Verbatim report of proceedings

Wednesday, 24 February 2016 - Brussels

European network of Employment Services, workers' access to mobility services and the further integration of labour markets (debate)

  Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President of the Commission. – Madam President, first of all I would like to thank Parliament for its support and the rapporteur, Mr Becker, and also the chair of the trilogue, for working so competently. I would also like to thank the entire negotiating team for their efforts and constructive approach.

The new EURES Regulation is part of our broader policy to help people into a job and to facilitate the exercise of the freedom of movement of workers within the European Union. EURES is much more than a mobility portal. It is essentially a human network that provides support to jobseekers and employers across Europe, and it is key to addressing high unemployment rates and skills mismatches. Of course, while discussing labour mobility, it is important to ensure that this does not become a one—way street and does not result in a brain drain in some countries, especially new Member States.

There are more than 22 million people unemployed in the European Union today, and yet there are 2 million unfilled vacancies advertised. It is clear that we can, and must, do more to help people into jobs and to help employers to find the workers they need, within the Member States but also across borders. This is precisely what the EURES Regulation is about. Therefore, the Commission welcomes the timely agreement of the co-legislators.

Already today, the pan-European job search network, with its 34 European public employment services, is working successfully. For more than 20 years EURES has helped people to find jobs in another Member State through its web portal and its network of 1 000 advisers across the Union. The new regulation builds on this work and strengthens EURES further for the future.

So what are the main improvements? More jobs will be advertised and there will be more effective automated online matching between the specific qualifications of job searchers and the skill requirements of specific vacancies, a broader network open to more members and partners and an agreed minimum package of services to jobseekers and to employers in all Member States. It is good that the EURES network will open up further to more members and partners, also including private employment services. We need to work together across silos and exploit synergies to be most effective. At the same time, those who join must be serious, reliable labour market actors and must be committed to building a responsible partnership within the network.

With the new member organisation, EURES should also become better known, since today too many job seekers and employers are simply not aware of its potential. Members may want to promote its existence within their constituencies, in particular in regions with high unemployment or high skills shortages, or in border regions where the EURES network can, for example, provide information on concrete social security or labour law questions that potential border workers are often confronted with.

EURES is indeed more than a pan—European job search tool. Through its network across the Union it can advise and assist in finding a job or a worker and give guidance on the many practical questions that still arise in the context of labour mobility. Whereas today the services offered vary a lot among the Member States, the regulation ensures that a minimum package of support services will be available everywhere.

The Council is expected to adopt the new regulation on 15 March. In the meantime, preparations with representatives of the Member States of the EURES network have started to ensure successful application of these rules as from the day of entry into force. Within two years we will report on the state of play to Parliament and the Council, as well as to the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.