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To raise awareness of the many forms of trafficking in human beings and to boost efforts to address them, the European Union has set 18 October as EU Anti-trafficking Day. Marking the day is an opportunity to highlight the European Parliament's call to step up action against trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, which is now broadly recognised as a significant problem across the EU, affecting both EU and non-EU citizens.

During the October l plenary session, the European Parliament is expected to vote on the provisional agreement reached with the Council on European Works Councils (EWCs). EWCs are bodies that represent EU workers in large European-scale undertakings. Following Parliament's 2023 call to strengthen their role and capacity as information and consultation bodies on transnational matters, the European Commission put forward a proposal for a directive revising the 2009 EWC Directive.

With the adoption of the European Green Deal, the EU set its vision for a new growth strategy, transforming itself into a climate-neutral Union. At the same time, the digital transition continues to transform the world of work at an unprecedented speed. Anticipating and managing such transitions requires a broader approach: in line with the EU core values, this process should be fair and inclusive. The European Commission is set to present two initiatives to support this process: (i) a new action ...

Everyone provides or receives care at some point in their life. However, care work, whether provided in institutional settings such as childcare centres and healthcare facilities, or in home settings, is largely invisible, undervalued and carried out by women. The resulting gender care gap has profound consequences for the European Union's (EU) labour market and competitiveness as well as the well-being and cohesion of society. This briefing seeks to support the European Parliament's committees on ...

During its February plenary session, Parliament is due to debate a Commission statement on the need to address urgent labour shortages and ensure quality jobs in the EU healthcare sector. The EU faces critical shortages in healthcare workers, driven by an ageing population, increasing demand and difficult working conditions.

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 ...

Youth unemployment in the EU is a perennial problem, with unemployment among the under 25s more than twice as high as among the general population. In this context, good quality traineeships can be a way for young people to enter into the labour market. However, some traineeships are essentially regular employment relationships in disguise. Some are of poor quality, with no or very low remuneration, no access to social protection and a weak learning component. There is also the issue of unequal access ...

The aim of the two proposals, discussed in this briefing, was to improve the use, quality of, and access to traineeships across the EU. In line with the 'evaluation first' principle, the impact assessment (IA) accompanying the two proposals was prepared after the evaluation. Its intervention logic captures the problem, the specific objectives and the internal drivers well. However, more attention could have been devoted to the external drivers. The IA describes the areas and the policy options alongside ...

The Parliament is due tol vote on the agreement reached with the Council on a new directive that sets minimum standards to improve working conditions for people who work through digital labour platforms. It introduces the first-ever EU rules regulating algorithmic management in the workplace. The directive is the outcome of difficult negotiations and sends a signal to taxi and food delivery drivers and domestic workers that the EU is determined to set straight platforms' use of gig work, albeit with ...

This At a glance note summaries the study on Training and social security schemes for fishers. The study presents the current state of play of the mutual recognition of certificates of competency of EU fishers and the functioning of the social security schemes that cover them. Based on the analysis of these topics, the study discusses the impact of the current situation on the mobility of fishers, on the fishing sector’s working risks and security and ultimately on the attractiveness of the fishing ...