To accelerate this transition, we will continue to advise and invest increasingly in innovative circular business models and new technologies as well as in more traditional resource efficiency projects.

9. Stresses that an effective and job-rich transition to the circular economy requires anticipation (i.e. identification of skills gaps), proactive transformation management and long-term planning, also in a reindustrialisation context, especially in the areas most hit by the economic crisis; notes, therefore, the importance of education, vocational training and requalification of workers, especially in resource-efficient sectors, and the importance of social dialogue on the circular economy agenda; calls for measures that will improve the quality of information, advice and guidance available on careers and the skills needed to capital ...[+++]ise on employment opportunities provided by the circular economy;

7. Stresses the utmost importance of including a gender perspective in the promoting and funding of cultural and academic cooperation and exchanges, vocational training and circular mobility programmes between the EU and MENA partner countries, using these as a tool for empowerment of women and girls, strengthening and promoting their participation in their economies and fostering gender equality; calls on the Commission to include a gender perspective in the European Parliament’s proposal of a Euro-Mediterranean Erasmus programme;

1. Considers that the Member States which have best withstood the economic crisis are those which have given priority to preserving as many jobs as possible by means of strong social dialogue and active employment policies backed by forward-looking investment for this purpose, for example social investment and investment in ecological transition sectors; is of the opinion that those priorities should be examined and adopted as a basis for the competitive, sustainable and diversified reindustrialisation of Europe; stresses in this context the importance of developing a social economy based on the principles of solidarity (and the import ...[+++]ance of industrial cooperatives in particular) and a circular economy based on recycling and reprocessing; considers it necessary to set measurable targets and specific timetables for this purpose;

4. Emphasises that RISE needs a short-term agenda so as to safeguard the manufacturing base and know-how, in order to meet the urgent challenges in some sectors (such as production overcapacity, restructuring and unfair competition) as well as a roadmap and timetable within a long-term framework based on an approach with clear and stable objectives and goals, science-based indicators and a life-cycle and circular economy approach which enables and provides incentives for steering investments into creativity, skills, innovation, new technologies a ...[+++]nd promotes the modernisation, sustainability and competitiveness of Europe’s industrial base through a value chain-conscious policy that covers undertakings of all sizes, pays due attention to the basic industries and is conducive to maintaining the production chain in Europe; considers that such modernisation should be built on both key industries and new sectors of industry and that it must be geared towards growth in accordance with sustainable development principles;

(11b) For the sake of uniform implementation of the Manila amendments within the Union, it is advisable that, when transposing this Directive, Member States should take into account the guidance contained in the abovementioned IMO circulars.