Activities of Estelle CEULEMANS
Plenary speeches (8)
The future of European competitiveness (debate)
The crisis facing the EU’s automotive industry, potential plant closures and the need to enhance competitiveness and maintain jobs in Europe (debate)
World Mental Health Day - need for a comprehensive EU strategy on mental health (debate)
World Mental Health Day - need for a comprehensive EU strategy on mental health (debate)
Empowering the Single Market to deliver a sustainable future and prosperity for all EU citizens (debate)
Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (debate)
Tackling the steel crisis: boosting competitive and sustainable European steel and maintaining quality jobs (debate)
Closing the EU skills gap: supporting people in the digital and green transitions to ensure inclusive growth and competitiveness in line with the Draghi report (debate)
Written explanations (2)
Objection pursuant to Rule 115(2) and (3), and (4)(c): Maximum residue levels for carbendazim and thiophanate‐methyl
La proposition de la Commission européenne d'autoriser les résidus de trois pesticides interdits au sein de l’UE pour l'importation de certains aliments en provenance de pays tiers est dangereuse et incohérente.Avec cette proposition, la Commission met la santé des Européens en danger! Ces pesticides sont considérés comme mutagènes, potentiellement cancérigènes, toxiques pour la reproduction et perturbateurs endocriniens.Une telle décision exacerberait également la concurrence déloyale à laquelle les agriculteurs européens sont confrontés. Plus que jamais, je plaide pour l'intégration de clauses miroirs dans les accords commerciaux.Enfin, il est inacceptable d'approuver implicitement la poursuite de l'utilisation de pesticides interdits en Europe à l'étranger sans tenir compte de leur impact sur la santé des travailleurs agricoles et des communautés locales.
Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund: application EGF/2024/001 BE/Match-Smatch
J'ai voté en faveur de l'activation du Fonds européen d’ajustement à la mondialisation (FEM) pour soutenir les 513 travailleurs licenciés des supermarchés Match-Smatch en Belgique. Cette aide de 2,66 millions d'euros, qui couvre 85 % des coûts des mesures proposées, est essentielle pour aider ces travailleurs à se réintégrer sur le marché du travail, notamment à travers des programmes de formation, de requalification et d'accompagnement à la création d'entreprises.La situation des travailleurs de Match-Smatch est particulièrement préoccupante. En 2023, le secteur de la vente au détail alimentaire en Belgique a été frappé de plein fouet par la crise énergétique et inflationniste, ainsi que par l'augmentation des achats transfrontaliers et du commerce en ligne.Il s'agit d'un soutien crucial pour ces travailleurs en difficulté. Je reste déterminée à poursuivre mon engagement pour une Europe sociale, solidaire et capable de proposer des emplois de qualité à tous. Cette décision s'inscrit dans une vision plus large de la défense de politiques industrielles ambitieuses, permettant de protéger nos emplois et de soutenir ceux qui en ont le plus besoin.
Written questions (5)
Restructuring at Audi in Brussels
Human rights violations by EU-funded forces in Tunisia
The CJEU judgment and the ‘return of vehicles’ provision in the Mobility Package
Launch of European humanitarian corridors from Lebanon to the EU
Continued availability of operating grants under the 2025 EU4Health work programme
Amendments (60)
Amendment 2 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
– having regard to the revised European Social Charter,
Amendment 53 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas companies often prioritise short-term profits over economic sustainability and long-term employment stability, underscoring the need for trade union involvement and corporate social responsibility in restructuring plans;
Amendment 66 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas according to European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) the automotive industry is a vital economic pillar in Europe that currently supports around 13 million jobs;
Amendment 69 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas Eurofound data shows that employment in vehicle manufacturing, the supplier industry and in sales has increased somewhat in the last decade, the last three years have seen signs of decline, with European Restructuring Monitor recording evidence of large scale lay-offs in a several countries and among different manufacturers. The overall number of jobs in the automotive sector (NACE C29, G45) is on a continuous decline since mid-2023;
Amendment 79 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the transition from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles is imperative, but it must be achieved in a way that avoids job losses in traditional automotive manufacturingbuilds on jobs and workers of traditional manufacturing and capitalises on the employment potential of EV manufacturing including the jobs in its supply chains and in the charging infrastructure;
Amendment 106 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights that employment security, fair wages and decent working conditions are fundamental rights that must be upheld in all restructuring processes to protect workers from corporate profit- seeking strategies; stresses the urgent need for an ambitious European industrial policy with significant investment that will support common goods and innovation and deliver quality jobs in every region and sector and social progress; underlines that this policy should be based on strong public services, social protection, housing, transport and childcare; supports a robust European industrial policy based on resilient and well-resourced public services and public administration, covering not just manufacturing, but all sectors and all transitions;
Amendment 118 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates its call for a permanent investment tool at EU level to ensure that the necessary resources are available in all sectors for developing an industrial policy and for policies that support the protection and creation of quality jobs and help reach the social and green targets, based on the positive experiences of NextGenerationEU and the strong labour focus of the support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency instrument (SURE); remains that the Eurofound assessment shows the job retention schemes, in part supported through SURE, saved an estimated 26.9 million jobs in the EU during the pandemic;
Amendment 129 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that the delivery of a European industrial policy for quality jobs requires the full involvement of social partners and needs to be implemented through social dialogue and collective bargaining; calls on the Commission to ensure targeted consultation of social partners in the definition of the Clean Industrial Deal; calls on the Commission to include the overall objective of raising workensuring quality jobs at the EU level;
Amendment 158 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Urges the Commission to revise the European Public Procurement Directive6 in order to establish preferential treatment for companies complying with collective bargainingwhose workers are covered by collective agreements; calls on the Commission to strengthen the social clause and exclude from tenders companies that have engaged in criminal activities or union busting, have not respected workers’ and trade union rights or that have refused to participate in collective bargaining; highlights the importance of ensuring that public money is used to invest in those engaged in just transitions with the aim of promoting collective agreements and increasing trade union densities; considers, furthermore, that all EU financial support to undertakings should be made conditional on their compliance with the applicable working and employment conditions and/or employer obligations resulting from the relevant collective agreements; believes that this support should also be conditional on their commitment to investing in European industries and maintaining jobs in the EU; __________________ 6 Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC, OJ L 94, 28.3.2014, p. 65, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/24/oj.
