Ieškoti

European Works Councils (EWCs) are bodies that should guarantee employees the right to be consulted on important issues in large multinational companies active in multiple EU countries. However, EWCs have been criticised for being ineffective, on account of unclear definitions, non-dissuasive sanctions and ineffective access to justice. In February 2023, the European Parliament called for legislative action to address the shortcomings identified and strengthen the functioning of EWCs. In response ...

Over the years, coordination of national policies through the European Semester has been enlarged to include key elements from employment and social policies that are mainly a national competence. Part of the European Semester is the annual Joint Employment Report. It triggers a debate on progress made towards achieving a more social Europe and on the adequacy of the indicators used. Parliament expresses its opinion, without the Council being obliged to take it into account. Parliament is scheduled ...

As the EU is undergoing parallel digital, green and demographic transitions and, at the same time, seeking to hold course on competitiveness, skilled people have become vital. While education and training policies are within the remit of Member States, the EU supports them with guidance, funding and coordination. The European Commission has put forward a new initiative, the Union of skills, to address the existing shortages in terms of both occupations and skills in the EU, and Parliament is to debate ...

Poverty has many dimensions. Following recent crises, not least the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, some of poverty's known dimensions have evolved while new forms have emerged. Addressing poverty remains mainly the responsibility of EU countries' governments acting in complex national social settings. The EU meanwhile seeks to coordinate Member States' efforts and offers support in the form of funding and data. The new European Commission is stepping up efforts to meet the EU's ...

Vocational education and training (VET) prepares people for work by developing their specific practical skills as well as transversal competences, for both personal advancement and to meet the needs of the economy. The EU labour market, reflecting industrial and societal developments, in particular the digitalisation of production processes and service provision, faces growing shortages of workers with adapted skills. During the February session, MEPs will debate with the Commission and Council how ...

The EU's population is ageing and set to decline. The shrinking working-age population poses risks in terms of greater labour shortages, increased pressure on public budgets, worsened territorial disparities and depopulation. These can negatively impact EU competitiveness, slow down the green and digital transitions and undermine social cohesion. While managing the demographic transition is the responsibility of Member States, it has also become one of the biggest challenges the EU is facing today ...

On 14 October 2024, EU legislators adopted a new directive on platform work. The directive introduces the presumption of employment – to be applied following national rules – as well as the first EU rules to regulate algorithmic management in the workplace. The new rules will apply from 2 December 2026. Platform work is an umbrella concept covering a heterogeneous group of economic activities completed through a digital platform. Platform workers' rights are not enshrined in EU labour law and this ...

The recent cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated a longstanding problem with housing affordability in the EU. Higher building costs and mortgage rates, together with a related decrease in housing construction, have made access to home ownership more difficult. At the same time, investors use housing as a vehicle for investment. Growing numbers of people are struggling to access affordable housing, whether to rent or to buy, particularly in cities. Across Europe, homelessness is rising. In addition ...

Under the EU Treaties, Member States have to consider their economic and employment policies as a common concern, and coordinate their action within the Council. The Council adopts employment guidelines that must be reflected in the Member States' employment policies and reform programmes. Before adopting these guidelines, Parliament is consulted on the draft, but the Council is not bound by Parliament's opinion. During the October II plenary session, Parliament is due to adopt an opinion on this ...

The success of the green and digital transitions depends on their being conducted in a socially fair way, with attention paid to securing quality jobs and ensuring enough skilled workers are available to perform them. Given the existing shortages in terms of both occupations and skills, reskilling and upskilling of the EU labour force are vital. The start of the new legislative cycle has energised the debate on the EU approach to tackling skills gaps, and MEPs are due to debate a Commission statement ...