating sustainability into corporate decision-making , and to promote corporate governance practices that contribute to company sustainability , including corporate reporting , board remuneration , a maximum ceo-to-worker pay ratio , board composition and stakeholder involvement26 ; ### 9. encourages the commission and the member states to establish the necessary conditions and requirements to support that large corporations in the eu are covered by sustainable corporate governance agreements while recognizing the particular administrative burden for small and medium-sized enterprises25 ; calls , to this end , for the establishment of strategies to positively influence environmental , social and economic development through governance practices and market presence; to strengthen the role of directors in pursuing the long-term interests of their company , to improve companies' accountability towards integrating sustainability into corporate decision-making , and to promote corporate governance practices that contribute to company sustainability , including corporate reporting26 ;


### 10. calls on the commission to deliver on its commitment to put forward without further delay a directive on binding human rights due diligence and responsible business conduct , including workers’ rights such as the right to organise and collectively bargain , health and safety , social protection and working conditions; stresses that this directive should establish mandatory due diligence covering companies’ activities and their business relationships , including supply and subcontracting chains , and should ensure the full involvement of trade unions and workers’ representatives throughout the whole due diligence process; ### 10. calls on the commission to deliver on its commitment to put forward without further delay a directive on human rights due diligence and responsible business conduct , including workers’ rights such as the right to organise and collectively bargain , health and safety , social protection and working conditions; stresses that this directive should establish due diligence covering companies’ activities and their business relationships , including supply and subcontracting chains , and should ensure the full involvement of trade unions and workers’ representatives throughout the whole due diligence process; stresses that this due diligence should not be too costly or burdensome for companies , in particular smes and vses;


### 10. calls on the commission to deliver on its commitment to put forward without further delay a directive on binding human rights due diligence and responsible business conduct , including workers’ rights such as the right to organise and collectively bargain , health and safety , social protection and working conditions; stresses that this directive should establish mandatory due diligence covering companies’ activities and their business relationships , including supply and subcontracting chains , and should ensure the full involvement of trade unions and workers’ representatives throughout the whole due diligence process; ### 10. calls on the commission to deliver on its commitment to put forward without further delay a directive on binding human rights due diligence and responsible business conduct , including workers’ rights such as the right to organise and collectively bargain , health and safety , social protection and working conditions; stresses that this directive should establish due diligence covering companies’ activities and their business relationships , including supply and subcontracting chains to ensure transparency over the activities of the subcontractors and supply chain actors in third countries , especially in those where forced labour or inhumane , degrading treatment disrespectful to human dignity continues to be practiced at the workplace;


### 10. calls on the commission to deliver on its commitment to put forward without further delay a directive on binding human rights due diligence and responsible business conduct , including workers’ rights such as the right to organise and collectively bargain , health and safety , social protection and working conditions; stresses that this directive should establish mandatory due diligence covering companies’ activities and their business relationships , including supply and subcontracting chains , and should ensure the full involvement of trade unions and workers’ representatives throughout the whole due diligence process; ### 10. calls on the commission to evaluate to put forward a voluntary framework on human rights due diligence and responsible business conduct , including workers’ rights such as the right to organise and collectively bargain , health and safety , social protection and working conditions; stresses that this framework should support voluntary due diligence covering companies’ activities and their business relationships , including supply and subcontracting chains , and should ensure the full involvement of trade unions and workers’ representatives throughout the whole due diligence process; calls on the commission to consider exempting smes and other actors not involved in long supply chains;


### 10. calls on the commission to deliver on its commitment to put forward without further delay a directive on binding human rights due diligence and responsible business conduct , including workers’ rights such as the right to organise and collectively bargain , health and safety , social protection and working conditions; stresses that this directive should establish mandatory due diligence covering companies’ activities and their business relationships , including supply and subcontracting chains , and should ensure the full involvement of trade unions and workers’ representatives throughout the whole due diligence process; ### 10. calls on the commission to deliver on its commitment to put forward without further delay a directive on binding human rights due diligence and responsible business conduct , including workers’ rights such as the right to organise and collectively bargain , health and safety , social protection and working conditions; stresses that this directive should establish due diligence covering certain companies’ activities and their business relationships , including supply and subcontracting chains , and should ensure the involvement of trade unions and workers’ representatives in the establishment and implementation of due diligence strategies;


### 11. is convinced that introducing and monitoring new digital technologies in the workplace successfully and in a trustworthy manner will require timely and meaningful information for and consultation with trade unions and workers’ representatives to ensure full respect for their health , safety , data protection , equal treatment and well-being at work and prevent undue exploitation and surveillance of workers , in particular via management by algorithms; underlines the fact that trade unions and workers’ representatives should have the necessary access and means to assess and evaluate digital technology; ### 11. is convinced that introducing new digital technologies in the workplace has , despite the challenges that need to be address on individual case-by-case basis , the potential to have a positive impact on the working environment if they are introduced in a trustworthy manner and applied in line with the human-centric approach , protecting and enhancing dignity of every worker. this will inter alia require timely and meaningful information for and consultation with trade unions and workers’ representatives to ensure full respect for their health , safety , data protection , equal treatment and well-being at work and prevent undue exploitation and surveillance of workers , in particular via management by algorithms; underlines the fact that trade unions and workers’ representatives should have the necessary access and means and evaluate digital technology; highlights the need to apply the ethics-by-default principle throughout the entire life cycle of the digital technologies in order to harness their full potential and avoid biases;


### 11. is convinced that introducing and monitoring new digital technologies in the workplace successfully and in a trustworthy manner will require timely and meaningful information for and consultation with trade unions and workers’ representatives to ensure full respect for their health , safety , data protection , equal treatment and well-being at work and prevent undue exploitation and surveillance of workers , in particular via management by algorithms; underlines the fact that trade unions and workers’ representatives should have the necessary access and means to assess and evaluate digital technology; ### 11. is convinced that introducing and monitoring new digital technologies in the workplace successfully and in a trustworthy manner will have a positive impact on the working environment and will at the same time require timely and meaningful information for and consultation with trade unions and workers’ representatives to ensure full respect for their health , safety , data protection , equal treatment and well-being at work and prevent undue exploitation and surveillance of workers , in particular via management by algorithms; underlines the fact that trade unions and workers’ representatives should have the necessary access and means to assess and evaluate digital technology;


### 11. is convinced that introducing and monitoring new digital technologies in the workplace successfully and in a trustworthy manner will require timely and meaningful information for and consultation with trade unions and workers’ representatives to ensure full respect for their health , safety , data protection , equal treatment and well-being at work and prevent undue exploitation and surveillance of workers , in particular via management by algorithms; underlines the fact that trade unions and workers’ representatives should have the necessary access and means to assess and evaluate digital technology; ### 11. is convinced that new digital technologies in the workplace will have a positive impact on the working environment and will require timely and meaningful information for and consultation with workers' representatives , including trade unions , to ensure full respect for their health , safety , data protection , equal treatment and well-being at work and prevent undue exploitation and surveillance of workers , in particular via management by algorithms; underlines the fact that workers' representatives , including trade unions , should have the necessary access and means to assess and evaluate digital technology;


### 12. stresses the need to strengthen , enforce and consolidate all the relevant eu laws to ensure that information and consultation is an integral part of company decision-making at all levels within companies; ### 12. stresses the need to thoroughly enforce , evaluate and in case it is necessary based on this evaluation , strengthen and consolidate all the relevant eu laws to ensure that information and consultation is an integral part of company decision-making at all levels within companies;


### 12. stresses the need to strengthen , enforce and consolidate all the relevant eu laws to ensure that information and consultation is an integral part of company decision-making at all levels within companies; ### 12. stresses the need to enforce relevant eu laws to ensure that information and consultation is an integral part of company decision-making;


### 13. stresses the importance of ensuring timely and meaningful information and consultation across the eu before any decisions are made about policies or measures with cross-border implications; emphasises that workers’ representatives must have access to the requisite expertise to assess the implications of these cross-border policies and processes for the workforce; ### 13. stresses the importance of ensuring timely and meaningful information and consultation across the eu before decisions on policies or measures with cross-border implications are made; emphasises that workers’ representatives must have access to the requisite expertise sufficient to assess the implications of these cross-border policies and processes for the workforce and companies;


### 13. stresses the importance of ensuring timely and meaningful information and consultation across the eu before any decisions are made about policies or measures with cross-border implications; emphasises that workers’ representatives must have access to the requisite expertise to assess the implications of these cross-border policies and processes for the workforce; ### 13. stresses the importance of ensuring timely and meaningful information and consultation across the eu before decisions on policies or measures with cross-border implications; emphasises the need of workers’ representatives to the requisite expertise to assess the implications of these cross-border policies and processes for the workforce and companies;


