COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Attracting skills and talent to the EU
Date: 2022-04-27
Institutions: Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
Subjects: EU migration policy, foreign national, free movement of workers, integration into employment, job mobility, labour mobility, labour shortage, migrant worker, occupational migration, work permit

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 27.4.2022  COM(2022) 657 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Attracting skills and talent to the EU  
 
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Attracting skills and talent to the EU 

1.  INTRODUCTION 

Legal migration benefits migrants as well as countries of origin and destination. It gives those 
who want to migrate an opportunity to improve their circumstances and helps address labour 
market  needs  of  host  countries.  It  can  be  in  itself  an  investment  in  the  economy  and  the 
society  as  a  whole,  supporting  the  EU’s  green  and  digital  transition,  while  contributing  to 
making European societies more cohesive and resilient. The EU’s common migration policy 
needs  to  reflect  the  integration  of  the  EU  economy  and  the  interdependence  of  Member 
States’ labour markets. It should help Member States use their membership of the EU as an 
asset in attracting talent and different types of skills that can contribute to the dynamism 
of EU economies. 

Migration  and  mobility  are  and  will  continue  to  be  inherent  features  of  humanity, 
globally and in the EU. On 1 January 2021, 23.7 million  nationals  from non-EU countries 
were residing in the EU, representing 5.3% of the total population1. Irregular migration to the 
EU  remains  limited  despite  receiving  widespread  media  coverage.  Annually,  approximately 
2.25  to  3  million  nationals  from  non-EU  countries  come  to  the  EU  using  legal  channels,  in 
contrast to 125,000 to 200,000 irregular arrivals2.  

Legal migration is an essential part of the comprehensive approach to migration set out in 
the New Pact on Migration and Asylum3, which also ensures more coherence between the 
internal and external dimensions of migration policies. To foster a more effective framework 
for  legal  pathways  to  the  EU,  this  Communication  sets  out  the  three  pillars  of  an 
ambitious and sustainable EU legal migration policy. These pillars present (1) legislative, 
(2) operational and (3) future-oriented policy measures, which will help address some of the 
most important challenges that the EU is facing in attracting skills and talent, in the short and 
long-term. This Communication will also address the immediate need to integrate in the EU 
labour  market  the  working  age  people  arriving  in  the  EU  as  a  result  of  the  Russian  war  of 
aggression against Ukraine, over 2,5 million adults4 by April 2022. 

1  
2  
3  
4  

Eurostat Migration and migrant population statistics. 
Eurostat statistics on first residence permits (migr_resfirst) and Frontex. 
COM(2020) 609 final. 
UNHCR, see https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine.  

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The political and economic case for labour migration 

Migrants  already  play  a  crucial  role  in  Europe’s  economy  and  society.  In  the  last  decade, 
migrant workers5 filled a significant part of new jobs in the EU, helping to  address labour 
market  needs.  Admission  of  migrants  is  part  of  a  wider  policy  mix  to  address  both  the 
existence and the root causes of labour and skill shortages6. The COVID-19 pandemic showed 
that as many as 13% of workers performing essential functions – from doctors to nurses and 
drivers – are migrants7.  

In  parallel,  the  Russian  war  of  aggression  against  Ukraine  has  triggered  the  largest 
displacement in Europe since the Second World War, with women and children making up 
the vast majority of arrivals. Following the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive8, 
the EU will continue to welcome people that are fleeing the war in Ukraine and support their 
labour market integration as a priority. Their arrival to the EU does not preclude the need to 
lay the foundations of a sustainable and common approach to labour migration to address EU 
skills’ needs in the long term.  

Following  set-backs  caused  by  Covid-19,  the  European  labour  market  is  overall 
returning to pre-pandemic levels9: the EU labour market continues its recovery and requires 
new  workers,  in  particular  in  sectors  with  structural  shortages,  such  as  in  the  tourism, 
hospitality,  IT,  health and logistics sectors.  However, labour shortages in certain  sectors are 
larger than prior to COVID-1910 with a sharp increase of unfilled job vacancies even though 
employment has yet to fully recover. 

Aware of future needs, legal migration also has to accompany the EU’s transition towards a 
green  and  digital  economy,  which  requires  specific  skills  and  a  restructuring  of  our 
economies  and  labour  markets.  To  support  the  twin  transitions,  the  EU’s  labour  migration 
should be forward-looking. Sectors such as construction, energy, manufacturing and transport 

5  

6  

7  
8  

9  
10  

On 1 January 2021, the third-country nationals residing in EU-27 Member States represented 5.3% of 
total  population.  However,  according  to  Eurostat,  in  2020  (using  the  LFS  data  and  ISCO-08 
classification),  they  accounted  for  8.7%  of  cleaners  and  helpers,  7.2%  of  food  preparation  assistants, 
6.9% of agricultural, forestry and fishery labourers, 6.1% of building workers and 6.0% of labourers in 
mining, construction, manufacturing and transport.  
Possible  other  interventions  on  the  part  of  employers  and/or  policymakers  would  include  increasing 
wages,  improving  working  conditions,  labour  market  activation  of  the  current  residents  of  native  and 
foreign  background,  in  particular  women,  investing  in  or  reforming  education  and  training  facilities, 
changing production processes or increasing imports. See for instance Labour shortages and migration 
policy, IOM 2012. 
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/news/crucial-contribution-migrant-workers-europes-coronavirus-response. 
Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 establishing the existence of a mass influx of displaced 
persons from Ukraine. 
https://www.pesnetwork.eu/2022/04/04/european-labour-market-barometer-17/ 
International Monetary Fund, Labor market tightness in advanced economies, March 2022. 

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are likely to be impacted by the transition to a climate-neutral economy, requiring additional 
labour and new skills11.  

Labour  migration  not  only  has  economic  benefits,  it  also  improves  overall  migration 
management as it helps strengthen our cooperation with countries of origin and transit, 
including with  the aim  to reduce irregular migration.  It  is one of the key instruments in  the 
EU’s  toolbox  set  out  in  the  New  Pact  on  Migration  and  Asylum  to  build,  aligned  with  the 
Sustainable  Development  Agenda,  balanced  and  mutually  beneficial  partnerships  with  non-
EU countries on migration.  

There is therefore a strong political and economic case for  establishing  more effective legal 
routes for migrants to enter Europe. This is, however, nuanced by the acknowledgement of the 
diverging  situations  and  policies  of  the  EU’s  Member  States.  Legal  migration  is  a  shared 
competence  between  the  European  Union  and  its  Member  States.  Only  Member  States 
have the competence to decide on the number of nationals from non-EU countries coming to 
their territory in order to seek work. 

In this setting,  realistic, pragmatic and gradual progress is required. Legislation makes it 
possible  to  set  common  rules.  Operational  initiatives,  coordinated  with  Member  States,  the 
European  Parliament  and  non-EU  countries,  enable  us  to  take  concrete  and  pragmatic 
measures. New policy initiatives open up possibilities for future measures. Brought together, 
they  form  the  backbone  of  a  common  European  approach  to  legal  migration  in  line  with 
European values and able to confront common challenges. 

Demographic context and key challenges 

At the same time, the EU has an ageing and shrinking working population. By 2070, the 
size of the working-age population will decline from about 65% in 2019 to between 56% and 
54% of the total EU population in the EU2712. 

These  trends  increase  the  pressure  on  labour  markets,  undermining  competitiveness  and 
economic  growth.  The  share  of  the  working-age  population  is  declining  while  the  share  of 
older people is increasing. This is particularly visible in some Member States13. Some regions 
in  the  EU  are  more  affected  by  a  shrinking  working-age  population  than  others,  with  rural 
areas affected most. A shrinking working-age population puts more pressure on our pension 
and social protection systems, putting in question their long-term sustainability.  

11  

12  

13   

in 

labour 

Tackling 

shortages 

EU  Member 

Eurofound, 
https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/report/2021/tackling-labour-shortages-in-eu-member-
states. 
‘Population  on  1st  January  by  age,  sex  and  type  of  projection  (proj_19np)’  (Statistics  |  Eurostat 
(europa.eu)). 
Eurostat,  Population  structure  and  ageing;  European  Commission,  Atlas  of  Demography,  Impact  of 
migration  on  working-age  population,  https://migration-demography-tools.jrc.ec.europa.eu/atlas-
demography/stories/AoD/2/migration/S4.  

