REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on EURES activity July 2018 - June 2020 Submitted pursuant to Article 33 of Regulation (EU) 2016/589
Date: 2021-02-04
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: EURES, administrative cooperation, employment service, exchange of information, free movement of workers, frontier worker, job access, job vacancy, labour mobility

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 4.2.2021  COM(2021) 46 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on EURES activity July 2018 - June 2020      Submitted pursuant to Article 33 of Regulation (EU) 2016/589    
 
 
Table of Contents 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ 3 

1 

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 4 

1.1  What is EURES? .................................................................................................. 4 

1.1.1 

Legal framework .......................................................................................... 4 

1.1.2 

EURES activities .......................................................................................... 5 

1.1.3 

EURES organisation ..................................................................................... 5 

1.2  EURES implementation ....................................................................................... 6 

2  MAIN ACTIVITIES OF THE EURES NETWORK: JULY 2018 – JUNE 2020 ................................. 7 

2.1  Activities in EURES countries ............................................................................ 7 

2.1.1  General support services for workers and employers................................... 7 

2.1.2 

Specific support services .............................................................................. 8 

2.1.3  Resources and governance ......................................................................... 10 

2.2  Horizontal support activities from the European Coordination Office (ECO) .. 12 

2.2.1  Coordination and governance support ........................................................ 12 

2.2.2  Operation and development of the EURES Portal and related IT support . 13 

2.2.3 

Training and professional development ..................................................... 14 

2.2.4  Helpdesk ..................................................................................................... 14 

2.2.5  Networking, exchange, and best practice and mutual learning .................. 14 

2.2.6 

Information and communication activities ................................................. 14 

2.2.7  Analysis of geographical and occupational mobility ................................. 16 

2.2.8  Development  of  an  appropriate  cooperation  and  clearance  structure  for 
apprenticeships and traineeships .............................................................................. 16 

2.2.9 

Financial resources ..................................................................................... 16 

3 

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGULATION IN THE EURES COUNTRIES ............................. 17 

3.1  Composition of the network and organisational matters ................................... 17 

3.1.1  Regulation requirements ............................................................................. 17 

3.1.2 

Implementation ........................................................................................... 17 

3.1.3  Challenges .................................................................................................. 18 

3.2  Governance and interaction with organisations outside the EURES network... 18 

3.2.1  Regulation requirements ............................................................................. 18 

 
 
 
 
3.2.2 

Implementation ........................................................................................... 18 

3.2.3  Challenges .................................................................................................. 18 

3.3  Broadening the network ..................................................................................... 19 

3.3.1  Regulation requirements ............................................................................. 19 

3.3.2 

Implementation ........................................................................................... 19 

3.3.3  Challenges .................................................................................................. 20 

3.4 

Job vacancies and CV exchanges ...................................................................... 20 

3.4.1  Regulation requirements ............................................................................. 20 

3.4.2 

Implementation ........................................................................................... 20 

3.4.3  Challenges .................................................................................................. 21 

3.5 

Support services ................................................................................................. 21 

3.5.1  Regulation requirements ............................................................................. 21 

3.5.2 

Implementation ........................................................................................... 21 

3.5.3  Challenges .................................................................................................. 22 

3.6 

Information exchange, programming and performance measurement .............. 22 

3.6.1  Regulation requirements ............................................................................. 22 

3.6.2 

Implementation ........................................................................................... 22 

3.6.3  Challenges .................................................................................................. 22 

3.7  Addressed actions from previous reporting period ............................................ 22 

4 

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGULATION BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION ................ 23 

4.1.1  Regulation requirements ............................................................................. 23 

4.1.2 

Implementation ........................................................................................... 24 

4.1.3  Challenges .................................................................................................. 25 

4.1.4  Addressed actions from previous reporting period .................................... 25 

5 

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................. 26 

5.1  Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 26 

5.2  Recommendations for EURES countries ........................................................... 27 

5.3  Actions to be taken forward by the ECO and the European Commission ......... 28 

5.4  Actions to be taken forward by the European Labour Authority ...................... 28 

2 

 
 
 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

This Activity Report provides an overview of the activities carried out by the EURES network 
between  July  2018  and  June  2020  as  well  as  a  description  of  the  state  of  play  of  the 
application of the EURES Regulation (EU) 2016/589 as of June 2020 as provided for in Article 
33 of this Regulation. 

Launched in 1994, EURES is  a cooperative network between the European Commission, the 
national Public Employment Services (PES) and other Members and Partners such as private 
employment  services,  social  partners,  and  universities,  in  all  the  EU  countries,  Iceland, 
Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and, in the reference period of this report, the United Kingdom 
(hereafter: ‘EURES countries’).  

The  main  goal  of  the  EURES  network  is  the  promotion  of  fair  intra-EU  labour  mobility.  It  is 
composed  of  National  Coordination  Offices  (NCOs)  designated  by  each  EURES  country,  the 
European  Coordination  Office  (ECO),  currently  hosted  by  the  Directorate  General  for 
Employment,  Social  Affairs  and  Inclusion  of  the  European  Commission  (DG  EMPL)  and 
additional  EURES  Members  and  Partners.  EURES  services  are  delivered  through  the  EURES 
human  network,  consisting  of  EURES  staff  across  the  EURES  countries,  and  the  European  job 
mobility portal (‘EURES Portal’) with a number of online service tools available. 

At the operational level, the main activities of the EURES countries during the current reference 
period  focused  on  the  provision  of  support  services  to  employers  and  workers,  mostly  via  the 
provision of information on labour mobility issues and recruitment activities. In addition, specific 
support  services  on  apprenticeships  and  traineeships,  post-recruitment  assistance  and  mobility 
schemes  were  provided  throughout  the  network.  Looking  at  the  ECO’s  activities,  it  continued 
providing  horizontal  support  services  to  ensure  the  functioning  of  the  EURES  network,  but  also 
worked  on  the  development  and  improvement  of  the  EURES  Portal  and  interoperability 
functionalities. 

At  the  regulatory  level,  several  advancements  were  achieved  in  the  implementation  of  the 
EURES Regulation: 

  Most EURES countries have in place an admission system for new Members and Partners 
in order to enlarge their networks and a number of new Members and Partners have already 
been admitted.  

  All  but  one  EURES  countries  are  automatically  transferring  job  vacancies  and  more  than 

half are transferring CVs from national level to the EURES Portal.  

  The  usability  of  the  EURES  Portal  was  improved  and  work  on  the  implementation  of  an 

automated matching of CVs and job vacancies on the EURES Portal is ongoing.  

  Templates  to  enable  harmonised  planning  and  performance  measurement  across  the 
EURES network are in use (Performance Measurement System and programming cycle). 

Nevertheless, some challenges and obstacles still remain to be addressed. The enlargement of the 
network  with  the  admission  of  new  Members  and  Partners  happens  at  a  slow  pace.  A  lack  of 
compliance with the EURES Regulation delays the implementation of interoperability solutions.  

ECO’s  provision  of  horizontal  support  to  the  EURES  countries  including  the  promotion  of  the 
EURES  brand  and  coordination  of  the  network  has  been  essential  for  the  work  of  EURES,  but 
more  attention  can  be  devoted  to  enhancing  the  exchange  of  information  on  labour  mobility, 
aligning the programming and monitoring cycles, and further facilitate the provision of support 
services to apprenticeships and traineeships.  

3 

 
 
Going forward, in order to achieve the objectives of the EURES reform and to further ensure fair 
intra-EU  labour  mobility,  EURES  countries  are  recommended  to  enhance  their  efforts  in 
admitting  new  Members  and  Partners  and  adjusting  their  internal  governance  and 
coordination mechanisms to reflect the new network’s composition. Continuing their work on the 
accomplishment of automated transfer of job vacancies and CVs, where this  is  not  yet  done, 
and  completing  the  ongoing  mapping  of  national  classification  systems  to  the  European 
classification of skills, qualifications and occupations (ESCO) should be  a priority in  order to 
enhance  the  usability  of  the  EURES  Portal.  It  is  also  important  for  the  EURES  network  to 
integrate  even  further  the  analysis  of  labour  market  trends  in  the  planning  of  its  activities 
and to explore the need for targeted activities in view of socio-demographic developments.  

These priorities should be carried out in a challenging implementation context for EURES, given 
the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on intra-EU labour mobility and considering the transition 
of ECO to the European  Labour Authority (ELA) foreseen for 2021. In this regard, ELA should 
prioritise  the  implementation  of  the  action  plan  for  the  transfer,  together  with  the 
recruitment of qualified staff and sufficient resource allocation. 

1 

INTRODUCTION 

1.1  What is EURES? 

EURES  is  a  cooperative  network  between  the  European  Commission,  the  national  Public 
Employment Services (PES) and other  Members and Partners, in  all the EU countries,  Iceland, 
Liechtenstein,  Norway,  Switzerland  and  the  United  Kingdom1  (hereafter:  ‘EURES  countries’). 
EURES facilitates the free movement of workers by providing information and employment support 
services  to  workers  and  employers,  and  by  enhancing  cooperation  and  information  exchange 
between its member organisations.  

1.1.1  Legal framework  

EURES  was  launched  in  1994  by  the  European  Commission  and  was  taken  up  by  Council 
Regulation  (EEC)  No  2434/92  of  27  July  1992  in  amending  Part  II  of  then  Regulation  (EEC)  No 
1612/68 on freedom of movement for workers within the Community. From 2011 to 2016 EURES 
underwent a long process of reform in terms of network composition, governance and tools, in order 
to reflect changes in mobility patterns and emerging trends in the field. This process culminated in 
the new EURES Regulation (EU) 2016/589 which came into force with the aim to create a bigger 
and stronger network of European employment services, both public and private, in order to deliver a 
more  efficient  exchange  of  labour  market  information  across  borders  in  support  of  job  placements 
across the EU/EEA area.  

The main changes introduced with the new EURES Regulation compared to the previous legal basis 
are linked to  enhanced transparency through an increase in the number of jobs  advertised on the 
EURES  Portal,  including  apprenticeships  and  traineeships  that  are  subject  to  an  employment 
relationship;  improved  online  matching  of  job  vacancies  and  CVs;  provision  of  a  minimum 
agreed package of services for jobseekers and employers; and enlargement of the network. The 

1 In the reference period July 2018 and June 2020 the United Kingdom was a full member of EURES. Its membership in 

EURES will cease on 31 December 2020. 

4 

 
 
                                                 
Regulation is supported by six implementing decisions ensuring a uniform implementation across the 
EURES countries.2 Two of the Implementing Decisions, (EU) 2018/1020 of 18 July 2018 and (EU) 
2018/1021 of 18 July 2018, were adopted in the reference period. 

