COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Towards a job-rich recovery
Date: 2012-04-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU employment policy, change of job, fight against unemployment, job creation, job preservation, labour market, single market, vocational retraining

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Strasbourg, 18.4.2012  
COM(2012) 173 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Towards a job-rich recovery 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Towards a job-rich recovery 

INTRODUCTION 

Europe's 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth sets a target of 75% of 20-
64 year olds in employment by 20201. If the target is to be met, employment in the EU will 
have to increase  by 17.6  million additional  jobs from its current level. However, during the 
crisis, the employment rate has fallen to 68.9% (3Q2011)2, with EU unemployment remaining 
persistently  above  9.5%  since  early  2010  and  climbing  to  10,2%  mark  in  February  2012. 
Although employment gains of 1.5 million were recorded by mid-2011, these have done little 
to offset the 6 million job losses incurred in the EU since 2008. The deceleration of growth 
since mid-2011, with a less favourable outlook for 20123 and widening divergences between 
Member States and regions, have only increased the challenge in terms of employment, social 
inclusion and combating poverty. 4  

Besides  a  recession  expected  in  some  countries  and  a  protracted  sovereign-debt  crisis, 
economic  activities  in  Europe  are  being  reshaped  by  longer-term  structural  transformations 
affecting  Europe's  relative  competitiveness  in  the  global  economy,  such  as  the  need  for  a 
changeover  to  a  green,  low  carbon  and  resource-efficient  economy,  demographic  ageing 
coupled with complex population flows, and rapid technological changes combined with the 
rise of large emerging economies. These structural changes affect and will continue to affect 
labour markets in various ways, particularly when it comes to creating and maintaining jobs. 
Dynamic and inclusive labour markets, where people possess the right skills, are essential if 
the  competitiveness  of  the  European  economy  is  to  rise,  rather  than  decline,  on  the  back  of 
these developments. 

Article  3  of  the  Treaty  establishes  full  employment  and  social  cohesion  as  EU  objectives. 
These objectives remain the core concerns of EU citizens and are at the heart of Europe 2020. 
Prospects for employment growth depend to a large extent on the EU’s capacity to generate 
economic growth through appropriate macroeconomic, industrial and innovation policies. At 
the  same  time,  strengthening  job-rich  growth  undeniably  calls  for  employment  policies  that 
generate  favourable  conditions  for  job  creation,  facilitate  positive  transitions,  increase  the 
labour  supply  and  improve  its  geographic  and  skills  matching  with  labour  market  needs. 
Besides  contributing  to  a  recovery  in  the  short-term,  employment  policies  also  form  part  of 
essential social investments that prevent a build-up of larger social and fiscal costs over the 

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Communication  from  the  Commission  Europe  2020  –  A  strategy  for  smart,  sustainable  and  inclusive 
growth, COM (2010) 2020 of 3 March 2010; European Council Conclusions of 17 June 2010.  
EU Employment and Social Situation Quartely Review, March 2012 
According  to  the  Commission  services'  February  2012  Interim  Forecast:  the  EU  is  set  to  experience 
stagnating GDP in 2012, and the euro area will undergo a mild recession. 
Accompanying Staff Working Document Labour market trends and challenges. 

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longer term5. The EU's 2012  Annual Growth  Survey calls for resolute action to step up job 
creation  and  ensure  a  job-intensive  recovery,  and  this  message  was  forcefully  echoed  by 
Heads of State and Government at the 2012 Spring European Council.6 

This  policy  Communication  seeks  to  complement  the  employment  priorities  of  the  Annual 
Growth  Survey  with  medium-term  policy  guidance  in  function  of  the  Europe  2020 
employment objectives. It builds upon the Employment Guidelines7, sets out actions requiring 
particular  emphasis  in  the  present  context  and  aims  at  building  trust  among  all  actors  and 
generating confidence to put the necessary employment reforms in motion. In doing so, it also 
responds  to  the  call  from  the  European  Council8  to  back  up  the  new  economic  governance 
with a closer monitoring of employment and social policy, particularly where these can have 
an impact on macro-economic stability and growth9.  

The Communication is accompanied by a series of Staff Working Documents, elaborating on 
how employment policies intersect with a number of other policy areas in support of smart, 
sustainable  and  inclusive  growth.  Taken  together,  this  “Employment  Package”,  not  only 
carries forward the EU's 2020 flagship initiative on “New skills and jobs”, but also helps to 
deliver, through better synergies, on flagship initiatives such as “Digital Agenda for Europe”, 
“Innovation  Union”,  “Youth  on  the  move”,  “Resource-efficient  Europe”,  “An  Industrial 
Policy  for  the  Globalisation  Era”  and  “European  Platform  Against  Poverty  and  Exclusion”. 
The Employment Package also shows how the EU budget, in particular the European Social 
Fund,  can  be  mobilised  in  support  of  labour  market  reform  and  help  deliver  the  necessary 
investment within the context of an economic downturn.  

While  labour  market  dynamics  will  need  to  be  generated  mainly  at  national  level,  this 
Communication puts EU levers into motion in support of a job-rich recovery, addressing both 
the demand and supply sides of the labour market and taking further steps towards creating a 
genuine EU labour market.  

1. 

SUPPORT JOB CREATION 

Support for job creation and (re)allocation of labour should be aimed at growing sustainable 
activities,  sectors  and  businesses,  particularly  among  SMEs10.  Policy  must  further  target 
improvements in both  productivity  and employment, contributing to an allocation of human 
resources  that  corresponds  to  economic  and  social  needs  as  identified  in  the  Europe  2020 
Strategy and strikes the right balance between tradable and non-tradable sectors. It should also 
improve the labour market situation of more vulnerable groups, such as young, female, less-
skilled,  older  workers  as  well  as  those  from  a  minority  background.  Reflecting  the  key 
structural  economic  challenges  faced  by  Europe,  cross-cutting  measures  need  to  be 

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As noted in the statement of the Members of the European Council of 30 January 2012, “Growth and 
employment will only resume if we pursue a consistent and broad-based approach, combining a smart 
fiscal  consolidation  preserving  investment  in  future  growth,  sound  macroeconomic  policies  and  an 
active employment strategy preserving social cohesion”. 
European Council Conclusions of 1-2 March 2012. 
Council  Decision2010/707/EU  of  21  October  on  guidelines  for  employment  policies  of  the  Member 
States. 
European Council Conclusions of 9 December 2011 
European Council Conclusions of 9 December 2012. 
SMEs created 85% of net employment growth over the 2002-2010 period. 

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complemented by specific action in sectors with particularly strong potential for driving job-
rich growth. 

1.1. 

Step up job creation across the economy by encouraging labour demand 

Employment policies help create conditions favourable to job creation. In doing so, they can 
mobilise  the  EU  budget  (and  in  particular  the  European  Social  Fund)  in  support11.  Besides 
supply-side measures, such as skills and activation investment, and labour matching services, 
there are also a number of tools that impact positively on labour demand:  

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Target hiring subsidies to new hiring. Hiring subsidies have been used extensively 
by  Member  States  as  a  way  of  cushioning  the  unemployment  effects  of  economic 
crisis, and are usually targeted at disadvantaged groups. Creating the right kinds of 
incentives  and  hiring  subsidies  should  motivate  employers  to  engage  in  net  new 
recruitment,  thus  creating  jobs  that  would  otherwise  not  be  created.  Targeting 
vulnerable  groups  such  as  young  people  or  the  long-term  unemployed,  can  have 
positive  effects  particularly  where  hiring  subsidies  are  combined  with  additional 
efforts to help the target population.  

Reduce the tax wedge on labour in a budgetary neutral way by shifting towards 
environmental12,  consumption  or  property 
taxes  with  proper  monitoring  of 
redistributive effects. In many Member States, there is scope for reducing employer 
social  security  contributions  which  account  for  a  lion’s  share  of  the  tax  wedge. 
Targeting a reduction at the most vulnerable groups - especially low wage earners - 
is  expected  to  have  positive  impacts  on  their  employment  in  the  longer  term  too, 
making  it  a  preferred  tool  for  enhancing  labour  demand.  Nevertheless,  design  and 
implementation needs to be carefully prepared so as not to have an adverse effect on 
the employment prospects of groups that are (narrowly) ineligible. Moreover, there 
may be deadweight costs if reductions are not properly targeted.  

in  accessing 

Promoting and supporting self-employment, the social enterprises and business 
start-ups. Jobseekers who are motivated to start up and run businesses may have to 
overcome  considerable  barriers,  including  a  lack  of  professional  or  business  skills, 
mentoring  possibilities,  and  difficulties 
finance.  Fostering 
entrepreneurial  mind-sets,  greater  availability  of  start-up  support  services  and 
microfinance,  as  well  as  schemes  converting  unemployment  benefits  into  start-up 
grants, play an important role in facilitating self-employment and creating new jobs. 
Support should be targeted at groups with the greatest potential (such as unemployed 
workers with professional skills, women or young people), and should rely on close 
cooperation  between  employment  services,  business  support  and  finance  providers. 
Social economy actors and social enterprises are important drivers of inclusive job 
creation and social innovation and require specific support, including through public 
procurement and access to finance. 

Compliance  with  the  EU  State  aid  rules  must  be  ensured  while  keeping  in  mind  the  possibilities 
foreseen in these rules for the employment aid, see in particular Articles 15, 16, 40-42 of the General 
block exemption Regulation, Official Journal of the European Union, 9 August 2008, L214 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions,  A  Roadmap  for  moving  to  a 
competitive low carbon economy (COM(2011) 112) shows that using revenues from the auctioning of 
ETS allowances and CO2 taxation to reduce labour cost would have positive impacts on employment. 