States, 

2021, 

July 

3 

 
 
                                                           
In  addition,  the  EU  needs  to  address  occupational  shortages  in  specific  sectors14  and 
regions,  covering  all  skill  levels:  EU  employers  are  facing  shortages  in  as  many  as  28 
professions employing 14% of the EU workforce in 2020. These professions include plumbers 
and pipe fitters, nursing professionals, system analysts, welders and flame cutters, heavy-truck 
and lorry drivers, civil engineers and software developers15. Labour shortages are also evident 
at  regional  level  owing  to,  for  example,  differences  in  development  levels  between  regions, 
the  presence  of  urban  areas  within  regions  or  divergent  regional  labour  market  and  living 
conditions16.  

The EU strives  to  increase the labour  market  participation  of women, older persons, people 
with disabilities, persons with a migration background and other under-represented groups. It 
also  aims  at  improving  people’s  skills  throughout  their  working  lives,  as  set  out  in  the 
European  Skills  Agenda17.  However,  in  order  to  address  these  growing  labour  market 
needs, linked to demographic trends and shortages,  mobilising the domestic workforce 
alone or facilitating intra-EU mobility are not sufficient. Intra-EU mobility’s potential to 
mitigate labour shortages is increasingly limited, including because it presumes that talent and 
skills gained in one place are lost in another18, and must be considered in light of the fact that 
labour shortages are reported across almost all Member States. The COVID-19 pandemic is 
further  reinforcing  the  demand  for  several  specific  shortage  occupations,  with  the  biggest 
impact being on the demand for healthcare skills. For instance, in 2020, Belgium, Germany, 
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden, 
all reported shortages in health and associated professionals19. EU mobile workers represent 
less than a third of foreign born personal care workers in the EU, with two-thirds coming from 
outside of the EU.  

Both the European Skills Agenda and the New  Pact on Migration and Asylum therefore 
recognise the need  for  a more strategic approach to  legal  migration, oriented towards better 

14  

15  

16  

17  
18  

19  

It 

at 

in 

of 

of 

the 

and 

was 

2.6% 

fourth 

quarter 

Analysis 

shortage 

COVID). 

The EURO-27 quarterly job vacancy rate  has reached 2.4% in 2021 Q3, at its highest  since 2019 Q2 
2021. 
(before 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/14358242/3-17032022-BP-EN.pdf/3e6f6746-aa8d-
b25c-7696-3912bf7ebd2c?t=1647445976514. 
Those  were  the  most  often  reported  shortage  occupations  in  2021  in  the  EU.  See  European  Labour 
Authority, 
2021 
https://www.ela.europa.eu/en/news/analysis-shortage-and-surplus-occupations-2021. 
Ageing  and  depopulation  patterns  across  eu  territories  are  extensively  covered  in  Aurambout,  J.P.,   
Batista E Silva, F., Bosco, C., Conte, A., Ghio, D., Kalantaryan, S., Kompil, M., Perpiña Castillo, C., 
Proietti,  P.,  Scipioni,  M.,  Sulis,  P.  and  Tintori,  G.,  The  Demographic  Landscape  of  EU  Territories, 
Goujon, A., Jacobs, C., Natale, F. and Lavalle, C. editor(s), EUR 30498 EN, Publications Office of the 
European  Union,  Luxembourg,  2021,  ISBN  978-92-76-27239-7  (online),978-92-76-27238-0  (print), 
doi:10.2760/658945 (online),10.2760/49621 (print), JRC123046. 
COM (2020) 274 final. 
The Commission is currently  working on an initiative to mitigate the challenges associated with brain 
drain and population decline within the EU and identify potential solutions to reverse the economic and 
social decline of affected regions. The public consultations were launched in March 2022.  
Eurofound (2021), Tackling labour shortages in EU Member States. 

occupations; 

surplus 

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attracting and keeping talent  to foster growth and innovation potential  and channelling legal 
migration towards regions and occupations experiencing skills shortages. 

To remain globally competitive, the EU needs to become more attractive for talent from 
around  the  world.  Currently,  highly-qualified  nationals  from  non-EU  countries  are  more 
likely to choose North America or Oceania than the EU20. A first important step to improve 
the EU’s attractiveness was the recent revision of the EU Blue Card Directive21, which will 
allow highly qualified migrants to benefit from improved rights, and in particular the right to 
move  and  work  in  other  EU  countries,  as  well  as  quicker  and  streamlined  procedures.  All 
these  aspects  of  attractiveness  should  also  be  strengthened  for  other  categories  of  migrants, 
together with measures to fight labour exploitation22 and discrimination23. Matching labour 
demand and supply is also a challenge in an international context characterised by increasing 
competition  for  skills  and  talent.  Two  current  obstacles  are  the  long  and  complicated 
immigration procedures and varying requirements across Member States, and the difficulty of 
connecting talents from non-EU countries with potential employers in the Member States.  

As set out in the Communication “Welcoming those fleeing war in Ukraine: readying Europe 
to meet the needs”24, Member States will need to take measures to integrate the beneficiaries 
of  temporary  protection  into  the  labour  market.  The  Commission  will  support  the 
mapping of their skills and qualifications to facilitate their matching with EU employers.25  

Towards a sustainable EU policy on legal migration, built on three pillars  

In  the  last  two  decades,  the  EU  has  developed  a  legal  framework  largely  harmonising 
Member States’ conditions of entry and residence for certain categories of nationals from non-
EU countries. This includes entry and residence for labour purposes, such as highly qualified 

20  

21  

22  

23  

24  
25  

According to the Database on Immigrants in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 
(OECD)  Countries,  only  one  in  four  highly-educated  migrants  residing  in  the  OECD  in  2015-16  had 
chosen  an  EU  destination,  while  almost  two  out  of  three  had  chosen  to  settle  in  North  America  or 
Oceania. 
Directive  (EU)  2021/1883 of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  20  October  2021 on  the 
conditions  of  entry  and  residence  of  third-country  nationals  for  the  purpose  of  highly  qualified 
employment, and repealing Council Directive 2009/50/EC. 
With  regard  to  the  fight  against  labour  exploitation  of  irregular  migrants,  in  September  2021  the 
Commission adopted a Communication (COM(2021) 592 final) on the Employers Sanctions Directive 
2009/52/EC,  identifying  a  number  of  necessary  actions  to  strengthen  the  implementation  and 
effectiveness of the Directive. 
A toolkit on the use of EU funds for the integration of people with a migrant background for the 2021-
27 programming period has been prepared. Also of relevance is the EU Anti-racism Action Plan 2020-
2025: 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/combatting-
discrimination/racism-and-xenophobia/eu-anti-racism-action-plan-2020-2025_en  
COM(2022) 131 final. 
See  section  3.2.  Developing  an  EU  Talent  Pool  to  better  match  EU  employers  with  the  talents  they 
need. 

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workers  (i.e.  “blue  card”  holders)26,  seasonal  workers27,  and  intra-corporate  transferees28.   
The EU legal framework also regulates: i) the admission conditions and rights of students and 
researchers of non-EU countries29, ii) the right to family reunification30, and iii) the conditions 
and procedures for nationals of non-EU countries to obtain a permanent residence right (i.e. 
‘long-term  residence’)31.  EU  legislation  also  lays  down  a  single  procedure  –  and  a  single 
permit combining the authorisation to work and reside – for workers from non-EU countries 
admitted under Member States’ national schemes32.  

Currently, EU law does not cover other categories of labour migrants, nor the self-employed. 
Some  of  them  are  covered  under  national  rules.  In  March  2019,  the  European  Commission 
completed  an  overall  evaluation  of  this  legal  framework  (i.e.  the  fitness  check  on  legal 
migration33).  This  evaluation  led  to  mixed  conclusions  and  underlined  that  more  could  be 
done to increase the impact of the EU legal migration framework on the EU’s demographic, 
economic and migration challenges. The fitness  check concluded that there are a number of 
inherent  shortcomings  in  the  EU  legal  migration  system,  such  as  fragmentation,  limited 
coverage of EU rules, inconsistency between various directives, complexity of procedures and 
incorrect implementation. 