### 14. calls for the eu to ensure that employees are also represented on boards in european-scale companies , above all when those companies make use of eu legislation for the purposes of cross-border company restructuring and mobility; ### deleted


### 14. calls for the eu to ensure that employees are also represented on boards in european-scale companies , above all when those companies make use of eu legislation for the purposes of cross-border company restructuring and mobility; ### 14. calls for the eu to ensure that employees are also represented on boards in european-scale companies;


### 16. calls on the commission to introduce a new framework directive on workers’ information , consultation and participation for the various kinds of european companies , including subcontracting chains and franchises , and for companies that use eu company mobility instruments , in order to establish minimum standards on issues such as anticipating change and restructuring , in particular at company level; ### 16. calls on the commission to introduce a new framework directive on workers’ information , consultation and participation for the various kinds of european companies;


### 17. stresses that many shortcomings in eu law would be overcome by introducing thresholds for a minimum eu standard of board-level representation under this new framework directive; considers , to this end , that workers’ representatives should have the following number/proportion of seats on boards: 2 or 3 seats in small companies with 50 to 250 employees , one third of all seats in companies with 250 to 1 000 employees , and half of all seats in big companies with more than 1 000 employees (within the company and its direct or indirect subsidiaries); ### 17. calls on the commission and the member states to promote better employee representation on company boards;


### 17. stresses that many shortcomings in eu law would be overcome by introducing thresholds for a minimum eu standard of board-level representation under this new framework directive; considers , to this end , that workers’ representatives should have the following number/proportion of seats on boards: 2 or 3 seats in small companies with 50 to 250 employees , one third of all seats in companies with 250 to 1 000 employees , and half of all seats in big companies with more than 1 000 employees (within the company and its direct or indirect subsidiaries); ### 17. stresses that shortcomings in eu law would be overcome by introducing a minimum eu standard of board-level representation under this new framework directive;


### 17. stresses that many shortcomings in eu law would be overcome by introducing thresholds for a minimum eu standard of board-level representation under this new framework directive; considers , to this end , that workers’ representatives should have the following number/proportion of seats on boards: 2 or 3 seats in small companies with 50 to 250 employees , one third of all seats in companies with 250 to 1 000 employees , and half of all seats in big companies with more than 1 000 employees (within the company and its direct or indirect subsidiaries); ### 17. stresses that some shortcomings in eu law could be overcome by introducing thresholds for a minimum eu standard of board-level representation under this new framework directive; calls on the commission to consider a thorough impact assessment , while respecting the principle of subsidiarity as well as the positive and negative freedoms of association of employees and employers


### 19. calls on the commission to guarantee information and consultation rights to ensure that the european works council can deliver its opinion before consultation is completed at the respective level; calls on the commission , moreover , to ensure access to justice , to put an end to exemptions for old , so-called ‘voluntary’ pre-directive agreements after more than 20 years , to introduce sanctions , to consolidate the concept of the ‘transnational character of a matter’ and incorporate it into the european works council directive , to prevent the abuse of confidentiality rules , and to ensure the efficient coordination of information , consultation and participation at local , national and eu levels; ### 19. calls on the commission to guarantee information and consultation rights to ensure that the european works council’s opinion is taken into account in company decisions and is delivered before consultation is completed at the respective level; calls on the commission , moreover , to ensure access to justice for special negotiation bodies and european works councils , to introduce effective , dissuasive and proportionate sanctions , to include joint ventures , franchise systems and contract management in the scope of the directive; to secure that “representative agent” and “central management” location are based upon objective criteria , to put an end to exemptions for old , so-called ‘voluntary’ pre-directive agreements after more than 20 years , to consolidate the concept of the ‘transnational character of a matter’ and incorporate it into the european works council directive , to prevent the abuse of confidentiality rules , to strengthen the subsidiarity requirements and to ensure the efficient coordination of information , consultation and participation at local , national and eu levels;


### 19. calls on the commission to guarantee information and consultation rights to ensure that the european works council can deliver its opinion before consultation is completed at the respective level; calls on the commission , moreover , to ensure access to justice , to put an end to exemptions for old , so-called ‘voluntary’ pre-directive agreements after more than 20 years , to introduce sanctions , to consolidate the concept of the ‘transnational character of a matter’ and incorporate it into the european works council directive , to prevent the abuse of confidentiality rules , and to ensure the efficient coordination of information , consultation and participation at local , national and eu levels; ### 19. calls on the commission to strive to ensure information and consultation rights in order for the european works council to deliver its opinion before consultation is completed at the respective level; calls on the member states to ensure access to justice , to introduce effective , proportionate and dissuasive penalties in order to ensure compliance , to aim to clarify the concept of the ‘transnational character of a matter’ in the context of the european works council directive , to prevent the abuse of confidentiality rules , and to ensure the efficient coordination of information , consultation and participation at local , national and eu levels;


### 19. calls on the commission to guarantee information and consultation rights to ensure that the european works council can deliver its opinion before consultation is completed at the respective level; calls on the commission , moreover , to ensure access to justice , to put an end to exemptions for old , so-called ‘voluntary’ pre-directive agreements after more than 20 years , to introduce sanctions , to consolidate the concept of the ‘transnational character of a matter’ and incorporate it into the european works council directive , to prevent the abuse of confidentiality rules , and to ensure the efficient coordination of information , consultation and participation at local , national and eu levels; ### 19. calls on the commission to ensure information and consultation rights in order to enable the european works council to deliver its opinion before consultation is completed at the respective level; moreover , calls on the member states to ensure access to justice and on the commission to introduce effective , proportionate and dissuasive penalties in order to ensure compliance , to consolidate the concept of the ‘transnational character of a matter’ in the context of the european works council directive , to prevent the abuse of confidentiality rules , and to ensure the efficient coordination of information , consultation and participation at local , national and eu levels;


### 5. notes that the foundation continued cooperation with other union agencies and implemented actions agreed in annual plans with the european agency for safety and health at work (eu-osha) , the european union fundamental rights agency and the european institute for gender equality and continued its preparations in collaboration with the european centre for the development of vocational training (cedefop) for the fourth european company survey and signed an agreement with the european labour authority on the sharing of accounting services; ### 5. notes that the foundation continued cooperation with other union agencies and implemented actions agreed in annual plans with the european agency for safety and health at work (eu-osha) , the european union fundamental rights agency and the european institute for gender equality and continued its preparations in collaboration with the european centre for the development of vocational training (cedefop) for the fourth european company survey and signed an agreement with the european labour authority on the sharing of accounting services; encourages the foundation to continue exploring possible synergies and effectively exchange information with other agencies in order to align their activities and avoid overlaps;


### 6. notes that an external evaluation of the union agencies under the remit of dg employment (eurofound , cedefop , etf and eu-osha) was carried out in 2018 on behalf of the commission , with regard to their relevance , effectiveness , efficiency , coherence and added value at union level; notes that the commission published the main findings of the evaluation that it commissioned , together with the full evaluation report on the four union agencies referred to , and that the foundation is implementing actions in response to the recommendations from the commission and will report on it in its 2020 annual activity report; ### 6. notes that an external evaluation of the union agencies under the remit of dg employment (eurofound , cedefop , etf and eu-osha) was carried out in 2018 on behalf of the commission , with regard to their relevance , effectiveness , efficiency , coherence and added value at union level; notes that the commission published the main findings of the evaluation that it commissioned , together with the full evaluation report on the four union agencies referred to , and that the foundation is implementing actions in response to the recommendations from the commission and will report on it in its 2020 annual activity report; reminds the commission to monitor and evaluate that the technical expertise and other potential of agencies under the remit of dg empl are consistently used to support policy preparation and implementation;


### 9. notes from the court’s report that in june 2019 the foundation concluded a framework contract for a maximum amount of eur 170 000 for the supply of electricity on the basis of a negotiated procurement procedure with a single candidate , without the prior publication of a contract notice , and since the contractor is a retail supplier , the supply is not quoted and purchased on a commodity market and the exception of negotiated procurement procedure is not applicable , resulting in the related contracts and the associated payments of eur 20 255 being irregular; notes from the foundation’s reply that it accepts the observation and that a new tender has already been planned for early 2021 and will be of a competitive nature; ### 9. notes from the court’s report that in june 2019 the foundation concluded a framework contract for a maximum amount of eur 170 000 for the supply of electricity on the basis of a negotiated procurement procedure with a single candidate , without the prior publication of a contract notice , and since the contractor is a retail supplier , the supply is not quoted and purchased on a commodity market and the exception of negotiated procurement procedure is not applicable , resulting in the related contracts and the associated payments of eur 20 255 being irregular; notes from the foundation’s reply that it accepts the observation and that a new tender has already been planned for early 2021 and will be of a competitive nature; notes that internal guidelines were updated to the revised interpretation which should avoid this kind of situations in the future;