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Transform  informal  or  undeclared  work  into  regular  employment.  Undeclared 
work is illegal. It also has serious budgetary implications through decreased tax and 
social  security  revenues.  It  has  a  negative  impact  on  productivity  and  working 
standards,  skills  development  and  life-long  learning.  It  represents  only  a  tenuous 
basis  for  pension  rights  and  access  to  health  care.  Preventing  and  counteracting 
undeclared work, implementing fully Directive 2009/52/EC on sanctions and illegal 
workers, as well as helping undeclared workers integrate in the regular labour market 
helps  in  the  process  of  fiscal  consolidation,  creating  a  better  level  playing  field  for 
businesses  and  improving  quality  of  employment.  Improved  cooperation  among 
Member States is needed. 

Boost 'take home' pay. In-work benefits are used by several Member States either 
to alleviate in-work poverty or to encourage the take-up of work. Common features 
of  schemes  that  supplement  workers’  earnings  include  the  targeting  of  low  income 
individuals or households and a gradual phasing-out with the increase of the earned 
income.  The  higher  ‘take  home’  pay  represents  an  employment  incentive  for  less 
skilled  workers  while,  for  a  given  level  of  wage,  employers  will  more  easily  fill 
vacancies  with  wage  pressure  alleviated.  Yet  in  designing  in-work  benefits,  low-
wage  traps  should  be  avoided.  Positive  effects  are  achieved  where  there  are 
significant earnings disparities at the bottom of income distribution.  

Modernise wage-setting systems to align wages with productivity developments 
and foster job creation. Wage-setting mechanisms ensuring that real wage growth 
reflects  productivity  developments  and  local  labour  market  conditions  are  a  pre-
condition  to  ensure  that  output  growth  adequately  translates  into  growing  labour 
demand  and  ultimately  job  creation.  In  accordance  with  national  practices  of 
collective  bargaining,  wage  developments  should  take  account  of  the  competitive 
position  of  the  Member  States.  Although  wage  moderation  or  adjusment  might  be 
necessary for some sectors or Member States, targeted increases, which help sustain 
aggregate demand, might be feasible where wages have lagged significantly behind 
productivity developments. 

1.2. 

Exploit the job creation potential of key sectors 

Today's  Europe  faces  profound  structural  transformations  as  identified  in  the  Europe  2020 
Strategy,  in  particular  the  transition  towards  a  green,  low  carbon  and  resource  efficient 
economy, the demographic ageing of our society and rapid technological advances. To tackle 
these challenges and convert them into opportunities, our economy will require a fundamental 
transformation  over  the  next  decade.  Transforming  the  economy  along  these  paths  will 
increase  competitiveness  and  provide  important  sources  of  growth  and  jobs,  as  well  as 
addressing  economic  and  social  needs.  The  AGS  2012  identifies  three  main  areas,  each  of 
which offers an important job creation potential.  

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Job growth in the green economy has been positive throughout the recession and 
is  forecasted  to  remain  quite  strong.  Only  the  energy  efficiency  and  renewable 
energy  sectors  could  create  5  million  jobs  by  202013.  The  evolution  of  markets  for 

Based on different models, by 2020, the implementation of individual energy efficiency measures could 
lead to two million green jobs being created or retained, while the job potential from renewable energy 
sector  development  is  estimated  at  three  million  jobs  -Accompanying  Staff  Working  Document 
Exploiting the employment potential of green growth. 

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products and services, R&D and innovation policy, new regulatory frameworks and 
market-based instruments will change our industrial and economic structures towards 
greater resource-efficiency, leading to a redefinition of many jobs across almost all 
sectors. While high-carbon sectors will face the challenge of the transition to a low 
carbon  and  resource-efficient  economy  with  many  jobs  in  this  sectors  to  be 
transformed,  new  jobs  in  green  and  low-carbon  sectors  will  be  created,  affecting 
territories  differently.  If  the  transition  towards  a  green  and  resource  efficient 
economy  will  initially  benefit  mainly  high-skilled  workers,  the  upgraded  and 
sustainable manufacturing and services are likely in due course to provide a number 
of  medium-skilled  jobs,  while  lower  skilled  and  older  workers  will  need  to  adapt. 
Supportive labour markets and a vision of the skills needs are essential for supporting 
and  developing  a  green  and  resource  efficient  economy,  as  documented  in  the 
accompanying  Staff  Working  Document.14  Managing  such  a  major  transition 
successfully calls for joined-up efforts on the part of the EU and Member States.  

Employment  in  the  EU  health  and  social  care  sectors  is  growing  fast  due  to 
population  ageing  and  an  expansion  of  services to better meet quality requirements 
and  rising  demand  for  personalised  care  and  professional  social  services.  The  size 
and fast growth of these sectors (twice the employment growth overall) suggests they 
will remain a key driver in providing new jobs in the years to come. To exploit this 
job creation potential, the sectors have to overcome several challenges. These include 
the  increasing  shortages  of  health  professionals;  an  ageing  health  workforce  with 
insufficient  new  recruits  to  replace  those  who  are  retiring;  the  emergence  of  new 
healthcare  patterns  to  tackle  multiple  chronic  conditions;  the  growing  use  of 
technologies requiring new skill mixes; and imbalances in skills levels and working 
patterns. In addition, recruitment and retention are hampered by demanding working 
conditions  as  well  as  by  low  and  slowly  growing  wages.  Maintaining  an  adequate 
supply  and  quality  of  health  services  under  increased  budget  constraints  is  both  a 
social  and  employment  challenge  and  is  documented  in  the  accompanying  Staff 
Working  Document.15  In  addition,  as  consequences  of  demographic  and  family 
changes  and  the  need  for  better  life-work  balance,  new  services  covering  broad 
ranges of activities are created and are a source of job creation, also documented in 
an  accompanying  Staff  Working  Document  on  which  a  public  consultation  is 
launched16. 

The  demand  for  ICT  professionals  continues  to  grow.  Employment  among  ICT 
practitioners grew by around 3% a year, with labour demand outstripping the supply. 
Development  and  uptake  of  ICT  applications  will  become  crucial  for  boosting 
international  competitiveness  of  European  business  and 
increasing 
employment. Making European firms and workers more ICT literate and competent 
will demand considerable efforts in terms of education, as well as skills policies for 
workers,  and  infrastructure,  as  depicted  in  the  accompanying  Staff  Working 
Document17. 

turn 

in 

Accompanying Staff Working Document Exploiting the employment potential of green growth. 
Accompanying Staff Working Document An action plan for the EU health workforce. 
Accompanying  Staff  Working  Document  Exploiting  the  employment  potential  of  the  personal  and 
household services. 
Accompanying Staff Working Document Exploiting the employment potential of ICTs. 

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1.3.  Mobilise EU funds for job creation 

The funds of the Cohesion Policy (ESF, ERDF and the Cohesion Fund) as well as EAFRD 
and  EMFF  are  important  sources  of  investment  stimulating  sustainable  growth  and  job 
creation. They contribute to the strengthening of economic, social and territorial cohesion in 
the  Union.  For  2014-2020  the  Commission  has  proposed  to  closely  align  these  financial 
instruments  with  Europe  2020  objectives18.  It  is  crucial  that  national,  regional  and  local 
authorities  use  the  available  resources  fully  and  to  maximum  result  in  order  for  Europe  to 
develop and realise its economic potential, increasing employment as well as productivity. 

The European Social Fund (ESF) co-finances labour market activation measures, including 
hiring  subsidies,  professional  and  entrepreneurship  training  courses  and  microfinance 
schemes, as well as design and roll-out of employment policies across the EU. For the period 
2014-20,  the  Commission  has  proposed  minimum  ESF  shares  representing  a  volume  of  at 
least  €84  billion,  addressing  investment  prior ities  such  as  access  to  employment  for  job-
seekers  and  people  without  work;  sustainable  integration  of  young  'NEETs'  into  the  labour 
market including through 'youth guarantees'; self-employment, entrepreneurship and business 
creation; as well as education and social inclusion investments and capacity-building in public 
administration. 

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) contribution to job creation 2014-2020 
will  be  strengthened  by  the  proposed  concentration  of  resources  on  research  technological 
development and innovation, on enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs and supporting the 
shift  towards  a  low-carbon  economy,  including  the  promotion  of  renewable  energies  and 
energy efficiency. ERDF will also invest in the ICT sector and complements ESF financing 
for  promoting  employment  and  supporting  labour  mobility,  such  as  by  financing  education, 
training and employment service infrastructure and supporting self-employment and business 
creation. It will also support health and social infrastructure investments  

The European Progress Microfinance Facility provides support for the self-employed and 
micro-companies  by  providing  guarantees  and  funded  investments  for  microfinance 
intermediaries across the EU. This is expected to leverage up to €500 million of microcredit 
with funding from the 2007-2013 period, and the Commission has proposed to extend it in the 
period 2014-2020 to address underserved market segments and improve access to finance for 
social  enterprises.  Availability  of  microfinance  is  also  supported  by  a  number  of  revolving 
instruments co-financed by the ERDF or ESF. 

The  European  Globalisation  Adjustment  Fund  (EGF)  which  the  Commission  also 
proposed  to  continue  in  the  2014-2020  period,  helps  manage  restructuring  processes  by  co-
financing  re-skilling  and  job-search  measures  for  those  workers  affected  by  large-scale 
redundancies resulting from changing global trade patterns. 