1.1.2  EURES activities  

EURES forms an essential part of the labour market support structure that the EU has developed over 
past decades to improve its social and economic performance. EURES services are delivered through 
two  complementary  channels  -  the  EURES  human  network,  comprising  EURES  staff  across  the 
network, and the European job mobility portal (EURES Portal) with a number of online service tools 
available. 

EURES services to jobseekers and employers 

  Helping jobseekers to find jobs and employers to find candidates across Europe; 
  Matching job vacancies and CVs on the EURES Portal; 
 

Information, guidance and other labour mobility support services for workers and 
employers; 

  Post-recruitment assistance; 
  Access to information on aspects of living and working conditions such as taxation, 

pensions, health insurance and social security in EURES countries; 

  Specific  support services  for  frontier  workers  and  employers  in  cross-border 

regions; 

  Support  to  specific  groups  in  the  context  of EURES-related  targeted  mobility 

schemes; 

  Support  for  dynamic  recruitment  events  through the  European  Online  Job  Days 

(EOJD) platform. 

1.1.3  EURES organisation 

In accordance with Article 7 of EURES Regulation, the EURES network is composed of: 

2 Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/1255 of 11 July 2017 on a template for the description of national 

systems and procedures to admit organisations to become EURES Members and Partners. 

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/1256 of 11 July 2017 on templates and procedures for the exchange of 

information on the EURES network national work programmes at Union level. 

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/1257 of 11 July 2017 on the technical standards and formats required for 

a uniform system to enable matching of job vacancies with job applications and CVs on the EURES Portal. 

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/170 of 2 February 2018 on uniform detailed specifications for data 

collection and analysis to monitor and evaluate the functioning of the EURES network.   

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1020 of 18 July 2018 on the adoption and updating of the list of skills, 

competences and occupations of the European classification for the purpose of automated matching through the 
EURES common IT platform  

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1021 of 18 July 2018 on the adoption of technical standards and formats 

necessary for the operation of the automated matching through the common IT platform using the European 
classification and the interoperability between national systems and the European classification. 

5 

 
 
                                                 
 

 

the  National  Coordination  Offices  (NCOs)  designated  by  the  EURES  countries  and 
generally  linked  to  either  their  Public  Employment  Services  (PES)  or  their  Ministry  of 
Labour;  
the  European  Coordination  Office  (ECO),  hosted  by  the  Directorate  General  for 
Employment,  Social  Affairs  and  Inclusion  of  the  European  Commission  (DG  EMPL), 
provides horizontal support to NCOs. In line with Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1149, 
the  responsibility  for  hosting  ECO  will  be  transferred  from  DG  EMPL  to  the  European 
Labour Authority (ELA);  

  other  EURES  Members  and  Partners,  which,  according  to  Article  12  of  the  EURES 
Regulation,  are  the  organisations  performing  operational  activities  within  the  EURES 
network, such as private employment services, social partners, and universities. 

Together,  the  NCOs  and  ECO  constitute  the  European  Coordination  Group  (ECG)  of  the  EURES 
network, which has a coordinating role concerning the activities and functioning of the network (Art. 
14 of EURES Regulation).  

As specified in Article 11 of EURES Regulation, EURES Members and Partners have to undergo an 
admission  procedure  before  becoming  an  accredited  EURES  Member  or  Partner.  In  the  EURES 
network, Members must carry out all of the following tasks while Partners need to carry out at least 
one: 

  Contributing to  the pool of job  vacancies by transmitting data to  the EURES  Portal and  IT 

platform; 

  Contributing to the pool of jobseeker profiles by transmitting data to the EURES Portal and 

IT platform; 

  Providing support services directly to jobseekers and employers. 

1.2 EURES implementation 

Articles 33 and 35 of the EURES Regulation require that reports on the activities of the network are 
prepared by the Commission in 2018 and 2020 and an ex-post evaluation is submitted in 2021. The 
first  EURES  Activity  Report  covered  the  period  from  January  2016  until  June  2018  and  was 
published on 2 April 2019, concluding that at the regulatory level the implementation of the EURES 
Regulation had been completed in most areas, as such:  

  NCOs had been nominated; 
  PES had been appointed as Members of the national EURES networks;  
  Progress was made in setting up admission systems for Members and Partners; 
  New monitoring and performance tools were put in place; 
  Progress was made on the transparent exchange of job vacancies and CVs between national 

databases and EURES Portal.  

Areas  for  further  development  were  identified  and  include  the  network  enlargement  through  the 
admission of new Members and Partners, the implementation of the CV and job vacancy exchange 
with all EURES countries and the introduction of the European classification of skills, qualifications 
and occupations (ESCO).  

6 

 
This second EURES Activity Report covers the period July 2018 to June 2020 (hereafter: ‘reference 
period’).  

2  MAIN ACTIVITIES OF THE EURES NETWORK: JULY 2018 – JUNE 2020 

2.1 Activities in EURES countries 

2.1.1  General support services for workers and employers 

All EURES countries provided support services to workers and employers. The main focus of the 
activities remained on workers and jobseekers, although an upward trend in the number of services 
provided  to  employers  was  observed.  Main  activity  types  included  provision  of  information, 
guidance  and  counselling,  organisation  of  onsite  and  online  recruitment  events,  and  provision  of 
support in direct matching and placement. In some cases, the activities were planned by the EURES 
countries  based  on  a  sectoral  approach,  whilst  others  focused  on  outgoing  or  incoming  mobility. 
Some EURES countries adopted a general labour market approach.  

2.1.1.1  Matching and placing activities  
Between  July  2018  and  June  2020,  432  503  job  applications  (including  CVs)  and  1  662  468  job 
vacancies  were  handled  and  processed  by  EURES  staff.  The  focus  had  been  on  jobseekers  and 
employers  from  the  country  of  their  national  EURES  network,  while  only  37%  of  the  job 
applications  and  9%  of  the  job  vacancies  were  from  other  EURES  countries.  In  addition,  18  397 
events were organised in the same period across the network, with 69% of them being information 
events,  12%  recruitment  events  and  the  remaining  19%  combining  recruitment  and  information 
activities.  Between  July  2018  and  June  2020,  419  745  jobseekers  and  15 834  employers  had 
registered  via  the  self-service  on  the  EURES  Portal.  Combining  the  results  from  the  EURES 
Performance  Measurement  System  (PMS)  and  estimations  based  on  the  customer  satisfaction 
survey, the EURES network either through the EURES Portal or the national EURES networks have 
facilitated at least 84 580 placements in 2018 and 83 360 placements in 2019. 

2.1.1.2  Information and guidance  
Examples  of  information  and  guidance  activities  for  jobseekers  and  employers  provided  by  the 
EURES  staff  include  one-to-one  counselling,  support  with  drafting  job  vacancies,  organisation  of 
workshops.  Overall,  5  924  376  individual  contacts  with  workers  and  403  244  with  employers 
were reported between July 2018 and June 2020. Concerning the topics discussed, around 43% of the 
contacts  with  workers  focused  on  placements  and  32%  on  living  and  working  conditions.  With 
regard to the main discussion topics with employers, placements represented around 40%, followed 
by general information on EURES with a share of approximately 39%.  

Relevant information is also accessible through the EURES Portal, with EURES countries regularly 
updating  general  information  on  their  labour  markets  and  living  and  working  conditions  (e.g. 
administrative procedures, social  security system, tax issues, employment contracts,  usual methods 
of looking for employment). The information is available in 26 languages. In addition,  16 EURES 
countries  have  their  own  EURES  national  website  where  jobseekers  and  employers  can  find, 
among  others,  labour  mobility  information,  an  overview  of  the  EURES  services  and  a  link  to  the 
EURES Portal.   

7 

 
2.1.2  Specific support services  

Support  services  and  programmes  targeting  specific  groups  were  also  at  the  core  of  activities 
implemented by EURES countries.  

2.1.2.1  Support in cross-border regions  
EURES  Members  and  Partners  provide  information  as  well  as  placement  and  recruitment  services 
tailored to the specific requirements and circumstances of frontier workers and employers in cross-
border  regions.  These  activities  were  implemented  through  the  formal  EURES  Cross-Border 
Partnerships (CBPs), financed through the EURES axis of the European Programme for Employment 
and  Social  Innovation  (EaSI)  2014  –  2020,  and  by  establishing  collaboration  agreements  with 
neighbouring EURES countries or other organisations outside the EURES network3.  

In 2018, nine CBPs were supported through an EaSI grant from the previous year and 11 CBPs in 
2019.  Moreover,  during  2019,  eight  CBPs  were  selected  to  receive  the  EaSI  grant  for  2020  and 
2021.  EURES  CBPs  reported  195 060  individual  contacts  with  workers  in  2019  and  18  182 
individual contacts with clients on the topic of job search in 2018. Overall, 5 408 cross-border job 
seekers found a job with the help of CBP in 2018 and 2019. These figures show that the focus of the 
CBP activities has mostly been on the provision of multilingual information, often delivered through 
physical  one-stop-shop  solutions.  The  information  provided  consists,  for  the  majority,  in  guidance 
for  posted  workers  and  commuters,  such  as  access  to  social  security  systems,  recognition  of 
qualifications abroad and taxation.  

Concerning  support  services  provided  in  cross-border  regions  outside  the  framework  of  formal 
CBPs, EURES countries often report other cross-border cooperation arrangements in their activity 
reports,  mostly  aimed  at  providing  information  and  facilitating  the  organisation  of  recruitment 
events in cross-border areas. 

2.1.2.2  Post-recruitment assistance  
Post-recruitment assistance aims to ensure the best possible integration of mobile workers into their 
new  positions.  EURES  countries  continued  focusing  on  providing  information  to  workers  and 
employers prior to signing an employment contract, and in addition, around two-thirds of them also 
organised post-recruitment activities (e.g. 21 EURES countries reported organising post-recruitment 
activities in 2019). The majority of activities comprised  the provision of information and guidance 
on  tax  and  social  security  issues,  but  some  EURES  countries  also  offer  support  services  to  the 
families of the hired employee and/or provide language trainings. 

2.1.2.3  Support to youth – apprenticeships and traineeships  
Activities linked to apprenticeships and traineeships  that are subject to an employment relationship 
were  limited  and  implemented  unevenly  across  the  EURES  countries,  mainly  depending  on  the 
national role of PES in the provision of services in the area of apprenticeships and traineeships. 