### b. whereas the challenges concerning unfair competition based on labour exploitation and wage dumping remains significant across many members states; whereas one of the causes is the lack of effective enforcement of applicable union law as regards the principles of equal treatment and equal pay for equal work at the same place; ### b. whereas the challenges concerning unfair competition based on labour exploitation and unfair practices remains significant across many members states; whereas one of the causes is the lack of effective enforcement of applicable union law as regards the principles of equal treatment and equal pay for equal work at the same place;


### b. whereas the challenges concerning unfair competition based on labour exploitation and wage dumping remains significant across many member states; whereas one of the causes is the lack of effective enforcement of applicable union law as regards the principles of equal treatment and equal pay for equal work at the same place; ### b. whereas the challenges concerning unfair competition based on labour exploitation and wage dumping remain significant across many members states and are highly problematic for our companies; whereas one of the causes is the lack of effective enforcement of applicable union law as regards the principles of equal treatment and equal pay for equal work at the same place;


### c. whereas the european parliament resolution of 14 january 2014 on effective labour inspections calls on the commission to investigate the benefits of introducing a european social security card; whereas the european parliament resolution of 19 january 2017 on a european pillar of social rights points to potential of accessible e-government solutions , possibly including a european social security card; ### c. whereas the european parliament resolution of 14 january 2014 on effective labour inspections calls on the commission to investigate the benefits of introducing a european social security card; whereas the european parliament resolution of 19 january 2017 on a european pillar of social rights points to potential of accessible e-government solutions , possibly including a european social security card with strong data protection guarantees;


### d. whereas the commission’s work programme for 2018 , dated 24 october 2017 , announced the intention to introduce a european social security number (essn); whereas the commission consulted stakeholders and citizens on the introduction of a essn between 27 november 2017 and 7 january 2018; whereas the european commission confirmed in its 2019 annual burden survey to be working on an initiative on a essn; whereas commission president ursula von der leyen announced in the state of the european union speech on 16 september 2020 that the commission would soon propose a secure european e-identity; whereas the european commission announced in the european pillar of social rights action plan that it would explore launching a european social security pass (essp) building on the initiative for a european e-id; ### d. whereas the commission’s work programme for 2018 , dated 24 october 2017 , announced the intention to introduce a european social security number (essn); whereas the commission consulted stakeholders and citizens on the introduction of a essn between 27 november 2017 and 7 january 2018; whereas the european commission confirmed in its 2019 annual burden survey to be working on an initiative on a essn; whereas commission president ursula von der leyen announced in the state of the european union speech on 16 september 2020 that the commission would soon propose a secure european e-identity; whereas the european commission announced in the european pillar of social rights action plan that it would start a pilot in 2021 to explore by 2023 launching a european social security pass (essp) building on the initiative for a european e-id;


### e. whereas the european trade union confederation considers the essn a valuable instrument to fight fraud and social security abuses; whereas business europe published on 12 january 2018 a note stressing the potential of the essn to improve the coordination of social security in the eu; ### e. whereas the european trade union confederation considers the essn a valuable instrument to fight fraud and social security abuses; whereas business europe published on 12 january 2018 a note stressing the potential of the essn to improve the coordination of social security in the eu , while also addressing concerns related to the diversity of national social security systems , possible data protection issues and additional administrative burdens;


### f. whereas the european labour authority (ela) was established on 3 april 2018; whereas the essn was not included in the ela regulation; ### f. whereas the european labour authority (ela) was established in june 2019;


### 1. recalls that the european parliament has called on the commission on several occasions since 2014 to present a legislative proposal for a essn; regrets that the commission has not yet presented a proposal for a essn despite several commitments; reiterates its call on the commission to present a proposal without undue delay; ### 1. recalls that the european parliament has called on the commission on several occasions since 2014 to investigate the benefits of introducing a legislative proposal for a essn; regrets that the commission has not yet presented a proposal for a essn despite several commitments; reiterates its call on the commission to present a proposal without undue delay and give an explanation why they have not done so;


### 2. welcomes the commitment by the commission in the action plan on the european pillar of social rights to present at digital essp; calls on the commission to move forward the launch of the essp from 2023 to 2022; ### 2. welcomes the commitment by the commission in the action plan on the european pillar of social rights to start a pilot to explore launching a digital essp;


### 3. calls on the commission to ensure that any initiative on a digital essp or a essn includes a legislative proposal for a european personal labour card (eplc) with a view to provide national authorities and trade unions with an instrument to effectively enforce union law; recalls that a essn initiative must be without prejudice to national social security systems , national labour market models and the autonomy of social partners; ### 3. calls on the commission to ensure that any initiative on a digital essp or a essn is preceded by an extensive impact assessment; takes note of initiatives in several member states to improve the effective enforcement of union law , mainly in the construction sector , through the use of social identity cards or comparable instruments. calls on the commission , in close cooperation with ela , to explore the added value of action at the european level to improve the interoperability and connectivity of such national initiatives , while at the same time assessing the feasibility , necessity and proportionality of further elaborating such initiatives at the european level , fully taking into consideration the technical feasibility , the need to respect equal treatment of mobile and non-mobile citizens , data protection and financial implications of such a proposal; recalls that a essn initiative must be without prejudice to national social security systems , national labour market models and the autonomy of social partners;


### 3. calls on the commission to ensure that any initiative on a digital essp or a essn includes a legislative proposal for a european personal labour card (eplc) with a view to provide national authorities and trade unions with an instrument to effectively enforce union law; recalls that a essn initiative must be without prejudice to national social security systems , national labour market models and the autonomy of social partners; ### 3. calls on the commission to ensure that any initiative on a digital essp or a essn includes a legislative proposal for a european personal labour card (eplc) with a view to provide national authorities and trade unions with an instrument to effectively enforce union law; recalls that a essn initiative must be in line with the principle of subsidiarity and therefore without prejudice to national social security systems and their diversity , respecting the traditions of each member state , national labour market models and the autonomy of social partners;


### 4. believes that the essn initiative with a eplc must cover all european citizens including self-employed , as well as third country nationals , working in the eu; ### 4. believes that the essn initiative must cover all mobile european citizens including self-employed , as well as third country nationals , working in the eu;


### 5. considers that a essn initiative with a eplc should aim to: ensure effective identification , traceability , aggregation and portability of rights; improve enforcement of eu rules on decent working conditions , labour mobility and social security coordination in the labour market in a fair and effective way to ensure a level playing field for eu companies; enable quick verification of insurance status and contributions; combat exploitation , wage dumping , fraud and abuse of social security benefits; enable labour inspectorates and social partners , where they are carrying out or are involved in labour inspections , to verify compliance , via cross-referencing between databases , and better prevent social fraud in relation to issues such as abusive subcontracting , false self-employment , bogus posting , letterbox companies , undeclared work and non-payment of social security contributions; enable immediate checks of workers’ place of work , place of employment , identity , working time , education and training , social security , insurance and payment of taxes; ### 5. considers that a essn initiative should aim to: ensure effective identification , traceability , aggregation and portability of social security rights; improve enforcement of eu rules on labour mobility and social security coordination in the labour market in a fair and effective way to ensure a level playing field for eu companies; enable quick verification of insurance status and contributions; combat unfair practices , fraud and abuse of social security benefits; enable labour inspectorates and social partners , where they are carrying out or are involved in labour inspections , to verify compliance , , and better prevent unfair practices in relation to issues such as abusive subcontracting , false self-employment , bogus posting , letterbox companies , undeclared work and non-payment of social security contributions; enable immediate checks of workers’ place of work , place of employment , identity and social security ,


### 6. believes that workers , their trade union representatives and national labour inspectorates should have up-to-date access to information about their employment relation , their wage entitlements and labour and social rights , in accordance with the applicable collective agreement or national legislation where applicable; considers that a essn initiative with a eplc with real time data-access would allow for national competent authorities to verify social security coverage for workers at any given point in time and thereby strengthen labour inspections; underlines that a essn would also make it easier for workers to track their social security contributions and entitlements , such as pension rights; ### 6. believes that workers , social partners and national labour inspectorates should have up-to-date access to information about employment relation , wage entitlements and labour and social rights , in accordance with the applicable collective agreement or national legislation where applicable; considers that a essn initiative would allow for national competent authorities to verify social security coverage for workers at any given point in time and thereby strengthen labour inspections; underlines that a essn would also make it easier for workers to track their social security contributions and entitlements , such as pension rights;


