ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
43.

approves the intention to create benchmarks for low achievers in basic skills, which have been extended to mathematics and sciences, but stresses the need to focus primarily on reading and writing; recalls, however, that a knowledge of information and communication technologies (ICT) and foreign languages are important for the acquisition of knowledge and the implementation of lifelong learning and training objectives; children, in particular, should be able to acquire ICT skills at an early age (12); draws attention to social inequalities in accessing these technologies, which should be met with appropriate responses from national, regional and local or European institutions, thus enabling local and regional authorities to rely on existing EU programmes and new Commission programmes and to participate in the fight against functional illiteracy under the revised Lisbon Strategy; similarly, these bodies should take account of the importance of migrants learning the language of the host country in facilitating their social inclusion and employability;
24.

considers that, despite the safeguards, a compliance mechanism for the Member States based on funding from the Community budget could have particularly negative consequences and hinder the achievement of economic, social and territorial cohesion. The suspension or cancellation of Community funding as a sanction will shift the financial burden from Member States’ central governments to their local and regional authorities, making the public, workers and businesses collectively liable for the national policy errors of the government of each Member State. The withdrawal of funding will thus have a negative impact on growth and may even aggravate fiscal imbalances, as it will be imposed on Member States that already have major fiscal problems;
21.

notes that all the EU Member States have ratified the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and are therefore supposed to uphold, including at sub-national levels of government, the principle of respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms set out in that text. All the Member States have also ratified the European Social Charter of the Council of Europe (and most have ratified the updated Social Charter, which guarantees additional rights). The rights covered by that act apply to all individuals living in the territory of the EU, which also means citizens of third countries living in an EU Member State. Much of its content can also be found in the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights;
42.

agrees that paths should be explored to ensure a better and more effective use of these structural funds in support of the Europe 2020 objectives and supports the broadening of the European Social Fund focus from employability and quantity of jobs to combating poverty and social exclusion on the understanding that an integrated employment policy as a core element in a successful drive to reduce poverty will remain a key priority as part of the ESF; societal innovations in particular should be created and propagated, so that new solutions can be developed in response to problems and challenges, and proven approaches can be collected and used as benchmarks for national, regional and local authorities; notes that achieving a 75 % employment target is not in itself sufficient to reducing poverty and social exclusion, and that more emphasis should be placed on addressing the working poor, and raising the quality and sustainability of jobs across Europe, including measures aimed at ensuring adequate incomes, including social benefits;
28.

maintains that, if a mission for the AI strategy was to be defined, it would be ‘connecting and protecting’: connecting the territories of the macroregion to foster its sustainable development while protecting the fragile maritime, coastal and inland environment. The two EU macrostrategies for the Baltic Sea and the Danube, together with the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Macroregion and future EU strategies (1), are capable of creating those interconnections and synergies, including infrastructural ones, called for in point 18 of the conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 13 April 2011. These should create an ideal axis from the north to the south of Europe, the Adriatic-Ionian macroregion serving to improve and free up Europe's south-eastern gateway to the world and also bring in the area of the central and eastern Mediterranean through the extension of the Baltic-Adriatic corridor, as provided for by Commission Communication COM(2011) 500 of 29 June 2011 and its connection with the intermodal networks. Given the possibility of large territorial overlaps between the AI strategy and the Danube strategy, the European Commission should provide for appropriate coordination mechanisms;
The thematic objectives set out in Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR] and corresponding investment priorities set out in Article 5 of this Regulation to which the ERDF may contribute shall be concentrated as follows: (a) in more developed regions and transition regions: i) at least 80 % of the total ERDF resources at national level shall be allocated to the thematic objectives set out in points 1, 3 and 4 of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR]; and ii) at least 20 % of the total ERDF resources at national level shall be allocated to the thematic objective set out in point 4 of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR]; (b) in less developed regions: i) at least 50 % of the total ERDF resources at national level shall be allocated to the thematic objectives set in out in point 1, 3 and 4 of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR]. ii) at least 6 % of the total ERDF resources at national level shall be allocated to the thematic objective set out in point 4 of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR]; By derogation from point (a) (i), in those regions whose GDP per capita for the 2007-13 period was less than 75 % of the average GDP of the EU-25 for the reference period but which are eligible under the category of transition or more developed regions as defined in Article 82(2)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) No [ ]/2012 [CPR] in the 2014-2020 period, at least 60 % of the total ERDF resources at national level shall be allocated to each of the thematic objectives set in out in points 1, 3 and 4 of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR].