The EU has also developed labour mobility schemes with non-EU countries. Pilot projects 
on legal migration34 have shown that by providing targeted support, the EU can help Member 
States  implement  schemes  that  meet  the  needs  of  employers,  while  reinforcing  the  human 
capital development in partner countries. The EU has also opened Erasmus+ learner and staff 

26  

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  

32  

33  

34  

Council Directive 2009/50/EC of 25 May 2009 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country 
nationals for the purposes of highly qualified employment, OJ L 155, 18.6.2009, p. 17–29. 
Directive  2014/36/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  26  February  2014  on  the 
conditions  of  entry  and  stay  of  third-country  nationals  for  the  purpose  of  employment  as  seasonal 
workers, OJ L 94, 28.3.2014, p. 375–390. 
Directive 2014/66/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the conditions 
of entry and residence of third-country nationals in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer, OJ L 
157, 27.5.2014, p. 1–22. 
Directive  (EU)  2016/801  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  11  May  2016  on  the 
conditions  of  entry  and  residence  of  third-country  nationals  for  the  purposes  of  research,  studies, 
training, voluntary  service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing, OJ L 132, 
21.5.2016, p. 21–57. 
Council  Directive  2003/86/EC  of  22  September  2003  on  the  right  to  family  reunification,  OJ  L  251, 
3.10.2003, p. 12–18. 
Council Directive 2003/109/EC of 25 November 2003 concerning the status of third-country nationals 
who are long-term residents, OJ L 16, 23.1.2004, p. 44–53. 
Directive 2011/98/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on a single 
application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory 
of  a  Member  State  and  on  a  common  set  of  rights  for  third-country  workers  legally  residing  in  a 
Member State, OJ L 343, 23.12.2011, p. 1–9. 
https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/policies/migration-and-asylum/legal-migration-and-integration/legal-
migration-fitness-check_en 
Eight  Member  States  have  been  or  are  currently  involved  in  six  such  projects  with  Egypt,  Moldova, 
Morocco,  Nigeria  Senegal  and  Tunisia.  Key  themes  include  circular  mobility  for  ICT  experts, 
opportunities for entrepreneurs, students and traineeships. 

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mobility  in  vocational  education  and  training  to  non-EU  countries.  However,  there  remains 
room for increasing the scope and ambition of the current schemes.  

To find responses that are adapted to the multiple needs and to address legal and operational 
shortcomings, the Commission held a wide consultation. It consulted the general public in 
open  consultations35,  the  Member  States,  the  European  Parliament,  the  European  social 
partners36 and civil society37. In 2021, the European Parliament adopted two Resolutions on 
legal migration38, calling on the Commission to improve and develop the EU legal and policy 
framework.  On  the  basis  of  Article  225  of  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European 
Union,  the  European  Parliament  asked  the  Commission  to  present  a  set  of  proposals  to 
facilitate and promote entry into and mobility within the EU for legally migrating nationals of 
non-EU countries, with  the objective  of reducing  bureaucracy,  strengthening harmonisation, 
promoting fundamental rights and equal treatment, and preventing labour exploitation. 

While  favouring  simplification  and  a  streamlining  of  procedures,  Member  States  generally 
prefer  to  focus  on  operational  aspects  and  not  to  undertake  new  legislative  work  on  legal 
migration at EU level. 

In order to improve the EU’s management of legal migration while addressing the calls of the 
European  Parliament  and  the  Member  States  in  a  balanced  and  pragmatic  way,  this 
Communication sets out three key pillars of a sustainable EU policy on legal migration:  

  a  legislative  pillar,  recasting  the  Long-Term  Residents  Directive39  and  the  Single 
Permit Directive40, to simplify the procedures for the admission of workers of various 
skill  levels  to  the  EU,  and  the  mobility  within  the  EU  of  workers  from  non-EU 
countries  that  are  already  in  the  EU,  and  improving  their  rights  and  their  protection 
from labour exploitation;  

35  

36  

37  
38  

39  

40  

European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, Analysis of the responses 
to  the  public  consultation  on  the  future  of  legal  migration  –  Synthesis  report,  Publications  Office, 
2021, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2837/92995 
Meetings organised during the drafting of the impact assessments on the two Directives and meeting of 
17 March 2022, see Impact Assessments of the Long-Term Residence Directive and the Single Permit 
Directive, SWD(2022)651 and SWD(2022)656. 
 Ibid. 
European  Parliament  resolution  of  20  May  2021  on  new  avenues  for  legal  labour  migration 
(2020/2010(INI)); European Parliament resolution of 25 November 2021 with recommendations to the 
Commission on legal migration policy and law (2020/2255(INL)). 
Council Directive 2003/109/EC of 25 November 2003 concerning the status of third-country nationals 
who are long-term residents; OJ L 16, 23.1.2004, p. 44. 
Directive 2011/98/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on a single 
application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory 
of  a  Member  State  and  on  a  common  set  of  rights  for  third-country  workers  legally  residing  in  a 
Member State, OJ L 343, 23.12.2011, p. 1–9. 

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  an  operational  pillar,  addressing  the  challenge  of  international  matching  by  setting 
out concrete steps to develop Talent Partnerships with key partner countries and the 
key features of an EU Talent Pool41; and 

  a  forward-looking  pillar,  based  on  three  specific  priorities  for  action  that  should 

further guide the EU’s policy on legal migration: care, youth and innovation. 

2.  LEGISLATIVE  PILLAR:  SIMPLIFYING  MIGRATION  PROCEDURES  AND 

IMPROVING MIGRANT WORKERS’ RIGHTS 

The Long-Term Residents Directive and the Single Permit Directive set the framework in 
terms of procedures and rights for a large part of the third-country workers legally residing in 
the EU. However, both pieces of legislation have not fully achieved the objectives for which 
they were first adopted, in 2003 and 2011 respectively. The Long-Term Residents Directive is 
under-used  by  the  Member  States,  and  does  not  provide  for  an  effective  right  to  mobility 
within the EU. The Single Permit Directive has not fully achieved its objective of simplifying 
admission procedures for all workers from non-EU countries. 

For  these  reasons,  the  Commission  is  proposing  an  overall  recast  of  the  two  Directives42. 
The main objectives are to reduce costs and the administrative burden for employers, prevent 
labour exploitation and support the further integration and mobility within the EU of nationals 
of non-EU countries that are already residing and working in the EU. 

The Commission will also continue to monitor the implementation of the most recent sectorial 
Directives. In 2023, it will report on the implementation of the Seasonal Workers Directive 
and  the  Intra-corporate  Transferees  Directive.  With  regard  to  the  Seasonal  Workers 
Directive,  following  up  on  the  above-mentioned  European  Parliament  resolutions,  the 
Commission will assess whether the current rules provide seasonal workers enough protection 
against labour exploitation. It will also consider the need for future legislative amendments.    

2.1. Streamlining the single permit procedure 

The  Single  Permit  Directive  simplifies  the  procedure  for  nationals  of  non-EU  countries 
wishing to migrate to the EU legally for work purposes. It puts in place a single application 
procedure for a combined work and residence permit (a single permit). It also ensures equal 

41  

42  

Building  on  the  2019  OECD  study  Building  an  EU  Talent  Pool,  A  new  approach  for  migration 
management 
for  Europe  https://www.oecd.org/publications/building-an-eu-talent-pool-6ea982a0-
en.htm, and the 2022 OECD Feasibility Study on the Development of an EU Talent Pool . 
COM(2022)650 and COM(2022)655. 

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treatment  between  workers  from  non-EU  countries  and  nationals  of  the  Member  State  of 
residence, by providing a common set of rights for workers from non-EU countries43.  