### 7. stresses that the union’s data protection rules must be strictly applied and that the social security data is only made available to the worker and the competent national authorities concerned; considers that in member states where social partners are carrying out or are involved in labour inspections , the access to social security data of workers from other member states must be ensured for social partners without jeopardizing the data protection provisions; ### 7. stresses that the union’s data protection rules must be strictly applied and that the social security data is only made available to the person and the competent national authorities concerned; considers that in member states where social partners are carrying out or are involved in labour inspections , the access to social security data of workers from other member states must be ensured for social partners without jeopardizing the data protection provisions;


### 8. underlines that a proposal for a essn initiative with a eplc should be complementary to existing practices in those member states where social id card schemes are operated by the social partners at national level; stresses that a legislative act at eu level should not replace national practices but should be built on , and be complementary to , such existing practices; ### 8. underlines that a proposal for a essn initiative should be complementary to existing practices in member states with social id card schemes; stresses that a legislative initiative at eu level should not replace national practices but should be built on , and be complementary to , such existing practices;


### 8. underlines that a proposal for a essn initiative with a eplc should be complementary to existing practices in those member states where social id card schemes are operated by the social partners at national level; stresses that a legislative act at eu level should not replace national practices but should be built on , and be complementary to , such existing practices; ### 8. underlines that a proposal for a essn initiative with a eplc should be complementary to existing practices in those member states where social id card schemes are operated by the social partners at national level; stresses that a legislative act at eu level should not replace national practices but should be built on , and be complementary to , such existing practices in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity;


### 9. notes that there is currently no alternative to pd a1 forms as regards the verification of social security coverage of posted workers; acknowledges the limitations and challenges related to the pd a1 procedure in particular with regard to the application of pd a1 forms by companies as well as their verification by the competent national authorities in the context of the provision of services in another member state; ### 9. notes that there is currently no alternative to pd a1 forms as regards the verification of social security coverage of posted workers; acknowledges the limitations and challenges related to the pd a1 procedure in particular with regard to the application of pd a1 forms by employers as well as their verification by the competent national authorities in the context of the provision of services in another member state; calls on the commission and member states to further improve the verification process of pd a1 forms;


### 10. considers that the essn should complement the electronic exchange of social security information , which must become fully functional as soon as possible , to facilitate exchanges between social security institutions , speed up the handling of individual cases and improve the enforcement capacity of ela; ### 10. considers that the essn should complement the electronic exchange of social security information , which must become fully functional as soon as possible , to facilitate exchanges between social security institutions , speed up the handling of individual cases and complement other digitalisation processes such as the single digital gateway and the newly proposed eid;


### 11. calls on the commission to closely cooperate with social partners when it comes to the development and introduction of a essn; ### 11. calls on the commission to closely cooperate with social partners and national social security institutions when it comes to the development and introduction of a essn;


### 1. highlights the important role that union agencies play in helping union institutions to design and implement policies , especially by carrying out specific technical , scientific and managerial tasks; expresses its satisfaction with the high quality work performed by the agencies working in the area of employment , social affairs and inclusion; ### 1. highlights the important role that union agencies play in helping union institutions to design and implement policies , especially by carrying out specific technical , scientific and managerial tasks; expresses its satisfaction with the high quality work performed by the agencies working in the area of employment , social affairs and inclusion (cedefop , eurofound , eu-osha , etf and ela);


### 1. welcomes the fact that the court of auditors (the ʽcourtʼ) has certified the legality and regularity of the annual accounts of all jha agencies and the revenue underlying these accounts for the year which ended on 31 december 2019; ### 1. welcomes the fact that the court of auditors (the ʽcourtʼ) has declared that , overall , the audit of the annual accounts of the agencies for the year ended 31 december 2019 and the revenue and payments underlying them confirmed the positive results reported in previous years , and the fact that the court has certified the legality and regularity of the annual accounts of all jha agencies and the revenue underlying these accounts for the year which ended on 31 december 2019;


### 2. notes that the court found that the payments underlying the accounts were legal and regular for all agencies except for easo , for which a qualified opinion was issued due to irregularities in regard to public procurement procedures and related payments; is disappointed that the legality and regularity of payments only slowly improved in 2019; regrets that , once again , there were irregular payments , representing 14 ,6 % of the value of all payments made by easo in 2019; acknowledges that the executive director is taking action to improve the management of easo; ### 2. notes that the court found that the payments underlying the accounts were legal and regular for all agencies except for easo , for which a qualified opinion was issued due to irregularities in regard to public procurement procedures and related payments; is disappointed that the legality and regularity of payments only slowly improved in 2019; regrets that , once again , there were irregular payments , representing 14 ,6 % of the value of all payments made by easo in 2019; acknowledges that the executive director is taking action to improve the management of easo and is demonstrating a strong commitment to addressing as a matter of priority the organisational flaws within easo; welcomes the improvements made by the new management , as recognised also by the court; urges easo to maintain this commitment and to report back to the committee on civil liberties , justice and home affairs on a regular basis;


### 2. notes that the court found that the payments underlying the accounts were legal and regular for all agencies except for easo , for which a qualified opinion was issued due to irregularities in regard to public procurement procedures and related payments; is disappointed that the legality and regularity of payments only slowly improved in 2019; regrets that , once again , there were irregular payments , representing 14 ,6 % of the value of all payments made by easo in 2019; acknowledges that the executive director is taking action to improve the management of easo; ### 2. notes that the court found that the payments underlying the accounts were legal and regular for all agencies except for easo , for which a qualified opinion was issued due to irregularities in regard to public procurement procedures and related payments; regrets that , once again , there were irregular payments , representing 14 ,6 % of the value of all payments made by easo in 2019; notes that corrective actions were implemented by the easo in 2019 to address the irregularities; acknowledges that the executive director is taking action to improve the management of easo;


### 9. notes the court’s finding in its report on the future of eu gencies that agencies measure performance through key performance indicators (kpis) and that the commission in 2015 issued guidelines for directors of agencies on kpis; notes with regret that the indicators used in practice mainly relate to the implementation of an agency’s annual work programme , budget and its human resources management , and that they do not usually allow for the assessment of results or of the agency’s efficiency and effectiveness in discharging its mandate; calls on the agencies to work together to improve the use of kpis with the aim of ensuring a stronger focus on performance in the discharge procedure , in addition to compliance; ### 9. notes the court’s finding in its report 'future of eu agencies' that agencies measure performance through key performance indicators (kpis) and that the commission in 2015 issued guidelines for directors of agencies on kpis; notes with regret that the indicators used in practice mainly relate to the implementation of an agency’s annual work programme , budget and its human resources management , and that they do not usually allow for an agency's overall performance assessment of results or of the agency’s efficiency and effectiveness in discharging its mandate; calls on the agencies to work together to improve the use of kpis with the aim of ensuring a stronger focus on performance in the discharge procedure , in addition to compliance; calls on the agencies to continue developing indicators , which will measure their contribution to the policy implementation of union policies; urges the agencies to regularly review and update those indicators;


### 264. recommends that the ecdc be given more independence in terms of information gathering and that a systematic obligation for member states be put in place to send it comprehensible data , notably on equipment stocks , bed capacities and icu admissions; ### 264. recommends that the ecdc be given more independence in terms of information gathering and that a systematic obligation for member states be put in place to send it comprehensible data , notably on equipment stocks , bed capacities and icu admissions , vaccination rates and workforce availability;


### 266. calls for the eu institutions and the member states to preserve the principles of good policymaking , including in times of crisis; reiterates that power can only be exercised within the constraints set out by law , and that any interventions made must be justifiable , proportionate , non-discriminatory , predictable and subject to monitoring by independent and impartial courts; ### 266. calls for the eu institutions and the member states to preserve the principles of good policymaking and respecting fundamental rights and the rule of law , including in times of crisis; reiterates that power can only be exercised within the constraints set out by law , and that any interventions made must be justifiable , proportionate , non-discriminatory , predictable and subject to monitoring by independent and impartial courts;


### resilience , accessibility and sustainability of national health systems (and in the light of current inflation , health must remain an area of investment) ### resilience , accessibility and sustainability of national health systems;


### 269. recommends tackling market failures in health and completing the single market for health products; ### 269. stresses the importance of the functioning of the single market , primarily due to the supply of products in cases of health threats; recommends tackling market failures in health and completing the single market for health products;