Amendment 161 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Highlights that according to Eurofound research of working conditions, not all jobs created as a result of the de-carbonisation of the economy will be good quality jobs and that monitoring of job quality remains essential; calls for the quality jobs roadmap to include a proposal on social conditionalities in the access to European funds related to decarbonisation;
Amendment 170 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Reiterates its call for EU funding and support to companies, including State aid, to be conditional on public policy objectives, especially in strategic sectors, and on social requirements, in order to offerensure high-quality jobs, promote collective bargaining, respect EU labour rights and standards, and ensure improved working conditions;
Amendment 181 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Supports investments in sectors such as electric vehicle battery production, charging infrastructure, renewable energy and digital technologies; insists that these investments must prioritise quality jobs, workers’ rights and community development;
Amendment 190 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Invites the Commission to monitor the trends in restructuring and their impact on employment, using data from tools, such as the European Restructuring Monitor and the forthcoming EU Fair Transition Observatory, to track the number of jobs created or abolished and the companies concerned;
Amendment 200 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that restructuring processes are essential intransformation processes will need to take place in the process of achieving the green transition objectives and are an imperative for a net-zero economy that sustains its social and environmental standards; warns that transformation processes and restructuring processes must never come at the cost of workers’ rights or working conditions and must safeguard and create quality jobs; calls on the Commission to take action to reinforce and promote collective bargaining, ensuring an increase in collective bargaining coverage to at least 80 % in all Member States, a target, according to Eurofound currently reached in only 8 of them, and guaranteeing full respect of the right to collective bargaining;
Amendment 205 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Notes the need for strengthening social dialogue and for better articulation of collective agreements insofar as according to Eurofound most of the recently identified agreements have been concluded at company level, some have been identified at the cross-sectoral level, with few agreements available at sectoral level;
Amendment 213 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Emphasises that when no other option is available restructuring processes should start as early as possible to prevent insolvency and mitigateavoid job losses; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support companies working closely with trade unions and workers’ representatives to identify warning signs early and develop comprehensive plans to address employment needs;
Amendment 222 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Warns that restructuring must not be used as a pretext to violate workers’ and trade union rights7 ; deplores the frequent violations of the fundamental rights of collective bargaining and information and consultation before a decision is made; emphasises that trade unions must be empowered to challenge any company’s decision to restructure with the right to call on the support of an independent expert, paid by the employer, to evaluate any restructuring case; calls on the Commission to put in place further safeguards to prevent the misuse of restructuring as a means to exploit workers or avoid obligations, particularly in cases of tactical insolvency; sanctions should be imposed on abuses; __________________ 7 Study – ‘Study on monitoring the application of the EU Quality Framework for anticipation of change and restructuring’, European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Publications Office of the European Union, 2018, https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/- /publication/1c22896d-4e10-11ea-aece- 01aa75ed71a1/language-en.
Amendment 228 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Is alarmed that European company law provisions are being used to circumvent national systems of workers’ information, consultation and participation; reiterates its call to introduce a new framework directive on workers’ information, consultation and participation for European companies, in order to establish minimum standards for information, consultation and participation for those company forms , in particular at company level ; stresses that the Directive for a Just Transition in the world of work must strengthen democracy at work with regards to measures concerning climate change, digital transformation and restructuring;
Amendment 237 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission to present a proposal for a directive on just transition in the world of work, through anticipation and management of change, based on the principles of trade union involvement and collective bargaining; urges the Commission to ensure the right for all to training without cost to the worker and during working hours; believes that this proposal should include a right to job-to- job transition and a right to quality upskilling or reskilling training, employee training and career development support; points out that when job changes are necessary, the priority should always be upskilling workers to keep them in the same company; notes that, when job-to-job transition is necessary, keeping workers in the same sector and region while allowing them sufficient time for reconversion without personal financial losses is essential; stresses that the principle of a fair and social just transition willmust apply to restructuringany transformation or restructuring processes for any transitions (including the green and the digital ones), especially in transforming industries in strategic sectors such as automotive and energy, and will put the workersorkers must be put first;
Amendment 258 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission to develop a comprehensive plan, similar to the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act, focused on boosting investment in green technologies, renewable energy and sustainable industries and ensuring quality jobs, with the objective of accelerating the EU’s transition to a climate-neutral economy and managing all transitions while strengthening the European social model and social justice;
Amendment 266 #
2024/2829(RSP)
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls for the establishment of a comprehensive directive to address the challenges and complexities associated with subcontracting and labour intermediaries in Europe to ensure fair working conditions, adequate rights and protections for subcontracted workers; calls for the directive to include measures regulating the role of labour intermediaries and introducing an EU general legal framework limiting subcontracting and ensuring joint and several liability through the subcontracting chain, as well as provisions for collective bargaining rights to ensure equal treatment and enable subcontracted workers to negotiate their terms of employment effectively;
Amendment 2 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Recital 1
(1) Member States and the Union are to work towards developing a coordinated strategy for employment and in particular for the promotion of quality employment and improving working conditions, a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce, as well as labour markets that are inclusive, future-oriented and responsive to economic and demographic change, with a view to achieving the objectives of full employment and social progress, balanced growth, a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment laid down in Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). Member States are to regard promoting employment as a matter of common concern and are to coordinate their action in that respect within the Council, taking into account national practices related to the responsibilities of management and labour.
