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Attracting highly qualified immigrants to Europe has been one of the EU's key priorities for several years. However, up until now the EU has not been as successful as other OECD countries. This demand for workers is expected to increase due to the growing shortage of certain skills and the aging of the EU's population. A new directive, proposed in 2016, should replace the 2009 Blue Card Directive, increasing the attractiveness of the EU's highly skilled migration scheme. During its September plenary ...

An overview of the main findings and recommendations of the study "Labour mobility and recognition in the regulated professions" prepared for the Committee on Employment and Social affairs (EMPL).

This study analyses the impact on labour mobility and employment of the 2013 revision of the Professional Qualifications Directive (DIR 2005/36) and related EU initiatives. It analyses trends in mobility and recognition, focussing on the health sector and four country case studies- Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Romania. It reports findings from consultations with stakeholders at EU and national level and highlights best practice. This document was provided by Policy Department A at the request ...

The Monthly Highlights publication provides an overview, at a glance, of the on-going work of the policy departments, including a selection of the latest and forthcoming publications, and a list of future events.

The revision of existing provisions regarding the training of professional drivers was announced in the 2017 Commission Work Programme (in annex II covering REFIT initiatives). The initiative fits within the general framework regarding professional drivers of trucks and buses, and is closely related to road safety. It is also in line with the Commission’s 2011 Transport white paper and the 2010 communication ‘Towards a European road safety area: policy orientations on road safety 2011-2020’, which ...

On 1 February 2017, the European Commission adopted a proposal to revise existing provisions concerning the training of professional drivers (lorry and bus drivers). The proposal amends Directive 2003/59/EC on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers and Directive 2006/126/EC on driving licences, with the objective of tackling the main shortcomings identified in the implementation of the existing legislation. Parliament ...

To enhance labour mobility, the European Commission proposed in 2016 to establish a common system of qualifications for workers on EU inland waterways, based on their competence. While the previous EU legislation applied only to boatmasters, the proposal introduced harmonised rules for all deck crew members and extended the scope of legislation to the previously excluded River Rhine. After interinstitutional negotiations concluded on 27 June 2017, the European Parliament adopted the agreed text on ...

The key focal points of the November I plenary session included debates on the rule of law in Malta and Poland and on the 'Paradise papers' revelations. Members adopted, inter alia, their positions ahead of the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference and the Eastern Partnership Summit. They also adopted resolutions on the new EU-Africa strategy and on the Ombudsman's activities in 2016. Parliament heard a formal address from Andrej Kiska, President of Slovakia, and finally, the 2017 LUX Prize was awarded ...

While inland navigation is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly mode of transport, it is not used to its full capacity. Apart from the need for significant infrastructure improvements, the sector is affected by limited labour mobility and shortage of qualified workers. To enhance labour mobility, the European Commission proposed to establish a common system of qualifications for workers on EU inland waterways, based on their competence. While the EU legislation currently applies only to ...

As part of its efforts to reduce transport emissions, the EU wants to make better use of inland navigation. This requires addressing the limited labour mobility and shortage of qualified workers in the sector. The proposed directive seeks to establish one competence-based system of qualifications for workers on all EU inland waterways. Ultimately, the new rules aim to make jobs in inland navigation more attractive. Parliament is due to vote on the proposal in plenary in November.