The thematic objectives set out in Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR] and corresponding investment priorities set out in Article 5 of this Regulation to which the ERDF may contribute shall be concentrated as follows: (a) in more developed regions i) at least of the total ERDF resources at national level shall be allocated to the thematic objectives set out in points 1, 3 and 4 of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR]; and ii) at least of the total ERDF resources at national level shall be allocated to the thematic objective set out in point 4 of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR]; (b) in less developed regions : i) at least 50 % of the total ERDF resources at national level shall be allocated to the thematic objectives set in out in point 1, 3 and 4 of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR]. ii) at least 6 % of the total ERDF resources at national level shall be allocated to the thematic objective set out in point 4 of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR]; By derogation from point (a) (i), in those regions whose GDP per capita for the 2007-13 period was less than 75 % of the average GDP of the EU-25 for the reference period but which are eligible under the category of transition or more developed regions as defined in Article 82(2)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) No [ ]/2012 [CPR] in the 2014-2020 period, at least of the total ERDF resources at national level shall be allocated to each of the thematic objectives set in out in points 1, 3 and 4 of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No […]/2012 [CPR].
16.

will seek to ensure that in the interinstitutional negotiations on the new European Social Fund provisions for the Youth Employment Initiative agreed by the European Council on 7 and 8 February 2013, the budget allocation for this instrument offers more flexible conditions in matters such as co-financing rates and advance payments, in order to more effectively and assiduously address the difficult situation facing the regions in this field. The Committee also asks that local and regional authorities be informed in good time about the workings of this initiative and about the amounts coming from its two funding channels, so that they can take this into account when drawing up their strategies for fighting youth unemployment and their guarantee schemes;
Recognised employers: Member States may decide to provide for recognition procedures for employers in accordance with their national law or administrative practice for the purpose of applying simplified procedures for obtaining an EU Blue Card. Where a Member State decides to provide for recognition procedures, it shall provide clear and transparent information to the employers concerned about, among others, the conditions and criteria for approval, the period of validity of the recognition and the consequences of non-compliance with the conditions, including possible withdrawal and non-renewal, as well as any sanction applicable.

Recognised employers: Member States may decide to provide for recognition procedures for employers in accordance with their national law or administrative practice for the purpose of applying simplified procedures for obtaining an EU Blue Card. These criteria will take account of the ethical aspects of the recruitment process (especially a company’s earlier experience of employing highly skilled third-country nationals), and a list of companies will be drawn up with the participation of regional and local-level institutions. Where a Member State decides to provide for recognition procedures, it shall provide clear and transparent information to the employers concerned about, among others, the conditions and criteria for approval, the period of validity of the recognition and the consequences of non-compliance with the conditions, including possible withdrawal and non-renewal, as well as any sanction applicable.
24.

notes that, as a result of living close to a border, people in border regions, in particular, are confronted on a daily basis with obstacles to exercising their right to freedom of movement. Cross-border workers in particular are faced with many obstacles to mobility due to the lack of coordination between Member-State legislation in the areas of social security, direct taxation and tax benefits along with employment legislation, which prevent them from exercising the right to equal opportunities as regards access to work. The question of what their EU citizenship entails or can entail should also be important for the EU itself, because it is primarily in these European border regions that the European idea and common values are already visible. The European Commission should facilitate cross-border dialogue, processes and participation in the border regions and in cross-border cooperation; it should also encourage Member States to coordinate their legislation more effectively with a view to protecting the rights of people in border regions;
The Structural Reform Support Programme (‘the Programme’) was established with the objective of strengthening the capacity of Member States to prepare and implement growth-sustaining administrative and structural reforms, including through assistance for the efficient and effective use of the Union funds. Support under the Programme is provided by the Commission, upon request by a Member State, and can cover a wide range of policy areas . Developing resilient economies built on strong economic and social structures, which allow Member States to efficiently absorb shocks and swiftly recover from them, contributes to economic and social cohesion. The implementation of institutional, administrative and growth-sustaining structural reforms is an appropriate tool for achieving such a development.