Amendment 6 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Recital 4
(4) In order to enhance economic and social progress and upward convergence, support the green and digital transitions, strengthen the Union industrial base and achieve inclusive, competitive and resilient labour markets in the Union, Member States should while avoiding any negative social consequences, Member States should promote good wages, decent working conditions, foster democracy at work, social dialogue and collective bargaining, protect workers´ rights, address labour and skills shortages and promote quality and inclusive education and training, with a particular focus on improving basic skills, especially among disadvantaged students, and on STEM (science, technology, enginerering and mathematiscs) in school and higher education, future-oriented vocational education and training, and lifelong upskilling and reskilling, as well as effective active labour market policies and improved working conditions and career opportunities. This is of particular relevance for the less developed, remote and outermost regions of the EU, where the needs are the greatest. Shortages can be further addressed by improving fair intra- EU mobility for workers and learners and attracting talent from outside the EU. In addition, the links between the education and training systems and the labour market should be strengthened and skills, knowledge and competences acquired through non-formal and informal learning recognised.
Amendment 14 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Recital 6
(6) The European Semester combines different instruments in an overarching framework for integrated multilateral coordination and surveillance of economic and employ, employment, social and environmental policies within the Union. While pursuing environmental sustainability, productivity, fairness and macroeconomic stability, the European Semester integratesAs part of its integrated analysis of employment and social developments in the context of the European Semester, the Commission assesses risks to upward social convergence in Member States and monitors progress on the implementation of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights and its monitoring tool,on the basis of the Social Scoreboard, also allowing an analysis of risks and challenges to upward social convergence in the Union, andnd of the principles of the Social Convergence Framework. While pursuing environmental sustainability, productivity, fairness and macroeconomic stability, the European Semester provides for strong engagement with social partners, civil society and other stakeholders. It also supports the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. The economic and employment policies of the Union and the Member States should go hand in hand with the Union’s fair transition to a climate-neutral, socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable and digital economy, improve competitiveness, ensure adequategood wages and decent working conditions, foster innovation, democracy at work, social dialogue and collective bargaining, promote social justice, equal opportunities and upward socio-economic convergence, and tackle inequalities and regional disparities and reduce poverty.
Amendment 20 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Recital 7 – paragraph 1
Climate change and other environment- related challenges, the need to ensure a fair green transition, energy independence, enhanced competitiveness of net-zero industries and the need to secure Europe’s open strategic autonomy, as well as the development of digitalisation, artificial intelligence and the platform economy, an increase in teleworking and demographic change are deeply transforming Union economies and societies. The Union and its Member States are to work together to effectively and proactively address such structural developments and adapt existing systems as needed, recognising the close interdependence of the Member States’ economies and labour markets, and related policies. This requires coordinated, ambitious and effective policy action at both Union and national levels while recognising the role of social partners and involving them, in accordance with the TFEU and with the Union’s provisions on economic governance, taking into account the European Pillar of Social Rights. Such policy action should encompass a boost in sustainable investment across all EU regions, a renewed commitment to appropriately sequenced reforms and investments that enhance sustainable and inclusive economic growth, the creation of quality jobs, productivity, adequatecent working conditions, social and territorial cohesion, upward socio-economic convergence, social justice, equal opportunities, resilience and the exercise of fiscal and social responsibility.
Amendment 23 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Recital 8
(8) The European Pillar of Social Rights, proclaimed by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission in November 2017 (35 ), sets out twenty principles and rights to support well-functioning and fair labour markets and welfare systems, structured around three categories: equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions, and social protection and inclusion. Those principles and rights give strategic direction to the Union, ensuring that the transitions to climate-neutrality, environmental sustainability, digitalisation and the impact of demographic change are socially fair and just and preserve territorial cohesion. The European Pillar of Social Rights, with its accompanying Social Scoreboard and the Social Convergence Framework, constitutes a reference framework to monitor the employment and social performance of Member States and upward social convergence in the Union, to drive reforms and investments at national, regional and local levels and to reconcile the ‘social’ and the ‘market’ in today’s modern economy, including by promoting the social economy. On 4 March 2021, the Commission put forward an Action Plan for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (the ‘Action Plan’), including ambitious yet realistic Union headline targets on employment, skills and poverty reduction and complementary sub- targets for 2030, as well as the revised Social Scoreboard. __________________ 35 Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights (OJ C 428, 13.12.2017, p. 10).