The proposed recast of the Directive will streamline the application procedure and make it 
more effective. It will enable applicants to apply for permits from both non-EU countries and 
Member States.  Currently, the overall  duration of  application  procedures44 deters employers 
from international recruitment. Reducing this duration is expected to help increase the EU’s 
attractiveness and address EU labour shortages. The proposal also includes new requirements 
to  strengthen  the  safeguards  and  equal  treatment  of  nationals  of  non-EU  countries  as 
compared to EU citizens and improve their protection from labour exploitation. In particular, 
under the proposed new rules, the single permit will not be linked to one employer alone. This 
means that within the period of validity of the permit, workers will have the right to change 
employer  while  continuing  to  reside  legally  in  the  Member  State.  This  will  facilitate  labour 
matching and reduce vulnerability to labour exploitation. Furthermore, the proposal includes 
new  obligations  for  Member  States  to  provide  for  inspections,  monitoring  mechanisms  and 
sanctions against employers infringing national provisions adopted pursuant to the Directive. 

2.2. Improving the EU long-term resident status 

The recast of the Long-Term Residents Directive aims to create a more effective, coherent 
and fair system to acquire EU long-term resident status. This system should be a key tool to 
promote the integration of nationals  of non-EU countries who settled legally and on a long-
term basis in the EU. 

The proposal aims at making it easier to acquire EU long-term resident status, by allowing 
third-country nationals to cumulate residence periods in different Member States in order to 
fulfil the requirement concerning the duration of residence; and by clarifying that all periods 
of  legal  residence  should  be  fully  counted,  including  residence  periods  as  students, 
beneficiaries  of  temporary  protection,  or  residence  periods  initially  based  on  temporary 
grounds.  

The  proposal  also  aims  to  strengthen  the  rights  of  long-term  residents  and  their  family 
members.  This  includes  the  right  to  move  and work  in  other  Member  States,  which  the 
European Parliament45 and some stakeholders46 called for and which should be as similar as 
possible  to  the  right  that  EU  citizens  enjoy  (within  the  applicable  EU  legal  framework). 

43  

44  

45  

46  

In  areas  such  as  working  conditions,  education  and  training,  access  to  goods  and  services,  and  social 
security. 
The  practical-application  study  of  the  fitness  check  shows  that  the  time  required  to  apply  for  a  visa 
sometimes extends the overall procedure considerably, in some cases by as much as 3 months. 
European Parliament, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, New avenues for legal 
labour migration (2020/2010((INI)) (rapporteur: Sylvie Guillaume). 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12594-Public-consultation-on-
legal-migration/public-consultation_en 

9 

 
 
                                                           
Allowing  nationals  of  non-EU  countries  who  are  already  EU  long-term  residents  in  one 
Member State to change jobs and move to another Member State for work can help improve 
labour market effectiveness across the EU, addressing skills shortages and offsetting regional 
imbalances. It can also improve the EU’s overall attractiveness to foreign talent. 

The proposal additionally puts in place a mechanism to ensure a level playing field between 
the  EU  long-term  residence  permit  and  national  permanent  residence  permits  in  terms  of 
procedures, equal treatment rights, and access to information, so that nationals from non-EU 
countries have a real choice between the two permits. It also facilitates circular migration by 
making it easier for long-term residents to return to their country of origin without losing their 
rights, benefiting both the countries of origin and the countries of residence.  

3.  OPERATIONAL PILLAR: SUPPORTING BETTER MATCHING OF SKILLS 

AND NEEDS FOR THE EU AND PARTNER COUNTRIES 

Together  with  the  legislative  pillar,  the  Commission  proposes  to  significantly  step-up 
operational  cooperation  at  Union  level  between  Member  States  as  well  as  with  partner 
countries.  Work  is  already  advanced  with  setting  up  Talent  Partnerships  and  the  EU  Talent 
Pool, both key initiatives announced under the New Pact on Migration and Asylum.  

Together  with  reinforced  political  commitment  on  the  side  of  the  Member  States,  the 
Commission  is  now  proposing  a  clear  roadmap  for  giving  life  to  these  two  important 
initiatives at the latest by the end of 2022. 

3.1.  Improving  our  cooperation  with  partner  countries  through  Talent 
Partnerships  

Talent Partnerships are one of the key aspects of the external dimension of the New Pact 
on  Migration  and  Asylum.  They  aim  to  strengthen  cooperation  between  the  EU,  Member 
States  and  partner  countries  and  to  boost  international  labour  mobility  and  development  of 
talent in a mutually beneficial and circular way. They will underpin a comprehensive policy 
framework and financial support to engage key partner countries strategically in all areas of 
migration management, including effective return and readmission, as well as the prevention 
of irregular departures.  As outlined in the New Pact, developing legal pathways should also 
contribute to the reduction of irregular migration.  

The  Commission  is  steering  the  development  of  Talent  Partnerships  to  ensure  they  are 
prepared in a tailor-made and flexible way and address the labour market and skills needs of 
Member States and partner countries.  

10 

 
 
 
Talent  Partnerships  should  combine  direct  support  for  mobility  schemes47  for  work  or 
training  with  capacity  building  and  investment  in  human  capital,  including  skills 
development,  vocational  education  and  training  and  operationalisation  of  work-based 
exchange  schemes48.  In  doing  so,  they  aim  to  ensure  an  equal  win  for  partner  countries, 
Member  States,  business  communities  on  both  sides  and  individuals  benefitting  from  the 
partnerships.  In  line  with  the  EU  bilateral  cooperation  with  partner  countries,  they  should 
benefit the economic development of communities of origin, advance key partner countries’ 
broader development goals and strengthen opportunities for their citizens. At the same time, 
they should help  address shortages in  certain  sectors of Member States’ labour markets  and 
help  the  business  community  on  both  sides  to  build  the  skills  in  demand.  They  should 
transform  the  risk  of  brain  drain  from  partner  countries  into  brain  gain  for  all  partners, 
benefiting  those  involved  as  they  access  renewed  training  opportunities,  professional 
experiences and additional study or vocational education and training developed either in the 
EU or in their countries of origin.  

Talent  Partnerships  will  be  open  to  all  skill  levels  and  could  concern  various  economic 
sectors such as ICT, science, engineering, health49 and long-term care, agriculture, transport, 
horticulture,  food  processing  and  tourism,  construction  and  harbour  work,  transport  and 
logistics, depending on the interests of both sides that are shaping the Talent Partnerships 
whilst remaining mindful of the risks of brain drain. They will provide for various types of 
mobility: temporary, long-term or circular in nature, as agreed by both sides. They should in 
particular take into account the green and digital transition and support labour markets with 
the aim to drive EU growth potential, fostering future-looking technologies and solutions. 

The  Commission  will  support  the  participation  of  multiple  Member  States  in  a  single 
Talent  Partnership  per  partner  country.  This  will  enable  a  broadened  range  of  activities, 
various types of mobility for various skills and economic sectors, a stronger impact on both 
Member States and partner countries, and an added value for the individuals’ career path.  

The Member States and partner countries’ co-ownership of a Talent Partnership is key to 
ensure  scalability  and  to  bring  about  a  mutually  beneficial  and  sustainable  cooperation. 
Talent Partnerships will need to  match real labour market needs and skills on both sides.  
The  partnerships should benefit public and private stakeholders such as employers, training 
institutions  and  diaspora  organisations.  In  the  spirit  of  the  Team  Europe  Initiatives 

47  

48  

49  

These  schemes  will  need  to  take  account  of  international  obligations  stemming  from  EU  trade 
agreements. 
There could be cases of Talent Partnerships  without a  mobility component,  or conversely  with only a 
mobility component, if this is agreed by both the EU and partner country. 
In full compliance with article 5.1 of the WHO code of conduct for international recruitment  of health 
personnel, 
https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/health-workforce/migration-
code/code_en.pdf?sfvrsn=367f7d35_5&download=true 

11 

 
 
                                                           
approach50,  Talent  Partnerships  should  mobilise  both  EU  and  Member  States’  funding 
instruments  and  private  sector51  as  well  as  partner  countries’  funds  as  appropriate.  Together 
with  strong  multi-stakeholder  involvement  in  the  design  and  implementation  of  the  Talent 
Partnerships.  