The Structural Reform Support Programme (‘the Programme’) was established with the objective of strengthening the capacity of Member States to prepare and implement growth-sustaining administrative and structural reforms which are relevant for the implementation of the EU Treaty objectives and relate directly to EU competences , including through assistance for the efficient and effective use of the Union funds. Support under the Programme is provided by the Commission, upon request by a Member State. Developing resilient economies built on strong economic and social structures, which allow Member States to efficiently absorb shocks and swiftly recover from them, should contribute to economic, social and territorial cohesion. Ownership of EU-relevant structural reforms on the ground, in particular through local and regional authorities and the social partners, is essential for the Programme to be successful.
To ensure equal treatment of all Member States and consistency in the evaluation of the applications, the Commission should assess the applications in a package. It should look in particular into the eligibility and the accuracy of the expenditure declared, the direct link of the expenditure with measures taken to address the consequences of the withdrawal and the measures put in place by the Member State concerned to avoid double funding. Upon assessment of the applications for a financial contribution from the Reserve, the Commission should clear the pre-financing paid, and recover the unused amount. In order to concentrate the support on Member States most affected by the withdrawal, where the expenditure in the Member State concerned, accepted as eligible by the Commission, exceeds the amount paid as pre-financing and 0,06 % of the nominal Gross National Income (GNI) for 2021 of the Member State concerned, it should be possible to allow for a further allocation from the Reserve to that Member State within the limits of the financial resources available. Given the extent of the expected economic shock, the possibility to use the amounts recovered from the pre-financing for the reimbursement of additional expenditure by Member States should be provided for.

To ensure equal treatment of all Member States and consistency in the evaluation of the applications, the Commission should assess the applications in a package. It should look in particular into the eligibility and the accuracy of the expenditure declared, the direct link of the expenditure with measures taken to address the consequences of the withdrawal and the measures put in place by the Member State concerned to avoid double funding. The breakdown of expenditure by sector and NUTS 2 regions, including the outermost regions, should also be ensured . Upon assessment of the applications for a financial contribution from the Reserve, the Commission should clear the pre-financing paid, and recover the unused amount. In order to concentrate the support on Member States most affected by the withdrawal, where the expenditure in the Member State concerned, accepted as eligible by the Commission, exceeds the amount paid as pre-financing and 0,06 % of the nominal Gross National Income (GNI) for 2021 of the Member State concerned, it should be possible to allow for a further allocation from the Reserve to that Member State within the limits of the financial resources available. Given the extent of the expected economic shock, the possibility to use the amounts recovered from the pre-financing for the reimbursement of additional expenditure by Member States should be provided for.
23.

believes that the overall agenda for immediate local and regional administrative reform must be accompanied by continuous exchange of experience, so that the best practices of EU local and regional authorities can be adopted. Contacts must be stepped up with a view to transferring knowledge through specific cooperation projects between local and regional authorities: these would include twinning agreements between institutions and communities, teaching, study visits and the participation of national associations of Moldovan local and regional authorities in assemblies of representatives of EU regional bodies, as either members or observers. Although such activities have been organised recently on an ad hoc basis, they should be made standard practice through a broad programme of institutional capacity-building and assimilation of best practices by local and regional authorities. The initiative to draft a framework agreement for cooperation between Moldovan and EU local and regional authorities, based on the provisions of the new association agreement, also deserves praise;
16.

agrees with the objectives concerning: — Access to education: to ensure that all Roma children, regardless of whether or not they are sedentary, complete their primary education and have access to a high standard of education without discrimination or segregation; to improve access to quality early childhood education and care which assures equal treatment and the compliance with the principle of equal opportunities, to reduce the number of early school leavers from secondary education and, in general, to promote illiteracy eradication among Roma population; — Access to employment: to cut the employment gap between the Roma and the rest of the population, guaranteeing full access in a non-discriminatory way to vocational training, the job market and self-employment, by encouraging the use of microcredit and mediation strategies offered by public employment services; — Access to health care: to provide normalised access to quality health care especially for women and children, as well as preventive care and guaranteed access to social services for the Roma at a similar level as for the rest of the population, actively involving the Roma in health programmes designed for them; and also to pursue the reduction of the gap between the Roma community and the European average in specific health indicators; — Access to housing and essential services: to promote non-discriminatory access to housing, including social housing, and to essential services such as water, electricity and gas, also addressing the particular needs of non-sedentary Roma;
10.

