Hristo PETROV

Policy topics Hristo PETROV is active on

What Hristo PETROV has said (20)

• 2026-06-17 “Ladies and gentlemen, last century in the last century, heroin was accepted as a miracle and was promoted as safe. People suddenly understood what it causes. And right now, right today, we understand what happens with social media, but there is no blood picture. There are, all kinds of disorders when kids are not able to serve. Martin Spitzer approved the dependency, the addictiveness of screens. Digital dimension dimension is his book. It is a very clever book. Each minute of children attention lines the pocket of millionaires. Kids have to communicate face to face and not through interfaces.”
  Age restrictions on children's access to social media
• 2026-01-12 “E-000058/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission The upcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy will present a framework to step up the fight against poverty. In the Council Recommendation on establishing the European Child Guarantee (ECG) 1 , the Member States are recommended to step up their investments where necessary. In addition, the Commission will adopt a dedicated initiative to strengthen the ECG, as announced in the 2026 Commission Work Programme 2 . The Commission has also proposed the ECG among four key areas of social measures to be supported by EU funding in the National and Regional Partnership Plans 3 in the next Multiannual Financial Framework. The upcoming EU’s Anti-Poverty Strategy will have both a strong supportive and preventive approach, also in light of increasing cost-of-living pressures. As regards poverty prevention, the ECG plays a crucial role: by guaranteeing access of children in need to key services, it aims to break the transmission of disadvantages across generations. Progress towards the EU’s 2030 child poverty reduction complementary target is monitored through the European Semester, the Social Scoreboard, and the Social Protection Committee’s annual reports 4 . The EU-level monitoring framework for the ECG 5 provides comparable data on children in need’s access to services. The benchmarking framework on childcare and support to children provides additional data of relevance to the fight against child poverty. Monitoring of poverty developments in the EU’s Anti-Poverty Strategy will build on those existing frameworks. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2021.223.01.0014.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2021%3A223%3ATO C. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0870. 3 Annex VI of the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the council establishing the European Fund for economic, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture and rural, fisheries and maritime, prosperity and security for the period 2028-2034 and amending Regulation (EU) 2023/955 and Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. 4 https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/2025-social-protection-committee-annual-reportpublished-2025-11-21_en. 5 https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/social-protection-social-inclusion/socialprotection-committee/indicators-sub-group/monitoring-and-benchmarking-frameworks_en?prefLang=fr.”
  Support for families · Child poverty policy · EU expenditure on social policy
• 2025-09-15 “E-003549/2025 Answer given by Ms Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the shortage of adequate housing for students and scholars from third countries in several European cities. In this context, the forthcoming European Affordable Housing Plan will promote access to affordable, sustainable and decent housing, including for students, youth and other groups. Within the Erasmus+ programme framework, staff from third countries not associated with the programme are entitled to a daily allowance ranging from EUR 148 to EUR 190, depending on the destination country. This allowance is designed to cover part of both accommodation and subsistence expenses during their mobility period, which generally spans one to two weeks. The assessment of applications for the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) relies on the information provided in the application, where the institution’s capacity to facilitate access to accommodation constitutes one of several evaluation elements. Applicants must describe the assistance they will provide to incoming students and staff in securing housing. They are, however, not responsible to provide accommodation directly, as they do not always hold direct competence in this area, but they are expected to outline the support measures envisaged. Responsibility for monitoring compliance with ECHE commitments rests with the Erasmus+ National Agencies, which act in accordance with procedures set out in the ECHE Monitoring Guide 1 . Facilitating access to housing through relevant support and information is one of the obligations under the Charter. Should a higher education institution persistently fail to respect one or more ECHE commitments despite observations from the relevant national agency, the agency may reduce the organisational support funds allocated to that institution through the Erasmus+ grant. 1 https://www.erasmusplus.nl/sites/default/files/202302/ECHE%20monitoring%20guide%20for%20Erasmus%2B%20National%20Agencies%202021-2027.pdf.”