The  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development  (EAFRD)  supports  job 
diversification  into  non-agricultural  activities  and  development  of  small  rural  businesses, 
including by investing in skills,knowledge transfer and start-up aid for young farmers.  

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Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions , A Budget For Europe 2020 - Part 
I, COM(2011) 500 of 29 June 2011. 

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The European Fisheries Fund, to be incorporated in 2014-20 in a single European Maritime 
and  Fisheries  Fund  (EMFF),  supports  the  transition  to  sustainable  fishing  as  well  as 
diversification of local economies, including through trainings and small business support. 

JOB CREATION 

The Commission proposes: 
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a Set of Key Employment Actions for the Green Economy; 
an Action Plan on Healthcare Employment; 
a Set of Key Actions for ICT Employment, 

each of which is annexed to this Communication and further elaborated in the corresponding 
Staff Working Documents. 

The Commission launches: 
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a consultation on the potential for quality jobs in personal and household services; 
a consultation on setting up an EU-level platform between labour inspectorates and 
other  enforcement  bodies  to  combat  undeclared  work,  aimed  at  improving 
cooperation, sharing best practice and identifying common principles for inspections 
by the end of 2012;  

The Commission urges the Member States and the Council to: 
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 take  the  Europe  2020  Strategy  forward  without  delay  and,  building  on  the  policy 
orientations in the present communication, adopt an ambitious approach and policies 
for  job  creation  as  part  of  their  National  Job  Plans  (in  their  National  Reforms 
Programmes).  

2. 

RESTORE THE DYNAMICS OF LABOUR MARKETS  

Labour  markets  are  only  dynamic  if  employment  policies  facilitate  the  transitions  that 
enhance productivity and job quality, if the workforce has adequate skills, and if people are 
mobile  enough  to  respond  to  the  geographic  trends  in  job  vacancies.  The  Europe  2020 
Strategy  places  particular  emphasis  on  labour  market  reform,  the  development  of  human 
capital and geographical mobility for making the EU labour force better equipped for change 
and providing job opportunities.  

2.1. 

Reform labour markets 

The EU's common principles of flexicurity remain an important policy milestone in building 
dynamic  labour  markets,  seeking  to  engage  Member  States  on  a  firm  path  of  integrated 
structural  labour  market  reforms.  Flexicurity  brings  together  a  number  of  labour  market 
policies  (contractual  arrangements,  active  labour  market  measures,  lifelong  learning,  and 
social protection systems), in an integrated and consistent way, to boost both flexibility and 
security and make labour markets more resilient to the processes of economic adjustment.  

Throughout the crisis, a number of Member States have been engaged in important structural 
labour market reforms and temporary measures for preserving employment. Yet it is clear that 
progress  towards  more  flexibility  and  security  has  been  modest  and  uneven.  Against  the 
backdrop of budgetary constraints, the ongoing EU debate on flexicurity in the context of the 
flagship  initiative  An  Agenda  for  New  Skills  and  Jobs  has  enabled  a  number  of  necessary 

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measures  to  be  identified  to  help  labour  markets  adjust  in  response  to  the  crisis  and  to 
structural challenges in the context of Europe 2020. 19 

Further  steps  in  structural  labour  market  reforms  should  address  notably  the  following 
aspects: 

2.1.1. 

Securing labour market transitions and inclusive labour markets 

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Use internal flexibility to reduce insecurity and fiscal costs. The crisis has shown 
that  internal  flexibility  can  be  very  effective  in  times  of  economic  contraction  as  a 
means  of  maintaining  employment  and  lowering  adjustment  costs.  The  use  of 
working-time  accounts  or  hours  banks,  short-time  working  arrangements  (STWA) 
and collective bargaining opening clauses on some working conditions have helped 
save  jobs  and  the  competitiveness  of  firms,  by  avoiding  or  delaying  layoffs. 
Although  STWAs  often  reduced  productivity  somewhat,  they  nevertheless  helped 
maintain  skills,  employment  and  confidence  and  their  costs  have  been  generally 
lower  than  the  cost  of  unemployment  benefits.  However,  as  the  fiscal  space  to 
finance such schemes is currently more reduced than two years ago, social dialogue 
at company and higher levels has assumed a more important role in helping to find 
optimal solutions for internal flexibility. 

Decent  and  sustainable  wages  and  avoiding  low-wage  traps.  Even  before  the 
crisis, having a job has not always been a guarantee against poverty, and the EU in-
work poverty rate is still above 8%. The risk of in-work poverty is high, particularly 
in  countries  with  uneven  earnings  distribution  and  low  minimum  wages,  among 
people  with  temporary  contracts  and  in  low  work  intensity  and  single  parent 
households20. Setting minimum wages at appropriate levels can help prevent growing 
in-work  poverty21  and  is  an  important  factor  in  ensuring  decent  job  quality.  Most 
Member  States  currently  have  statutory  or  otherwise  legally  binding  or  generally 
applicable  minimum  wages  in  place22.  The  impact  of  the  minimum  wage  on  both 
demand  and  supply  can  differ  markedly  across  Member  States,  depending  on  the 
level set, as well as other labour market policies and institutions. Wage floors need to 
be  sufficiently  adjustable,  with  the  involvement  of  the  social  partners  to  reflect 
overall  economic  developments.  Differentiated  minimum  wages,  as  already  applied 
in  several  Member  States,  can  in  that  context  be  an  effective  means  of  upholding 
labour demand.  

Make  transitions  pay.  Labour  market  flexibility  requires  security  in  employment 
transitions.  A  lifelong  career  characterised  by  a  number  of  moves,  sometimes 
upwards but also horizontal or even downwards, is now a reality for many workers, 
and particularly for young workers. The quality of the transitions will determine the 
quality  of  a  worker's  career.  Security  throughout  one’s  career,  including  during  the 
transitions  between  different  types  of  labour  market  status  (e.g.  training  to 
employment,  maternity  leave  to  employment,  transitions  towards  self-employment 

Accompanying Staff Working Document Open, dynamic and inclusive labour markets. 
Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2011; Is working enough to avoid poverty? In-work 
poverty mechanism and policies in the EU 
OECD, divided we stand: why inequality keeps rising, 2011 
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Minimum_wage_statistics.  Minimum 
wage levels are between 30% and 50% of average gross monthly earnings. 

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and  entrepreneurship  etc.),  is  essential  in  order  to  provide  individuals  with  the 
necessary  means  to  maintain  their  employability  and  make  transitions  work.  Some 
areas deserve particular attention: the transition of young people from education to 
work, where there is evidence to show that apprenticeships and quality traineeships 
can  be  a  good  means  of  gaining  entry  into  the  world  of  work,  but  there  are  also 
recurring  examples  of  traineeships  being  misused;  the  integration  of  women  in  the 
labour  market,  by  providing  equal  pay,  adequate  childcare,  eliminating  all 
discrimination23  and  tax-benefit  disincentives  that  discourage  female  participation, 
and optimizing the duration of maternity and parental leave; and transitions of older 
workers  in  the  context  of  the  modernisation  of  pension  systems  and  extending 
working lives which require comprehensive measures, such as tax-benefit incentives, 
access  to  lifelong  learning  through  career  guidance  and  training,  flexible  working 
arrangements for those who need them, and safe and healthy workplaces. 

that 

levels  of  unemployment  require 

Mutual  responsibilities  to  support  transitions  from  unemployment  towards 
the 
employment.  The  current  high 
unemployment benefits schemes supporting the transitions from unemployment back 
into  work  are  sufficiently  adaptable  to  stimulate  a  rapid  return  to  sustainable 
employment. During  the  crisis,  unemployment benefits coverage  has in some cases 
been extended to include some previously unprotected groups, particularly temporary 
workers,  and  extending  rights  in  other  situations.  While  taking  into  account  the 
strained  budgetary  situation  in  most  Member  States,  it  is  essential  that  these  are 
maintained while the crisis is still having an impact. Where labour demand is weak, 
the cutting of benefits could increase the risk of poverty without increasing outflows 
from  unemployment.  Activation  requirements  should  be  part  of  a  mutual 
responsibilities approach that maintains incentives for work whilst ensuring income, 
providing personalised job-search assistance and guarding against the risk of poverty. 

Ensure  appropriate  contractual  arrangements  to  combat  labour  market 
segmentation.  The  rights  associated  with  contractual  arrangements  are  another 
factor that makes the quality of transitions fragile. Evidence shows that most of the 
new  jobs  created  in  recent  years  (even  before  the  crisis)  were  based  on  temporary 
contracts  and  other  non-standard  forms  of  employment24.  This  has  increased  the 
fluidity in the labour market and made it easier for firms to adapt labour input to new 
forms  of  production  and  work  organisation.  Two  directives25  have  established  part 
time and fixed term work on the basis of the equal treatment principle, while a more 
recent  Directive26  seeks  to  regulate  temporary  agency  work  in  a  similar  way.  A 
pronounced  preference  on  the  part  of  employers  for  these  contractual  relationships 
may  be  due  to  the  much  higher  severance  costs  for  open-ended/standard  contracts. 
Moreover,  in  many  cases  these  jobs  do  not  serve  as  a  stepping-stone  for  more 
permanent  forms  of  work.  There  is  therefore  a  need  for  measured  and  balanced 
reforms in employment protection legislation in order to remedy segmentation or to 
halt  the  excessive  use  of  non-standard  contracts  and  the  abuse  of  bogus  self-
employment.  More  generally,  all  types  of  contractual  arrangements  should  give 

Through the full application of Directive 2006/54/EC on the implementation of the principle of equal 
opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matter of employment and occupation 
http://ec.europa.eu/eures/home.jspLabour market and social trends. 
Directive 97/81/EC on part time work, Council Directive 99/70/EC of 28 June 1999 on fixed term work 
Directive  2008/104/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  19  November  2008  on 
temporary agency work. 