In most cases, the support was linked to the promotion of targeted mobility schemes, described in the 
next paragraph, or other European programmes and initiatives dedicated to youth employment (e.g. 
Erasmus+,  Youth  Guarantee,  Eurodyssey  –  the  Assembly  of  European  Regions).  Some  EURES 

3 As set out in Article 3(7) and 16(4) of Regulation (EU) 2016/589. 

8 

 
                                                 
countries also provided workshops and information activities targeting youth. However, the EURES 
activities were often limited due to the absence of competence of Public Employment Services (PES) 
in this field.  

In  addition  to  services  provided  through  EURES  staff  in  some  countries,  apprenticeships  and 
traineeships are exchanged on the EURES Portal with 11 447 apprenticeship and 1 483 traineeship 
offers available as of July 2020.  

2.1.2.4  EURES-related targeted mobility schemes 
EURES  also  aims  to  place  specific  groups  of  jobseekers  and  to  help  fill  vacancies  in  specific 
sectors with recruitment difficulties. To that end, EURES activities can be complementary to,  or 
integrated  with,  targeted  mobility  schemes  financed  under  the  EU  Programme  for  Employment 
and Social Innovation (EaSI). The table below provides an overview of the main characteristics of 
three  targeted  mobility  schemes  that  were  implemented  in  the  period  July  2018  to  June  2020 
including their target populations, actively participating countries and main performance indicators.  

Overview of EURES-related mobility schemes targeting particular age groups  

Duration 

Target 
group 

EURES countries 

Performance 
indicators 

EaSI Funding 

February 
2015 – 
ongoing 

Your first EURES Job 

Jobseekers 
aged 18-35 
years / 
companies 
with skills 
needs 

Lead employment 
services: 
DE, FR, IT, SE 

Partners in: 
BG, HR, CY, PT, 
RO, SI, ES, DK, FI, 
IE, NL, FI, SK4 

July 2018 –June 2020 
Registered jobseekers: 
13 977 
Registered employers: 
3 551 
Registered vacancies: 
3 477 
Placements: 
4 062 

Reactivate 

Dec 2018 – Dec 2020 
Foreseen budget5: 
€ 11 200 000 
Granted budget: 
€ 14 851 070 

November 
2016 – 
ongoing  

Jobseekers 
aged 35 or 
older / 
employers 
in need of 
qualified 
workforce  

Lead employment 
services in: 
FR, SE, PL, DE, IT 

Partners in: 
EL, ES, NL, MT6 

Dec 2018 – Dec 2020 
Foreseen budget: 
€ 5 000 000 
Granted budget: 
€ 4 852 994 

Oct 2018 – June 2020 
Registered jobseekers: 
5 216 
Registered employers: 
708 
Registered vacancies: 
3 940 
Placements: 
852 

January  
2020- 

Jobseekers 
over 18 

Lead employment 
services: 

Started in Jan 2020 
Registered jobseekers:  

Jan 2020 – Dec 2021 
Foreseen budget: 

EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme7 

4 Information provided on the EURES Portal  
5 Call for proposals VP/2018/009. 
6 Information provided on the EURES Portal  
7 Call for proposals VP/2019/009  

9 

 
 
  
                                                 
Duration 

ongoing  

Target 
group 

EURES countries 

DE, SE 

Partners in: 
RO, FI, EE, IE, SE, 
PT, DK, ES, NL, 
SL, DE, SK 

Performance 
indicators 
ongoing 
Registered employers: 
ongoing 
Registered vacancies: 
ongoing 
Placements: 
ongoing 

EaSI Funding 

€ 9 000 000 
Granted budget: 
€ 8 860 242 

Across  Your  First  EURES  Job  and  Reactivate,  the  majority  of  placements  were  realised  in  the 
sectors Human health and social  work,  Information and communication, Education, Transportation 
and  Storage.  The  top  sending  countries  were  Spain,  Italy  and  France.  The  top  receiving  countries 
were Germany and the United Kingdom across both schemes, and Ireland for Your first EURES Job 
and Bulgaria for Reactivate. 

The new scheme called EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme (TMS) was set up in 2019, ensuring the 
continuity  of  implementation  and  further  development  of  the  two  previously  established  schemes, 
Your  First  EURES  Job  and  Reactivate.  TMS  covers  the  target  groups  of  both  schemes  and  is 
implemented  by  Sweden  and  Germany  as  lead  countries.  Its  implementation  is  delayed  due  to  the 
COVID-19 pandemic. 

2.1.3  Resources and governance 

2.1.3.1  Human resources  
EURES staff includes both advisers working on EURES in the national or regional PES and in other 
EURES Member or Partner organisations. The EURES network had 2 568 EURES staff members 
(1 255 full time equivalent (FTE)) in 2018 and 2 642 EURES staff members (1 232 FTE) in 2019. 
The distribution of FTE by country ranges and reflects the different sizes of the labour market, from 
two FTE in Malta and Luxembourg, to 20 in Bulgaria, 33 in the Czech Republic, 89 in France and 
156 in Germany. 

2.1.3.2  Financial resources 
The funding of the EURES network at national level changed during the EURES reform process and 
with the entry into force of the EURES Regulation. While before 2014, the functioning of EURES 
was  financed  through  annual  grants  deriving  from  a  separate  EU  budget  line,  as  of  2015  EURES 
countries  became  in  charge  of  securing  their  own  budget  for  EURES  activities.  In  this  frame,  the 
financial resources used by EURES countries mostly derive from two sources: the European Social 
Fund  (ESF)  and  national  budgets.  The  composition  of  the  budget  and  its  volume  differs  from  one 
EURES country to another as some countries use only national resources, and others both. Results 
from  a  survey  among  the  NCOs  on  the  use  of  the  ESF  for  EURES  activities  show  that  around 
€ 58 000 000 have been made available in the programming period 2014-2020.  

In addition, EURES countries may apply for financial resources available through the EURES axis 
of the Employment and Social Innovation programme (EaSI) to cover the activities carried out under 

10 

 
 
the targeted mobility schemes and, in certain occasions, additional costs.8 Finally, a limited number 
of EURES countries complemented the available resources with additional sources, such as specific 
budgets of Member and Partner organisations.  

2.1.3.3  IT infrastructure  
In addition to standard IT equipment, EURES countries ensured access for EURES staff to relevant 
software,  including  tools  for  webinars  and  web  conferences.  Moreover,  digital  services  such  as 
online information sessions, counselling through Skype or other chatting tools were provided by the 
majority  of  the  EURES  countries.  Examples  of  further  activities  to  improve  the  delivery  of  online 
services  include  development  of  national  EURES  websites  (e.g.  Bulgaria)  and  implementation  of 
online handbooks to support the provision of services (e.g. Denmark).  

With regard to interoperability questions, the EURES countries continued working on adjusting their 
IT  infrastructure  for  the  transmission  of  job  vacancies  and  CVs  to  the  EURES  Portal.  Further 
changes on the IT infrastructure were necessary in some EURES countries in view of the broadening 
of  the  network  and  alignment  of  IT  infrastructures  of  new  EURES  Members  and  Partners  (e.g. 
Hungary, Poland). 

2.1.3.4  Governance and stakeholder cooperation  
Looking  at  internal  governance,  the  focus  of  EURES  activities  was  on  the  design  and 
implementation  of  an  official  admission  system  for  new  EURES  Members  and  Partners  and  the 
consequent  broadening  of  the  EURES  network  (e.g.  launch  of  calls,  review  of  applications,  on-
boarding  of  new  EURES  Members  and  Partners).  Some  EURES  countries  also  introduced 
organisational set-up changes due to the admission of new Members and Partners (e.g. shift of the 
role of the NCO towards strategic questions, organisational separation of the NCO from PES in order 
to ensure neutrality).  

In addition, a large majority of EURES countries carried out activities to  improve the organisation 
and  ensure  the  efficiency  of  the  governance  of  their  national  EURES  network.  This  included 
enhancing  cooperation  with  new  EURES  Members  and  Partners  via  working  groups,  monthly 
reports, and national EURES team meetings.  

The vast  majority  of EURES  countries enhanced cooperation with  a wide range of stakeholders  at 
local,  regional,  national  and  cross-border  levels.  These  include  social  partners,  other  European 
networks,  career  guidance  services,  chambers  of  commerce,  and  authorities  in  charge  of  social 
security and taxation, education, universities or professional associations. 

2.1.3.5  Communication in EURES countries  
Communication  activities  by  EURES  countries  aimed  mainly  at  raising  awareness  and  enhancing 
knowledge  about  EURES  services  in  order  to  gain  clients,  targeting  jobseekers  and  employers. 
Among  the  communication  activities  carried  out,  information  campaigns  of  a  general  nature  or 
targeting  specific  groups  or  sectors  were  implemented.  Examples  include  information  events  for 
employers and social partners in Bulgaria and an awareness raising campaign in Ireland. Moreover, 

8  VP/2019/010:  EaSI-EURES  -  Support  to  national  classification  inventories  &  innovative  national  online  services  for 

mobile workers 

11 

 
                                                 
in the period 2018 to 2020, there has been a stronger shift towards the use of social media channels, 
with most of the EURES countries having a Facebook, LinkedIn and/or Twitter account:  

Reach / Impressions of posts on social media channels of EURES countries  

Social 
media 
channel 
Facebook 
Twitter 
LinkedIn 

Semester 2, 
2018 

Semester 1, 
2019 

Semester 2,  
2019 

Semester 1, 
2020 

Total 

1 933 419 
1 059 658 
163 111 

2 199 555 
314 606 
329 400 

4 892 949 
950 702 
847 239 

1 750 944 
766 335 
1 537 762 

10 776 867 
3 091 301 
2 877 512 

Other  communication  means  included  printed  promotional  material,  such  as  publications,  leaflets 
and  roll  ups,  and  also  the  use  of  video  testimonials  (e.g.  Portugal,  Denmark),  radio  and  television 
(e.g. Spain, Slovakia).  

2.1.3.6  Monitoring and evaluation of activities 
The Commission  Implementing Decision (EU)  2018/170  introduced specifications for  a uniformed 
data collection and analysis approach, helping monitor the performance of the EURES network. The 
EURES Performance Measurement System (PMS) was introduced in 2018 and since then NCOs 
provide data on five core and 11 network indicators, every six months.  