  Governance of academic priorities within the EU · EU volunteering programs
• 2025-07-18 “E-003007/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission To support Member States’ implementation of the European Child Guarantee, the Commission organised a meeting of national Child Guarantee coordinators with the School Meal Coalition 1 last year, which highlighted the large returns yielded by inclusive school meals programmes and on ways to further develop them 2 . The Commission provides support through the purchase of food items with the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 3 and the ‘School fruit and vegetables scheme’ and ‘School milk scheme’ 4 . For the next Multiannual Financial Framework, the ‘EU School Scheme’ which provides aid for the supply of fruit, vegetables, milk and milk products to school children 5 is proposed 6 to be delivered, as one of the Common Agricultural Policy interventions together with the ESF and other instruments, as part of the national and regional partnership plans, ensuring complementarity, synergy, coherence and consistency among different instruments at EU, national and regional levels. In addition, the proposal introduces the possibility for Member States to prioritise certain groups of children according to socio-economic considerations recognising that children from vulnerable groups are more prone to have unhealthy diets. Overall, progress has been achieved in the provision of free healthy school meals. This will be further elaborated in the Commission report to the Council on the Child Guarantee implementation due in 2026. In addition, strengthening of the Child Guarantee will be part of the upcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, as stated in the Commission’s Political Guidelines for 2024-2029. 1 https://schoolmealscoalition.org/. 2 https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/european-child-guarantee-coordinators-meet-discussprovision-school-meals-children-need-2024-12-11_en. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/european-social-fund-plus-esf-2021-2027.html. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1308/oj. 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1308/oj. 6 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/eu-budget/long-term-eu-budget/eu-budget-2028-2034_en.”
  Support for families · Child poverty policy
• 2025-02-21 “E-000809/2025 Answer given by Mr Micallef on behalf of the European Commission Improving artists’ working conditions remains a priority for the Commission. It is explicitly mentioned in the mission letter to the Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport and will be addressed in the EU strategic framework for culture, the ‘Culture Compass’. The Commission is regularly in touch with stakeholders, notably with relevant social partners via the EU sectoral social dialogues. The Commission is following up on the actions set out in its reply 1 to the European Parliament. It analysed regulatory gaps with social partners’ involvement, organised mutual learning activities on social protection, gathered further evidence 2 on undeclared work and further improved the EU-funded online information resource 3 on artists’ working conditions. The Commission will organise a high-level round table with relevant stakeholders to determine the scope for further EU action. The Commission supports Member States in the implementation of the 2019 Council recommendation on access to social protection 4 . It also covers artists and workers in the cultural and creative sectors and monitors the implementation of EU labour law directives 5 setting minimum standards to protect the working conditions of workers in employment relationships, including intermittent workers 6 . 1 Commission reply to the European Parliament’s legislative initiative report of 21 February 2024 on an EU framework for the social and professional situation of artists and workers in the cultural and creative sectors. 2 https://www.ela.europa.eu/en/news/creative-sectors-ela-study-reveals-precarious-working-conditions-andundeclared-labour 3 https://creativesunite.eu/work-condition 4 Council Recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed: https://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/GA/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019H1115(01) 5 https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/rights-work/labour-law_en 6 See in particular Council Directive 1999/70/EC of 28 June 1999 concerning the framework agreement on fixed-term work: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/1999/70/oj/eng”
  EU support for cultural and creative sector · EU regulation of cross-border and posted workers · EU policy on permanent and fixed-term employment
• “(09:59:38 – 10:00:43): Yes. Very shortly. 2 things related to the how to increase the use of our recycled materials. I think it's very important that that at the beginning, public procurement have a role on this because we need to introduce incentives, for example, in the way new in points in a in a public tender because otherwise, I think it's difficult to start because, actually, normally, the private market thinks that the secondary material are as lower quality than the new 1. It's quite normal, though. So we need to start with the habit to the habit that is the normal the normal situation. Just a very short answer to the Irish MPs. I think that, simplification doesn't mean deregulation are 2 different concept. We need simplification. I agree that we have to pay attention of what we are deregulating, but are not completely linked, the 2.”
