Employment and social cohesion: programme Progress for employment and social solidarity, 2007-2013

The European Parliament adopted 72 amendments. The Commission considers that a large number of the European Parliament's amendments are acceptable in full, in principle or in part, as they improve its proposal and maintain the aims and political viability of the proposal. It should be noted that the Commission has not accepted Parliament’s proposals on the financial framework. Nor has the Commission accepted amendments on the amount permitted for co-financing or the lower limits for the financial breakdown between the different sections.

The Commission accepts the majority of the amendments, including the following:

-Inclusion of the Community action programme to promote organisations active at European level in the field of equality between men and women.

-Stress on the fact that the Council decided to use now the open method of coordination in the social protection and social inclusion area.

-Attention should be drawn to the specific situation of migrants.

-Emphasis on the importance of the need to reconcile family and professional life

-Inclusion of references to equal treatment between women and men and the principle of gender mainstreaming.

-References tothe promotion of networking, mutual learning and dissemination of innovative approaches.

-Mention of the obligation to disseminate and publish results and to regularly exchange views with stakeholders.

-"Common" indicators must be developed, as only commonly agreed indicators provide the necessary comparability.

-Mention of new and innovative approaches that have to be developed.

-Mention of implementation of national reform programmes.

-Mention of the use of statistics and of indicators broken down by gender and age group.

-Support the implementation of EU labour law through holding seminars for those working in the field.

-Emphasis on the key role of social partners.

-Inclusion of the obligation to assess the effectiveness of existing legislation.

-Support the implementation of EU anti-discrimination legislation through holding seminars for those working in the field.

-Stresses the key role of NGOs in the field of anti-discrimination

-PROGRESS should also operate at transnational level.

-PROGRESS should also foster mutual learning and the exchange of good practice and innovative approaches.

-Inclusion of the organisation of an annual forum for all actors involved that should help to promote dialogue, publicise the programme’s results and discuss future priorities

-Stress on the importance of greater attention that should be paid to the specific circumstances of each Member State, given the diversity of situations existing in the Union.

-The programme shall not finance any measures for the preparation and implementation of European Years

-Expanding the list of matters to be dealt with by the Committee assisting the Commission.

-The programme should be consistent with regional policy and general economic policy as well as with the other areas mentioned, as both may have important implications for the success of the programme’s aims.

-Avoid overlapping responsibilities with other relevant Union and Community actions.

-Ensure the fact that the allocation of the appropriations to the individual sections of the programme is transparent and is determined by the Budgetary Authority

-The European Parliament must monitor the implementation of PROGRESS.