Amendment 26 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Recital 10
(10) The Union headline targets for 2030 on employment (that at least 78 % of the population aged 20-64 should be in employment), skills (that at least 60 % of all adults should participate in training every year) and poverty reduction (that at least 15 million fewer people should be at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including five million children), welcomed by the Heads of State or Government at the Porto Social Summit on 8 May 2021 and by the June 2021 European Council, will help, together with the Social Scoreboard and the Social Convergence Framework, in monitoring progress towards the implementation of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights as part of the policy coordination framework in the European Semester. In addition, the Porto Social Summit called on Member States to set ambitious national targets which, taking due account of the starting position of each country, should constitute an adequate contribution to the achievement of the Union headline targets for 2030. Between September 2021 and June 2022, at the invitation of the Commission, Member States submitted their national targets. At the June 2022 Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO), Ministers stressed the importance of closely following the progress achieved towards the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the EU headline targets for 2030. Against that background, progress on those national targets is monitored in the Joint Employment Report 2024, and is integrated in the monitoring tools for the European Semester. In addition, the Joint Employment Report 2024 integrated the Social Convergence Framework which contained a ‘first-stage country analysis’ on potential risks to upward social convergence, identifying seven countries as experiencing potential risks, which resulted in a deeper ‘second- stage analysis’ for these seven Member States (36 ). __________________ 36 Resulting in a Commission Staff Working Document (https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/docume nts- register/detail?ref=SWD(2024)132&lang= en), drawing on the Key Messages of the EPSCO advisory bodies on a possible framework to strengthen the assessment and monitoring of risks to upward social convergence in the Union, which informed the debate regarding the Semester at the June 2023 EPSCO.
Amendment 29 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Recital 12 – paragraph 1
Reforms to the labour market, including national wage-setting mechanisms, should respect and strenghten national practices of social dialogue, collective bargaining and the autonomy of the social partners, with a view to providing fair wages that enable a decent standard of living, sustainable growth and upward socio- economic convergence. Such reforms should allow for a broad consideration of socio-economic factors, including improvements in sustainability, competitiveness, innovation, the creation of quality jobs, decent working conditions, democracy at work, gender equality, in- work poverty, education, training and skills, public health, social protection and inclusion, as well as real incomes. Member States should implement the Directive on adequate minimum wages without delay and prepare action plans to increase the collective bargaining coverage in line with the directive, where applicable. The importance of social dialogue in tackling challenges in the world of work, including labour and skills shortages, was reaffirmed at the 2024 Val Duchesse Summit.
Amendment 33 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Recital 12 – paragraph 2
The Recovery and Resilience Facility and other Union funds are supporting Member States in implementing reforms and investments that are in line with the Union’s priorities, making Union economies and societies more sustainable and resilient and better prepared for the green and digital transitions in the changing context following the COVID-19 pandemic. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has further aggravated pre- existing socio-economic challenges, as higher energy prices particularly affected low-income households. Member States and the Union should continue to ensure that the social, employment and economic impacts are mitigated and that transitions are socially fair and just, also in light of the fact that increased open strategic autonomy and an accelerated green transition will help reduce the dependence on imports of energy and other strategic products and technologies, in particular from Russia. Strengthening resilience and pursuing an inclusive and resilient society in which people are protected and empowered to anticipate and manage change, and in which they can actively participate in society and the economy, are essential. This is why democracy at work has to be strengthened at the union and at national level.
Amendment 40 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Recital 13 – paragraph 1
Discrimination in all its forms should be tackleliminated, gender equality ensured and employment of young people supporpromoted. Equal access and opportunities for all should be ensured and poverty and social exclusion, in particular that of children, persons with disabilities and the Roma peoplewith a special emphasis on vulnerable groups, namely children, young and older persons, persons with disabilities, single parents, ethnic minorities, such as the Roma people, LGBTIQA+ people and people living in remote areas, should be reduceradicated, in particular by ensuring an effective functioning of labour markets and adequate and inclusive social protection systems, as set out in the Council Recommendation of 8 November 2019 and the Council Recommendation of 30 January 2023 (39 ). In addition, barriers to inclusive and future- oriented education, training, retraining, lifelong learning and labour- market participation should be removed and Member States should invest in early childhood education and care, in line with the European Child Guarantee and the Council Recommendation on early childhood education and care (the ‘Barcelona targets for 2030’), in making vocational education and training more attractive and inclusive in line with the Council Recommendation on vocational education and training, and in digital and green skills, in line with the Digital Education Action Plan and the Council Recommendation on learning for the green transition and sustainable development and the Council Recommendation on Pathways for School Success. Access to decent and affordable housing, including through social housing, is a necessary condition for ensuring equal opportunities, which is why the European Union and the Member States should take the necessary actions to provide affordable housing for all. Homelessness is one of the most extreme forms of social exclusion, which negatively affects people´s physical and mental health, wellbeing, and quality of life, as well as their access to employment and other economic and social services. Timely and equal access to affordable high-quality long-term care, in line with the Council Recommendation on access to affordable high-quality long-term care, and healthcare services, including prevention and healthcare promotion, are particularly relevant, in light of potential future health risks and in a context of ageing societies. __________________ 39 Council Recommendation of 30 January 2023 on adequate minimum income ensuring active inclusion (OJ C 41, 3.2.2023, p.1).