Operationalisation of the Talent Partnerships  

The  Talent  Partnerships  initiative  was  launched  at  a  high-level  event  in  June  202152.  Since 
then,  the  Commission  has  engaged  in  exchanging  views  with  Member  States  on  the 
conceptualisation  and  operationalisation  of  the  partnerships,  held  high-level  dialogues  with 
partner  countries  and  integrated  Talent  Partnerships  in  the  planning  of  the  2021-2027 
Multiannual Financial Framework.  

Talent Partnerships will build on the experience of existing pilot projects. At  the same time, 
they will provide for a new, more strategic and scaled-up cooperation with partner countries 
on  legal  migration.  Talent  Partnerships’  structured  framework,  together  with  robust 
coordination mechanisms, will ensure that the political objectives of the EU, Member States 
and partner countries are taken into account and translated into tangible action in the form of 
concrete programmes.  

Together with the relevant partners of the Talent Partnership, the Commission will ensure that 
an  appropriate  coordination  mechanism  is  set  up  at  technical  level  -  both  to  coordinate 
activities  of  the  Member  States  and  stakeholders  from  the  EU  side,  as  well  as  with  partner 
countries  altogether. This mechanism will monitor the implementation of the partnership and 
its  activities  and  ensure  complementarity  with  all  other  relevant  initiatives  in  the  area  of 
migration and labour market developments. 

50  

51  

52  

Legal migration is a component of the Team Europe Initiatives for central Mediterranean and western 
Mediterranean/Atlantic routes.  
Depending  on  the  activities  of  each  Talent  Partnership,  public  sector  investments  could  be 
supplemented by private sector funds, in particular from those companies that will benefit from skilled 
workers and will ensure the longer-term sustainability of such activities. 
Talent Partnerships (europa.eu). 

12 

 
 
                                                           
13 

 
 
 
 
As a first step, following high-level discussions, the Commission has the intention, based on 
strong  and  continuous  cooperation  on  all  aspects  of  migration  management  under  the 
comprehensive  approach  of  the  New  Pact  on  Migration  and  Asylum,  including  on  irregular 
migration, to launch the first Talent Partnerships with North African partners, in particular 
Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia for their implementation to start by end of 2022. The work 
on  the  Talent  Partnerships  will  build  upon  successful  pilot  projects  developed  with  these 
partners,  expanding  their  scope  and  level  of  ambition53,  whilst  accompanying  them  with  a 
broader  framework  for  cooperation,  to  be  defined  with  Member  States  and  the  respective 
partner countries, and mobilising all relevant stakeholders in the process. 

As  part  of  a  gradual  approach,  the  launch  of  Talent  Partnerships  with  other  partner 
countries  in  Africa  and  Asia  will  be  a  natural  next  step  in  the  process  of  strengthened 
cooperation on migration management. In particular, as from autumn 2022, in parallel to the 
implementation  of  the  Talent  Partnerships  that  will  be  launched  with  Egypt,  Morocco  and 
Tunisia, it is envisaged to start assessing the feasibility of launching Talent Partnerships with 
Pakistan,  Bangladesh,  Senegal  and  Nigeria,  as  one  of  the  key  components  of  a  reinforced 
migration management cooperation with these countries.  

3.2.  Developing  an  EU  Talent  Pool  to  better  match  EU  employers  with  the 
talents they need 

The  Commission  is  proposing  to  establish  the  first  EU-wide platform  and  matching  tool, 
the  EU  Talent  Pool54  to  help  make  the  EU  more  attractive  for  nationals  from  non-EU 
countries  and  to  address  the  challenge  of  matching  EU  employers  with  the  talent  they  are 
unable  to  find  in  the  EU’s  labour  market.  The  EU  Talent  Pool  will  be  an  EU-wide  pool  of 
candidates from non-EU countries, which will be selected on the basis of specific skills levels, 
criteria and migration requirements, following a screening of candidates’ credentials55.  

During the preparation of this work, a new and urgent need emerged as a result of the Russian 
war of  aggression  against  Ukraine, namely, the need  to  facilitate beneficiaries of temporary 
protection’s access to the EU labour market. To respond to this challenge and make the best 

53  

54  
55  

Such  as  the  pilot  projects  THAMM  between  Germany,  Belgium  and  France  with  Morocco,  Tunisia,  
Egypt);  PALIM  between  Belgium  and  Morocco;  HOMERe  between  France,  Morocco,  Egypt  and 
Tunisia;;  YGCA  between  Spain  and  Morocco;  MENTOR  2  between  Italy,  Morocco  and  Tunisia; 
MOVE_GREEN between Spain and Morocco and WAFIRA between Spain and Morocco. 
OECD 2022 Feasibility Study on the development of an EU Talent Pool. 
the EU Talent Pool and its pilot initiative will be implemented in full compliance with Regulation (EU) 
2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural 
persons  with  regard  to  the  processing  of  personal  data  and  on  the  free  movement  of  such  data,  and 
repealing  Directive  95/46/EC  (OJ  L  119,  4.5.2016,  p.  1)  and    Regulation  (EU)  2018/1725  of  the 
European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with 
regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies  and on 
the  free  movement  of  such  data,  and  repealing  Regulation  (EC)  No  45/2001  and  Decision  No 
1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39). 

14 

 
 
                                                           
use of the displaced persons’ skills, the Commission has announced that it will launch a Pilot 
EU  Talent  Pool  for  people  fleeing  the  Russian  war  of  aggression  against  Ukraine  by 
summer  2022.  This  web-based  pilot  initiative  will  make  it  possible  to  identify  and  map  the 
skills of people that have fled Ukraine and who are present in the Member States, to facilitate 
their  matching  with  EU  employers.  The  pilot  will  take  into  account  ongoing  successful 
initiatives  in  Member  States  (e.g.  in  Portugal  and  Romania).  It  will  be  developed  in 
cooperation  with  Member  States,  as  well  as  in  consultation  with  employers,  social  partners 
and all other relevant stakeholders. The pilot can facilitate intra-EU matching and give the 
authorities  an  overview  of  the  wide  range  of  skills  that  can  be  mobilised  in  their 
countries.  It  could  facilitate  matching  in  priority  sectors  in  relation  to  the  large  number  of 
refugees  arriving  from  Ukraine  such  as  education  for  arriving  children  (facilitated  by 
organising community services) or access to basic services and healthcare (provided by health 
professionals or interpreters). 

The  Commission  has  already  set-up  a  dedicated  thematic  group  of  contact  points  from 
Member  States  interested  in  participating  in  the  pilot  initiative  within  the  framework  of  the 
European  Migration  Network.  By  the  summer,  the  thematic  group  will  develop  and 
implement the pilot initiative. A web portal will be made available, enabling beneficiaries of 
temporary  protection  to  register  their  interest  in  finding  employment  in  the  Member  States 
and  present  their  skills  and  professional  experience.  This  portal’s  design  will  incorporate 
aspects of the EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals, the EU’s dedicated tool 
to  map  and  document  skills  of  nationals  of  non-EU  countries.  In  the  implementation  of  the 
initiative, cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities, including on facilitating recognition of 

15 

 
 
 
 
qualifications in line with Commission Recommendation on the recognition of qualifications 
for people fleeing the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine56, will be sought. 

A  permanent  and  general  EU  Talent  Pool  for  all  nationals  of  non-EU  countries  who  are 
interested in migrating to live and work in the EU, will be developed in parallel to this pilot 
initiative,  in  close  consultation  with  the  participating  Member  States  and  other  relevant 
stakeholders, such as employers’ organisations, social partners and vocational education and 
training  centres.  By  mid-2023,  the  Commission  aims  to  formally  launch  the  EU  Talent 
Pool and its web portal – and will propose a recommendation setting up the EU Talent Pool, 
including a charter and a detailed roadmap for its gradual development phases57. The thematic 
group working on the pilot will also steer the design of the EU Talent Pool’s organisational 
setup,  governance  structure  and  functioning,  based  on  the  lessons  learned  from  the 
functioning of the pilot initiative. This will include, among others, determining what skills are 
needed in the EU labour market,  agreeing on the relevant  admission criteria, organising the 
admission  process  and  coordinating  potential  employers’  access  to  the  EU  Talent  Pool. 
Therefore, full  commitment and  active involvement of the participating  Member States will 
be key for the EU’s Talent Pool development and operation.  