### 270. calls for strategic autonomy at eu level to be ensured to avoid dependency on third countries for medicines , in particular active ingredients and medical devices , including raw materials; ### 270. calls for open strategic autonomy at eu level to be ensured to avoid harmful dependency on third countries for medicines , in particular active ingredients and medical devices , including raw materials; calls for due consideration of the contribution that smes can bring in this regard;


### 270. calls for strategic autonomy at eu level to be ensured to avoid dependency on third countries for medicines , in particular active ingredients and medical devices , including raw materials; ### 270. states the importance of production of critical equipment and medicines in the eu; calls for strategic autonomy at eu level to be ensured to avoid dependency on third countries for medicines , in particular active ingredients and medical devices , including raw materials;


### 270. calls for strategic autonomy at eu level to be ensured to avoid dependency on third countries for medicines , in particular active ingredients and medical devices , including raw materials; ### 270. calls for strategic autonomy at eu level to be ensured to avoid dependency on third countries for medicines , in particular active ingredients and medical devices , including raw materials , and those derived from substances of human origin;


### 225. considers that europe needs to find a constructive solution on ip protection; underlines that free ip alone will not solve the problem of access , that patents are useless without technology transfer and proper industrial know-how and that export restrictions and access to raw materials were obstacles to vaccine production; ### 225. considers that europe needs to find a constructive solution on ip protection , which provides adequate certainty and incentives for investments in r&d underlines that free ip alone will not solve the problem of access , that patents are useless without technology transfer and proper industrial know-how and that export restrictions and access to raw materials were obstacles to vaccine production;


### 227. stresses that strong ip protection was part of the solution to create a strong and resilient eu pharmaceuticals ecosystem , because it gives the private sector incentives; underlines that ip protection helps incentivise pharmaceutical companies to develop the necessary vaccines , and that misuse of waivers may undermine long-term healthcare solutions; ### 227. stresses that strong ip protection was part of the solution to create a strong and resilient eu pharmaceuticals ecosystem , because it gives the private sector incentives; underlines that ip protection helps incentivise pharmaceutical companies to develop the necessary vaccines , and that misuse of waivers may undermine long-term healthcare solutions and may not be in the union’s strategic interest as it may damage its competitive edge in the fields in which the eu is leading compared to other major vaccine developing regions worldwide;


### vaccine production , storage and distribution , including supply chain resilience , eu strategic autonomy and availability of critical pharma and medical products ### vaccine production , storage and distribution , including supply chain resilience , eu open strategic autonomy and availability of critical pharma and medical products;


### 241. considers that the eu should be a major developer , producer and exporter of vaccines , in the context of strong international competition especially with the united states; ### 241. considers that the eu should be a major developer , producer and exporter of vaccines , in the context of strong international competition;


### 242. highlights the need to focus particularly on funding the development of vaccines and treatments to cope with the competition with the united states; points out in this regard the role of public-private partnerships; ### 242. highlights the need to focus particularly on funding the development of vaccines and treatments to cope with international competition; points out in this regard the role of public-private partnerships;


### 243. underlines that strategic autonomy is a potential tool to enhance the eu’s pharmaceutical ecosystem , and that regulatory harmonisation could improve the fluidity of global supply chains; ### 243. underlines that open strategic autonomy is a potential tool to enhance the eu’s pharmaceutical ecosystem , and that regulatory harmonisation could improve the fluidity of global supply chains;


### 248. recommends moving forward a proper european health union by investing in data collection , digitalisation , sharing and analysis; ### 248. recommends moving forward a proper european health union by investing in data collection , digitalisation , sharing and analysis; reiterates that one of the main milestones in that sense is implementation of the european health data space which will offer interoperability and harmonisation of health data across the member states;


### 248. recommends moving forward a proper european health union by investing in data collection , digitalisation , sharing and analysis; ### 248. recommends moving forward a proper european health union by investing in data collection , digitalisation , sharing and analysis , with respect to the protection of privacy and personal data;


### 250. calls on the commission to propose an instrument to reduce healthcare disparities and enhance cross-border health cooperation to tackle serious threats to health and safety in the eu; ### 250. calls on the member states to use rrf and cohesion funding to reduce healthcare disparities and enhance cross-border health cooperation to tackle serious threats to health and safety in the eu;


### 251. calls for own legislative initiatives under article 225 tfeu to promote a european union of health , to improve the resilience and quality of healthcare systems , to ensure equal , universal , affordable medical care , and foster transparency on public funding for health research and governance; ### 251. calls for own legislative initiatives under article 225 tfeu , requesting the commission to submit an appropriate proposal for a eu health security act to pursue a reliable and sustainable continuous access to apis as critical raw materials , so to avoid any possible disruption in the pharmaceutical supply chain and prevent shortages of medicines; to protect national health systems and its critical infrastructures , as hospitals and life sciences research and clinical centers , from cyberterrorism; to improve eu strategic open autonomy on health; to guarantee a sufficient and well equipped health workforce in all the member states , as well as to keep our best researchers through the establishment of talent retention policies; to make the european union more attractive for global investments on health r&d to enhance the role of the eu as a global leader in international cooperation for health; to cope and benefit adequately with the very fast scientific advancements of new medicinal products and treatments , as well as the health technologies; to promote a reindustrialization of the health sector in the eu , in accordance with the digital and green transition; for building a european union of health , through the full implementation of a health in all policies and a one-health approach;


### 256. calls on the commission to exercise close scrutiny of internal border controls and to provide more actionable guidance on implementing internal border controls; urges the member states to be cautious and provide sufficient evidence that the measures/controls are a measure of last resort , proportionate and of limited duration; ### 256. calls on the commission to exercise close scrutiny of internal border controls and to provide more actionable guidance on implementing internal border controls; urges the member states to be cautious and provide sufficient evidence that the measures/controls are a measure of last resort , proportionate and of limited duration; calls for a comprehensive review of the effects of enhanced internal border controls , and stresses that this review should serve as the foundation for future commission guidance on implementing internal border controls;


### 256. calls on the commission to exercise close scrutiny of internal border controls and to provide more actionable guidance on implementing internal border controls; urges the member states to be cautious and provide sufficient evidence that the measures/controls are a measure of last resort , proportionate and of limited duration; ### 256. calls on the commission to exercise close scrutiny of internal border controls and to provide more actionable guidance on implementing internal border controls; urges the member states to be cautious and provide sufficient evidence that the measures/controls are a measure of last resort , proportionate and of limited duration; urges member states to make sure one common approach is followed regarding travel from (and to) third-countries;


### 259. is of the opinion that a european union of health is needed , that nextgenerationeu should be built on and that parliament should get a role in decision-making for these programmes; believes furthermore that the necessary instruments should be deployed to enable the triple transition (climate , digital , health); recommends that the triple transition be promoted by accelerating the shift to a climate-neutral economy while mitigating the transition risks , by reskilling and upskilling the european labour force , by introducing the sustainability and growth pact (sgp 2.0) while pursuing ngeu 2.0 , and by enhancing finance to innovative , green and digital technology firms; ### 259. is of the opinion that a european union of health is needed , that existing nextgenerationeu funds should contribute to that and that parliament should get a role in decision-making for these health programmes; believes furthermore that the necessary instruments should be deployed to enable the triple transition (climate , digital , demographic); recommends that the triple transition be promoted by accelerating the shift to a climate-neutral economy while mitigating the transition risks , by reskilling and upskilling the european labour force , by incorporating the need for certain investments while maintaining sound public finances in the upcoming review of the stability and growth pact (sgp) , and by enhancing finance to innovative , green and digital technology firms;


### building the european union of health prevention , preparedness and response to cross-border health threats ### building the european union of health prevention , preparedness and response to cross-border health threats and health consequences following thereof;


### 19. calls on the member states to invest more in primary healthcare , making full use of the eu4health programme , in order to increase capacity and flexibility in healthcare services , so that hospitals will be not overwhelmed during emergencies; ### 19. calls on the member states to invest more in primary healthcare , making full use of the eu4health programme , in order to increase capacity and flexibility in healthcare services , so that hospitals will be not overwhelmed during emergencies; suggests furthermore that member states consider different measures , such as increasing relevant knowledge in different sectors of healthcare systems or keeping relevant groups , such as low-risk pregnancies , out of hospitals , which could contribute to avoiding hospitals being overwhelmed during emergencies;