Amendment 47 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Recital 14 – paragraph 2
In addition, for the 2021-2027 programming period, Member States should make full use of the European Social Fund Plus, the European Regional Development Fund, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and other Union funds, including the Just Transition Fund as well as InvestEU established by Regulation (EU) 2021/523 of the European Parliament and of the Council (46 ), as well as the Technical Support Instrument (TSI), to foster quality employment and social investments, to fighteradicate poverty and social exclusion, to combeliminate discrimination, to ensure accessibility and inclusion, and to promote upskilling and reskilling opportunities of the workforce, lifelong learning and high-quality education and training for all, including digital literacy and skills in order to empower citizens with the knowledge and qualifications required for a digital and green economy. Member States are also to make full use of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers established by Regulation (EU) 2021/691 of the European Parliament and of the Council (47 ) to support workers made redundant as a result of major restructuring events, such as socioeconomic transformations that are the result of global trends and technological and environmental changes. While the Integrated Guidelines are addressed to Member States and the Union, they should be implemented, monitored and evaluated in partnership with all national, regional and local authorities, closactively involving parliaments, as well as the social partners and representatives of civil society. __________________ 46 Regulation (EU) 2021/523 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 March 2021 establishing the InvestEU Programme and amending Regulation (EU) 2015/1017 (OJ L 107, 26.3.2021, p. 30). 47 Regulation (EU) 2021/691 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 (OJ L 153, 3.5.2021, p. 48).
Amendment 49 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Recital 16 a (new)
(16 a) Welcomes the Commission’s proposal for updated employment guidelines for the Member States, in particular its strong focus on education and training as well as new technologies, artificial intelligence and algorithmic management as well as recent policy initiatives such as platform work, affordable housing and tackling labour and skills shortages; with a view to strengthening democratic decision- making, reiterates its call to be involved in setting the Integrated Guidelines at Union level on an equal footing with Council, in line with its legislative resolutions of 8 July 2015, 19 April 2018, 10 July 2020 and 18 October 2022 on the proposal for a Council decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States;
Amendment 56 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 2
To strengthen resilience in the face of possible economic and/or labour market shocks, well-designed short-time work schemes, like the ones developed in the context of the European instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE), and similar arrangements play an important role. They can also support structural transformations by facilitating and supporting restructuring processes and the reallocation of labour from declining sectors towards emerging ones, thereby increasing productivity, preserving employment and helping to modernise the economy, including via associated skills development. Well-designed hiring and transition incentives and upskilling and reskilling measures, developed in close cooperation with social partners, should be considered in order to support quality job creation and transitions throughout the working life, and to address labour and skill shortages, also in light of the digital and green transformations, demographic change, as well as of the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Amendment 61 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 3
Taxation should be shifted away from labour to other sources more supportive of employment and inclusive growthprogressive, supportive of job creation, and in line with climate and environmental objectives, taking account of the redistributive effect of the tax system, while protecting revenue for adequate social protection and growth- enhancing expenditure.
Amendment 64 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 4
Member States, including those with statutory minimum wages, should promote collective bargaining on wage setting and ensure an effective involvement of social partners in a transparent and predictable manner, allowing for adequate responsiveness of wages to productivity developments, inflation and the cost of living, and fostering fair wages that enable a decent standard of living, paying particular attention to lower and middle income groups with a view to strengthening upward socio-economic convergence. Wage-setting mechanisms should also take into account socio- economic conditions, including employment growth, competitiveness, purchasing power and regional and sectoral developments. Respecting national practices and the autonomy of the social partners, Member States and social partners should ensure that all workers have adequate wages by benefitting, directly or indirectly, from collective agreements or adequate statutory minimum wages, taking into account their impact on competitiveness, quality job creation, purchasing power and in-work poverty.
Amendment 67 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 5
In the context of the digital and green transitions, demographic change and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Member States should promote sustainability, productivity, competitiveness, employability and human capitalthe development, fostering and acquisition of skills and competences throughout people’s lives and responding to current and future labour market needs, also in light of the Union and national headline targets for 2030 on skills. Member States should also modernise and invest in their education and training systems to provide high quality and inclusive education and training including vocational education and training, improve educational outcomes and the provision of skills and competences needed for the green and digital transitions, and ensure access to digital learning, language training (e.g. in the case of refugees including from Ukraine or in facilitating labour market access in cross-border regions) and the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills. Member States should work together with the social partners, education and training providers, enterprises and other stakeholders, also in the context of the action plan to tackle labour and skills shortages put forward by the Commission in March 2024, to address structural weaknesses in education and training systems and improve their quality and labour-market relevance, including through targeted financial and technical support. This would also contribute to enabling the green and digital transitions, addressing skills mismatches and labour shortages, including for activities related to net-zero and digital industries, including those relevant for the EU’s economic security, and those related to the green transition, such as renewable energy deployment or buildings’ renovation. Decent working conditions, comprising amongst others good wages, standard employment contracts, access to social protection, lifelong learning opportunities, occupational health and safety, a good work-life balance, reasonable working time, worker’s representation, democracy at work and collective agreements, play a crucial role in attracting and retaining skilled workers.
Amendment 73 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 6
Particular attention should be paid to addressing theany decline in the educational performance of young people, especially in the area of basic skills. Action is needed to address the challenges faced by the teaching profession, including its attractiveness, tackling teacher shortages, and the need to invest in teachers’ and trainers’ digital skills competences. Moreover, education and training systems should equip all learners with key competences, including basic and digital skills as well as transversal competences, and critical thinking in light of the threat of disinformation, to lay the foundations for adaptability and resilience throughout life, while ensuring that teachers are prepared to foster those competencies in learners. Member States should support working age adults in accessing training and increase individuals’ incentives and motivation to seek training, including, where appropriate, through individual learning accounts and occupation related training provided during working hours and financed by the employer, and ensuring their transferability during professional transitions, as well as through a reliable system of training quality assessment. Member States should explore the use of micro-credentials to support lifelong learning and employability. They should enable everyone to anticipate and better adapt to labour-market needs, in particular through continuous upskilling and reskilling and the provision of integrated guidance and counselling, with a view to supporting fair and just transitions for all, strengthening employment and social outcomes and productivity, addressing labour-market shortages and skills mismatches, improving the overall resilience of the economy to shocks and making potential adjustments easier.