  Circular economy
• “Thank you Lee. Uh, dear Roxana, you know that the European Parliament has high expectations regarding the financing of the European Child Guarantee, which must enable the implementation of this instrument. On numerous occasions we have called for an EU budget of at least €20 billion for the Child Guarantee, and an allocation of at least 5% of ESF, plus resources to address child poverty for all member states. The MFF proposals goes in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, with the inclusion of the ESF plus in a mega fund with multiply priorities, we are also losing the thematic concentration to tackle child poverty at a time where more children have fallen into poverty in the last years. The proposal provides that 14% of national plans contribute to social objectives, but these will therefore be national priorities funded with European money. With this new proposal, how can we ensure that Member States allocate resources to finance the European Child Guarantee and to finance the fight against child poverty. What means will the European Commission have at its disposal to ensure automatic allocation for children? Thank you very much.”
  Child poverty policy
• “(15:30:15 – 15:35:03): Thank you, chair. Dear colleagues, I would first like, to thank all the political groups for the amendments they have tabled to my draft report as well as for their constructive approach. Our task will be to work towards a shared vision that meets the expectation of, young people across Europe. We now have a real opportunity to produce, an implementation report that does not simply take stock of the yacht guarantee situation in the European Union, but 1 that sets, out concrete and ambitious recommendations, recommendations that, above all, can make a real difference to young people's path to to employment. A clear picture is evident from our amendments, despite its considerable potential. The guarantee is still being implemented too inconsistently among member states. The shortcomings are well known, lack of visibility among young people, difficulties in reaching the most, marginalized groups, and monitoring mechanisms that remain inadequate for assessing the outcomes of interventions. These weaknesses are holding back the impact of what is nevertheless an essential, instrument. Moreover, as many amendments have rightly pointed out, there is no uniform profile for young needs. Their circumstances are varied, often complex, and require tailored and personalized responses. A young woman from the Roma community from for example, may face more discrimination when assess accessing employment. A young person living alternative care may need, extra support to find accommodation, gain stability, and, integrate into society. Recognizing this diversity is in itself a step towards improving the effectiveness of the yacht guarantee and of the measures that are meant to address such barriers. This need for comprehensive support also stood out as a shared priority. In my view, the Yurt Guarantee must remain a scheme focused on helping young people enter the labor market. However, it it cannot operate in isolation. It's essential to strengthen links with social services, whether in relation to child care, housing, or health care. This because social barriers are often the primary obstacles to entering the labor market. Without proper housing, it's more difficult to undertake training. Without decent living conditions, it's impossible to envisage future unemployment. On this basis, I believe we can work together to convey clear and guiding principles, strengthen, the capacity of public employment services to ensure high quality personalized support for every young person who takes part in the scheme, further develop the preventive aspect of the yield guarantee, in particular by strengthening ties with schools to combat early school living, improve the quality of the opportunities offered, but by defining specific indicators for monitoring and evaluating results, and, ensure adequate and sustainable funding for the yield guarantee in the next MFF. Finally, let me revisit the issue of volunteering, which seems to have raised some questions. My intention is not to divert the yield guarantee from its main objective but to enrich it. And, discussions with stakeholders and young people themselves have shown that a nonformal approach can be a relevant step for certain profiles. Some young people do not wish to return to a traditional school setting yet are not ready to take up a stable job immediately. In such situations, volunteering can serve as a valuable, stepping stone, a way to, rebuild confidence, develop skills, and gradually reengage with a pathway to integration. And it could be an additional option within the yield guarantee schemes aimed in particular at, the most vulnerable young group and in no way, substitute for existing offers. I have, in fact, clarified this point in my amendment to to avoid any misunderstanding. I'm confident, that we can still bridge the the gap between our positions on this matter during the upcoming negotiations. So, dear colleagues, I'm, of course, here to listen to your views as we prepare the next stages of our report and work together to produce an ambitious, coherent, and useful report for Europe's young people.”