### 19. calls on the member states to invest more in primary healthcare , making full use of the eu4health programme , in order to increase capacity and flexibility in healthcare services , so that hospitals will be not overwhelmed during emergencies; ### 19. calls on the member states to invest more in primary healthcare , making full use of the eu4health programme , in order to increase capacity and flexibility in healthcare services , urges member states to also make use of other financial instruments , such as rrf or cohesion funds , to invest into a more preventive approach to health , namely into screening and early diagnosis , including in complex state-of-the-art testing technologies and screening procedures so that hospitals will be not overwhelmed during emergencies;


### 20. welcomes the fact that the commission established scientific advice resources , such as the scientific advice platform for covid-19 , early-on with experts from the member states , who helped to inform policymaking in a coordinated manner; ### 20. welcomes the fact that the commission established scientific advice resources , such as the scientific advice platform for covid-19 , early-on with experts from the member states , who helped to inform policymaking in a coordinated manner; underlines the importance for good policymaking of multidisciplinary scientific advice from different professions;


### 21. acknowledges the adoption of regulation (eu) 2022/123 on the ema’s extended mandate , regulation (eu) 2022/2371 on serious cross-border threats to health , the reinforcement of the ecdc’s mandate , and the creation of the emergency preparedness and response authority hera as examples of eu instruments that will enable the eu to become more resilient and effective , as we move towards a more sustainable approach to preventing , preparing for and managing pandemics; ### 21. acknowledges the adoption of regulation (eu) 2022/2371 on serious cross-border threats to health , regulation (eu) 2022/123 on the ema’s extended mandate , the regulation (eu) 2022/2370 reinforcing the ecdc’s mandate , and the creation of the health emergency preparedness and response authority (hera) as examples of eu instruments that will enable the eu to become more resilient and effective , as we move towards a more sustainable and one-health-oriented approach to preventing , preparing for and managing pandemics and other health emergencies; calls on greater coordination between ema , hera , ecdc and national competent authorities , in cooperation with the industry to allow scale up of manufacturing during health emergencies;


### 22. urges stock to be taken of the coordination among relevant agencies , and of their beefed-up mandates and calls for the eu to be given an enhanced ability to coordinate these matters; ### 22. urges stock to be taken of the coordination among relevant agencies , and of their strengthened mandates and calls for the eu to be given an enhanced ability to coordinate these matters;


### 23. welcomes the creation of hera , as a much-needed body to improve the eu’s preparedness for health emergencies , to ensure the availability of medical countermeasures and to manage this new reality in preventing , preparing for , detecting , and rapidly responding to health emergencies; ### 23. welcomes the creation of hera , as a much-needed body to contribute to the eu’s improved preparedness for health emergencies , by ensuring the availability of medical countermeasures and contribute to prevent , prepare for , detect , and rapidly respond to health emergencies , in close permanent coordination with dg health and food safety , the ecdc and the ema;


### 25. congratulates the commission on proposing the eu fab project , a network of ‘ever-warm’ production capacities for vaccine and medicine manufacturing that can be activated in the event of future crises , as a response to the need for the eu to strengthen its industrial upstream and downstream production activities concerning vaccines and medical equipment; ### 25. congratulates the commission on proposing the eu fab project , a network of ‘ever-warm’ production capacities for vaccine and medicine manufacturing that can be activated in the event of future crises and essential medicines shortages , as a response to the need for the eu to strengthen its industrial upstream and downstream production activities concerning apis , medicines , vaccines and medical equipment;


### 26. expresses its hope that the commission can play a focal role in the cooperation between academia , industry , research institutes and governments , as these partnerships are instrumental in accelerating responses to pandemics , while maintaining a secure capacity; ### 26. expresses its hope that the commission can play a focal role in the cooperation between all relevant actors , including academia , industry , research institutes , healthcare institutions , civil society and governments , as these partnerships are instrumental in accelerating responses to pandemics , while maintaining a secure capacity;


### 27. understands that the unprecedented , urgent demand for medicines and medical countermeasures during the covid-19 pandemic tested the ema’s resources and necessitated resorting to ad hoc measures; ### 27. understands that the unprecedented , urgent demand for medicines and medical countermeasures during the covid-19 pandemic tested the ema’s and national medicines competent authorities’ resources and necessitated resorting to ad hoc measures; calls on the commission and member states to invest more in ema’s and national medicine agencies’ resources to increase their capacity;


### 28. recognises the pivotal role that the ema plays in implementing measures to enable flexible regulatory processes , while ensuring the safety and efficacy of the authorised vaccines and therapeutics , notably through the ema’s covid-19 pandemic task force , its rapid delivery of scientific advice , its rolling review and conditional marketing authorisation; ### 28. recognises the pivotal role that the ema plays in implementing measures to enable flexible regulatory processes , while ensuring the safety and efficacy of the authorised vaccines and therapeutics , notably through the ema’s covid-19 pandemic task force , its rapid delivery of scientific advice , its rolling review and conditional marketing authorisation; highlights the potential and added value of a range of regulatory flexibilities such as the rolling review , provided during the pandemic; notes that ema resources should be upgraded to allow for speed and flexibility and calls on the commission and member states to explore the application of such flexibility beyond pandemic situations and to revise administrative processes where existing regulatory requirements are too burdensome or redundant , while ensuring patient safety;


### 28. recognises the pivotal role that the ema plays in implementing measures to enable flexible regulatory processes , while ensuring the safety and efficacy of the authorised vaccines and therapeutics , notably through the ema’s covid-19 pandemic task force , its rapid delivery of scientific advice , its rolling review and conditional marketing authorisation; ### 28. recognises the pivotal role that the ema plays in implementing measures to enable flexible regulatory processes , while ensuring the safety and efficacy of the authorised vaccines and therapeutics , notably through the ema’s covid-19 pandemic task force , its rapid delivery of scientific advice , its rolling review and conditional marketing authorisation; calls for a thorough review of the lessons learned from the application of flexible regulatory processes during the covid-19 pandemic , with a view to added value outside of times of crisis; calls on the commission and member states to revise administrative procedures where it can already be concluded that these constitute unnecessary burdens; notes that in this regard , particularly when increasing speed and flexibility , an increase in resources for ema may be necessary;


### 28. recognises the pivotal role that the ema plays in implementing measures to enable flexible regulatory processes , while ensuring the safety and efficacy of the authorised vaccines and therapeutics , notably through the ema’s covid-19 pandemic task force , its rapid delivery of scientific advice , its rolling review and conditional marketing authorisation; ### 28. recognises the pivotal role that the ema plays in implementing measures to enable flexible regulatory processes , while ensuring the safety and efficacy of the authorised vaccines and therapeutics , notably through the ema’s covid-19 pandemic task force , its rapid delivery of scientific advice , its rolling review and conditional marketing authorisation; calls on the ema to swiftly implement the european shortages monitoring platform and facilitate interoperability with other existing it systems , and the upcoming hera digital system to collect data on shortages , supply and demand for medicinal products;


### 29. notes with appreciation that , under the ema’s new mandate , its emergency task force took over the activities of its covid-19 pandemic task force and became a permanent body of the ema , improving interactions with the commission , vaccine developers and academics , and coordination with other eu agencies; ### 29. notes with appreciation that , under the ema’s new mandate , its emergency task force took over the activities of its covid-19 pandemic task force and became a permanent body of the ema , improving interactions with the commission , vaccine developers and academics , and coordination with other eu agencies; highlights the importance of coordinating clinical trials in times of cross-border public health emergencies; calls for strengthening of this important mandate of ema , particularly in regard to the interplay with competences of hera and the ecdc;


### 31. takes note that the use of conditional marketing authorisation has contributed to a remarkable reduction in deaths and hospitalisations in the eu , and that this is an appropriate tool to accelerate vaccine authorisation in a public health emergency like the covid-19 pandemic; ### 31. takes note that the use of conditional marketing authorisation has contributed to a remarkable reduction in deaths and hospitalisations in the eu , and that this is an appropriate tool to accelerate vaccine authorisation in a public health emergency like the covid-19 pandemic; considers that a eu temporary emergency marketing authorisations subject to strict criteria and monitoring , could further improve the eu’s ability to respond in a timely manner to future public health emergencies;


### 32. notes that the ecdc did not detect the seriousness of the threat in a timely manner , as a result of a lack of preparedness within the member states at the beginning of the pandemic; acknowledges that this delayed action was due to the lack of timely data sharing by the member states , and a lack of adequate funding and resources for monitoring and data surveillance management; ### 32. notes that the ecdc did not detect the seriousness of the threat in a timely manner , as a result of a lack of preparedness within the member states at the beginning of the pandemic; acknowledges that this delayed action was due to the lack of timely data sharing by the member states , and a lack of adequate funding and resources for monitoring and data surveillance management; calls for further clarity regarding distribution of responsibilities between ecdc and hera in regard to pandemic surveillance;