Amendment 75 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 7
Member States should foster equal opportunities for all by addressing inequalities in education and training systems, including in terms of regional coverage. In particular, children should be provided with access to affordable and high-quality early childhood education and care, in line with the new “Barcelona targets” and the European Child Guarantee Member States should raise overall qualification levels, reduce the number of early leavers from education and training, support equal access to education of children from disadvantaged groups and remote areas, increase the attractiveness of vocational education and training (VET), support access to and completion of tertiary education, and increase the number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates both in VET and in tertiary education, especially women. Top performance and excellence in educational outcomes should also be supported, given their role in fostering the future innovation potential of the EU. Mermber States should facilitate the transition from education to employment for young people through paid quality traineeships and apprenticeships, as well as increase adult participation in continuing learning, particularly among learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and the least qualified. Taking into account the new requirements of digital, green and ageing societies, Member States should upgrade and increase the supply and uptake of flexible initial and continuing VET, strengthen work-based learning in their VET systems, including through accessible, quality and effective apprenticeships, and support low-skilled adults maintain their employability. Furthermore, Member States should enhance, where appropriate, the labour- market relevance of tertiary education and, where appropriate, research; improve skills monitoring and forecasting; make skills and qualifications more visible and comparable, including those acquired abroad, and ensure a more consistent use of EU-wide classifications (i.e. ESCO); and increase opportunities for recognising and validating skills and competences acquired outside formal education and training, including for refugees and persons under a temporary protection status. Beyond using the untapped potential of the EU domestic workforce, attracting talent and skills from outside the EU viaopening legal channels for managed migration and preventing exploitative working conditions by offering migrant workers the same working and employment conditions as local workers can also contribute to addressing skills and labour shortages, including those linked to the green and digital transitions such as in STEM sectors ands well as in healthcare and long-term care, education, transport and construction. Member States should likewise ensure that labour migration does not result in a deterioration of existing working conditions for domestic workers.
Amendment 80 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 7 a (new)
In order to avoid the offshoring of companies that have received European aid, it is essential to review existing state aid rules and funding programmes and establish strategic solutions aimed at maintaining the industrial base within Europe. This includes strengthening European strategic autonomy and promoting a robust European industrial policy. Furthermore, the transition must be accompanied by social and employment measures to ensure a just transition for all, ensuring that no workers or communities are left behind during this process.
Amendment 81 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 8
Member States should provide unemployed and inactive people with effective, timely, coordinated and tailor-made assistance based on support for job searches, training, up- and reskilling and access to other enabling services, paying particular attention to vulnerable groups and people affected by the green and digital transitions or labour market shocks. Comprehensive strategies that include in-depth individual assessments of unemployed people should be pursued as soon as possible, at the latest after 18 months of unemployment, with a view to significantly reducing and preventing long-term and structural unemployment. Youth unemployment and the issue of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) should continue to be addressed through prevention of early leaving from education and training and structural improvement of the school-to-work transition, including through the full implementation of the reinforced Youth Guarantee, which should also support quality youth employment opportunities. In addition, Member States should boost efforts notably at highlighting how the green and digital transitions offer a renewed perspective for the future and opportunities for young people in the labour market.
Amendment 86 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 9
Member States should aim to remove barriers and disincentives to, and provide incentives for, participation in the labour market, in particular for low-income earners, second earners (often women) and those furthest from the labour market, including people with a migrant background and marginalised Roma people. In view of high labour shortages in certain occupations and sectors (notably in STEM sectors, healthcare and long-term care, education, transport and construction), Member States should contribute to fostering labour supply, notably through promoting adequate wages and decent working conditions, ensuring that the design of tax and benefit systems encourages labour market participation, and that active labour market policies are effective and accessible, respecting the role of social partners. Member States should also support a work environment adapted for persons with disabilities, including through targeted financial and technical support, information and awareness raising, and services that enable them to participate in the labour market and in society. The various guidelines developed within the framework of the employment package of the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2023- 2030 should be fully implemented in the workplace. Particular attention should be paid to the right to reasonable accommodation, the deployment of retention strategies, and the fight against discriminatory practices. The gender employment and pay gaps as well as gender stereotypes should be tackled. Member States should ensure gender equality and increased labour market participation of women, including through ensuring equal opportunities and career progression and eliminating barriers to leadership access at all levels of decision making, as well as by tackling violence and harassment at work which is a problem that mainly affects women. Equal pay for equal work, or work of equal value, and pay transparency should be ensured. The reconciliation of work, family and private life for both women and men should be promoted, in particular through access to affordable, quality long-term care and early childhood education and care services, as well as through adequate policies catering to the changes brought to the world of work by digitalisation. The right of workers to disconnect is essential in this context. Member States should ensure that parents and other people with caring responsibilities have access to suitable family-related leave and flexible working arrangements in order to balance work, family and private life, and promote a balanced use of those entitlements between parents.