To this end, changes in national reporting and monitoring systems were a pivotal focus of activities 
in the reference period. NCOs reported that workflows and new structures were introduced in order 
to  establish  a  unified  programming  and  monitoring  system  at  national  level  and  facilitate  the  data 
collection within all the EURES Members and Partners. For example, monitoring data are collected 
through  an  online  survey  in  Italy.  In  Poland,  a  unified  monitoring  system  (electronic  monitoring 
database for data collection) was implemented and countries such as Spain and Norway developed 
cloud-based  online  solutions  to  gather  data  at  national  level.  In  several  countries,  the  data  are 
collected  manually.  In  addition,  PMS-related  training  events  and  workshops  were  organised  for 
EURES staff in a number of EURES countries and at EU level. 

In  addition  to  the  PMS,  the  programming  cycle  (PC)  is  the  main  monitoring  tool  for  yearly 
activities  of  the  EURES  countries.  The  Commission  Implementing  Decision  (EU)  2017/1256 
introduced  the  arrangements  and  templates  to  be  used  in  the  PC.  Within  this  frame,  each  NCO 
reports on the outputs and outcomes of their national EURES network in a yearly National Activity 
Report, against the objectives set out in their National Work Programme. 

2.2 Horizontal support activities from the European Coordination Office (ECO) 

2.2.1  Coordination and governance support  

In order to ensure a fruitful cooperation within the EURES network, ECO organises the work of the 
European  Coordination  Group  (ECG),  which  meets  at  regular  intervals  and  ad  hoc  to  discuss  the 
state  of  play,  present  recent  developments  and  share  information  and  best  practices.  Ten  ECG 
meetings were held from July 2018 to July 2020.  

12 

 
In addition, to provide support to the NCOs, ECO supervises and facilitates the different stages of the 
programming  cycle  and  coordinates  NCOs’  planning  by  commenting  and  reporting  on  their 
programmes individually. 

2.2.2  Operation and development of the EURES Portal and related IT support  

ECO  operates  the  EURES  Portal  and  provides  related  IT  support  and  guidance  to  the  EURES 
countries in order to enhance interoperability. In the reference period, ECO continued the provision 
of  these  services.  In  particular,  among  others,  supporting  material  and  technical  standards  and 
formats were developed and provided to EURES countries in order to facilitate the mapping of their 
national,  regional  and  sectoral  classifications  according  to  the  European  classification  (ESCO 
mapping). Such mapping is a precondition for the introduction of an automated matching function 
on the EURES Portal. The support provided included, for instance, the provision of an online ESCO 
mapping platform, the ESCO implementation manual, and dedicated training sessions. To fulfil this 
requirement, a number of EURES countries applied for financial support.9  

In addition, ECO continued implementing changes on the EURES Portal, such as improvements to 
its  filter  function,  to  increase  its  user-friendliness.  In  this  context,  the  last  version  update,  EURES 
Portal 4.4, was launched in early 2020 and includes the revamp of the Portal with a new design for 
the  Homepage,  compliance  with  the  General  Data  Protection  Regulation  (GDPR),  changes  in  the 
self-service  CV  lifespan,  restricted  access  for  non-EU  nationals  without  a  work  permit  and 
improvement for enquiries sent by EURES staff. Moreover, ECO introduced a customer satisfaction 
survey,  in  order  to  investigate  users’  perceptions  of  the  Portal.  Over  70%  of  the  employers  were 
satisfied  or  very  satisfied  with  the  EURES  Portal.  Concerning  the  jobseekers  and  workers, 
approximately  95%  of  the  respondents  were  satisfied  or  very  satisfied  with  the  Portal  and  8% 
reported to have found a job using the EURES Portal.  

ECO  put  in  place  several  measures  increasing  the  synergies  between  the  EURES  Portal  and  the 
newly launched Europass Portal. Europass users looking for jobs are now able to search for EURES 
jobs, and get suggestions for interesting jobs that match their profile. While search and matching is 
performed  by  EURES,  results  are  directly  visible  on  Europass.  Additionally,  signposting  to  the 
different EURES and Europass services on the two Portals helps users to find their way to the service 
they need.  The interoperability of user profiles between EURES and Europass allow registered users 
on one Portal to export their CVs now to the other portal. 

Another  important  element  of  ECO’s  activities  in  this  regard  was  the  organisation  of  the 
Interoperability  Working  Group  (IOCWG),  with  the  aim  of  facilitating  the  implementation  of 
Articles 17 and 18 of the EURES Regulation and supporting the information exchange. The work of 
the  IOCWG  covers  two  domains:  the  first  deals  with  all  functional  requirements  and  actions  to 
gather  CVs  and  job  vacancies,  transfer  them  and  validate  them;  the  second  refers  to  applications 
allowing  searching  and  matching  of  data.  The  working  group  met  five  times  during  the  reference 
period.  

9 VP/2019/010, EaSI-EURES: Support to national classification inventories and innovative national online services for 

mobile workers  

13 

 
 
                                                 
2.2.3  Training and professional development 

The  EURES  training  programme  aims  to  support  and  assist  EURES  staff  in  delivering  EURES 
services.  It  consists  of  pre-training  (organised  by  the  NCOs  based  on  indicative  guidelines,  tools 
and helpdesk provided by ECO) and a  Common EURES Training Programme, conducted under 
ECO’s  responsibility.  At  European  level,  three  types  of  training  on  EURES  can  be  distinguished: 
classroom training, virtual training (live on-line and e-learning), and on demand training.  

ECO continued to provide the Common EURES Training Programme and professional development 
for  the  EURES  staff  of  Members  and  Partners.  The  training  activities  were  based  on  the  training 
programme for EURES comprising a consolidation phase followed by the EURES Academy which 
was  introduced  in  2016.  In  particular,  ECO  provided  73  training  sessions  from  July  2018  to 
December 2019, attended by 2 999 EURES staff.  

2.2.4  Helpdesk  

ECO continued providing a helpdesk function for all users of the EURES Portal and its services (i.e. 
jobseekers,  employers,  staff  of  the  EURES  Members  and  Partners,  NCOs  and  guest  visitors).  This 
service  includes  replies  to  all  enquiries  relating  to  the  services  provided  on  the  EURES  Portal, 
including  the  Extranet  section10,  and  the  services  provided  on  the  European  Job  Days  platform. 
Enquiries  can  be  submitted  through  the  Portal  web  form,  a  free  phone  number,  an  online  chat  or 
Skype. The EURES helpdesk processed around 27 700 user enquiries in 2018, 24 249 in 2019 and 9 
830 in the first half of 2020.   

2.2.5  Networking, exchange, and best practice and mutual learning  

ECO continued facilitating networking, mutual learning and the exchange of best practices within the 
EURES  network.  Apart  from  regular  ECG  meetings,  mutual  learning  events  with  representatives 
from  all  EURES  countries  are  organised.  For  example,  a  mutual  learning  event  on  the  topic  of 
admission  systems  was  organised  in  December  2018.  In  addition,  the  EURES  Extranet,  updated 
with a new version in 2018, provides workspaces to enhance the exchange of information between 
EURES countries. For instance, the virtual space ‘Speaker’s Corner’ provides EURES countries with 
the opportunity to share files, start discussions or exchange information on events. EURES countries 
are  also  able  to  access  each  other’s  Work  Programmes  and  provide  individual  comments.  This 
commenting  exercise  aims  to  enhance  information  exchange  and  cooperation  during  the 
programming period. Further efforts to provide guidance, harmonise and improve the reporting and 
monitoring  process  by  ECO  included  the  organisation  of  annual  workshops  and  the  provision  of 
feedback and recommendations on the individual submissions. 

2.2.6 

Information and communication activities  

ECO continued supporting information and communication activities within the EURES network to 
foster EURES awareness. More specifically, in order to best support the NCOs in the implementation 
of  the  communication  strategy  and  of  their  national  plans,  EURES  staff  were  offered  hands-on 
communication training sessions organised on average twice a month and covering a wide range of 

10   The Extranet is the section of the EURES portal only available to internal users, such as EURES advisers, national 

coordinators and ECO staff. It facilitates the coordination, exchange of information and administrative tasks. 

14 

 
                                                 
topics  such  as  Social  Media  Content  Creation,  LinkedIn,  Stakeholder  Relationships.  In  addition, 
EURES countries could use the EURES style guide and Infographics developed by ECO.  

ECO  also  continued  its  own  communication  activities,  including  the  management  of  the  EURES 
social media accounts, with 287 454 fans on Facebook, 38 741 on Twitter, and 52 812 on LinkedIn. 
In  line  with  its  content  strategy,  ECO  focused  on  a  monthly  topic  in  its  communication  activities, 
thus exploring different themes regarding careers and employment for EU/EEA citizens. 

Reach / Impressions of posts on social media channels of ECO  

Social media 
channel 
Facebook 
Twitter 
LinkedIn 

Semester 2, 
2018 
39 585 902 
361 984 
1 046 669 

Semester 1, 
2019 
6 449 270 
910 770 
2 298 356 

Semester 2,  
2019 
2 306 125 
2 587 705 
1 563 189 

Semester 1, 
2020 
7 764 993 
1 227 479 
1 032 480 

Total 

56 106 290 
5 087 938 
5 940 694 

ECO  also  manages  a  YouTube  account  for  EURES  with  over  7 000  subscribers  as  of  July  2020. 
Some 35 videos were posted in the last two years. In addition, over 120 news articles were shared on 
the EURES Portal since July 2018 and a newsletter is being distributed on a monthly basis. 

Moreover,  ECO  runs  the  European  (Online)  Job  Days  (EOJD)  platform  and  supported  the 
organisation of 65 job days and recruitment events (online, onsite or both) in 2018 and 2019. 

Key Performance Indicators linked to European (Online) Job Days 

Indicator 
Number of events 
Number of positions 
Number of jobseekers 
Number of interviews 
scheduled 

2018 
31 
12 817 
28 878 
846 

2019 
34 
18 775 
36 850 
962 

Total 
65 
31 592 
65 728 
1 808 

Looking at the development of Pan-European communication campaigns, EURES was the backbone 
of the Commission’s high-level campaign #EUmovers, celebrating 50 years of free movement and 
60  years  of  social  security  coordination,  and  ensured  an  effective  outreach  of  the  social  media 
campaign  to  concerned  workers.  The  campaign  raised  positive  awareness  around  why  Free 
Movement  and  Social  Security  Coordination  are  so  important  for  EU  citizens.  It  had  a  large  and 
successful element of engagement with EU workers empowering them to share their stories on how 
Free Movement and Social Security Coordination had changed their lives.  