### 33. supports the ecdc’s extended mandate , which provides for greater resources and additional areas of competence , which will allow it to play a bigger role in improving european preparedness and response; ### 33. supports the ecdc’s extended mandate , which provides for greater resources and additional areas of competence , which will allow it to play a bigger role in improving european prevention , preparedness and response;


### eu vaccine strategy ### eu strategies on vaccines and therapeutics;


### 34. reaffirms its belief that the primary goal of vaccination is to avoid serious disease and death , towards which vaccines are effective , as shown by the outcomes of the covid-19 vaccination process , which saved more than 250 000 lives in the eu; ### 34. reaffirms its belief that the primary goal of vaccination is to avoid serious disease and death , towards which vaccines are effective , as shown by the outcomes of the covid-19 vaccination process , which saved more than 250 000 lives and averted cases of long-covid in the eu;


### 35. emphasises that the development and deployment of covid-19 vaccines constituted a game-changer in the pandemic and underpinned the important role of vaccine research and development; considers that the speed at which researchers developed effective vaccine protection was unprecedented and that the eu demonstrated leadership in the global response to the covid-19 pandemic; ### 35. emphasises that the development and deployment of a diverse portfolio of covid-19 vaccines made up of multiple platforms constituted a game-changer in the pandemic and underpinned the important role of vaccine research and development; considers that the speed at which researchers developed effective vaccine protection was unprecedented and that the eu demonstrated leadership in the global response to the covid-19 pandemic; underlines that the fast response has been the result of decades of investments in and findings from infectious disease research , such as hiv and tuberculosis , and capacity to up-scale production. stresses that the revision of the eu pharmaceutical legislation should ensure that europe will become more attractive for investments into research and innovation which have helped tackling vaccines in pandemics;


### 35. emphasises that the development and deployment of covid-19 vaccines constituted a game-changer in the pandemic and underpinned the important role of vaccine research and development; considers that the speed at which researchers developed effective vaccine protection was unprecedented and that the eu demonstrated leadership in the global response to the covid-19 pandemic; ### 35. emphasises that the development and deployment of covid-19 vaccines constituted a game-changer in the pandemic and underpinned the important role of vaccine research and development; considers that the speed at which researchers developed effective vaccine protection was unprecedented and that the eu demonstrated leadership in the global response to the covid-19 pandemic; notes that eu global leadership could be further improved via greater coordination on prevention , preparedness and response , including for the distribution of vaccines , based on the lessons learned from the covid-19 pandemic;


### 36. notes that vaccination strategy , not only for covid-19 , remains a national competence , and calls for a stronger coordination role for the eu to harmonise the timeline , scope and outcomes of vaccines administration in all the member states; ### 36. notes that vaccination strategy , not only for covid-19 , remains a national competence; with regard to improving future health resilience and preparedness of the eu , calls for a thorough assessment of the benefits of a stronger coordination role for the eu to harmonise the timeline , scope and outcomes of vaccines administration in all the member states;


### 121. recommends further including representatives of local and territorial communities , including elected officials , in the interinstitutional , multi-level process of building trust , coordinating the delivering of correct messages and fostering the population’s active engagement in times of crisis; ### 121. recommends further including representatives of local and territorial communities , including elected officials , in the interinstitutional , multi-level process of building trust , coordinating the delivering of correct and understandable messages to all groups of society and fostering the population’s active engagement in times of crisis;


### 124. considers that the digital divide is an element of concern for the eu’s preparedness and resilience , given that vulnerable population groups are particularly impacted because they tend to have fewer connection opportunities; ### 124. considers that the digital divide is an element of concern for the eu’s preparedness and resilience and can result in increased health inequalities within and between eu countries , given that vulnerable population groups are particularly impacted because they tend to have fewer connection opportunities;


### 124. considers that the digital divide is an element of concern for the eu’s preparedness and resilience , given that vulnerable population groups are particularly impacted because they tend to have fewer connection opportunities; ### 124. considers that the digital divide , including its demographic dimension , is an element of concern for the eu’s preparedness and resilience , given that vulnerable population groups are particularly impacted because they tend to have fewer connection opportunities;


### 125. notes a high discrepancy in the degree of parliamentary oversight of covid-19-related emergency measures among some member states; notes that the resilience of parliamentary scrutiny was generally higher in countries with constitutions that give their national parliaments more room to manoeuvre vis-à-vis the executive power; ### 125. notes a high discrepancy in the degree of parliamentary oversight of covid-19-related emergency measures among some member states; notes that the resilience of parliamentary scrutiny may have been higher in countries with constitutions that give their national parliaments more room to manoeuvre vis-à-vis the executive power;


### 135. acknowledges that , in the middle of the crisis , institutions were confronted with exceptional situations in which urgency necessarily prevailed over the timely publication of certain documents; stresses , however , that transparency should still be a priority; ### 135. acknowledges that , in the middle of the crisis , institutions were confronted with exceptional situations in which urgency necessarily prevailed over the timely publication of certain documents; stresses , however , that transparency should still be a priority; stresses the need for preparedness plans which are based on the respect for fundamental rights and the rule of law , to avoid breaches in times of crisis;


### 139. stresses that on average , about 90 % of small and medium-sized enterprises (smes) reported suffering an economic impact in the first months of the pandemic , with the worst affected sectors being services , with a drop in turnover of between 60 % and 70 %; notes that the food sector followed with an impact of between 10 % and 15 %; points out that 30 % of all smes reported that their turnover suffered at least an 80 % loss and that the eu hospitality sector was the worst affected , with over 1.6 million jobs being lost in this sector between the fourth quarter of 2019 and the fourth quarter of 2020; ### 139. reiterates that smes represent the backbone of the eu’s economy since they generated more than half of the eu’s gross domestic product , while employing about 100 million workers before the beginning of the pandemic; stresses that on average , about 90 % of small and medium-sized enterprises (smes) reported suffering an economic impact in the first months of the pandemic , with the worst affected sectors being services , with a drop in turnover of between 60 % and 70 %; notes that the food sector followed with an impact of between 10 % and 15 %; points out that 30 % of all smes reported that their turnover suffered at least an 80 % loss and that the eu hospitality sector was the worst affected , with over 1.6 million jobs being lost in this sector between the fourth quarter of 2019 and the fourth quarter of 2020;


### 38. points out that the member states faced obstacles concerning national coordination , cooperation with experts , research funding , the exchange of data and cooperation and solidarity within member states; observes that some of the challenges faced by the member states were a sudden increase in the demand for healthcare services , a lack of icu (intensive care unit) beds available (that dropped dramatically between 2019 and 2020) , shortages of staff , a lack of preparedness plans or a clear governance structure , an insufficient strategic stock of personal protective equipment , insufficient infection prevention and control plans in healthcare settings , inadequate indoor air quality in public buildings and how to effectively communicate with the public; ### 38. points out that the member states faced obstacles concerning national coordination , cooperation with experts , research funding , the exchange of data and cooperation and solidarity within member states; observes that some of the challenges faced by the member states were a sudden increase in the demand for healthcare services , a lack of icu (intensive care unit) beds available (that dropped dramatically between 2019 and 2020) , shortages of staff , notably staff with sufficient qualifications , a lack of preparedness plans or a clear governance structure , an insufficient strategic stock of personal protective equipment , insufficient resources and qualifications for infection prevention and control plans in healthcare settings , inadequate indoor air quality in public buildings and how to effectively communicate with the public including groups with different levels of health literacy;


### 38. points out that the member states faced obstacles concerning national coordination , cooperation with experts , research funding , the exchange of data and cooperation and solidarity within member states; observes that some of the challenges faced by the member states were a sudden increase in the demand for healthcare services , a lack of icu (intensive care unit) beds available (that dropped dramatically between 2019 and 2020) , shortages of staff , a lack of preparedness plans or a clear governance structure , an insufficient strategic stock of personal protective equipment , insufficient infection prevention and control plans in healthcare settings , inadequate indoor air quality in public buildings and how to effectively communicate with the public; ### 38. points out that the member states at the beginning of the pandemic faced obstacles concerning national coordination , cooperation with experts , research funding , the exchange of data and cooperation and solidarity within member states; observes that some of the challenges faced by the member states were a sudden increase in the demand for healthcare services , a lack of icu (intensive care unit) beds available1a , shortages of staff , a lack of preparedness plans or a clear governance structure , an insufficient strategic stock of personal protective equipment , insufficient infection prevention and control plans in healthcare settings , inadequate indoor air quality in public buildings and how to effectively communicate with the public;