  Youth employment & training
• “Thank you chair. I'm still a reporter on this file, but I have an issue. If a person in Bulgaria asks me, how do we improve their life with the help of the European Semester? There is nothing I can answer. As reporters, we aim to achieve our goals. We negotiate for the priorities of our groups and we want to implement amendments in the text. But the final result in a country like mine seems to be something like something similar to a Christmas greeting card. A lot of wishes, but nothing particular. We need to have a much clearer connection between the recommendations, the national policies and the European investment. This is the only way people can see that this is not just another European report, but a tool that serves them. Thank you.”
  European Semester (social dimension)
• “(15:53:10 – 15:55:28): Yes. Thank you very much. Unfortunately, my colleague Christophe had to leave the meeting early, so I'm happy to step in for him. Our amendments pursue a clear objective to strengthen the performance and monitoring of EU spending around concrete priorities. First, we must reinforce the horizontal principles of the budget. Respect for fundamental rights, whether for children's rights, those of persons with disabilities, or in the fight against all forms of discrimination, must be embedded across all policies. These priorities cannot remain declaratory. They must actively guide our budgetary policies. Second, this requires a strong social convergence in both our reforms and investments. I therefore suggest introducing a social and employment guidance to operationalize the objectives of the European Social Fund and the National and Regional Partnerships plans. By setting thematic enabling conditions and clear guidelines for funding, we can ensure a more coherent and strategic use of our resources. Third, we need a greater clarity and comparability. The introduction of core performance indicators to be used by all member states would allow us to backtrack progress, evaluate priorities and measure results transparently across the union. Finally, we must move beyond a purely quantitative approach. Quality matters. I am suggesting a mid term review of this regulation to introduce impact indicators across all intervention fields. This would also allow us to assess the real effectiveness of our spending and adjust our policies based on their impact on our citizens and our regions. This is essential to ensure a budget that is targeted, efficient and delivers tangible added value. At the same time, we have to strike the right balance. This regulation should remain focused on monitoring and evaluating performance without overlapping on funding eligibility criteria, which belong to other instruments. I look forward to the upcoming negotiations on this key file central to the future architect of the military financial framework. Thank you.”
  EU expenditure on social policy
• “The Social Climate Fund is eagerly awaited and it is crucial to deliver on this tool that will support vulnerable households during the transition to climate neutrality. Direct income support schemes or long term investments must make a tangible contribution to reducing European energy and transport bills. But these social climate plans are also an opportunity to move towards an integrated response to our common EU objectives. Indeed, these plans will be consistent with the European Pillar of Social Rights. To this end, social climate plans must include measures and investments to support vulnerable households in buildings renovation, but they can also contribute to the child guarantee objective of providing every child in need with access to adequate housing. It is very simple. You only need to ensure that national plans include measures to support vulnerable households with one or more children, and this could be one of the criteria for the allocation of funds. The Social Climate Fund should also ensure that children and their families have access to a reliable transport so that they can go to school, to work, or simply remain connected to their communities. Social climate plans must also include measures and investments to ensure that vulnerable households have access to affordable heating and cooling systems, but they can also contribute to the Roma Strategic Framework goal of reducing the number of Roma households experiencing housing deprivation. I would therefore like to ask two questions to the Commission. What tools do you have at your disposal to analyse the social impact of the plans, particularly to ensure that direct income support and investments benefit the most vulnerable households? And how does the Commission engage with member States to ensure that particular attention is given to the presence of children in vulnerable households in the support measures developed in social climate plans. Thank you.”