56  

57  

Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/554 of 5 April 2022 on the recognition of qualifications for 
people fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, C/2022/2319. 
More information on the possible setup of the EU Talent Pool is presented in the Annex. 

16 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
3.3. Improving the governance of labour migration at EU level 

Progress  in  the  area  of  labour  migration  and  the  success  of  the  above  mentioned  new 
initiatives  will  depend  on  closer  cooperation  and  a  better  understanding  between  the 
migration and the employment sectors. With this package, the Commission is launching a 
new  platform  that  will  enable  operational  discussions  on  practical  issues  of  labour 
migration, in particular on the external dimension of migration policy, labour shortages and 
issues linked to the labour market processes. The operationalisation of Talent Partnerships and 
the EU Talent Pool would be supported by the work of the platform. Discussions could feed 
into more political exchanges in appropriate fora, for example at the level of the Council and 
the  European  Parliament.  Representatives  of  social  partners,  EU  Agencies,  the  Public 
Employment  Services,  experts,  international  organisations,  migrant-led  organisations  and 
other key actors would be involved in the discussions when relevant. 

4.  FORWARD-LOOKING PILLAR: KEY PRIORITY AREAS OF ACTION 

Beyond  the  immediate  legislative  and  operational  measures  outlined  above,  work  must 
continue to explore further potential avenues for legal migration to the EU in the medium to 
longer  term.  The  Commission  sees  the  potential  for  focusing  forward-looking  policies 
around three areas of action: care, youth and innovation.  

These three areas correspond to three important political priorities, also underlined by the 
European  Parliament  in  its  recent  legislative  own-initiative  report58:  attracting  low  and 
medium skilled workers from non-EU countries, in sectors where there are significant labour 
shortages and needs, e.g. long-term care; creating more opportunities for young people from 
inside  and  outside  the  EU;  and  promoting  innovation  and  entrepreneurship  in  the  EU  and 
investing in EU tech sovereignty. 

4.1. Attracting long-term care workers from non-EU countries 

The  revised  EU  Blue  Card  Directive  modernised  the  rules  to  attract  highly  skilled  workers 
from non-EU countries. Following this, the Commission will look at how to better attract low 
and  medium  skilled  workers  needed  in  the  EU  labour  market.  The  Talent  Partnerships  will 
target workers with all skills levels, including low and medium. The proposed EU Talent Pool 
will also  make it possible to  attract  workers with  a broad set  of skills, at least  in  the longer 
term. The fitness check showed that there is a need for medium- and low-skilled workers in 
the EU59, but  that  occupations and needs vary significantly across Member States.  This  is  a 

58  
59  

2020/2255(INL). 
There is a general labour market tightness for these skills levels, see also International Monetary Fund, 
Labor  Market  Tightness  in  Advanced  Economies,  March  2022.  See  also  the  most  often  reported 

17 

 
 
 
                                                           
 
large and very diverse category of workers, ranging from farm workers and heavy-truck and 
lorry  drivers  to  IT-operations  technicians.  This  category  covers  various  levels  of  skills, 
sectors, and political and legal frameworks across the Member States.  

Therefore,  the  Commission  favours  a  step-by-step  approach.  It  proposes  to  focus  first  on  a 
sector where there is a clear benefit to acting at EU level: long-term care. 

The design and maturity of long-term care systems vary a lot across the EU, but all countries 
face  common  challenges:  the  need  to  provide  accessible,  affordable  and  high  quality  care 
against the background of a growing demand for health and social care and staff shortages in 
an ageing population. Migrant workers, and particularly women, form a significant part of the 
long-term  care  workforce60.  During  the  COVID-19  crisis,  long-term  care  emerged  as  an 
essential service provided by key workers. However, limited investment in the sector, difficult 
working  conditions  and  resulting  staff  shortages  added  to  the  significant  challenges  in 
ensuring continuity of care services and appropriate response to the pandemic61. 

Member States struggle to attract and retain care workers. In the long-term care sector, up to 
7 million job openings for health associate professionals and personal care workers62 are 
expected to emerge by 203063, and will be only partly covered by the EU labour market.  

Legal pathways for long-term care workers are regulated at national level, with a patchwork 
of various rules and conditions64. There is a need to assess whether and to what extent the EU 

60  

61  
62  

63  

shortage occupations in 2021 in the EU: European Labour Authority,  Analysis of shortage and surplus 
occupations; 2021 https://www.ela.europa.eu/en/news/analysis-shortage-and-surplus-occupations-2021. 
4,5% of workers are from outside the EU: Eurofound 2020, Long-term care workforce: employment and 
working  conditions,  https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/customised-report/2020/long-term-
care-workforce-employment-and-working-conditions;  Immigrant  Key  Workers:  Their  Contribution  to 
Europe’s COVID-19 Response JRC 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/news/crucial-contribution-migrant-
workers-europes-coronavirus-response: migrants represented 10.3% of personal care workers. For an in-
depth study of immigrant workers in the health care sector, please see Grubanov-Boskovic, S., Ghio, D., 
Goujon,  A.,  Kalantaryan,  S.,  Belmonte,  M.,  Scipioni,  M.,  Conte,  A.,  Gómez-González,  E.,  Gomez 
Gutierrez, E., Tolan, S., Martinez Plumed, F., Pesole, A., Fernandez Macias, E. and Hernandez-Orallo, 
J.,  Healthcare  and  long-term  care  workforce:  demographic  challenges  and  potential  contribution  of 
migration  and  digital  technology,  EUR  30593  EN,  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union, 
Luxembourg, 2021, ISBN 978-92-76-30233-9 (online), 978-92-76-30232-2 (print), doi:10.2760/33427 
(online),10.2760/234530 (print), JRC121698. 
Eurofound 2020, Long-term care workforce: employment and working conditions. 
The use of informal care varies from around 30% to around 85% across Member States. Formal long-
term  care  is  typically  provided  by  a  qualified  workforce  and  may  be  delivered  in  different  settings 
(residential  care,  formal  home  care  or  semi-residential  care).  Formal  long-term  care  workers  include 
social  care  workers  (such  as  personal  care  workers  or  counsellors)  and  healthcare  workers  (such  as 
geriatric nurses or other nurses) as well as specific groups such as live-in carers (workers living in the 
household of the care recipient and providing care support). The large majority of formal long-term care 
workers are personal carers, and the bulk of the workforce is employed in residential care. Most long-
term  care  workers  have  a  medium  level  of  educational  attainment.  See  2021  European  Commission 
Long-Term Care Report: Trends, challenges and opportunities in an ageing society.  
2021  European  Commission  Long-Term  Care  Report:  Trends,  challenges  and  opportunities  in  an 
ageing society.  

18 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                     
level could help improve the admission to the EU of this category of essential workers. Such 
an  improvement  would  benefit  both  the  Member  States  and  the  countries  of  origin,  while 
ensuring ethical recruitment and high standards. 

Talent Partnerships could support this objective, by promoting the training of long-term care 
workers,  combined  with  a  broader  cooperation  with  partner  countries,  among  others  in 
developing  ways  in  which  foreign  professionals  and  diaspora  can  contribute  to  create 
opportunities in the country of origin65. This would help mitigate the risk of brain drain in the 
care sectors of countries of origin. 

Increasing the provision of early childhood education and care through the planned revision of 
the  Barcelona  targets  would  make  more  long-term  care  workers  available  for  the  labour 
market. Also, as part of the envisaged 2022 European care strategy, and in line with the action 
plan  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights66  and  the  Green  Paper  on  Ageing67,  the 
Commission will launch a mapping of the admission conditions and rights of long-term 
care workers from non-EU countries in the Member States and the needs in this regard, 
with a view to exploring the added value and  feasibility of developing a legal EU-level 
admission scheme to attract such workers68.  