### 39. notes that the eu lacked an effective system for data collection and exchange and for epidemiological reporting , which was a key part of addressing the pandemic; observes that surveillance services during the pandemic were not fit for purpose and that dedicated surveillance systems had to be set up for this new pathogen; ### 39. notes that the eu lacked an effective system for data collection and exchange and for epidemiological reporting , which was a key part of addressing the pandemic; observes that surveillance services during the pandemic were not fit for purpose and that dedicated surveillance systems had to be set up for this new pathogen; notes that pandemic has also highlighted the imperative of ensuring timely access to personal electronic health data for health threats preparedness and response , as well as for treatment , but also for research , innovation , patient safety , regulatory purposes , policy-making , statistical purposes or personalised medicine;


### 39. notes that the eu lacked an effective system for data collection and exchange and for epidemiological reporting , which was a key part of addressing the pandemic; observes that surveillance services during the pandemic were not fit for purpose and that dedicated surveillance systems had to be set up for this new pathogen; ### 39. notes that the eu lacked an effective system for data collection and exchange for covid-19 as an unknown disease , which was a key part of addressing the pandemic; observes that existing surveillance services during the pandemic were not fit for purpose and that dedicated surveillance systems had to be set up for this new pathogen;


### 40. believes that the eu needs further regulatory simplification , the coordination and acceleration of clinical trials at eu level and the digitalisation of health systems; underlines the importance of data in medical research and highlights the european health data space as a key initiative in this field; ### 40. believes that the eu needs further regulatory simplification , the coordination and acceleration of clinical trials at eu level and the digitalisation of health systems; underlines the importance of data in medical research and highlights the european health data space as a key initiative in this field; believes that enormous amount of health data could dramatically transform public health and revolutionise healthcare systems , enabling life-saving healthcare improvements. health data can also play a crucial role in speeding up the development of new medical products and treatments for patients who need them most;


### 40. believes that the eu needs further regulatory simplification , the coordination and acceleration of clinical trials at eu level and the digitalisation of health systems; underlines the importance of data in medical research and highlights the european health data space as a key initiative in this field; ### 40. believes that the eu needs further regulatory simplification , the coordination and acceleration of clinical trials at eu level and the digitalisation of health systems; underlines the importance of reliable , representative and comparable data in medical research and highlights the european health data space as a key initiative in this field; emphasises in this respect that sex and gender disaggregation of data is crucial to ensuring a gender equal r&d response to the health challenges we are facing;


### 40. believes that the eu needs further regulatory simplification , the coordination and acceleration of clinical trials at eu level and the digitalisation of health systems; underlines the importance of data in medical research and highlights the european health data space as a key initiative in this field; ### 40. believes that the eu needs further regulatory simplification , the coordination and acceleration of clinical trials at eu level and the digitalisation of health systems; underlines the importance of data in medical research and highlights the european health data space as a key initiative in this field , while safeguarding privacy;


### 41. supports adapting existing eu regulatory frameworks and soft law and developing and implementing new frameworks in order to allow national healthcare systems and the scientific community to benefit from artificial intelligence (ai) in the fields of clinical practice , biomedical research , public health and health administration , while ensuring the safety and respectful treatment of patients receiving ai-mediated healthcare; ### 41. supports adapting existing eu regulatory frameworks and soft law and developing and implementing new frameworks in order to allow national healthcare systems and the scientific community to benefit from artificial intelligence (ai) in the fields of clinical practice , biomedical research , public health and health administration , while ensuring the safety and respectful treatment of patients receiving ai-mediated healthcare; takes note that ai has already been applied to identification of covid-19;


### 41. supports adapting existing eu regulatory frameworks and soft law and developing and implementing new frameworks in order to allow national healthcare systems and the scientific community to benefit from artificial intelligence (ai) in the fields of clinical practice , biomedical research , public health and health administration , while ensuring the safety and respectful treatment of patients receiving ai-mediated healthcare; ### 41. supports adapting existing eu regulatory frameworks and soft law and developing and implementing new frameworks in order to allow national healthcare systems and the scientific community to benefit from validated artificial intelligence (ai) in the fields of clinical practice , biomedical research , public health and health administration , while ensuring the safety and respectful treatment of patients receiving ai-assisted healthcare;


### 42. calls on the member states to introduce measures that enhance the security of digital networks in order to protect health institutions and patients from cyberattacks; ### 42. calls on the member states to introduce measures that enhance the security of digital networks in order to protect health institutions and patients from cyberattacks , including by running a european stress test of national systems;


### 44. is concerned that investment in public healthcare has not been prioritised in all the member states , which leads to staff shortages in this area and consequent low levels of resilience in health systems in the face of new possible emergencies; ### 44. is concerned that investment in public healthcare has not been prioritised in all the member states , which leads to , among demographic trends , staff shortages in this area and consequent low levels of resilience in health systems in the face of new possible emergencies and the demographic transition;


### 44. is concerned that investment in public healthcare has not been prioritised in all the member states , which leads to staff shortages in this area and consequent low levels of resilience in health systems in the face of new possible emergencies; ### 44. is concerned that investment in public healthcare has not been prioritised in all the member states , which leads to staff shortages in this area and consequent low levels of resilience in health systems in the face of new possible emergencies and the demographic transition;


### 45. calls for investments in healthcare personnel to enhance their skills , and support member states in improving their working conditions , in order to attract the next generation of healthcare workers and address the lack of medical professionals and brain drain within the union; ### 45. calls for adequate investments in healthcare personnel to enhance their skills and working conditions , and in innovative health technologies that can contribute to such enhancement , and support member states in improving their working conditions , in order to attract the next generation of healthcare workers and address the lack of medical professionals and brain drain within the union;


### 45. calls for investments in healthcare personnel to enhance their skills , and support member states in improving their working conditions , in order to attract the next generation of healthcare workers and address the lack of medical professionals and brain drain within the union; ### 45. calls for sustainable long-term investments in healthcare personnel to enhance their skills , and support member states in improving their working conditions , especially in rural and remote areas and less-developed regions , in order to attract the next generation of healthcare workers and address the lack of medical professionals and brain drain within the union;


### 46. reiterates that the eu needs to take a stronger role in guiding and orienting the improvement of public health , as all member states should consider health a strategic asset for investments and not a cost to be minimised; ### 46. reiterates that the eu needs to take a stronger role in guiding and orienting the improvement of public health , as improving the health of the population is a strategic investment and moral obligation for our societies and economies;


### 47. highlights the need to upskill , reskill and out-skill workers for healthcare careers in order to be better prepared for potential emergency and crisis situations; calls for due consideration to be given to the further training and retraining of workers involved at all stages of the value chain; ### 47. highlights the need to upskill , reskill and out-skill workers for healthcare careers in order to be better prepared for potential emergency and crisis situations; calls for due consideration to be given to the further training and retraining of workers involved at all stages of the value chain , including in cross-border regions , joint cross-border training , sharing of best practices and familiarity with public health systems for healthcare staff and public health staff shall be promoted as stated in the regulation (eu) 2022/2371;


### 47. highlights the need to upskill , reskill and out-skill workers for healthcare careers in order to be better prepared for potential emergency and crisis situations; calls for due consideration to be given to the further training and retraining of workers involved at all stages of the value chain; ### 47. highlights the need to upskill , reskill and out-skill workers for healthcare careers in education of healthcare professionals and in clinical practice in order to be better prepared for potential emergency and crisis situations; calls for due consideration to be given to the further training and retraining of workers involved at all stages of the value chain;


### 49. calls for the eu and the member states to rethink the role of primary care , focusing on its potential to relate to families on a day-to-day basis , to improve prevention and promote a greater community capacity to respond to health threats , in close coordination with hospital care; ### 49. calls for the eu and the member states to rethink the role of primary care , focusing on its potential to relate to families on a day-to-day basis , to improve prevention and promote a greater community capacity to respond to health threats , in close coordination with hospital care; emphasises the importance of primary care in the ongoing provision of covid-19 vaccines , particularly as this moves into a more routine approach similar to that of seasonal influenza; calls for member states to take steps that increase access to routine covid-19 vaccination , through collaboration across all health professionals;


### 50. highlights the divergences in healthcare systems among member states and among regions within member states , in particular remote rural areas , the outermost regions and peripheral islands; calls for the use of cohesion policy to even out these divergences; ### 50. highlights the divergences in healthcare systems and access to health care services among member states and among regions within member states , in particular remote rural areas , the outermost regions and peripheral islands; calls for the use of cohesion policy to even out these divergences;