– 

– 

23 

24 
25 
26 

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jobholders access to a core set of rights (including pension rights) from the signature 
of the contract, including access to lifelong learning, social protection, and monetary 
protection in the case of termination without fault.  

Anticipate  economic  restructuring.  In  spite  of  adverse  market  conditions,  many 
EU  companies  and  their  workforces  have,  by  and  large,  engaged  creatively  in 
restructuring  processes  that  have  been  constructive,  effective  and  instrumental  in 
limiting job losses, through innovative arrangements, often with the support of public 
authorities  and  the  EU.  In  fact,  over  the  last  two  years,  there  has  been  a  strong 
demand  for  measures  to  support  the  reallocation  of  resources  between  firms  and 
occupations.  These  measures  include  changes  in  employment  protection  legislation 
and  business  practices  related  to  corporate  restructuring,  as  well  as  appropriate 
training and activation policies that, together with suitably designed unemployment 
benefit systems, help displaced workers towards different jobs and professions. The 
Commission will build on the response to its Green Paper on restructuring27 so as to 
disseminate best practices and ensure an appropriate follow up. 

Develop lifelong learning as a key to security in employment. Access to lifelong 
learning,  within  either  employment  or  unemployment  situations,  is  essential  if 
employability is  to  be  maintained. In this  respect, the  commitment of employers to 
training their workforce, particularly in the case of low-skilled and older workers, is 
essential. For the unemployed, in particular the lower-skilled and vulnerable groups, 
individualised career guidance and training on market relevant skills is essential. But 
new  technologies  combined  with  globalisation  have  also  increasingly  reduced 
medium-skilled tasks, necessitating important re-skilling policies for medium-skilled 
workers. The recession has accelerated a polarisation in employment (hollowing out 
medium  skilled  jobs),  with  a  risk  to  increasingly  segregate  employment  into  low-
quality  and  high-quality  blocks,  and  thereby  limiting  career  mobility  opportunities, 
which need to be addressed. 

Deliver youth opportunities. The European youth suffers most from the economic 
crisis  and  the  structural  labour  market  problems,  as  set  out  in  the  recent  Youth 
Opportunities Initiative.28 The Commission reconfirms its commitments to tackle the 
dramatic  levels  of  youth  unemployment,  including  by  mobilizing  available  EU 
funding.29  Echoing  a  call  by  the  European  Council,30  the  support  for  transition  to 
work, e.g. through youth guarantees, activation measures targeting young people, the 
quality of traineeships31, and youth mobility should be prioritised.  

Communication  from  the  Commission  Restructuring  and  anticipating  of  change;  what  lessons  from 
recent experience ? COM(2012)7 of 17 January 2012. 
Communication from the Commission Youth Opportunities Initiative, COM(2011) 933 of 20 December 
2011. 
The  Accompanying  Staff  Working  Document  Implementing  the  Youth  Opportunities  Initiative:  first 
steps  taken  presents  an  interim  report  of  recent  measures  taken  by  the  Member  States  to  fight  youth 
unemployment. In February 2012, Commission action teams visited the eight Member States with the 
highest  youth  unemployment  rate.  The  results  of  these  missions  will  be  integrated  in  the  National 
Reform Programmes. 
Statement of the Members of the European Council of 30 January 2012. 
Accompanying Staff Working Document Quality Framework for Traineeships. 

– 

– 

– 

27 

28 

29 

30 
31 

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2.1.2.  Mobilising all actors for a better implementation 

– 

– 

– 

Reinforce social dialogue. The success of employment policies depends crucially on 
the existence of a consensus around reforms. In many cases, responsibility for design 
and implementation is not in the hands of governments alone, but also in the hands of 
the  social  partners.  Strong  social  dialogue  is  a  common  feature  in  those  countries 
where labour markets have proved to be more resilient to the crisis. In the first phase 
of the crisis, the contribution of social partners in implementing internal flexicurity 
solutions was fundamental in cushioning the shock of the recession. It is essential to 
establish a shared path of reforms that create the conditions for sustainable creation 
of quality jobs in the future, and where social partners play an active role at all levels 
in  the  preparation  and  implementation  of  such  reforms.  In  a  growing  number  of 
companies,  this  contribution  has  taken  the  form  of  transnational  company 
agreements,  through  which  agreed  responses  are  given  at  European  level  to  the 
challenges  generated  by  the  crisis,  and  mechanisms  are  set  up  to  manage  change. 
Transnational  company  agreements  already  cover  more  than  10  million  employees; 
their role needs to be better recognized and supported. 

Redefine the primary and core services of  Public  Employment Services (PES). 
PES are the key implementers of activation policies that contribute to smooth labour 
market transitions. In order to fulfil their tasks in a comprehensive manner, PES need 
to  transform  themselves  into  "transition  management  agencies"  delivering  a  new 
combination  of  the  "active"  and  "passive"  functions  that  support  sustainable 
transitions throughout workers’ careers. The major building blocks should be state of 
the art labour market intelligence, active and preventive labour market measures as 
well  as  employability  support  at  an  early  stage,  delivery  of  individualised  services, 
harnessing  the  use  of  e-services  and  the  development  of  strong  partnerships,  in 
particular with other employment services, including in other Member States. 

Pool  resources  and  focus  on  effective  partnerships.  In  times  of  scarce  funds  for 
investment,  pooling  financial  and  material  resources  is  as  vital  as  gathering  actors 
around  a  common  objective.  One  example  could  be  the  pooling  of  resources  by 
groups  of  employers.  By  linking  up  around  similar  recruitment  and  training  needs, 
groups  of  SMEs  are  capable  of  overcoming  their  individual  inability  to  attract 
qualified  staff  and  establish  joint  human  resources  policies.  Partnerships  at  the 
appropriate territorial level can help make transitions work by encompassing public, 
private  and  third  sector  employment  services,  social  security  organisations, 
municipalities  and  regional  governments,  education  and  training  providers,  career 
guidance  providers,  NGOs,  welfare  institutions  and  so  on.  The  composition  of  the 
partnerships should be determined by the complementarities of service provision, as 
well as cost-effective allocation of resources.  

LABOUR MARKET REFORMS 

The Commission urges the Member States and the Council to: 

– 

Take  the  Europe  2020  Strategy  forward  without  delay  and,  building  on  the  policy 
orientations in the present communication, adopt an ambitious approach and policies 
for 
labour  market  reforms  as  part  of  their  National  Job  Plans  (National  Reforms 
Programmes). 

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The Commission will: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Present  a  proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  on  a  Quality  Framework  for 
Traineeships  by  the  end  of  2012,  on  the  basis  of  a  Commission  services 
consultation32; 

Present a proposal for a Council Recommendation on Youth Guarantees by the end 
of  2012  and  support  activation  measures  targeting  young  people  in  the  context  of 
Youth Guarantee schemes; 

Develop further action to disseminate good practice and promote debate with respect 
to Transnational Company Agreements; 

Elaborate  by  2012  with  the  European  network  of  Public  Employment  Services  a 
European action plan for the delivery of relevant and effective employment services 
on  the  ground  and  its  practical  implementation  in  terms  of  PES  models,  goals  and 
tasks in light of the Europe 2020 targets; 

Map  new  forms  of  employment,  such  as  the  pooling  resources  by  employers,  and 
report  on  common  priorities  for  corresponding  policy  responses  to  support  actions 
which  make  organisations  more  agile  and  responsive  to  changes  while  boosting 
durable employment retention and job creation.  

2.2. 

Invest in skills  

The European Vacancy Monitor indicates that high skills levels remain important with also an 
increasing  number  of  vacancies  for  which  the  appropriate  skills  are  not  available33.  Skills 
needs  in  EU  labour  markets  must  be  anticipated,  and  mismatches  swiftly  acted  upon. 
Equipping  workers  with  the  skills  necessary  for  jobs  is  essential  in  order  to  help  make  job 
creation  happen.  Europe  and  its  Member  States  must  have  a  sound  understanding  of  these 
needs  in  order  to  better  anticipate  economic  change  and  address  skills  mismatches.  Despite 
the  high  levels  of  unemployment,  skills  shortages  have  been  identified  in  specific  sectors 
and/or  regions.  The  mismatch  between  skills  available  and  the  needs  of  the  labour  markets 
concern all Member States, but affect them to varying degrees. To address these challenges, 
several  countries  have  started  to  put  in  place  national  strategies  and  tools  to  remedy  these 
skills  mismatches.  At  European  level,  a  start  has  been  made  on  setting  up  actions  and 
instruments announced in the Europe 2020 flagship initiative “An Agenda for New Skills and 
Jobs”. Across the EU, the European Social Fund is a key source of skills investments, with 
over € 30 billion of ESF funding programmed fo r skills and life-long learning in 2007-2013. 