This  analysis  will  look  carefully  at  the  social  and  economic  impacts  that  such  EU-level 
schemes would have, in particular on the working conditions, including salaries, of long-term 
care  workers in  the EU.  It  will also  take into account  the impact  on countries of origin  and 
examine possible arrangements enabling win-win agreements. Training programmes that also 
aim to increase the number of available staff in those non-EU countries could be developed.  
The  analysis  will  also  cover  ethical  standards  of  recruitment  as  promoted  by  the  World 
Health Organization69. 

4.2. Promoting youth mobility 

Youth  mobility  schemes  are  designed  to  give  young  people  a  chance  to  live,  work  and 
acquire  experience  in  another  country,  while  fostering  cultural  exchanges  and  strengthening 
ties between countries. The youth mobility schemes that exist around the world usually target 

64  

65  

66  

67  

68  
69  

JRC, Healthcare and long-term care workforce: demographic challenges and potential contribution of 
migration and digital technology. 
Any  follow-up  programme  will  need  to  take  account  of  international  obligations  stemming  from  EU 
trade agreements. 
https://op.europa.eu/webpub/empl/european-pillar-of-social-rights/en/ 
https://op.europa.eu/webpub/empl/european-pillar-of-social-rights/en/  
https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12722-Demographic-change-in-
Europe-green-paper-on-ageing_en https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-
say/initiatives/12722-Demographic-change-in-Europe-green-paper-on-ageing_en  
With the exception of highly skilled workers already covered by the EU Blue Card. 
2010 WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel. Microsoft 
Word - WHO_global_code_of_practice_EN.doc 

19 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                     
young  third-country  nationals  (e.g.  between  18  and  30  years  old),  with  a  certain  level  of 
education. They come to a country to travel, work and live for a limited and non-renewable 
period of time, if they have sufficient funds, health or travel insurance and no dependants. A 
job offer is not required to apply for these youth mobility schemes.  

An  EU  Youth  Mobility  Scheme  could  make  the  EU  as  a  whole  a  more  attractive 
destination70.  It  would  do  so  by  granting  skilled  young  people  from  non-EU  countries  the 
possibility  to  come  to  the  EU  to  reside,  travel  and  work  for  a  limited  period  of  time  (not 
renewable).  Conditions (age, education level and sufficient funds) would be similar to those 
applying  under  national  schemes.  Such  schemes  could  regulate,  at  EU  level,  admission 
conditions  and  procedures,  as  well  as  the  rights  of  young  nationals  of  non-EU  countries 
participating in the scheme. To better attract skilled young people and achieve an economy of 
scale,  it  could  also  be  explored  with  Member  States  if  there  is  a  possibility  to  grant  such 
young people mobility rights within the EU71.   

It is important to open up possibilities to travel and work to gain new experiences and develop 
skills abroad. This not only applies to young nationals of non-EU countries, but also to young 
EU citizens. Therefore, a European Youth Mobility Scheme would need to be complemented 
by  reciprocal  agreements  or  arrangements  with  non-EU  countries  regarding  admission 
conditions  and  rights,  while  leaving  the  possibility  for  Member  States  to  set  quotas  for 
admitted young people coming to the EU.  

The  Commission  will  explore  the  feasibility  of  developing  a  European  Youth  Mobility 
Scheme,  testing  various  options  in  particular  for  agreements  with  non-EU  countries 
enabling  reciprocity72.  This  process  will  be  launched  in  the  third  quarter  of  2022,  at  the 
European Migration Forum, gathering migration and also inviting youth stakeholders, thereby 
contributing to the broad objectives of the European Year of Youth 2022. 

4.3. Facilitating the admission of start-up founders at EU level 

Recent  years  have  seen  an  increase  in  national  admission  schemes  for  ‘innovative 
entrepreneurs’ and start-up founders, both in the EU and globally73.  

These schemes consist of incentives such as special visas or residence permits for innovative 
entrepreneurs  from  abroad.  Common  to  all  schemes  is  that  they  target  a  specific  type  of 

70  
71  
72  

73  

OECD, Recruiting Immigrant Workers – Europe 2016. 
Without having to apply for a visa for each country in which they wish to work. 
Any  follow-up  programme  will  need  to  take  account  of  international  obligations  stemming  from  EU 
trade agreements. 
The impact assessment underpinning the revision of the Blue Card Directive included a mapping of 
schemes targeting start-up founders and entrepreneurs (https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-is-
new/work-in-progress/initiatives/avzbt_intro_en). A study conducted by the EMN updated this mapping 
at the end of 2019 (https://emnbelgium.be/sites/default/files/publications/Migratory%20Pathways%20for%20Start-
Ups%20and%20Innovative%20Entrepreneurs%20in%20the%20European%20Union.pdf). 

20 

 
 
                                                           
business, i.e. those that are innovative, scalable and / or have added value national economy 
or the business environment74.  

Start-ups  and  entrepreneurship  in  general  support  the  EU’s  economic  development  and 
innovation. They are also central to the EU’s twin transitions to a sustainable and digital 
economy.  In  this  context,  the  Action  Plan  on  Integration  and  Inclusion  highlighted  the 
significant  contribution  of  migrant  entrepreneurs  to  economic  growth  and  job  creation  and 
their role in supporting the post COVID-19 recovery.  

EU measures could further facilitate the access of innovative entrepreneurs and start-up 
founders to the whole EU single market by supporting their admission and the creation 
of  their  business.  Such  measures  would  help  attract  the  best  talent  and  thus  promote 
innovation  and  entrepreneurship  in  the  EU.  This  would  be  in  line  with  the  Innovation 
Agenda for Europe and the EU’s general support to business creation. This general support 
includes  setting  up  a  business-friendly  environment,  promoting  entrepreneurship,  improving 
access to new markets and internationalisation, facilitating access to finance, and supporting 
competitiveness  and  innovation  of  small  to  medium-sized  enterprises75.  The  Commission  is 
also  working  to  support  entrepreneurs  amongst  displaced  people  from  Ukraine,  looking  in 
particular at measures to help them to start their own business in the EU. 

Building  on  recent  initiatives  (‘Scale-up  Europe’  under  the  French  Council  Presidency76), 
there  is  an  opportunity  to  relaunch  the  discussions77  with  all  relevant  institutions  and 
stakeholders  to  assess  the  scope  for  further  specific  EU-level  action  on  the  admission  of 
foreign  innovative  entrepreneurs.  EU  support  could  take  the  form  of  support  to  national 
schemes, including by facilitating information exchanges. The relevance of a new EU visa for 
innovative  entrepreneurs  will  also  be  explored,  taking  inspiration  from  national  schemes,  in 
particular on criteria to select the most promising and innovative entrepreneurs. These options 
will be discussed  in  close cooperation  with  the Member States  and stakeholders’ initiatives, 
including  within  the  European  Innovation  Council  forum  and  the  European  Start-up 
Nations Alliance. This Alliance is an ‘implementation vehicle’  of the EU Start-up Nations 
Standard, a policy initiative of Commission’s 2020 SME Strategy78, which aims to mobilise 

74  

75  

76  

77  
78  

11  Member  States  require  the  submission  of  a  business  plan.  Other  admission  conditions  include  a 
minimum  level  of  capital,  participation  in  a  sponsorship  or  support  scheme,  proof  of  sufficient 
resources, insurance, a certain level of qualification and / or language skills. 
See  for  example  the  Single  Market  Programme,  the  SME  strategy  and  support  to  innovation  under 
Horizon  Europe,  the  Enterprise  Europe  Network,  Erasmus  for  Young  Entrepreneurs,  the  EU  cluster 
policy, European Digital Innovation Hubs, Startup Europe, European Startup Nations Alliance, etc.  
Declaration  of  Intent  -  Making  Europe  the  Land  of  Tech  Talent  (08/02/22),  (https://presidence-
francaise.consilium.europa.eu/en/news/press-release-scale-up-europe-spurs-collective-action-to-
accelerate-european-tech/. 
See already Council Conclusions 9510/16. 
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/sme-strategy-launched-european-commission.  

21 

 
 
                                                           
Member States to share and adopt best practices  that provide a growth friendly environment 
to high tech SMEs, including best practices in attracting and retaining of talent in the EU. 