recognises that achieving this goal of sustainability requires structural changes and diversification within the fisheries sector, and underlines that State Aid rules and measures must facilitate these changes, focusing in particular on supporting the development of the onshore economy (processing industry, sustainable aquaculture, local fish markets, new products, local supply chains etc.), new and sustainable forms of fishing in Europe's seas and oceans (highlighting in particular the role of small scale coastal fishing fleets and artisanal fishing, but also paying special attention to improvements in selectivity, energy efficiency, etc. of other segments of the fleet which contribute to the supply of fishery products in the European union, especially those for human consumption), and the wider marine and aquaculture economy. State Aid must not be used to support unsustainable fishing practices;
32.

calls on the European Commission to study the best way of applying extended producer and importer responsibility in the EU, particularly with regard to plastic waste, the management of which is too often the responsibility of local and regional authorities. Better application of this responsibility should make it possible to market products which generate less plastic waste, and plastic waste which is easier to recycle. The payment of a deposit and the obligation to take back the article at the end of its life are paths which should be followed at EU level for certain plastic products and products containing plastics in order to reduce the heavy burden on local and regional authorities; believes that it is also worth promoting ‘take-back’ schemes to retailers, schools and workplaces where quantities of separated valuable resources can be accumulated to make recycling more viable. Existing examples include mobile phones and printer cartridges;
13.

Towns and cities are shouldering their responsibility to seize opportunities and to deal with any obstacles that stand in the way. Europe’s towns and cities can play an important role in implementing the Europe 2020 strategy. The societal challenges enshrined in this strategy also set the policy agenda for cities and regions. The interests of the citizens are of key importance here. Towns and cities in the EU are currently facing a number of different challenges and problems. While, on the one hand, as a result of emigration and ageing of the population, some cities are seeing their population decline and face problems due to the scale of the facilities they provide, others have a growing population, which increases pressure on existing facilities and exacerbates other problems such as (youth) unemployment, social exclusion, poverty, affordable housing, traffic congestion and environmental pollution. One widespread problem, which has been exacerbated by the recession, is the growing gap between the ever-greater demand for local services and stagnating or even diminishing financial resources. The urban agenda needs to address all of these concerns and challenges.
12.

supports the need for a degree of flexibility in holding periods and believes that it should be up to individual ELTIF asset managers to assess the need to define the potential life cycle of the fund or the terms under which (early) redemptions can be performed. Believes that imposing the upfront determination of the life-cycle of the fund could be contrary to the fund's, the investor's and/or the target investments' best interests;
19.

considers nevertheless that although, when it comes to redistributing budgets between production and distribution/promotion, the latter appear to have more limited resources, the budgets made available on a market like that of the US cannot be used as the basis for arguing in favour of this redistribution; it is commonly accepted that aid is important to support European audiovisual production and that it is difficult for producers to secure sufficient initial commercial support to gather the financial resources necessary to carry projects through, the direct consequence being that certain films are under-funded with their quality suffering as a result. Increasing promotion and release costs would not be enough to resolve the problems linked to under-funding of film production or to enable a wider public to be reached; although an increase in distribution and promotion budgets would be welcome in absolute terms, it must not in any way be carried out at the expense of budgets earmarked for the production of European films;
19.

points out that the EU has a Solidarity Fund for providing disaster assistance and is pleased that the changes to the regulation proposed by the Committee of the Regions have been incorporated in the final version. It is now possible under the fund, for example, to restore damaged infrastructure to a state in which it will be better able to withstand future disasters, or — indeed — to relocate infrastructure. However, the Committee of the Regions calls for the Solidarity Fund to be allocated adequate financial resources in the EU budget. The Committee of the Regions also calls on the Member States to make the best possible use of the opportunities for funding of disaster risk prevention and risk management projects prepared within the 2014-2020 framework;