2.2.1.  A better monitoring of skills needs. 

A number of EU instruments have been developed to forecast and anticipate skills needs: The 
European Vacancy Monitor provides labour market information on short-term vacancies and 
tensions, while the Cedefop has regularly developed long-term forecasts and Eurofound – for 
its  part  -  provides  essential  information  from  employers’  and  workers’  surveys  on  working 
conditions, one of the explanatory elements of mismatch. The Commission has recently also 

32 
33 

Accompanying Staff Working Document Quality Framework for Traineeship 
Communication  from  the  Commission  Annual  Growth  Survey  2012,  draft  Joint  Employment  Report, 
COM(2011)815, Beveridge curve page 7. 

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supported the setting up of European Sector Skills Councils to acquire a deeper understanding 
of the needs at sectoral level. 

However, Europe still does not have a comprehensive view of its skills needs. The EU Skills 
Panorama,  to  be  launched  by  the  end  2012,  is  the  first  step  towards  the  converging  of  all 
existing  anticipation  tools.  The  Panorama  will  provide  a  single  overview  of  European, 
national and sectoral findings on the short-term to medium-term prospects for jobs and skills 
needs as they evolve up to 2020. The Panorama will help identify emerging skills shortages in 
specific occupations across or within sectors. It will be a resource for skills observatories at 
national, regional or sector level and for education and career guidance practitioners, as well 
as employment and services advisors. Cooperation between EU bodies carrying out forecasts 
and  surveys  such  as  Eurofound  and  Cedefop  will  also  be  improved.  By  focussing  more 
systematically their analysis on a country basis they will further nourish the understanding of 
the national development and inform the Europe 2020 structural reform agenda. Convergence 
of  tools  and  instruments  will  remain  the  most  important  priority  in  order  to  govern  skills 
needs more effectively. 

2.2.2.  A better recognition of skills and qualifications. 

EU  tools  such  as  the  European  Qualifications  Framework  (EQF)  or  the  Europass  CV  have 
been put in place to help people moving across education institutions, companies, sectors and 
countries  throughout  Europe  and  facilitate  transparency  of  skills  and  qualifications.  On  the 
basis  of  the  EQF  developments,  reference  of  the  European  qualifications  level  should  be 
included  in  all  individual  qualifications  in  Europe.  The  national  qualifications  framework 
should also open up to qualifications issued at economic sector level. The Europass CV will 
be  complemented  with  a  European  Skills  Passport,  incorporating  an  overview  of  a  person's 
skills, regardless of how these skills have been developed. 

2.2.3.  A better synergy between the worlds of education and work. 

A  close  cooperation  between  the  worlds  of  education  and  work,  both  at  political  and 
operational  levels,  is  essential  to  address  skills  mismatches.  At  political  level,  cooperation 
between  the  relevant  Council  bodies  (EPSCO  and  EYC)  through  the  Committees  (EMCO, 
Education Committee) is necessary to ensure fruitful policy making.  

At  operational  level,  synergies  are  needed  to  facilitate  the  transition  from  education  and 
training to work. One way forward is through the introduction of short cycle studies at tertiary 
levels  particularly  targeted  to  skills  required  in  sectors  where  skills  shortages  have  been 
identified 

Furthermore  the  Knowledge  Alliances  already  build  a  more  structured  cooperation  between 
universities  and  companies  creating  new  curricula  promoting  entrepreneurship,  problem 
solving  and  creative  thinking.  Alliances  between  the  education  world  and  companies  at  EU 
level  should  be  expanded  to  vocational  education  and  training  providers  to  translate  the 
analysis of the Sectors Skills Councils’ into practical curricula and training methods. 

The  European  multilingual  classification  of  Skills,  Competences  and  Occupations  (ESCO) 
which is currently being developed should also help in promoting cooperation between labour 
markets and the education-training sector as it links skills and competencies to occupations. 
Furthermore,  the  link  between  skills  tools  such  as  the  European  CV  and  skills  passports, 
including the European Skills Passport, will facilitate transitions into and on labour markets. 

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These  tools  and  measures  should  be  accompanied  by  efforts  to  modernise  education  and 
training  systems,  increasing  the  quantity,  quality  and  relevance  of  skills  supply.  The 
Commission  will  present  an  initiative  in  the  second  half  of  2012  to  harness  education  and 
training to generate growth, jobs and competitiveness. 

INVEST IN SKILLS 

In  order  to  address  skills  mismatches  in  the  EU  and  enhance  the  anticipation  of  skills 
needs, the Commission will: 
– 

Seek,  in  cooperation  with  Member  States  and  social  partners,  that  Cedefop  and 
Eurofound  complement  their  expertise  at  EU  and  sectoral  levels  with  stronger 
country-specific  knowledge,  and  that  cooperation  between  both  institutions  is 
reinforced; 
launch a EU Skills Panorama, notably based on the European Vacancy Monitor by 
the end of 2012;  
launch a new phase in the recognition of qualifications and skills with guidance for a 
systematic  indication  of  European  Qualification  Framework  levels  in  all  new 
qualifications  to  be  generated  in  the  EU  and  stronger  complementarities  with  the 
Qualifications Framework for Higher Education;  
from 2013 onwards ensure that at least one quarter of the qualifications issued every 
year have a reference of their European qualification level;  
launch the European Skills Passport by the end of 2012; 
support  the  setup  of  a  network  of  representatives  from  both  employment  and 
education representatives to support the skills governance. 

– 

– 

– 

– 
– 

2.3. 

Towards a European labour market 

Most European labour markets are characterised by a coexistence of persistent high levels of 
unemployment in many areas and bottleneck vacancies in high-growing regions or sectors34. 
Structural mismatches between labour supply and demand are common. As emphasised in the 
2012  Annual  Growth  Survey35  labour  mobility  across  Europe  is  too  low36  compared  to  the 
overall  size  of  the  EU  labour  markets  and  corresponding  active  populations,  which  has  the 
effect of hindering adjustments in the allocation of resources that could support economic and 
employment  growth.  Deepening  European  labour  market  integration  and  ensuring  effective 
matching  between  labour  demand  and  supply  is  crucial  in  order  to  enable  all  employment 
opportunities to be exploited. In this respect, mobility not only means going to where the jobs 
are,  or  having  access  to  better  jobs;  it  is  also  associated  with  improvements  in  generic  and 
occupational skills and increases adaptability and employability.  

2.3.1.  Remove legal, and practical obstacles to free movement of workers 

Mobility  of  workers  in  the  EU  continues  to  face  important  obstacles.  Some  of  them  are 
cultural, such as language or housing or discrimination, and are deeply rooted in society and 

34 

35 

36 

Communication from the Commission Annual Growth Survey 2012, Draft Joint Employment Report, 
COM(2011)815 of 23 November 2011. 
Communication from the Commission, Annual Growth Survey 2012, COM (2011) 815 of 23 November 
2011. 
In 2010, only 2,8% of the European working age population (15-64) lived in a Member State other than 
their own (EU Labour Force Survey) 

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difficult to overcome in the short-term. For their part, language obstacles could be overcome 
by funding of targeted training schemes on foreign languages for workers on mobility. This 
requires  action  in  order  to  create  open  attitudes  towards  all  the  opportunities  brought  by 
mobility  across  Europe.  Workers  who  do  choose  to  move  face,  nonetheless,  other 
difficulties37 which relate to the exercise of rights conferred by EU law and the inadequacy of 
support  to  geographical  intra  EU  mobility.  Although  there  is  a  large  legislative  "acquis"38, 
European citizens still face legal, administrative and practical obstacles when moving across 
borders: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

37 
38 

39 

40 
41 

Restrictions  on  free  labour  market  access  to  workers  from  Bulgaria  and 
Romania  are  still  maintained  by  nine  Member  States,  despite  the  overall  positive 
impact  that  labour  mobility  from  these  countries  has  had  on  the  economy  of 
receiving  countries39.  Whilst  recognising  the  Member  States'  right  to  apply  these 
restrictions on labour market access until 31 December 2013 in accordance with the 
Treaty  of  Accession,  the  Commission  reiterates  the  importance  of  gradually 
preparing  for  the  full  application  of  EU  law  on  free  movement  for  Bulgarian  and 
Romanian workers.  

The restriction of access to certain posts in the public service to its own nationals 
in  accordance  with  Article  45(4)  TFEU  can  be  maintained  under  exceptional 
conditions. The European Court of Justice has consistently held that this exception is 
to  be  interpreted  restrictively  and  covers  only  posts  involving  direct  or  indirect 
participation in the exercise of powers conferred by public law and duties designed to 
safeguard  the  general  interests  of  the  State  or  of  other  public  authorities40.  Those 
criteria must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.  

The  lack  of  recognition  of  professional  qualifications  remains  a  real  problem  to 
the effective functioning of the Single Market and in particular to free movement of 
workers  and  labour  mobility.  On  19  December  2011  the  Commission  adopted  a 
proposal to modernise the Professional Qualifications Directive41 so as to adapt it to 
evolving labour markets. The proposal introduces a European Professional Card for 
very  mobile  professionals  and  provides  better  access  to  information  and  e-
government services.  

The fear of losing out on social security and pension rights is still a major issue 
for  workers  and  jobseekers  who  are  thinking  of  moving  across  Europe.  One  major 
aspect is the right of jobseekers searching for work in another Member State to keep 
their  entitlement  to  unemployment  benefits  for  more  than  three  months.  Although 
EU  law  provides  the  possibility  for  Member  States  to  extend  the  right  to  this 
entitlement to a maximum of 6 months, this right is not yet secured by the respective 
national practices. 