  EU policy on social criteria in public funding
• “Madam chair, and thank you to the rapporteur for presenting your draft opinion. I strongly agree with the political message of the opinion. The Council's position on the programmes budget is not acceptable. The cuts to Erasmus+, the Solidarity Corps and Creative Europe are too big and counterproductive to our goals of reaching more people, be it yet or adults, it falls to us in the Committee to protect the programs and set a firm parliament position against any cuts and for reasonable moderate increases. All programs are oversubscribed. I like to use the example of the Erasmus+ school accreditation for projects and mobility. It has doubled in the number of applications every year since it has been launched. Or look at the numbers of the European Solidarity Corps. Only 10% of applications are accepted for volunteering activities, and this is because of financial capacity restrictions. The increases we have proposed can help bridge the gap. We have worked together well so far and I am sure we will continue to do so. Thank you.”
  EU volunteering programs
• “Thank you chair. Dear colleagues. The reinforced Youth guarantee remains one of the European Union's most important instruments for supporting young people in continuing their education, as well as transitioning into employment. Its reinforcement in 2020 was necessary and welcome. It broadened the age groups of the scheme, sought to better reach vulnerable young people and place greater emphasis on the quality of offers. It has contributed to lower youth unemployment and stronger policy coordination across member states. However, important implementation gaps remain to many of the most vulnerable young people are still not reached by the youth guarantee, and in several cases, we see imbalances between the different types of offers with heavy emphasis towards employment, even when education or training may offer a more sustainable pathway to the labour market. And that's why the opinion focuses on strengthening the educational, preventive and inclusive dimensions of the youth guarantee. The study on the Reinforced Youth Guarantee shows that tailored education and training can help young people stay in employment further down the line, and this is especially true for youth with fewer opportunities. We can strengthen this by improving career guidance in schools, and by training teachers and educators to better help young people navigate choices for their future, whether that is Apprenticeships, further education, traineeships or work? Prevention of early school leaving is another element that should be strengthened.”
  Youth employment & training
• “Thank you chair. I'm still a reporter on this file, but I have an issue. If a person in Bulgaria asks me, how do we improve their life with the help of the European Semester? There is nothing I can answer. As reporters, we aim to achieve our goals. We negotiate for the priorities of our groups and we want to implement amendments in the text. But the final result in a country like mine seems to be something like something similar to a Christmas greeting card. A lot of wishes, but nothing particular. We need to have a much clearer connection between the recommendations, the national policies and the European investment. This is the only way people can see that this is not just another European report, but a tool that serves them. Thank you.”
  European Semester (social dimension)
• “(15:45:19 – 15:46:47): Thank you, chair. Dear colleagues, thank you once again for highlighting your priorities and the key points set out in your amendments. This discussion has been valuable in giving me a clearer understanding of upcoming negotiations. Beyond our own priorities, we share a responsibility to provide solid solutions for our young people. And while the youth guarantee is the suitable tool, the way it has been implemented so far has not allowed to reach its full potential. The question, therefore, is not how to reinvent the youth guarantee, but how to make it more effective, more accessible, and more equitable. Many of you have emphasized the need for better targeted support, more personalized guidance, and greater attention to the most vulnerable young people. Others have highlighted the importance of the quality of offers, or the key role of funding and implementation at national level. So, these priorities are not contradictory. They are complementary. Following this exchange, I'm convinced that we have everything we need to produce a positive, ambitious, and I would say useful report, a report which, with your help, can serve as a road map for making a real difference to the lives of young people across Europe.”
  Youth employment & training
• “Yet another phrase used only by us who walk in the corridors of the European institutions. Social and economic discrimination. This is to say, being ignored because you're poor. A boy applies for a job when they see he's got cheap clothes on. When they learn that he comes from a poor neighborhood or, heaven forbid, from a Roma district, the conversation is over. A girl is looking for a place to live. When they learn she grew up in an orphanage. The conversation is over. This is not bad luck. This is being ignored because of your social background. And I insist that this be covered by the anti-discrimination directive. You can't be blamed for being poor. Social background is not a court sentence. And if we want equal opportunities for all, we have to stop punishing young people for being born in poverty. Thank you.”
  EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination
• “Thank you, Madam President. Dear Commissioner, dear colleagues. The most important element of this strategy is the fight against child poverty. And the most important aspects of this fight are de-institutionalisation as well as the child guarantee. If you are a child placed in an institution, you wake up in a building surrounded by other children. Your life is organized efficiently but not lovingly. The adults around you are the staff, but not your family. On paper, you're safe, but in practice you are alone. No institution, no matter how well run, can replace a family or a community. And when it comes to the child guarantee, the 20 billion dedicated budget is one of the smartest investments we can make. And yes, it's not a social spending. It's an investment because it's cheaper to invest now in the education and health of our children, instead of paying for prisons and for long term social assistance later. Dear colleagues, every day in this Parliament we talk about competitiveness and defence. But if we don't invest now in the future of our children, then tomorrow there will be nothing to compete with nor anything to defend. Thank you.”
  Child poverty policy
• “Thank you. Chair. Dear Executive Vice President, I believe that the European Semester cycle should help us keep track and foster progress towards our EU headline goals for 2030. Some Member States have already reached or exceeded their national targets on employment, but the picture on training and poverty is not as positive, and the situation is especially concerning on child poverty, where the number of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion has increased by almost 500,000 since 2019. The semester cycle of 2025 was a constructive exercise, as an analysis of the implementation of the Child Guarantee was included in all the country reports of the spring package. However, this did not necessarily translate into country specific recommendations, with only two countries receiving a recommendation mentioning specifically child poverty. So in this context, I would like to ask you if this analysis of the implementation of the Child Guarantee will be present in each country, reports of this 2026 cycle and remain in the next cycles. Also, could you please give us more information on how do you engage with Member States where child poverty is deteriorating? Thank you.”
  European Semester (social dimension)
• “Moving on to what needs action or Revision. The study recommended to examen if enhancement to flexibilitatea possible. The application process is found to be challenging the findings. Just that member states can leverage best practices for managing programs and applications that can be used more Ridley in terms of administrative complexity. The study found indicator earlier that it is important the complexity and that this particular challenge for smaller Beneficiari of the study recommended to ensure certification within the constraint of the policy. It is that visible to avoid changes to the rules to programs on implementation, as well as to boost participation and multiple programs. Standard diesen impact indicators for programs would also allow to facilitate the evaluation of the programs. Continuing with actions cases, actions or revision would be needed concerning the commission and initiatives to the study recommended to ensure coordination with national promotion organizations and the Commission also consider with additional tools would be useful. The budget is always important for impact. It is there for and visible to be other priorities available budget to avoid promotion efforts pin spread to think the study also recommended to work on matching supply and demand. Finally, continue effort are needed for effective promotion. Thanks for the study. Findings messages to chair fully consider the two consecutive grounds support limit limit, as well as to examen if rules on brand and origin should be relax. Thank you for your attention!”
  Conditions to access EU budget
• “Thank you. To the shadows. Also to the commission. It is very useful to have this first round of exchanges. And for me, two points are particularly important as we move forward. First, we need to broaden our understanding of what the guarantees should encompass, so that it better takes into account the soft skills and experiences that young people gain through culture, sport, youth work, volunteering and community engagement. We need to do more on promoting opportunities for the validation of non-formal and informal learning. Currently, procedures remain too complex and the implementation of the 2012 council recommendation is quite uneven. We need to tailor them to the groups that need them most, such as vulnerable needs. Secondly, youth guarantee schemes should be expanded to include volunteering and youth work. They can provide meaningful experiential learning, especially for young people facing multiple barriers. And here, member states do not need to start from scratch. The European Solidarity Corps already offers valuable experience in quality assurance, mentoring, learning outcomes, and transitions for young volunteers, and the European Youth Work Agenda provides a shared framework for strengthening youth work across the EU. The timeline for this opinion is quite tight, but since we need to be ready by June. But I believe we have enough time to produce a strong text. I think our work here can really help to shape the final outcome of this implementation report. I look forward to working with you. Thank you.”
  EU volunteering programs