Amendment 90 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 10
In order to benefit from a dynamic and productive workforce and new work patterns and business models, Member States should work together with the social partners on fair, transparent and predictable working conditions, balancing rights and obligations. They should reduce and prevent segmentation within labour markets, fight undeclared work and bogus self-employment, and foster the transition towards open-ended forms of employment. Employment protection rules, labour law and institutions should all provide both a suitable environment for recruitment and the necessary flexibility for employers to adapt swiftly to changes in the economic context, while protecting labour rights and ensuring social protection, an appropriate level of security, and healthy, safe and well-adapted working environments for all workers. Promoting the use of flexible working arrangements such as teleworking can contribute to higher employment levels and more inclusive labour markets. Furthermore, Member States should support workers, businesses, and other actors in the digital transformation, including via promoting the uptake of ethical and trustworthly Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. This can range from policies, developed in cooperation with social partners, to upskill and reskill workers for new occupations and incentives for companies to develop and deploy technologies that have the potential to increase productivity, complement human labour, and alleviate labour shortages in critical sectors. In general, and in the digital context in particular, it is important to ensure that the workers’ rights in terms of working time, democracy at work, working conditions, mental health at work and work-life balance are respected and equally applied for all workers, regardless of the size of the company or the underlying employment contract. Employment relationships that lead to precarious working conditions, shoulduch as bogus self-employment or bogus traineeships, must be prevented, including cases involving platform workers, by ens. It is therefore essential that Member States implement the Directive on improving the working conditions in platform work, ensure people working through digital labour platforms can fully enjoy their rights and social benefits, strengthen labour ingspections and introduce dissuasive sanctions. Member States should ensure fairness, transparency and human accountability in the use of algorithms, and by fighting the abuse of atypical contracts. Access to effective, impartial dispute resolution and a right to redress, including adequate compensation, where applicable, should be ensured in cases of unfair dismissal.
Amendment 96 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 11
Policies should aim to improve and support labour-market participation, matching and transitions, also in light of demographic change, and including in disadvantaged regions. Member States should effectively activate and enable those who can participate in the labour market, especially under-represented groups, such as women and youndg people, as well as people in vulnerable situations, such as lower-skilled people and the long-term unemployed, persons with disabilities, people with a migrant background, including persons under a temporary protection status, people from marginalised Roma communities and older workers. Member States should strengthen the scope and effectiveness of active labour-market policies by increasing their targeting, outreach and coverage and by better linking them with social services, training and income support for the unemployed, while they are seeking work and based on their rights and responsibilities. Member States should make the best use of EU funding and technical support as well as national resources to enhance the capacity of public employment services to provide timely and tailor-made assistance to jobseekers, respond to current and future labour- market needs, and implement performance- based management, supporting their capacity to use data and digital technology. Private employment services also play a role in this respect.
Amendment 97 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 12
Member States should provide the unemployed with adequate unemployment benefits of reasonable duration, in line with their contributions and national eligibility rules and based on the principle of non- discrimination. Unemployment benefits should not disincentivise a prompt return to employment and should be accompanied by active labour market policies, including up- and reskilling measures, also in light of labour and skills shortages.
Amendment 104 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 14
The mobility of workers in critical occupations and of cross-border, seasonal and posted workers should be supported in the case of temporary border closures triggered by public health considerations. Member States should further engage in talent partnerships to enhance legal migration pathways by launching new mobility schemes and provide for an effective integration policy for workers and their families, encompassing education and training, including language training, employment, health and housing.
Amendment 108 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 15
Member States should also strive to create the appropriate conditions for new forms of work, and working methods, delivering on their job-creation potential while ensuring they are compliant with existing social rights as well as Union and national labour law. They should provide advice and guidance on the rights and obligations which apply in the context of atypical contracts and new forms of work, such as work through digital labour platforms and permanent or semi-permanent teleworking arrangements. In this regard, social partners can play an instrumental role and Member States should support them in reaching out and representing people in atypical and new forms of work. Member States should also consider providing support for enforcement – such as strengthening labour inspectorates and issuing guidelines or dedicated trainings for labour inspectorates – concerning the challenges stemming from new forms of organising work, including the use of digital technologies and of AI, such as algorithmic management, workers’ surveillance and telework.
Amendment 109 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 16
Member States should foster democracy at work and ensure an enabling environment for bipartite and tripartite social dialogue at all levels, including collective bargaining, in the public and private sectors in accordance with national law and/or practice, after consultation and in close cooperation with social partners, while respecting their autonomy. Member States should involve social partners in a systematic, meaningful and timely manner in the design and implementation of employment, social and, where relevant, economic and other public policies including in the setting and updating of statutory minimum wages. Member States should promote a higher level of covergage of collective bargaining, including by promoting the building and strengthening of capacity of the social partners, enable effective collective bargaining at all appropriate levels and encourage coordination between and across those levels. The social partners should be encouraged to negotiate and conclude collective agreements in matters relevant to them, fully respecting their autonomy and the right to collective action. Member States should implement the Directive on adequate minimum wages without delay and prepare action plans to increase the collective bargaining coverage in line with the directive, where applicable.
Amendment 111 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 17
Where relevaithout prejudice to the competences and autonomy of social partners as well as their right to negotiate and conclude collective agreements, and building on existing national practices, Member States should also take into account the relevant experience of civil society organisations’ in employment and social issues, where relevant.