June 2010 Special Eurobarometer on "Geographical and labour market mobility" 
The  freedom  to  seek  employment  in  any  EU  Member  State  is  also  recognised  in  Article  15  of  the 
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU  
Report  on  the  Functioning  of  the  Transitional  Arrangements  on  Free  Movement  of  Workers  from 
Bulgaria and Romania, COM(2011)729 of 11 November 2011 
In particular in case C-290/94. 
Commission Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council, (COM(2011)883) 
of 19 December 2011 

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– 

– 

Moreover, many mobile workers are still unaware of their rights and obligations. 
The  Commission  reiterates  the  need  to  guarantee  the  correct  application  of  the 
Regulations42  on  social  security  coordination,  as  they  place  particular  emphasis  on 
the obligations of Member States to provide active assistance to citizens in enforcing 
their  rights43.  Overall,  the  failure  to  apply  the  existing  EU  rules  means  that  the 
Commission will need to explore additional enforcement mechanisms in the pursuit 
of  effective  free  movement  of  workers.  Insufficient  awareness  of  EU  rights  and 
difficult  access  to  help  when  rights  are  not  respected  also  remains  a  wider  issue. 
Within the framework of the Single market, the Commission and Member States are 
working together to facilitate access to information and free assistance services such 
as Your Europe Advice and Solvit via the Your Europe portal. 

Tax  obstacles  faced  by  EU  citizens  who  move  to  another  Member  State  to  work 
temporarily  or  permanently  or  cross  borders  every  day  to  work  raise  significant 
obstacles to labour mobility within the EU They range from difficulties in obtaining 
allowances, tax reliefs and deductions in the country of work or higher progressive 
tax rates applied to non residents, to double taxation problems. 

2.3.2.  Enhance matching of jobs and job-seekers across borders 

With  only  25  000  employers  registered  and  some  150  000  job  placements/recruitments  per 
year, the European Employment Services tool (EURES) has not yet made full use of its direct 
employment  potential.  The  Commission  therefore  intends  to  focus  EURES  on  matching, 
placement and recruitment, giving it the biggest possible outreach and coverage capacity, by 
rolling  out 
languages  and  full  semantic 
interoperability  in  the  exchange  of  national  job  vacancies  and  CV  data44.  Consequently, 
EURES will be in a position to deliver easier and real-time access to vacancies available in 
the EU, while presenting employers with a living pool of candidates where they can find the 
skills they need to grow their businesses.  

innovative  self  services 

in  all  European 

EURES  will  also  be  expanded  through  targeted  labour  mobility  schemes  supporting  under- 
serviced occupations and specific groups of workers with a high mobility propensity, as well 
as national labour markets which are or will become recipients of European workers. In this 
respect, EURES will make full use of the analysis of job vacancy and hiring developed by the 
Commission  via  different  tools  such  as  the  European  Vacancy  Monitor45  and  the  European 
Job  Mobility  Bulletin46.  Regular  consultations  with  relevant  stakeholders,  such  as  social 
partners and employment services, will further help EURES to tackle bottleneck vacancies for 
which recruitment difficulties have been identified.  

42 

43 

44 
45 
46 

Regulation  (EC)  N°  883/2004  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council,  of  29  April  2004  and 
Regulation (EC) N°987/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 
The entitlement of everyone residing and moving freely within the EU to social security benefits and 
social advantages in accordance with Union and national law is also specifically recognised in Article 
34 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights.  
http://ec.europa.eu/eures/home.jsp 
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=955&langId=en. 
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=955&langId=en 

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The  goal  is  for  EURES  to  become  an  entry  point  and  natural  first  choice  for  any  citizen  or 
legally  resident  worker  and  job  seeker  and  employer  considering  working  or  recruiting  in 
another European country, improving the efficiency of the European labour market.47  

2.3.3.  Consider impacts of EU inward and outward migration.  

With labour needs in the most dynamic economic sectors set to rise significantly between now 
and  2020,  while  those  in  low-skills  activities  are  set  to  decline  further,  there  is  a  strong 
likelihood  of  deficits  occurring  in  qualified  job-specific  skills.  In  the  short  term,  mobility 
within the EU could help alleviate specific labour shortages and/or mismatches in EU-27. In 
the  longer  term,  and  especially  in  view  of  the  EU's  demographic  development,  economic 
immigration  by  third  country  nationals  is  a  key  consideration  for  the  EU  labour  market. 
However, persistently high levels of unemployment in many Member States have affected the 
public's acceptance of labour immigration, while a number of Member States are facing EU 
outward emigration of high-skilled people due to the economic crisis. 

TOWARDS A EUROPEAN LABOUR MARKET  

Free movement of workers 

The Commission will:  
– 

Present a legislative proposal by the end of 2012 in order to support mobile workers 
(information  and  advice)  in  the  exercise  of  rights  derived  from  the  Treaty  and 
Regulation 492/2011 on freedom of movement for workers within the Union48.  
In 2012, lend a new impetus to the work on the pension portability Directive setting 
minimum  standards  for  the  acquisition  and  preservation  of  supplementary  pension 
rights. 
Continue  to  improve  the  Your  Europe  portal  to  offer  a  single  entry  point  for 
information on EU rights and easy access to personalised help services such as Your 
Europe Advice and Solvit. 
Examine  tax  measures  for  cross-border  workers  with  a  view  to  propose  measures 
aiming at removing tax obstacles faced by employed and dependent workers but also 
self-employed individuals and pensioners. 

The Commission urges Member States to: 
– 

Adopt  the  Commission  proposal  to  modernise  the  Professional  Qualifications 
Directive  so  as  to  further  facilitate  the  much  needed  recognition  of  professional 
qualifications. 
Raise  awareness  of  rights  conferred  by  EU  law  on  the  anti-discrimination,  gender 
equality  and  free  movement  of  workers  and  open  and  facilitate  access  by  EU 
nationals to their public sector posts in accordance with EU law as interpreted by the 
Court of Justice.  
Reconsider the need to maintain existing restrictions on free labour market access of 
Bulgarian and Romanian workers until the end of the transitional period. 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

47 
48 

Accompanying Staff Working Document Reforming EURES to meet the goals of Europe 2020 
Official Journal of the European Union, 27.5.2011, L141, p.1  

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– 

– 

– 

Export  unemployment  benefits  for  a  period  of  maximum  6  months  to  jobseekers 
entitled to such benefits and moving to another Member State in order to find a job in 
accordance  with  Article  64  of  Regulation  883/2004  on  the  coordination  of  social 
security systems. 
Create more effective channels of communication with mobile workers so that they 
can  enjoy  full  access  to  information  concerning  their  rights  and  obligations  when 
moving across Europe. 
Facilitate cross-border tax compliance by seeking greater alignment of tax claim and 
declaration  forms,  translating  information  into  other  EU  official  languages  and 
making greater use of information technologies. 

European Employment Services (EURES) 

The Commission proposes: 

To transform the European Employment Services (EURES) into a comprehensive European 
employment instrument aligned with the Europe 2020 objectives, by:  

– 

– 

the 

Positioning  it  as  a  demand-driven  European  placement  and  recruitment  tool  that 
legal  obligation  of  ensuring 
satisfies  economic  needs,  while  fulfilling 
transparency  of  vacancies  with  innovative  on-line  job  matching  tools,  including 
mobile internet applications to ensure the best possible outreach and availability; 
Rolling  out  from  2013  the  innovative  online  self-service  "Match  and  Map"  to 
instantly provide users with a clear geographic mapping of the European job offers 
matching users' profiles and providing at the same time individual feedback on why 
jobs  and  skills  do  not  match,  together  with  corresponding  information  on  where 
learning opportunities to acquire the missing skills are available.  

The Commission calls on Member States to enhance their use of EURES: 
– 

Ensuring  that  all  relevant  job  vacancies  from  all  employment  services  are  made 
systematically accessible at national level and through EURES at European level; 
Monitoring  and  enhancing  the  quality  of  job  vacancy  data  exchanged  within  the 
EURES system; 
Working  towards  a  better  Europe-wide  interoperability  of  job  vacancies  and  CVs, 
contributing to the development of ESCO;  
Mainstreaming EURES into the service offer of relevant all labour market actors. 

– 

– 

– 

Migration 

The Commission proposes: 
– 

to launch, before the end of 2012, a consultation inviting broad debate with Member 
States,  social  partners  and  stakeholders  on  what  the  role  of  EU  policies  should  be 
regarding the opportunities of economic migration.  

3. 

ENHANCE EU GOVERNANCE  

The European Semester has been the first step in a new approach being adopted at EU level 
whereby  Member  States  and  EU  institutions  are  trying  to  strengthen  fiscal  and  economic 
coordination  and  build  a  coherent  economic  policy.  The  Semester  is  also  the  effective 
governance  method  for  monitoring  and  steering  the  implementation  of  actions  to  support 

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Europe 2020 goals. Moreover, the economic and fiscal policy coordination has been recently 
strengthened  by  the  "six-pack",  the  proposed  "two-pack"  and  the  Treaty  on  Stability, 
Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union. Better EU employment 
governance  and  coordination  has  become  essential  for  at  least  two  reasons.  First,  labour 
market participation, unemployment and labour cost play a role in macroeconomic stability, 
and  are  taken  into  consideration  in  the  new  regulation  on  the  prevention  and  correction  of 
macroeconomic imbalances. Second, the crisis has further revealed the interdependence of EU 
economies  and  labour  markets,  underscoring  the  need  to  accompany  the  new  economic 
governance with strengthened coordination of employment and social policies in line with the 
European Employment Strategy provided for by the Treaty.  

3.1. 