Furthermore, in  2019, a  five-month EU-wide  communication campaign  under the  #EURES25 was 
launched  to  celebrate  the  25th  anniversary  of  the  establishment  of  the  EURES  network.  The 
campaign included a strong digital component with videos, paid ads, social media competitions and 
two internal events for the EURES network, with some EURES advisers being active for 25 years. 
The  campaign  enhanced  the  visibility  of  EURES  on  all  channels  and  increased  its  audience, 
particularly on LinkedIn and Twitter. Internally the campaign had positive effects on consolidating 
the EURES network and increasing interaction.  

15 

 
2.2.7  Analysis of geographical and occupational mobility 

As  per  Article  29  of  the  EURES  Regulation,  the  Commission,  who  is  in  charge  of  analysing 
geographical  and  occupational  mobility  trends,  published  two  intra-EU  labour  mobility  reports 
(i.e.  201811  and  201912)  containing  key  information  on  flows  and  patterns  in  the  Union  and  EFTA 
countries, with  a particular focus on the labour  market  situation of mobile workers  and the  gender 
dimension.  In  addition,  using  information  provided  by  the  NCOs  and  an  analysis  of  the  European 
Labour  Force  Survey  (LFS),  the  Commission  published  a  study  on  surplus  and  shortage 
occupations in 2019.13 

2.2.8  Development  of  an  appropriate  cooperation  and  clearance  structure  for  apprenticeships  and 

traineeships 

ECO contributed to developing a common understanding and support services by providing a set 
of  minimum  data  quality  requirements  and  information  on  apprenticeships  and  internships  on  the 
EURES Portal.  

In addition, ECO, between 2017 and 2018 set up an ad hoc working group on apprenticeships and 
traineeships, which drafted a checklist for hosting organisations (e.g. “on welcome an apprentice or a 
trainee”), sending organisations (e.g. “on send an apprentice or a trainee”) and data providers (e.g. on 
“provide  job  offers  on  the  EURES  Portal”).  The  checklist  is  available  on  the  EURES  Portal  and 
includes  recommendations  on  the  stages  of  attracting,  recruiting  and  employing  apprentices  and 
trainees across Europe.  

Moreover,  as  national  information  and  guidance  on  apprenticeships  and  traineeships  should,  inter 
alia, be published on the EURES portal,  since early 2019 ECO has  enabled the  transmission and 
publication of apprenticeship and traineeship vacancies on the EURES Portal.  

2.2.9  Financial resources 

ECO’s horizontal support activities are supported by the EURES axis of the EaSI programme, that 
provides the financing of activities, such as the development and maintenance of the EURES Portal, 
the  common  training  programme,  communication,  analytical  and  network  activities  and  of  the 
mobility schemes, such  as Your first  EURES Job and Cross  Border Partnerships. The total budget 
allocated to the EURES axis during the reference period corresponded to approximately 20% of the 
EaSI budget, around € 24.3 million in 201814 and € 33.8 million in 201915.  

11 Annual report on intra-EU labour mobility 2018  
12 Annual report on intra-EU labour mobility 2019     
13 European Commission, Labour shortages and surpluses 2019. 
14 2018 EaSI annual work programme  
15 2019 EaSI annual work programme – 1st amending decision  

16 

 
 
 
                                                 
3 

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGULATION IN THE EURES COUNTRIES  

The analysis in this section builds on replies received from the NCOs on a survey and checklist, and 
other information available to the Commission. The table at the top of each sub-section provides a 
summary  view  of  the  related  point  in  the  checklist  about  the  implementation  of  the  EURES 
Regulation.  

When data on sub-actions are reported, the table presents an aggregate outcome of the actions. When 
data  for  all  sub-actions  are  reported,  the  lowest  value  is  presented  (e.g.  if  one  sub-action  has  been 
reported as “Not completed”, the entire action is marked as “X - Not completed”). When no data are 
reported for some sub-actions, the action is presented as partially completed. 

*Data are reported as not available by the NCO or no data were reported. 

3.1  Composition of the network and organisational matters 

3.1.1  Regulation requirements 

As  per  EURES  Regulation,  concerning  the  composition  and  organisation  of  the  network,  EURES 
countries  have  to  inform  ECO  about  their  designated  NCO  and  representative  to  the  European 
Coordination  Group  (ECG).  Concerning  EURES  Members  and  Partners,  EURES  countries  are 
required  to  nominate  the  Public  Employment  Service  (PES)  as  a  Member  in  each  country, 
recognising its special status, and ensure the fulfilment of a set of minimum criteria16 outlining the 
obligations of PES. Moreover, organisations, which have been part of the national EURES networks 
before  the  entry  into  force  of  the  EURES  Regulation,  could  remain  Partners  during  a  transitional 
period until 13 May 2019 before having to re-apply to become Member or Partners of the EURES 
network. NCO had to inform ECO of the composition of their network during the transition period.  

3.1.2 

Implementation 

All  EURES  countries  designated  NCOs  and  representatives  to  the  ECG,  and  appointed  PES  as 
EURES Members already before 2018. ECO was informed about any changes in the composition of 
the EURES network. In addition, the organisations with a transitional status were identified by the 
NCOs, where relevant.  

16 Regulation 2016/589, Annex I: Minimum common criteria.  

17 

Data not available*VCompleted∆Partially completedXNot completedI. Composition of the network and organisational mattersATBEBGCYCZDEDKEEELESFIFRHRHUIEITLTLVLUMTNLPLPTROSISKSEUKCHISLINOAction 1: Designation of the National Coordination Office (Article 9(1))VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVAction 2: Designation of a representative for the Coordination Group (Article 14)VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVAction 3: Appointment of the Public Employment Services relevant for the activities in the EURES network as EURES Members (Article 10)VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVAction 4: Identification of the organisations currently operating in the EURES network which continue in the transitional period (Article 40)VVVVVVVVVVV∆VV 
 
 
                                                 
3.1.3  Challenges 

No specific challenges were reported by the EURES countries in relation to this set of requirements. 

3.2 Governance and interaction with organisations outside the EURES network 

3.2.1  Regulation requirements 

The  core  organisations  of  the  EURES  network  in  the  EURES  countries  are  the  PES  and  other 
EURES Members and Partners. However, the functioning of the network requires cooperation with 
numerous other organisations. The EURES Regulation specifies as responsibilities of the NCOs’ to 
promote  collaboration  with  relevant  stakeholders  (e.g.  social  partners,  vocational  training  and 
higher education institutions, chambers of commerce) and  EU information and advisory services 
and networks. In addition, NCOs should facilitate regular dialogue for the EURES network with 
the social partners, in line with national law and practice, and establish  contacts with competent 
authorities at national level in view of providing access to information to jobseekers and employers 
on  taxation,  issues  related  to  work  contracts,  pensions,  health  insurance,  social  security  and  active 
labour market measures.  

3.2.2 

Implementation 

Between 2018 and 2020 several steps were taken by almost all the EURES countries that replied to 
the  checklist  to  (re)enhance  collaboration  and  dialogue  with  numerous  stakeholder  organisations, 
competent  authorities  and  Union  information  and  advisory  services.  Most  EURES  countries  have 
completed  a  mapping  of  the  relevant  stakeholders,  EU  networks,  social  partners  and  national 
authorities, and established communication channels with them. In some cases, the actions were only 
partially completed either because no analysis was carried out to identify new potential stakeholders, 
or Members and Partners have not been included in the interactions with these organisations, since 
they  were  either  newly  admitted  or  there  were  no  Members  and  Partners  admitted  yet.  EURES 
countries  relied  on  printed  and  online  information,  open  or  restricted  calls  of  application,  but  also 
individual meetings, calls, emails and information seminars to reach out to stakeholders in view of 
possible cooperation.  

3.2.3  Challenges  

No specific challenges were reported for the period 2016 to 2018 by the EURES countries in relation 
to  this  set  of  requirements.  For  the  current  reporting  period,  however,  NCOs  have  pointed  out  a 
number  of  obstacles  linked  to  the  communication  with  external  stakeholders.  Some  NCOs  face 
difficulties in winning the trust of stakeholders and in clearly presenting the added value of EURES 
membership  in  view  of  possible  admission  to  the  EURES  network,  especially  given  the 

18 

II. Governance and cooperation with other organisations outside EURESATBEBGCYCZDEDKEEELESFIFRHRHUIEITLTLVLUMTNLPLPTROSISKSEUKCHISLINOAction 1: Re-establish collaboration with stakeholders (Article 9(7))VVV∆∆VV∆VX∆V∆V∆VVVVX∆VVVVXXAction 2: Re-establish cooperation with other Union information & advisory services and networks (Article 16(2))V∆V∆∆VV∆V∆VV∆V∆VVVV∆∆∆VVV∆∆Action 3: Dialogue with social partners at national level (Article 16(3))VVV∆VVV∆V∆VVVVVVVV∆VVVVV∆XAction 4: Establish cooperation with relevant competent authorities (Article 26(2))VVV∆VVVVV∆VV∆V∆VVVVXVVVVV∆V 
 
administrative burden associated with it. Other challenges are linked to a lack of human resources, as 
well as difficulty in finding a common vision with some external stakeholders.  

3.3 Broadening the network 

3.3.1  Regulation requirements 

With a view to broadening the EURES network, the EURES Regulation requires from each EURES 
country  to  establish  and  implement  a  system  to  admit  organisations  as  EURES  Members  and 
Partners,  as  well  as  the  monitoring  of  the  compliance  of  these  organisations  with  the  applicable 
law.  The  admission  system  had  to  be  in  place  by  13  May  2018  and  to  be  based  on  the  minimum 
criteria  set  out  in  the  EURES  Regulation.  EURES  countries  could  also  add  national  admission 
criteria. Referring to Article 11 (8) of the Regulation, the Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 
2017/1255 provided a template for the description of the national admission system and procedures 
for NCOs to notify ECO. 

3.3.2 

Implementation 

All  EURES  countries  have  already  established  or  started  preparing  an  admission  system  for 
admitting  organisations,  other  than  PES,  as  Members  and  Partners.  The  non-EU  EURES  countries 
have not yet started the work on admission as the EURES Regulation was taken over in late 2019 by 
the EEA Joint Committee17 and now the implementation at national level is still ongoing.  

ECO has been informed by almost all EURES countries about their national admission system, using 
the  template  defined  in  Implementing  Decision  (EU)  2017/1255.  However,  so  far  only  13  EURES 
countries  have  admitted  new  Members  and/or  Partners.  Therefore,  even  though  having  a  formal 
admission system in  place, admission of new Members and Partners has not  been implemented by 
more than half of the EURES countries18.  

