28.4.2023
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 149/115 Wednesday 19 October 2022
25.
Calls for EU programmes to give priority to projects that promote and uphold the creation of jobs with rights, including stable and regulated pay levels and employment relationships;
26.
Accepts the Council position with respect to Sub-heading 2a;
Sub-heading 2b — Resilience and values
27.
Reiterates that, despite Parliament’s demands to place the EURI over and above the ceilings, the refinancing costs are paid from within Sub-heading 2b; notes that, in the light of the unforeseen situation on financial markets due to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, which continues to negatively affect the Union economy, setting it on a path of lower growth, higher inflation and rising interest rates, the line dedicated to the EURI financing costs is likely to be needed in full and needs may well exceed the budgeted amount; deplores the fact that this has a de facto impact on programmes under the same heading by constraining the Commission’s ability to propose above-financial programming reinforcements where they are needed; notes that EURI financing costs should not be taken from special instruments, which are intended to tackle unforeseen challenges, such as the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis;
28.
Proposes, therefore, EUR 200 million above the DB for the flagship Erasmus+ programme — focused on learning mobility in education and training — in line with the need identified by the Commission to provide support to Ukrainian students and teaching staff, as well as to all students to cope with high inflation; underlines that these appropriations will also help to flatten the heavily backloaded financial profile of Erasmus+, providing more consistent annual financing for a programme with stable year-on-year demand; stresses, furthermore, that increased resources will contribute to ongoing efforts to make the programme greener and more inclusive and enable legacy work following the 2022 European Year of Youth; points to the announcement made by President von der Leyen in her State of the Union address that 2023 should be the European Year of Skills, which would require support in the 2023 budget;
29.
Recalls that, under the ‘sport’ strand, Erasmus+ supports not-for-profit sport events aimed at further developing the European dimension of sport and promoting issues of relevance to grassroots sport; underlines the vital role that sport plays in tackling discrimination and promoting social inclusion; supports, therefore, a necessary and targeted reinforcement of EUR 10 million for the ‘sport’ line to enable the programme to support the Special Olympics taking place in Berlin in 2023;
30.
Underlines that the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) helps young people gain practical experience in another Member State, thereby increasing their employability and life chances; stresses, further, that the ESC finances voluntary humanitarian work carried out through the Humanitarian Aid Corps, which can provide important humanitarian assistance outside conflict zones; decides, therefore, to increase appropriations for the ESC by EUR 8 million above the DB;
31.
Stresses that the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over and emphasises the need to maintain support for health systems to improve their resilience and bolster preparedness through the EU4Health programme; underlines, further, the key role that the programme plays in supporting the Beating Cancer Plan, the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe and the newly created Health and Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority; reverses, therefore, the disproportionate and unjustified cut proposed by Council and reinforces the programme by EUR 25 million above the DB, including to support actions to achieve universal health coverage across the Union, encompassing quality access to sexual and reproductive health services;
32.
Highlights the increasingly numerous and severe natural disasters in Europe, as evidenced most recently by the record wild fires in the summer of 2022; regrets that, owing to climate change, such extreme weather events resulting often in emergencies are going to intensify and multiply; decides, therefore and in line with the Commission President’s pledge in her 2022 State of the Union address, to reinforce the Union Civil Protection Mechanism by EUR 20 million in order to enhance the Union’s response capacity and better protect its citizens, including capacities for the mobilisation of medical units in emergencies, and underlines the need to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation for particularly vulnerable regions;