Complement  reinforced  national  reporting  and  coordination  with  enhanced 
multilateral surveillance. 

The  December  2011  European  Council  acknowledged  the  importance  of  complementing  a 
reinforced  economic  coordination  with  enhanced  monitoring  of  employment  and  social 
policies.49  This  political  commitment  was  further  confirmed  by  the  2012  Spring  European 
Council, which called for the preparation of "National Job Plans" by Member States that set 
out comprehensive initiatives on employment. 

As an integral part of a Member State’s National Reform Programme, the "National Job Plan" 
shall  provide  key  deliverables  with  regard  to  the  employment  guidance  delivered  by  the 
European  Council,  addressing  structural  labour  market  weaknesses  and  seeking  to  make  a 
short-to-medium  term  impact  on  jobs.  The  plans  should  include  a  clear  timetable  on  how, 
over the next 12 months, the multiannual reform agenda is to be rolled out.  

Besides strengthening the focus of NRPs on improving employment outcomes, National Job 
Plans  should  also  serve  to  improve  coordination  of  employment  policies  at  the  EU  level. 
Enhanced  peer  pressure  at  EU  level  may  support  implementation  and  help  maintain  focus. 
The  main  lever  for  peer  pressure  remains  the  possibility  for  the  Council  to  adopt  county 
specific recommendations as foreseen in the Treaty. In order to deepen policy coordination, 
the Employment Committee has this year adopted new working methods, with a series of peer 
reviews that will enable the Committee to reach a multilateral position on the implementation 
of  reforms,  feeding  into  the  assessment  by  the  Commission  and  the  Council.  Multilateral 
surveillance  can  also  be  further  enhanced  by  a  labour  market  monitoring  system  based  on 
objective  data  and  by  an  individual  tracking  scheme  for  countries  that  do  not  comply  with 
country–specific recommendations. It would allow for a continuous, transparent and rounded 
surveillance of Member States' employment performances and progress towards Europe 2020 
headline targets.  

3.2. 

Reinforce the involvement of the social partners 

Social partners play an important role at the national level in the defining labour market rules 
or  setting  of  wages,  and  strongly  influence  other  structural  policies  through  tripartite 
consultations,  such  as  in  the  area  of  social  security.  They  are  also  key  when  it  comes  to 
implementing  measures  such  as  apprenticeships  or  effective  lifelong  learning.  At  the  EU 
level,  social  partners  are  currently  taking  part,  besides  consultations  on  relevant  legislative 

49 

European Council Conclusions of 9 December 2011 and Council Conclusions (EPSCO) of 1 December 
2011 

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proposals,  in  a  biannual  macro-economic  dialogue  and  also  hold  twice-yearly  exchanges  of 
views  at  the  highest  political  level  in  the  Tripartite  Social  Summit50.  Both  the  macro-
economic  dialogue  and  the  Tripartite  Social  Summits  constitute  important  opportunities  for 
involvement  of  social  partners,  also  in  the  context  of  the  European  Semester.  There  is 
however  scope  for  further  improving  the  mechanisms  for  social  partners'  involvment  in  the 
coordination  of  economic  and  employment  policies  at  EU  level,  notably  ahead  of  the 
European Semester51. 

While  the  autonomy  of  social  dialogue  is  beyond  question  and  national  practices  are  being 
respected  (according  to  Articles  152  and  153§5  TFEU),  in  order  for  European  economic 
governance  to  be  effective  and  inclusive,  involvement  of  social  partners  in  elaboration  and 
implementation  of  economic  and  employment  policies  needs  to  be  commensurate  with  the 
developments in surveillance and coordination mechanisms. Wage-setting mechanisms are a 
case  in  point  as  a  number  of  wage-related  issues  have  been  raised  in  the  country-specific 
recommendations52  of  2011  and  as  the  evolution  of  national  unit  labour  costs  is  being 
monitored in the context of preventing and correcting macroeconomic imbalances53.  

3.3. 

Strengthen the link between policy and funding  

It  will  not  be  possible  to  build  dynamic  and  inclusive  labour  markets,  reduce  mismatches, 
upgrade skills and increase geographical mobility without a significant financial investment in 
human  capital.  That  is  why,  in  the  Multiannual  Financial  Framework  for  2014-20,  the 
Commission has proposed minimum allocations for the European Social Fund in each type of 
region,  amounting  to  an  EU  total  of  at  least  €84  billion.  In   addition  to  the  necessary 
(re)assessment  of  national  budgetary  priorities  in  the  context  of  smart  fiscal  consolidation, 
coordinated  through  the  European  Semester,  the  close  alignment  of  the  EU  budget  with  the 
Europe 2020 strategy in the next programming period needs to be seized as an opportunity to 
increase and improve the use that is made of EU funding to support Member States' reform 
efforts.54  

This calls for a close connection of the priorities of the post-2013 Partnership Contracts and 
Operational  Programmes  which  benefit  from  ESF  support  with  the  orientations  provided  in 
the  context  of  EU  economic  governance  and  in  particular  of  the  upgraded  governance  of 
employment policies. At the same time the Commission is promoting enhanced coordination 
and  integration  of  the  funds  to  be  covered  by  the  Partnership  Contracts,  including  ESF  and 
ERDF, as well as the EAFRD and the EMFF. This approach aims at maximising synergies, 
including from the employment perspective. 

The  strengthened  peer  review  of  reform  implementation  and  best  practice  exchange  which 
will  form  part  of  the  new  role  of  the  Employment  Committee  should  also  include  an 

50 

51 
52 
53 
54 

In  2012,  the  Commission  will  propose  to  update  the  Council  Decision  2003/174  establishing  the 
Tripartite Social Summit, in line with provisions of the TFEU.  
Council Conclusions (EPSCO) of 1 December 2011, point 9.5. 
Council recommendations of 12 July 2011 on the National Reform Programmes 
Regulation (EU) No 1176/2011 of the European Parliament and the Council of 16 November 2011. 
Commission  Proposal  for  a  regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  laying  down 
common  provisions  on  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund,  the  European  Social  Fund,  the 
Cohesion  Fund,  the  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development  and  the  European  Maritime 
and Fisheries Fund covered by the Common Strategic Framework and laying down general provisions 
on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and 
repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006, COM(2011)615. 

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assessment  of  the  effectiveness  of  the  related  investment  effort  with  a  view  to  its  further 
improvement, where needed. 

The Commission proposes:  

to reinforce coordination and multilateral surveillance in the area of employment policies 
by: 
– 

publishing, together with the draft Joint Employment Report and on an annual basis, 
a  benchmarking  system  with  selected  employment  indicators.  The  system  will  be 
built  in  cooperation  with  the  Member  States  and  be  based  on  the  existing  Joint 
Assessment Framework and Employment Performance Monitor which identifies key 
employment challenges and is developed with Member States. 
developing,  by  the  end  of  2012,  in  cooperation  with  the  Member  States  and  all 
relevant actors, a scoreboard to keep track of progress in the implementation of the 
National Job Plans, as part of NRPs, by Member States, for the first time as part of 
the 2013 Annual Growth Survey (Joint Employment Report).  

– 

to strengthen the involvement of the EU social partners in the European Semester by:  
– 

establishing  effective  involvement  of  the  EU  social  partners  on  the  main  strategic 
priorities  in  the  area  of  employment  policies  i)  in  the  context  of  the  European 
Semester to exchange views on growth and employment priorities; and ii) ahead of 
the  Spring  ECOFIN  and  EPSCO  Council  meetings.  The  latter  would  involve  the 
Presidency of the Council; 
setting up, in full respect of the autonomy of social partners conferred by Art. 152 of 
the  Treaty,  an  EU  tripartite  format  for  monitoring  and  exchange  views  on  wage 
developments 
internal  demand, 
unemployment and income inequalities.  

to  productivity, 

inflation  and 

relation 

in 

– 

to  strengthen  the  link  between  employment  policies  and  relevant  financial  instruments 
through:  
– 

closely  reflecting  the  priorities  of  National  Reform  Programmes,  and  in  particular 
National Job Plans, in preparing Partnership Contracts and Operational Programmes 
for 2014-2020, including their performance framework, taking into account relevant 
country-specific recommendations and observations of the Employment Committee. 
reviewing Partnership Contracts and Operational Programmes where necessary in the 
light of relevant country-specific recommendations as envisaged in Article 21 of the 
proposed common provisions regulation for CSF Funds.  
taking into account the assessment arising from the funds’ performance framework in 
the preparation of National Reform Programmes during the 2014-2020.  

– 

– 

The Commission invites Member States and the Council: 
– 

through  the  Employment  Committee,  to  prepare  the  mechanisms  for  reinforced 
multilateral surveillance in the area of employment; 
to  discuss  and  adopt  these  new  mechanisms  in  the  framework  of  the  Employment 
Committee, with an aim of early approval by Council and full implementation during 
the European Semester 2013; 
to make full use of the financing that will be provided in shared management from -
2014  onwards  under  the  European  Social  Fund  to  support  investment  in  identified 
key employment challenges. 

– 

– 

Conclusion 

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The aims of this communication is to show the most effective ways at the current junctunre 
towards  meeting  the  Europe  2020  employment  target  thus  and  reinforcing  the  employment 
dimension  of  the  Europe  2020  Strategy.  The  communication  seeks  to  do  this  in  content,  by 
providing substantive guidance relevant in the context of Member State's National Job Plans, 
and by suggesting ways to strengthen the employment dimension in EU governance: 

-  The  Commission  proposes  policy  guidance  on  supporting  job  creation  and  labour  market 
reforms,  emphasing  the  importance  of  investment,  and  invites  the  Council  to  adopt  an 
ambitious approach to this end. 