Twenty  EURES  countries  reported  to  have  completely  or  almost  completely  implemented  a 
monitoring system for new Members and Partners, whilst five are half way or have started to do so. 
The remainder of the EURES countries have not started the implementation of a monitoring system 

17  Decision  of  the  EEA  Joint  Committee  No  302/2019  of  13  December  2019  amending  Annex  V  (Free  movement  of 
workers)  and  Protocol  31  (on  cooperation  in  specific  fields  outside  the  four  freedoms)  to  the  EEA  Agreement 
[2020/320] 

18 On 19 November 2019, the Commission sent administrative letters to the Member States that did not yet comply with 
the provisions of the EURES regulation, in particular the CV exchange and the admission system. Depending on the 
planned  compliance  dates  indicated  in  the  replies  to  these  letters,  further  monitoring  and  analysis  of  the 
implementation, the Commission will consider further actions. 

19 

III. Broadening the networkATBEBGCYCZDEDKEEELESFIFRHRHUIEITLTLVLUMTNLPLPTROSISKSEUKCHISLINOAction 1: Preparation for the admission system (Article 11)∆VVVVVVVVV∆VV∆VVVVVVVVVVVVVXXAction 2: Implementation of the admission system (Articles 11 & 12)XVVVVVVXVVXVXXXX∆XVVVXXVVVXXAction 3: Compliance with the template of the national system and procedures for sharing information between Member States (Article 11(8))XVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVXXXAction 4: Monitoring compliance by Members and PartnersVV∆VVVVV∆V∆∆VVVVVVVVVVVX 
 
                                                 
either  because  they  do  not  have  an  admission  system  in  place  yet  or  are  waiting  for  the  first 
organisations to be admitted.  

3.3.3  Challenges  

One  of  the  challenges,  identified  in  the  period  2016  to  2018,  was  the  delay  in  the  setup  of  the 
admission system, but this has been largely overcome. However, the increase in the number of new 
Members  and  Partners  is  slow.  With  a  small  number  of  newly  admitted  Members  and  Partners,  a 
challenge remains in relation to the implementation of the adopted admission system. 

3.4  Job vacancies and CV exchanges  

3.4.1  Regulation requirements 

Concerning  the  transfer  of  CVs  and  job  vacancies,  the  EURES  Regulation  requires  all  EURES 
Members  and  Partners  to  transfer  their  publicly  available  job  vacancies  and  CVs  to  the  EURES 
Portal  and  prepare  for  the  exchange  of  apprenticeship  and  traineeship  data.  All  data  exchanges 
must take place through a  single coordinated channel. Based on Article 17 (8) of the Regulation, 
the Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1021 introduced the technical standards to be applied to job 
vacancies  and  CVs  by  the  EURES  countries  for  the  purposes  of  an  automated  matching  on  the 
EURES Portal. EURES countries also have to ensure the visibility of the EURES Portal at national 
level and share information on national practices and data issues. 

3.4.2 

Implementation 

Concerning  the  transfer  of  CVs  and  job  vacancies,  31  EURES  countries  have  set  up  a  system  for 
transferring job vacancies, and more than half of the EURES countries are transferring CVs through 
the single coordinated channel.  Most of the  other EURES countries expect  to  have the system in 
place by end of 2020, but highlight delays, especially due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Europe 
since March 2020. NCOs reported that participation in the Interoperability Working Group meetings 
and ECO support help them to implement the obligations of the implementing act. 

In  most  cases  traineeships  and  apprenticeships  can  be  transferred  to  the  EURES  Portal  using  the 
transmission channel set up for job vacancies. However, several EURES countries cannot implement 
the transfer of apprenticeships and traineeships offers to the EURES Portal because of the absence 
of national policy frameworks to handle such vacancies as job offers (e.g. Sweden, Portugal) or their 
management by a different organisation such as Ministry of Education (e.g. France). 

The  implementation  of  the  European  classification  for  skills,  competences  and  occupations 
(ESCO),  its  mapping  to  established  national  classification  systems  and  the  transmission  of  data  in 
the agreed format is ongoing. A small number of EURES countries use ESCO and thus, did not have 
to introduce a change. The EURES countries have a period of three years after the publication of the 

20 

IV. Data exchange mechanisms, visibility & access to tools and interoperabilityATBEBGCYCZDEDKEEELESFIFRHRHUIEITLTLVLUMTNLPLPTROSISKSEUKCHISLINOAction 1: Job vacancy exchange through single coordinated channelVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVXVAction 2: CV exchange through single coordinated channelVVXXVVVVVVXVXVXVVVXXVVXVVVXXXXXXAction 3: Preparation for the exchange on apprenticeships and traineeshipsVVVXV∆XVXVXXVVXVV∆∆VX∆Action 4: Implementation of technical standards and formats necessary for the operation of the automated matching through the common IT platformVVXVV∆VVVV∆∆VVVVVV∆VVV∆X 
 
Implementing Decision to complete the mapping exercise, i.e. by 2021.  

3.4.3  Challenges  

A  number  of  challenges  delayed  the  transfer  of  CVs  and  job  vacancies  through  the  single 
coordinated  channel.  With regard to  the transfer  of CVs, NCOs have highlighted repeatedly issues 
arising from the need to integrate a declaration of willingness to share the data of jobseekers or to 
establish new processes such as risk analysis to be compliant with data protection regulations. NCOs 
also report internal challenges linked to the low priority within their IT departments attributed to this 
particular  project.  In  addition,  in  some  cases  internal  databases  had  to  be  adjusted,  which  further 
delayed the process. Connecting newly admitted EURES Members and Partners through the single 
coordinated  channel  was  identified  as  a  future  challenge  that  will  grow  in  importance  with  the 
increase in the number of newly admitted organisations.  

3.5 Support services 

3.5.1  Regulation requirements 

EURES  countries  are  required  to  ensure  the  continuity  of EURES  services  through  their  national 
PES, provide information and assistance to jobseekers and employers with their registration on the 
EURES  portal  and  monitor19  Members  and  Partners  in  the  provision  of  services.  The  EURES 
Regulation  also  specifies that support services should  be provided in  cross-border regions, where 
EURES  Members  or  Partners  participate  in  specific  cooperation  and  service  structures.  EURES 
countries are also expected to mainstream mobility support in their national active labour market 
policies. 

3.5.2 

Implementation 

All EURES countries report activities and measures taken to ensure continuity in the provision of 
support services for jobseekers and employers through their national PES. Information on EURES 
is  available  through  all  PES  websites  and  national  EURES  Portals,  where  applicable.  In  addition, 
EURES  advisers  provide  information  to  individual  jobseekers  and  workers.  Guidance  and  support 
are provided for jobseekers and employers to register on the EURES Portal. In some cases, ensuring 
provision  of  these  services  by  EURES  Members  and  Partners  has  not  been  implemented  yet, 
since  no  new  organisations  have  been  admitted  to  the  network.  In  13  EURES  countries,  support 
services in  cross-border regions are provided also  through EURES Members and Partners.  In the 
other  cases,  relevant  stakeholders  in  the  cross-border  regions  for  the  provision  of  support  services 
were identified, but have not been admitted as Members or Partners yet. Eighteen EURES countries 
reported  to  have  implemented  actions  to  open  up  Active  Labour  Market  Policies  to  include  job-

19 As per Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/1255 

21 

V. Support servicesATBEBGCYCZDEDKEEELESFIFRHRHUIEITLTLVLUMTNLPLPTROSISKSEUKCHISLINOAction 1: Ensuring continuity through PESVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV∆VAction 2: Assistance with registration on EURES portal (Article 20)VVVVVVVVV∆V∆VVV∆VX∆VVVXXAction 3: Basic information on EURES (Article 22)VVVVVVVVV∆V∆VVVVVVVVVVXVAction 4: Monitoring the application by Members and PartnersXVV∆VVVVV∆∆V∆∆VV∆∆V∆∆∆VVXXAction 5: Support services in cross-border regionsXVVVVVV∆∆V∆V∆VV∆VVVVVVAction 6: Mainstreaming mobility support in active labour market measures (Article 28, recital 46)V∆VVVVVV∆VVVVV∆VVVVVVVXX 
 
                                                 
search  assistance  for  finding  jobs  abroad  and  allowing  non-nationals  to  use  the  service,  and  two 
EURES countries are in the process of doing so.  

3.5.3  Challenges  

No specific challenges were reported by the EURES countries in relation to this set of requirements.  

3.6 

Information exchange, programming and performance measurement  

3.6.1  Regulation requirements 

The EURES Regulation requires from EURES countries to collect, analyse and share information 
on their national labour market situation, including labour shortages and surpluses, as well as on their 
national  EURES activities. The EURES countries also  have to  provide information  regarding their 
activities planned and report on the performance of their network, using the Commission’s templates 
for the programming cycle and PMS. 

3.6.2 

Implementation 

Information  exchange  between  NCOs  and  ECO  as  well  as  NCOs  and  EURES  Members  and 
Partners takes place through training activities, meetings and via guidelines and information material. 
In  addition,  all  27  EURES  countries  that  reported  on  this  topic  provide  labour  market  information 
that contributes to a joint analysis for EURES. 

3.6.3  Challenges  

EURES  countries  report  issues  with  data  collection  and  reporting  for  both  the  PMS  and  the 
programming  cycle.  In  particular,  NCOs  highlight  the  substantial  workload  connected  to  reporting 
and  question  the  justification  of  such  an  administrative  burden.  Developing  IT  tools  that  could 
reduce  the  workload  and  facilitate  data  collection  is  not  perceived  as  cost-efficient  for  smaller 
EURES  countries  as  it  requires  substantial  financial  investment.  In  addition,  they  mention  lack  of 
internal  consistency  between  the  reporting  for  PMS  and  programming  cycle  as  well  as  lack  of 
consistency between the reporting for EURES and internal national reporting systems, which rely on 
different  indicators  or  use  different  reporting  periods.  In  some  cases,  data  are  not  available  at 
national level for specific indicators, especially in relation to the number of vacancies available. The 
lack or unreliability of data reported limits the reliability and completeness of the possible analysis, 
according to NCOs. 

3.7 Addressed actions from previous reporting period 

The first EURES Activity Report identified some priorities for the NCOs for the period 2018 – 2020 
in order to ensure compliance with EURES Regulation and the efficient functioning of the EURES 
network. Specifically, the following recommendations were made:  

22 

VI. Information exchange, programming and performance measurementATBEBGCYCZDEDKEEELESFIFRHRHUIEITLTLVLUMTNLPLPTROSISKSEUKCHISLINOAction 1: Exchange of informationVV∆∆XVVVV∆V∆V∆VV∆VV∆∆VV∆VX∆Action 2: Compliance with templates for exchange of information on national work programmes (Article 31)VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVAction 3: Compliance with uniform specification for data collection for monitoring and evaluation of the EURES network (Article 32)VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV 
 
  Advancing the broadening of the network; 
  Enhancing collaboration with other stakeholders and within the network; 
  Mainstreaming and optimising communication activities; 
 
  Further integrating targeted mobility schemes into EURES countries’ activities; 
  Ensuring compliance with submission dates and data requests. 