5.  CONCLUSION 

This  Communication  sets  out  a  pragmatic  and  gradual  approach  towards  an  ambitious  and 
sustainable  EU  legal  migration  policy,  attracting  the  skills  and  talent  to  address  labour 
shortages  and  reply  to  the  demographic  change  in  Europe.  The  measures  will  support  the 
EU’s economic COVID-19 recovery, as well as the digital and green transition and create safe 
channels to Europe, while reducing irregular migration. 

To attract the skills and talent that we need, the EU has to build a more attractive and efficient 
system.  This  requires  a  revised  legislative  framework,  enhanced  cooperation  with  partner 
countries, an improved governance of labour migration involving all key stakeholders, as well 
as, looking forward, new areas of action. 

The Commission will fully play its part in building and implementing this new approach and 
calls for a strong engagement and commitment from all: the European Parliament, the Council 
and  the  Member  States,  the  economic  and  social  actors,  other  stakeholders  involved  and 
relevant partner countries.  

To  that  end,  the  Commission  will  organise  a  high-level  conference  in  the  third  quarter  of 
2022. This conference will launch the new EU platform on labour migration and further pave 
the way towards a sustainable EU legal migration policy. 

22 

 
 
 
ANNEX 

Practical arrangements for an EU Talent Pool 

The  Annex  below  presents  an  outline  of  the  possible  modalities  of  an  EU  Talent  Pool.  It 
builds  on  the  analysis  and  the  recommendations  of  the  OECD  feasibility  study,  as  well  as 
exploratory discussions with relevant Commission services. 

The  EU  Talent  Pool  could  be  based  on  a  web  portal  enabling  candidates  from  non-EU 
countries  to  express  their  interest  in  working  in  the  EU.  Candidates  will  need  to  create  an 
online profile and present necessary documents confirming the level of their skills, education 
and professional experience79. It remains to be decided whether applicants will be required to 
upload  proof  of  their  qualification  when  creating  their  profile.  Alternatively,  it  may  be 
possible to create a profile with no underlying documents attached, at least in the first stages.  
In this alternative option, users could still potentially link to profiles in third-party databases 
with  more detailed information or choose to  upload supporting  documents  for the matching 
and selection process. The possibility of developing links with the Europass platform are also 
being explored. 

Candidates’  profiles  could  be  subject  to  an  initial  screening  based  on  clear  admission 
criteria agreed by national authorities participating in the EU Talent Pool. These criteria, to 
be  defined  with  the  participating  Member  States,  may  be  based  on  a  specific  level  of 
education,  language  knowledge,  professional  skills  or  experience.  In  order  to  address  the 
specific needs of the EU labour market,  they  could also be linked to the identified demands 
and  shortages  on  national  or  regional  labour  markets  or  in  particular  shortage  sectors.  This 
initial screening will require a close coordination between participating national authorities, as 
facilitated  by  the  European  Commission.  It  remains  to  be  decided  whether  the  screening 
would  be  automated,  and  anyone  who  satisfies  the  selection  criteria  based  on  their  profile 
would  enter  the  EU  Talent  Pool  without  further  assessment,  or  if  it  should  be  based  on  an 
individual screening of underlying documents by the national contact points. The first option 
risks populating the pool with empty, fake profiles. The alternative option, on the other hand, 
poses  a  risk  of  discouraging  potential  candidates  from  registering  and  providing  extensive 
personal  information  without  a  guarantee  of  results,  especially  in  the  first  development 
phases. 

The EU Talent Pool could also incorporate current and planned self-testing platforms at EU 
level for attesting skills and knowledge (language, computer literacy, other soft skills, etc.).  

79  IT  development  and  procurement  strategy  choices  will  be  subject  to  pre-approval  by  the  European 
     Commission Information Technology and Cybersecurity Board. 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
The  candidates  who  meet  a  certain  eligibility  threshold  will  be  admitted  to  the  EU  Talent 
Pool.  From  that  moment  on,  their  profiles  would  be  available  for  consultation  by  the 
competent  authorities  and  potential  employers.  The  recruitment  process  will  take  place 
outside  of  the  EU  Talent  Pool.  Once  they  are  offered  a  job  in  one  of  the  Member  States, 
candidates would be able to apply for a residence permit based on the relevant EU or national 
migration  schemes.  Admission  to  the  EU  Talent  Pool  would  not  constitute  a  new  legal 
migration pathway and would not grant a right to enter the EU. The candidates admitted to the 
pool would still need to obtain a residence permit to be able to work in a Member State based 
on  a  job  offer.  However,  the  EU  Talent  Pool  will  be  designed  as  a  tool  to  assist  Member 
States  and  employers  in  meeting  the  demands  of  the  Member  States’  labour  markets  that 
cannot  be  met  by  the  domestic  workforce.  Member  States  will  be  able  to  participate  in  this 
tool according to their needs. 

The EU Talent Pool will rely on national contact points in each participating Member State. 
These  could  be  representatives  of  immigration  authorities,  a  public  body  appointed  by  the 
participating  Member  States,  ideally  from  e.g.  public  employment  services,  investment 
agencies, talent attraction bodies (including, as appropriate, vocational training centres both in 
Member  States  and  partner  countries),  labour  offices  etc.  This  could  allow  for  building 
synergies and fostering coordination between job matching and immigration procedures. The 
national contact points would be able to consult the registered skillsets and connect admitted 
people with interested employers, in the Member State concerned or with matching vacancies. 
At the same time, an anonymised overview of the number of profiles corresponding to a given 
skillset  may  be  made  publicly  available  to  enable  searches  by  potential  employers.  These 
employers would then be able to reach out to the corresponding people through the relevant 
national contact point. 

As the EU Talent Pool develops, a number of additional components or functionalities may 
be  gradually  added.  These  may  include  a  talent  attraction  portal  providing  targeted 
information  and  guidance for applicants,  a database of relevant  eligible  vacancies, or a job-
search  or  job-matching  component.  A  job-matching  system  would  connect  candidates’ 
profiles  with  the  most  suitable  job  offers,  based  on  information  provided  on  both  sides. 
Contact  between  potential  migrants  and  employers  would  be  made  through  the  EU  Talent 
Pool, while recruitment would occur outside of the EU Talent Pool. 

The Commission is also exploring the scope for developing synergies with other tools that are 
currently  available,  such  as  the  new  Europass  platform  which  supports  people  in  managing 
their careers in a fast-changing labour market, the EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country 
Nationals, or the ERA Talent Platform building on the EURAXESS network, established in 
43  countries  and  8  international  hubs  offering  services  to  researchers  worldwide.  Synergies 
may  also  be developed  with  instruments  providing  intelligence  on  skills,  such as  the Skills-
OVATE tool of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training.  

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This tool provides up-to-date information on the skills most demanded by employers and the 
trends of skills demand. 

Building on the experience gained from the EU Talent Pool pilot initiative for people fleeing 
the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU Talent Pool could also continue to be 
open to people in need of protection that have the credentials or skills to register. The tool 
primarily  aims  to  attract  talent  from  non-EU  countries,  but  it  could  be  extended  to  help 
refugees  already  residing  in  the  EU  to  integrate  into  the  EU  labour  market.  Optionally,  the 
criteria for admission to the EU Talent Pool for people already present in the EU could also be 
further expanded to make it possible to identify skills of various levels already available in the 
EU.  Given  the  flexible  nature  of  the  tool  and  its  organisational  structure,  such  adjustments 
could be made quite flexibly as needed, also on a temporary basis. It could also be envisaged 
to  actively  promote  the  EU  Talent  Pool  among  refugee  communities,  also  in  non-EU 
countries.  This  would  make  the  EU  Talent  Pool  a  useful  tool  to  underpin  work-related 
complementary pathways in the Member States80. 

80  

Commission Recommendation (EU) 2020/1364 of 23 September 2020 on legal pathways to protection 
in  the  EU  calls  on  the  Member  States  to  promote  such  pathways  to  provide  more  places  of  legal 
admission and leverage the skills and qualifications of the world’s huge refugee population. 

3