- The Commission outlines steps to address skills mismatches and to improve labour mobility 
lifting obstacles towads a genuine European labour market.  

-  The  Commission  proposes  ways  to  strengthen  multilateral  surveillance,  improve  the 
involvement  of  social  partners  in  employment  governance  and  further  align  policy  and 
funding  in  order  to  maximise  the  employment  results  achieved  through  EU  budget 
instruments.  

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ANNEX 

The three action plans in this annex (a set of key employment actions for the Green Economy, 
an action plan for the EU Health Workforce and a set of key actions for ICT Employment) are 
proposed  in  line  with  section  1.2  "Exploit  the  job  creation  potential  of  key  sectors"  of  the 
present  Communication.  They  are  each  also  underpinned  by  separate  Staff  Working 
Documents 

A Set of Key Employment Actions for the Green Economy 

In response to the EPSCO Council Conclusions December 2010 on 'Employment Policies for 
a  competitive,  low-carbon,  resource  efficient  and  green  economy',  a  set  of  key  employment 
actions is presented in view of achieving a successful transition to the green economy. 

The Commission will: 

1. Promote a mainstreaming of green employment into National Job Plans 

-  by  working  with  the  Employment  Committee  (EMCO)  to  build  on  its  green  employment 
indicators and ensure consistent monitoring of reform measures; 

- by encouraging Member States to address labour relocation and retraining needs through 
active labour market policies and life-long learning, including by incorporating such policy 
responses into regional, urban or local development strategies, as appropriate; 

-  by  emphasising  in  the  2013  European  Semester  the  employment  dimension  of  resource 
efficiency and the implementation of necessary reforms. In particular, Member States will be 
encouraged  to  make  greater  use  of  environmental  taxes  and  ETS  revenues  in  shifting 
taxation away from labour. 

2. Strengthen green skills intelligence 

-  by  ensuring  that  EU-level  skills  anticipation  instruments  (EU  Skills  Panorama,  ESCO, 
CEDEFOP and EUROFOUND surveys etc.) cover emerging green skills needs;  

-  by  organising  in  2013  a  set  of  mutual  learning  actions  with  relevant  labour  market 
actors,  in  particular  on  embedding  the  skills  and  training  dimension  within  wider  national 
green growth strategies (DG EMPL Mutual Learning Programme) and on the ways and means 
of  working  with  business  to  direct  jobseekers  and  those  at  risk  of  redundancy  towards 
emerging green occupations (PES to PES dialogue); 

-  by  promoting  further  uptake  of  standardised  skills  certification  schemes  through  the 
Intelligent Energy Europe Programme in 2013/2014. 

3. Promote greater use of EU financial instruments for smart green investments 

- by engaging with the European Investment Bank to boost further the capacity to lend to 
public and private ventures in the field of resource efficiency and renewable energy;  

-  by  encouraging  Member  States  to  address  in  ESF-supported  operational  programmes  for 
2014-2020  the  needs  for  green  training  and  PES’  capacity  to  assist  in  green  labour  market 

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24 

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transitions;  and  to  concentrate  ERDF  resourcs  on  energy  efficiency  and  renewables 
investments in line with the Commission's proposal; 

-  by  launching,  in  the  context  of  the  Progress  Microfinance  Facility,  a  microfinance  and 
social  entrepreneurship  stakeholders'  forum  in  2013  with  a  view  to  engaging  local 
financial intermediaries in promoting entrepreneurial activity in the green economy;  

-  by  targeting  innovative  initiatives  addressing  the  intersection  between  resource  efficiency 
and inclusive employment through the social experimentation window of PROGRESS. 

4. Build partnerships between labour market actors 

- by supporting cooperation projects on green jobs and transitions to a green economy under 
the PARES Call for Proposals 2013 for innovative projects between Employment Services; 

-  by  working  with  the  European  Social  Partners  on  ways  to  facilitate  the  shift  to  a  low 
carbon economy through specific initiatives within their work programme 2012-2014; 

-  by  raising  awareness  on  the  best  bipartite  and  tripartite  initiatives  and  activities  for  green 
employment through the publication in 2013 of a good practices handbook.  

An Action Plan for the EU Health Workforce 

To support Member States in addressing the challenges faced by the healthcare sector and in 
line with Member States' commitment to work together in this area, as enshrined in Council 
conclusions  of  December  2010,  the  Commission  proposes  an  Action  Plan  with  the  actions 
below.  
The Commission will: 
1. Improve health workforce planning and forecasting in the EU 

-  by  creating,  by  the  end  of  2012,  a  European  platform  of  Member  States  and  professional 
organisations by launching a three year EU joint action on forecasting and planning under 
the Health Programme to share good practice, develop forecasting methodologies on health 
workforce needs and effective workforce planning and improve EU-wide data on the health 
workforce; 

- by developing guidance, by 2014, on the exchange of education and training capacities in 
health professions in order to make best use of existing capacities based on the results of a 
study  to  be  launched  in  2013,  mapping  Member  States'  education  and  training  capacities  in 
health, particularly in medical universities and nursing schools; 

2. Better anticipate skills needs in the healthcare sector 

- by supporting the creation of a European Skills Council on nursing and care workers in 
2013  to better  analyse and anticipate  skill needs in these  professions,  taking due account of 
the proposed modernisation of the Professional Qualifications Directive; 

- by fostering partnerships between education/vocational training providers and employers in 
the healthcare sector through the work of a pilot Sector Skills Alliance to be set up in 2013; 

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- by promoting the exchange of good practice on continuous professional development, to 
update  skills  and  competence  and  to  help  retain  healthcare  personnel  through  lifelong 
learning, through a review and mapping of national systems and practices to be carried out in 
2013; 

-  by  developing,  by  2014,  recommendations  for  the  training  requirements  of  healthcare 
assistants  including  educational  support  for  informal  carers  based  on  an  analysis  of  the 
scope  of  skills  and  competences  required  from  healthcare  assistants,  through  setting  up  a 
pilot health care assistants expert network and database; 

3. Stimulate exchange on recruitment and retention of health workers 

- by launching, by 2013, a mapping of innovative and effective recruitment and retention 
strategies  in  the  healthcare  sector  with  a  view  to  exchanging  good  practices  between 
Member  States  through  launching  a  tender  for  the  mapping  and  through  exploring  a  joint 
action with Member States; 

4. Support ethical recruitment of health workers 

- By supporting Member States' implementation of the WHO Global Code of Practice for 
the International recruitment of Health Personnel through the development of a common 
approach.  

A Set of Key Actions for ICT Employment 

Good progress has been made in the implementation of the Commission's Communication on 
"e-Skills for the 21st Century"55. There is now a strong consensus on the need for a long-term 
EU e-skills strategy building on active cooperation between the Commission, Member States, 
regions and social partners to exploit the employment potential of ICTs. 

The Commission will: 

1. Set up multi-stakeholder partnerships in order to  

-  Improve  the  identification  of  labour-market  mismatches  between  demand  and  supply  of 
ICT-related job profiles  

-  mobilise  organisations  and  networks  offering  design,  provision  and  certification  of  ICT 
skills  training  initiatives,  with  special  focus  on  employability  and  certification  of  informal 
competences; 

- support awareness raising campaigns (European e-Skills Week56, Get Online week), and 
promote  ICT  careers  in  order  to  attract  and  involve  young  people  and  underrepresented 
profiles such as women, mid-career workers and vulnerable groups; 

2. Strengthen the European e-skills framework 

- by creating by 2013 a specialised section focusing on ICT careers on the European Skills 

55 

56 

Evaluation of the implementation of the Commission's Communication on e-Skills for the 21st Century, 
October 2010, http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/ict/files/reports/eskills21_final_report_en.pdf. 
See http://eskills-week.ec.europa.eu.  

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Panorama website; 

- by further elaborating in 2012 the European e-Competences framework developed by 
CEN57 to provide by 2013 descriptors of digital competences and a self-assessment tool for all 
learners which will be integrated in the forthcoming European Skills Passport; 

- by developing in 2013 European guidelines for e-learning based on business needs and best 
practices including industry-led initiatives;  

- by promoting short-cycle qualifications, both in higher education or vocational education 
and training, to provide focused and applied e-skills; 

3. Support an increase in highly qualified ICT labour force  

-  by  developing  during  2012  quality  labels  for  ICT  industry-based  training  and 
certifications  compatible  with  the  European  quality  assurance  reference  framework  for 
vocational  education  and  training  (EQAVET);  and  developing  in  2013  a  pilot  providing  an 
interactive landscape of the ICT industry certifications and an online self-assessment test 
for ICT practitioners; 

-  by  promoting  synergies  between  actions  in  the  fields  of  ICT  skills,  entrepreneurship  and 
cloud computing in the context of the forthcoming EU action plan on cloud computing; 

- further develop the EU initiative on e-leadership launched in 2012 to address the needs of 
entrepreneurs, managers, ICT practitioners and advanced users, with a focus on start-ups and 
SMEs;  

4. Promote greater use of EU financial instruments for investments in ICT skills 

-  by  encouraging  Member  States  to  strengthen  digital  training  within  their  education  and 
training systems and boost e-inclusion through ESF-supported operational programmes in 
2014-2020. 

57 

European Standardisation Committee (CEN) 

EN 

27 

   EN