Improving data transfer to the EURES Portal and digital activities; 

Concerning the broadening of the network, the admission of new Members and Partners has taken 
place  unevenly  across  the  EURES  countries,  although  important  progress  was  made  in  the 
establishment of admission systems in the majority of EURES countries. Nevertheless, obstacles still 
persist that hinder the enlargement of the network. 

With regard to improving collaboration with other stakeholders, most of the NCOs reported steps 
to  increase  the  dialogue  and  cooperation  with  other  organisations,  public  authorities  and  Union 
networks.  However,  it  was  pointed  out  that  it  is  often  difficult  to  raise  the  level  of  awareness  and 
appreciation of external organisations on the added value of EURES. 

Looking at enhancing the communication and promotion of EURES, EURES countries engaged 
in promotion of EURES on social media and undertook steps to increase its visibility.  

Moreover,  as  recommended,  steps  in  improving  the  data  transfer  were  made  with  the 
implementation of the single coordinated channel by the majority of EURES countries. 

Concerning  targeted  mobility  schemes,  it  appears  that  EURES  countries  strived  to  integrate 
mobility schemes in their activities. 

Finally, the Performance Measurement System and programming cycle templates are in  use across 
all the EURES countries and almost all of them provide all the requested data in due time. 

4 

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGULATION BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION  

This section provides an overview of the state of play of the application at EU level of the EURES 
Regulation  as  required  by  the  second  subparagraph  of  Article  33  of  the  Regulation,  applying  the 
same symbols as used in Section 3: 

4.1.1  Regulation requirements 

Areas of ECO activities 

Provision of horizontal support activities for the benefit of the EURES network 

Preparation for the application of the EURES Regulation 

Status 

V 

V 

23 

Data not available*VCompleted∆Partially completedXNot completed 
  
Facilitation of networking, mutual learning and exchange of best practices (Article 8) 

Information and communication activities regarding the EURES network (Article 1 – 8) 

Provision of training programme for the NCOs EURES members/partners (Article 8) 

Support to broadening the network and the admission systems (Article 3 – 7 – 11) 

Programming  cycle  and  exchange  of  labour  market  information  including  joint 
analysis  

Development  and  operation  of  EURES  Portal  (including  helpdesk  function)  and 
interoperability platform  

Measuring performance and monitoring progress 

Management and dialogue at EU level 

V 

V  

V 

V 

V 

V 

V 

V 

4.1.2 

Implementation 

ECO continued providing horizontal support to the EURES network: 

  ECO provided the necessary implementation guidance to EURES organisations at national 
level,  e.g. in  terms of training, mutual learning  events,  coordination meetings and working 
groups.  

  Concerning  the  support  to  networking  and  learning,  ECO  continued  organising  mutual 
learning events on different topics and supported networking and bilateral discussions during 
the annual workshops on programming cycle. Moreover, during the European Coordination 
Group  (ECG)  meetings,  NCO  representatives  were  often  invited  to  present  their  good 
practices and innovative approaches. In addition, the EURES Extranet has been updated with 
dedicated resources to facilitate networking.  

  ECO  continued  delivering  training  activities  to  the  EURES  Members  and  Partners.  The 
analysis  of  the  responses  to  NCO  surveys  shows  that  these  have  been  particularly 
appreciated by the NCOs.  

  ECO and the Commission were active in raising awareness about EURES through their own 
information  and  communication  activities  and  by  providing  communication  support  to 
EURES countries.  

  Support  to  broadening  of  the  network  was  provided  through  mutual  learning  events, 
training sessions, discussion in the ECG meetings, and by setting up a working group on the 
topic  with  the  mandate  to  produce  a  set  of  guidelines  and  toolkit  on  admission  system, 
admission  process,  on-boarding  of  new  Members  and  Partners  and  on  working  as  an 
enlarged EURES network. 

Looking  at  the  programming  cycle  and  exchange  of  labour  market  information,  the 
formalisation  of  reporting  templates  and  joint  analyses  was  accomplished  already  before  2018. 
Concerning the exchange of information on labour markets, ECO continued producing reports on EU 
labour mobility flows and presenting statistics and analyses on labour shortages and surpluses. 

With  regard  to  the  improvement  of  the  EURES  Portal,  the  data  exchange  system  has  been 
successfully  implemented  and  the  European  classification  for  skills,  competences  and  occupations 
(ESCO)  mapping  exercise  has  been  launched.  During  the  reference  period,  the  operation  of  the 

24 

 
 
EURES Portal was further improved by additional  features and customer satisfaction survey. ECO 
continued providing support to EURES Portal users through a centralised Helpdesk. Some EURES 
countries  transfer  apprenticeships  and  traineeships  offers  to  the  EURES  Portal  and  ECO  has 
provided guidance to organisations working with them.  

With  regard  to  the  EURES  monitoring  cycle,  the  evaluation  and  monitoring  tools  for  the 
Performance Measurement System (PMS) have been rolled out and results are available. 

4.1.3  Challenges 

Despite  the  additional  efforts  to  promote  EURES,  all  available  feedback  suggests  that  the 
information  and  communication  activities  need  even  to  be  further  strengthened  to  promote  the 
EURES brand. Training activities, mutual learning events and working groups are essential for the 
implementation of the EURES Regulation and the functioning of the network, and adjustments in the 
training programme to allow for more flexibility (e.g. additional online modules, wider access) can 
be beneficial.  

The  programming  cycle  and  exchange  of  information  on  the  labour  markets,  the  annual 
programming  cycle  workshop  and  the  report  on  labour  shortages  and  surpluses  are  appreciated  by 
NCOs.  However,  the  usability  of  information  on  labour  market  shortages  and  surpluses,  to  be 
provided by the NCOs themselves, is limited due to methodological challenges and data availability. 
In addition, a further alignment of the programming cycle and performance measurement is needed 
to reduce administrative burden.  

Looking at the development of EURES Portal and interoperability, while updates of the EURES 
Portal and the provision of the Helpdesk are assessed by the NCOs as very helpful, the potential of 
the EURES Extranet as an exchange platform between organisations within the EURES network can 
be explored further.  

4.1.4  Addressed actions from previous reporting period 

The  first  EURES  Activity  Report  highlighted  the  following  attention  points  for  European 
Coordination Office (ECO): 

  Completing and analysing the Performance Measurement System (PMS); 
  Continuing the development and improvement of EURES Portal; 
  Continuing the provision of implementation guidance, especially with regard to the admission 

systems; 

  Strengthening EURES communication and branding; 
 

Integrating cross-border activities and information exchange. 

ECO  has  completed  the  roll-out  and  subsequent  analyses  of  the  PMS  and  continued  working  on 
developing  advanced  features  on  the  EURES  Portal.  In  addition,  it  has  taken  actions  such  as 
organising  mutual  learning  events  and  setting  up  a  working  group  to  deliver  further  guidance  and 
support material on the network enlargement. Steps were taken to strengthen the communication of 
EURES  at  EU,  national  and  local  level.  Finally,  concerning  the  integration  of  cross-border 
activities  and  systematic  information  exchange  in  the  framework  of  Cross-Border  Partnerships 
(CBP), the Commission/ECO provided CBP beneficiaries with monitoring templates aligned to the 

25 

 
PMS,  corresponding  to  those  in  use  at  national  level,  in  order  to  facilitate  the  data  collection  and 
comparability  of  information.  Moreover,  starting  from  2020,  CBP  monitoring  data  are  analysed  in 
the PMS reports. 

5  CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

5.1  Conclusions 

In order to  achieve the  reform  of EURES and to ensure fair intra-EU labour mobility, the EURES 
Regulation  set  several  requirements  for  the  EURES  network.  As  highlighted  in  the  first  EURES 
Activity  Report,  the  challenging  implementation  environment  and  external  factors  led  to  delays  in 
the fulfilling of these obligations by 2018. In the period from July 2018 and June 2020 both ECO and 
the EURES countries, advanced in the implementation of the Regulation and outstanding actions are 
in  the process  of being  completed. Examples of the main accomplishments  in  the reference period 
are: 

  Most  EURES  countries  have  in  place  an  admission  system  and  nearly  half  of  EURES 

countries have admitted new EURES Members and Partners; 

  All  but  one  EURES  countries  have  set  up  a  system  for  transferring  job  vacancies  via  the 
single coordinated channel, and more than half of the EURES countries are transferring CVs;  
  The  European  classification  for  skills,  competences  and  occupations  (ESCO)  mapping 

exercise has been launched by the EURES countries with the help of ECO; 

  Several steps were taken by ECO for the improvement of the usability of the EURES Portal 
and  ECO  is  investigating  possibilities  to  enable  the  automated  matching  of  CVs  and  job 
vacancies in the near future; 

  The Performance Measurement System and programming cycle templates are in full use. 

Nevertheless, some challenges still remain to be addressed and new ones are emerging. 

The COVID-19 epidemic and closure of internal borders had a serious impact on the free movement 
of workers and the EURES operations in 2020. New placement activities came to an almost complete 
standstill in the spring of 2020. EURES information activities were seriously affected. 

NCOs  reported  that  EURES  staff,  especially  in  PES-based  NCOs,  were  moved  to  other  PES 
functions  such  as  the  implementation  of  short-term  working  support  schemes  considered  more 
urgent,  thus  seriously  hampering  the  EURES  service  delivery.  The  gradual  re-opening  of  borders 
from June 2020 onwards led to a slow reactivation of EURES activities. ECO presented in May 2020 
an action plan for the re-start of EURES in 2020. It is still soon to determine which will be the long 
term effect in the network, which will have to be reassessed depending on the evolution of the crisis. 

