The EPP Group for the mobility of workers, for new skills and for the inclusion of people with disabilities

2011. 10. 27.

The European Parliament voted this week at its Strasbourg plenary on three reports of the EPP Group: Traian Ungureanu (RO) MEP's INI report on promoting workers' mobility, Regina Bastos (PT) MEP's INI report on the agenda for new skills and jobs, and Ádám Kósa (HU) MEP's INI report on the inclusion of people with disabilities. MEP Csaba Őry (HU), EPP Group coordinator in the Employment and Social Affairs Committee finds all three documents adopted of utmost importance.

WORKERS' MOBILITY :
TIME TO LIFT RESTRICTIONS, SAYS PARLIAMENT

No negative effects have been reported in member states that have opened their labour market to citizens from the states that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007, so there is no reason to maintain restrictions, says the European Parliament. In a resolution adopted in plenary, on 25 October, MEPs call for the waiver by the end of this year of the temporary restrictions placed on workers from Romania and Bulgaria.

The resolution on Measures to promote workers' mobility within the European Union' was drafted by Traian Ungureanu (EPP, Romania). It represents Parliament's response to the European Commission's communication on this subject.

MEPs regret that there are still too many barriers to the full exercise of freedom of movement on EU territory, although this right is guaranteed by the treaties. They identify a number of social, linguistic, cultural, legal and administrative obstacles, ineffective return policies that do not meet the needs of migrants, a lack of recognition of mobility experience, difficulties concerning the employment of spouses or partners and a long process for the recognition of diplomas and professional qualifications.

MEPs find that these problems stem from incomplete implementation of directives on free movement of workers (and in particular Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of entry and residence of family members who are third country nationals) and cumbersome administrative procedures and additional residence documents (work permit, evidence of satisfactory housing) "inconsistent with Directive 2004/38/EC".

In parallel, MEPs are concerned about the continued application of transitional measures on the free movement of persons from the new member states. They call on those states that still apply restrictions to Romanian and Bulgarian nationals (15) to abolish them by the end of 2011, ie at the end of the second transitional phase (this period was set to last seven years, ie 2+3+2 years). They also invite the Commission to look into the case of Spain (not named in the report) which, after opening up its labour market to all EU citizens on 1 January 2009, decided a few months ago to reintroduce restrictions on Romanian workers until 31 December 2012 due to the country's economic situation.

TIES WITH OTHER POLICIES

The resolution calls on the European Union to coordinate measures for effective application of all policies concerned by the free movement of workers, in particular in the fields of completion of the internal market, coordination of social security systems, supplementary pension rights, protection of workers, cross-border health care, education and vocational training, tax measures such as those designed to avoid double taxation, and anti-discrimination. The text states that, for purposes of freedom of movement, employers should be obliged to inform foreign employees about their rights in the host country. MEPs also note that multilingual advisory services should be set up in the member states to assist migrant workers.

The EP resolution invites the Commission to draw up a scoreboard presenting the obstacles faced by European workers who wish to exercise their right to free movement and how they are being tackled in the memberstates. 

EP FINE-TUNES AGENDA FOR NEW SKILLS

The European Parliament subscribes to the Agenda for new skills and jobs' proposed by the European Commission, in November 2010, to improve the functioning of labour markets, deliver skills adapted to jobs and improve the quality of employment and working conditions. In a non-legislative resolution adopted in plenary, on 26 October, MEPs nevertheless suggest that emphasis should be placed on human capital and employability through an updating of skills. More reliable systems are also needed to anticipate over a ten-year period future skills needs and deficits in the European Union and its member states.

INFORMAL LEARNING EFFECTIVE

MEPs point out the importance of promoting and recognising both hard' (technical) and soft' (behavioural) skills to improve people's employment opportunities. They also stress the importance of informal learning and skills acquisition through stronger intergenerational cooperation and the need to increase participation in lifelong learning.

The resolution encourages member states to promote workplace-based training, in particular a dual system of education-training to introduce young people to the labour market from an early stage. To prevent trainees being used to replace regular employment, MEPs invite member states to set minimum standards in terms of pay and social rights and ask the Commission to set up a European framework for the quality of traineeships that sets decent working conditions. The resolution calls on the Commission to revise the existing framework for direct support provided by the Union to enterprises and to examine the possibility of allocating the bulk of this support for job creation in companies, skills development for workers and implementation of continuing training programmes.

IMPROVING WORKING CONDITIONS

The resolution, drafted by Regina Bastos (EPP, Portugal), states that new jobs must be matched with new forms of work organisation that permit workers who have to look after their children to work alternative hours, to reduce their working time or to choose teleworking. They call for more effective and accessible child care facilities and appropriate support for parents (or family carers).

MEPs rejected the amendment tabled by the S&D group, which objects to the idea of a single open-ended contract that would gradually strengthen protection against dismissal, as foreseen in the Commission's communications (COM(2010)682). 

INCLUSION OF DISABLED PERSONS KEY TO 2020 STRATEGY

The objectives of the 'Europe 2020' strategy cannot be attained without the active involvement of disabled people, ie some 80 million individuals (16% of the population). Such is the European Parliament's message in a non-legislative resolution on the mobility and inclusion of disabled persons and the 2010-2020 strategy in favour of disabled persons, adopted on 25 October.

According to the latest statistics, the drop-out rate in education and the unemployment rate of disabled persons is at least twice as high as the rate of able persons and the poverty rate among disabled persons is 70% higher than the average rate. To address this situation, MEPs call on member states and the European Commission to take concrete measures in terms of mobility and social inclusion. They state that a "welcome development" in terms of free movement of persons and barrier-free services would be the introduction of a unified European mobility card for reciprocal recognition of care for people with disabilities. This would allow disabled persons to study, work and travel more freely.

MEPs stress the enormous importance of employment on the ordinary labour market for disabled persons and call on the Commission and the governments of member states to adopt legal and financial measures which truly encourage the employment of disabled persons. Lastly, MEPs encourage the creation of special forms of leave so that parents can take care of their children with disabilities and urge that the commitment shown and the work performed by parents of children with disabilities should be recognised by being counted as professional experience and by being specifically taken into account when old-age pension entitlements are calculated.

This non-legislative resolution, drafted by the chamber's only deaf MEP, Ádám Kósa (EPP, Hungary), follows from the EU's 2010-2020 strategy on disability. Adopted in late 2010, this Commission communication provides a framework for European action and includes measures that can be taken at a national level in order to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. While MEPs welcome this initiative, they regret that the Commission's communication does not include an integrated gender perspective or a separate chapter on gender-specific disability policies. MEPs recall that the Commission pledged to present a legislative proposal for a European Accessibility Act, and stress the need for strong, binding measures at EU level, with a clear road map. MEPs also call for the adoption of the necessary measures to help the visually impaired to carry out business transactions.

(Europolitics)