Amendment 119 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 20
Member States should develop and integrate the three strands of active inclusion: adequate income support, inclusive labour markets and access to quality enabling services, to meet individual needs. Social protection systems should ensure adequate minimum income benefits for everyone lacking sufficient resources and promote social inclusion by supporting and encouraging people in working age to actively participate in the labour market and society, including through targeted provision of social services. The availability of affordable, accessible and quality services such as early childhood education and care, out-of- school care, education, training, housing, and health and long-term care is a necessary condition for ensuring equal opportunities. Particular attention should be given to fighting poverty and social exclusion, including in- work poverty, in line with the Union headline and national targets for 2030 on poverty reduction. Child poverty and social exclusion should be especially addressed by comprehensive and integrated measures, including through the full implementation of the European Child Guarantee. Member States should ensure that everyone, including children, has access to essential services of good quality. For those in need or in a vulnerable situation, they should also ensure access to adequate affordable and social housing or housing assistance. They should ensure a clean and fair energy transition and address energy poverty as an increasingly significant form of poverty, including, where appropriate, via targeted support measures aimed at households in vulnerable situations. Member States should make effective use of EU funding and technical support to invest in social housing, housing renovation and accompanying services and address the urgent need for affordable and decent housing. The specific needs of persons with disabilities, including accessibility, should be taken into account in relation to those services. Homelessness should be tackled specifically by promoting access to permanent housing (housing first approach) and the provision of enabling support services.
Amendment 124 #
2024/0599(NLE)
Annex I – paragraph 21
Member States should ensure timely access to affordable preventive and curative healthcare and long-term care of good quality, while safeguarding sustainability in the long term. In the context of an increasing demand for long-term care, also linked to demographic changes, gaps in adequacy, as well as workforcelabour shortages and poor working conditionss, should be addressed.
Amendment 2 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Belgium submitted application EGF/2024/001 BE/Match- Smatch for a financial contribution from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF), following a total number of 513 displacements5 in the economic sector classified under the NACE Revision 2 division 47 (Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles) in the provinces of Hainaut (BE32), Liège (BE33), and Namur (BE35) with 444 displacements within a reference period for the application from 11 December 2023 to 11 April 2024, and 69 displacements before or after the reference period; whereas workers in this region have experienced increased hardship due to lack of sufficient alternatives; whereas employees in the Belgian commerce sector in general find themselves in a precarious situation, brought upon by the broader structural transformations taking place within the industry; _________________ 5 Within the meaning of Article 3 of the EGF Regulation.
Amendment 3 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the application relates to 444 displacements within the reference period for the application whose activity has ceased in Match-Smatch; whereas many of these workers have been long- term employees, creating an additional barrier to re-entry into the labour market, with trade unions highlighting that many of these layoffs occurred without sufficient negotiation and without exploring alternative options to retain workers or transition them into new roles;
Amendment 4 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the application relates to 69 displacements whose activity ceased before or after the reference period of four months, where a clear causal link can be established with the event that triggered the cessations of activity of the displaced workers during the reference period as required by Article 6(2) of the EGF Regulation; whereas trade unions have expressed concerns that these workers were prematurely laid off as part of a larger restructuring that did not adequately consider their welfare, and that little effort was made to mitigate the impact on these vulnerable employees;
Amendment 5 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the application is based on the intervention criteria of Article 4(2), point (a), of EGF Regulation, which requires the cessation of activity of at least 200 displaced workers over a reference period of four months in an enterprise in a Member State, including workers displaced in suppliers and downstream producers and/or self-employed persons whose activity has ceased; whereas trade unions point to this as an example of mass layoffs and hyperflexibility becoming more common in the retail sector;
Amendment 6 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the Belgian food retail sector recorded a significant decline in volumes sold in 2023, due to the energy and inflationary crisis, and increased cross- border shopping and e-commerce; whereas trade unions highlight that despite these external challenges, the sector has failed to adequately protect its workers through effective collective agreements and adequate social dialogue;
Amendment 8 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas to prevent a further accumulation of losses, Match-Smatch accepted the Colruyt Group’s offer to acquire 57 of the 84 stores in September 2023, also taking over the stores' staff (1 069 people); whereas eight additional stores went to Carrefour, Delhaize, Intermarche and Delfood; whereas workers, particularly those in non- acquired stores, have been left uncertain about their future, with trade unions raising alarms about the lack of clear communication and safeguards for workers in the event of store closures and restructuring;
Amendment 11 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas the multiannual financial framework (MFF) revision reduces the maximum annual amount of the EGF from EUR 186 million to EUR 30 million (in 2018 prices), as laid down in Article 8 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 as amended by Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765; whereas all institutions needthe Commission should closely monitor the implementation of the EGF and all institutions should take any and all necessary measures to ensure that, despite these cuts, workers made redundant can count on EU solidarity via support of the EGF;
Amendment 13 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that half of the Match- Smatch redundant workers (46 %) are aged fifty or older, an age group that faces more barriers to employment and that in the last quarter of 2023, there was a difference of 18,3 percentage points between the employment rate for the 20-54 age group (76,8 %) and the employment rate for the 55+ age group (58,5 %) at national level7 ; stresses that reskilling and upskilling the workers in line with labour-market demand for qualified jobs will thus pose a challenge, all the more considering the large number of people dismissed at the same time; _________________ 7 Statbel. Emploi et chômage (13.6.2024). Chiffres.
Amendment 14 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the fact that the co- ordinated package of personalised services has been drawn up by Belgium in consultation with targeted beneficiaries, their representatives and the social partners to make the affected areas, and the overall labour market, more sustainable and resilient in the future;
Amendment 17 #
2024/0226(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that the digital and green transformationConsiders it a social responsibility of the Union to provide these workers made redundant with the necessary qualifications for the digital and green transformation of the Union industry and economy, which will also have an effect on the labour market; calls, therefore, for special attention to be paid to qualified and relevant education, including vocational training;