In  addition,  in  the  short  term,  the  main  priorities  for  the  functioning  of  the  EURES  network  are 
linked to its enlargement and to the development of interoperability. The broadening of the EURES 
network  is  essential  for  its  ability  to  provide  key  expertise  in  mobility  issues,  also  through  a 
portfolio  of  new  EURES  Members  and  Partners  with  different  skills  and  specialisations.  In  this 
regard,  the  EURES  countries  have  to  further  admit  new  organisations  and  will  be  faced  with  the 
challenge of managing a broader network. Moreover, given the fast-changing technological context, 
it  is  important  that  the  EURES  Portal  is  able  to  offer  a  state-of-the-art  service  to  jobseekers  and 

26 

 
employers  in  terms  of  usability,  user-friendliness  and  effectiveness.  It  is  also  important  that  all 
EURES countries are able to transmit both CVs and job vacancies to the Portal in order to increase 
the  pool  of  opportunities  for  EURES’s  users  and  continue  working  on  the  ESCO  mapping  and 
delivery of data in ESCO format, in order to enable automated matching at a later stage which would 
also attract more EURES members and partners.  

In  the  long  term,  EURES  would  benefit  from  further  exploring  synergies  with  complementary 
initiatives such as Europass and the Single Digital Gateway. In addition, the further integration of the 
analysis of external factors (e.g. aging population, youth unemployment) in the long-term planning 
of EURES could increase the relevance of the network in a dynamic labour market context. 

These challenges will have to be addressed in a particularly difficult and uncertain period for labour 
mobility  and  EURES.  As  mentioned  above,  the outbreak  of  COVID-19  in  Europe  hindered  labour 
mobility  and  shifted  resources  and  strategic  priorities  in  EURES  countries,  having  impact  on  their 
operational  work  and  likely  to  cause  further  delays  in  the  implementation  of  EURES  actions. 
Moreover,  it  is  important  that  the  transition  of  ECO  to  European  Labour  Authority  (ELA), 
foreseen for 2021, ensures continuity of the horizontal support provided to EURES countries. 

5.2  Recommendations for EURES countries 

Building  on  the  key  findings  concerning  the  implementation  status  and  remaining  challenges 
identified in the report, the main priorities concerns for the next reporting period can be summarised 
as follows: 

  Re-start  of  EURES:  in  order  to  mitigate  the  consequences  of  COVID-19  in  a  coordinated 
manner, it is  essential  for EURES countries to  closely  follow-up the implementation  of the 
action plan for the re-start of EURES. 

  Network  enlargement:  during  the  current  reference  period  many  advancements  have  been 
made  concerning  the  establishment  of  an  admission  system  in  each  EURES  country  and 
admission of new Members and Partners. Nevertheless, the EURES network is growing at a 
slow  pace.  It  is  important  for  EURES  countries  that  have  not  admitted  new  Members  and 
Partners  yet  to  intensify  their  efforts  in  this  regard  by  proactively  reaching  out  to  potential 
Members  and  Partners  in  a  targeted  way.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  important  for  EURES 
countries  that  already  work  in  a  broader  network  to  adjust  their  internal  governance  and 
working processes to reflect the new composition of the network.   

  Interoperability  and  IT  developments:  while  some  steps  have  been  undertaken  to  enable 
the automated transmission of national CVs and job vacancies to the EURES Portal, further 
work  remains  to  be  done.  For  the  completion  of  the  implementation  of  the  EURES 
Regulation  it  is  essential  that  all  EURES  countries  are  connected  to  the  single  coordinated 
channel.  Moreover,  the  European  classification  for  skills,  competences  and  occupations 
mapping should become a priority of NCOs. Therefore, it is essential that EURES countries 
have the necessary human and IT resources to implement these changes. 

  Development  of  EURES  services:  while  the  provision  of  EURES  services  in  all  EURES 
countries  is  ensured,  it  is  important  for  the  EURES  network  to  integrate  even  further  the 
analysis of labour market trends in the planning of its activities and to explore the need for 
targeted activities in view of socio-demographic developments.     

27 

 
 
 
5.3  Actions to be taken forward by the ECO and the European Commission 

On the basis of the abovementioned challenges, ECO should prioritise the following aspects: 

  Organise the transfer of ECO to the European Labour Authority (ELA) in a smooth way 
ensuring  business  continuity.  The  implementation  of  the  action  plan  for  the  transfer  agreed 
between  the  Commission  and  ELA  with  a  gradual  transfer  of  activities,  training  and  job 
shadowing for the ELA staff should be the highest priority until the end of 2021. 

  Support  the  NCOs  and  the  entire  EURES  network  to  re-start  of  EURES  activities  and 

implement the action plan for the re-start. 

  Strengthen, together with the NCOs, the delivery of pertinent information, placement and 
post-recruitment  services  to  seasonal  workers,  cross-border  workers,  and  others  most 
affected by the COVID-19 crisis.   

  Promote  and  support  the  use  of  the  European  Social  Fund  Plus  (ESF+)  for  funding  of 

EURES activities in the next programming period 2021-2028. 

  Focus  not  only  on  providing  continuous  guidance  on  the  programming  cycle  and 
Performance Measurement System (PMS), but also on innovative solutions to combine the 
two tools in order to facilitate the data collection and analysis, as well as the consistency of 
the information gathered. Moreover, with the entry into force of the Single Digital Gateway 
(SDG)20  and  its  implementing  act,  it  will  be  essential  to  further  develop  the  process  of 
collecting user statistics, especially the response times without increasing the administrative 
burden for the NCOs. 

  Further  promote  dialogue  and  discussion  in  order  to  facilitate  the  identification  of 
collaborative  schemes  to  offer  opportunities  to  young  workers  and  for  vocational 
training.  The  lack  of  a  unified  and  standardised  definition  and  legal  frameworks  on 
apprenticeships  and  traineeships  hinders  EURES  countries  in  the  promotion  of  such 
vacancies on the EURES Portal and within their services.  

  Continue  working  on  the  improvement  of  the  EURES  Portal,  enabling  both  automated 
matching  of  CVs  and  job  vacancies  and  interaction  with  Europass,  SDG  and  the  European 
classification for skills, competences and occupations. 

5.4  Actions to be taken forward by the European Labour Authority 

  Organise the transfer of ECO to the European Labour Authority (ELA) in a smooth way 
ensuring business continuity in cooperation with the Commission. The implementation of the 
action plan for the transfer, together with the recruitment of qualified staff to support ECO, 
should be the highest priority until end of 2021. 

  Develop  a  comprehensive  approach  to  support  fair  mobility  with  EURES,  as  a  key 
activity that can make a decisive contribution in information provision, placements and post-
recruitment assistance for preventing unfair mobility practices. 

  Strengthen  the  communication  of  EURES  and  promotion  of  the  EURES  brand  at  EU, 
national  and  local  level  by  integrating  EURES  into  the  overall  ELA  communication 
activities. 

  Allocate  sufficient  resources  in  the  ELA  budget  for  operating  EURES  in  line  with  the 
provisions of the EURES Regulation and address the recommendations directed at ECO. 

20 Regulation EU 2018/1724 

28 

 
                                                 
Annex – Relevant figures  

Table 1 - Composition of intra-EU mobility, EU-28 citizens in the EU-28, 2017 and 2018 

Type of mobility 

2017 

2018 

Annual 
change 

‘Long-term’ EU-28 movers (all ages) living 
in EU-28 (Eurostat demography figures) 

‘Long-term’ EU-28 movers of working age 
(20-64 years) living in EU-28 (Eurostat 
demography figures) 

(as share of the total working-age population 
in the EU-28) 

EU-28 movers of working age living in EU-
28 (EU-LFS figures) 

…of which active EU-28 movers (employed 
or looking for work)  

(as share of the total labour force in the EU-
28) 

EU-28 movers of working age who were 
born outside the country of residence (EU-
LFS figures) 

Cross-border workers (20-64 years) EU-
LFS figures) 

17 million 

17.6 million 

+3.6% 

12.4 million 

12.9 million 

+3.4% 

4.1% 

4.2% 

11.5 million 

11.7 million 

+1.1% 

9.5 million 

9.7 million 

+1.9% 

4% 

4.1% 

10.8 million 

10.95 million 

+1.4% 

1.4 million 

1.5 million 

+2% 

(as share of the total employed in the EU-28) 

0.7% 

0.7% 

Number of postings (of employed and self-
employed), all ages (no. of PDs A1) ( source: 
HIVA-KU Leuven) 

2.8 million 

3 million 

+6% 

= approximate number of persons  

1.8 million 

1.9 million 

+6% 

Annual return mobility (20-64 years)  

(Eurostat data on mobility flows) 

(as ratio to EU-28 nationals leaving their 
country of origin in 2017)  

680,000(2016)  723,000(2017) 

+6% 

66%  

72%  

Source: Annual Intra-EU Labour Mobility Report (2019)  

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 1 - Main shortage and surplus occupations in 2019 

Surplus  
Accounting and Bookkeeping Clerks 
Translators, Interpreters and Other Linguists 
Data Entry Clerks 

Graphic and Multimedia Designers 

Hairdressers 
Journalists 
Receptionists (general) 
Secretaries (general) 

Sweepers and Related Labourers 

Tailors, Dressmakers, Furriers and Hatters 

Accountants 
Administrative and Executive Secretaries 
Car, Taxi and Van Drivers 
Cleaners and Helpers in Offices, Hotels etc. 
Elementary Workers  
Shop Sales Assistants 
Bank Tellers and Related Clerks 

Broadcasting and Audio-visual Technicians 

Cashiers and Ticket Clerks 
General Office Clerks 

Interior Designers and Decorators 

Mixed Crop Growers 
Painters and Related Workers 
Philosophers, Historians and Political Scientists 
Primary School Teachers 
Sociologists, Anthropologists and Related  
Travel Guides 

Shortage 
Heavy Truck and Lorry Drivers 
Systems Analysts 
Welders and Flame Cutters 
Ag. and Industrial Machinery Mechanics & 
Repairers 
Building and Related Electricians 
Carpenters and Joiners 
Plumbers and Pipe Fitters 
Cooks 
Concrete Placers, Concrete Finishers and 
Related  
Metal Working Machine Tool Setters and 
Operators 
Motor Vehicle Mechanics and Repairers 
Nursing Professionals 
Bricklayers and Related Workers 
Bus and Tram Drivers 
Electrical Engineers 
Generalist Medical Practitioners  
Structural Metal Preparers and Erectors 
Butchers, Fishmongers and Related Food 
Preparers 
Chefs 
Civil Engineers 
Other Software & Applications 
Developers/Analysts  
Software Developers 
Accountants 
Advertising and Marketing Professionals 
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics 
Electrical Engineering Technicians 
Electrical Mechanics and Fitters 
Electronics Engineering Technicians 
Industrial and Production Engineers 
Plasterers 
Shop Sales Assistants 
Waiters 
Web and Multimedia Developers 

Source: 2019 Analysis of shortage and surplus occupations  

30