Speaker: Sara MATTHIEU (Belgium — Groen)
Political group: Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Date: 2023-11-21
Debate: Job creation  –  the just transition and impact investments (short presentation)

  Sara Matthieu,  rapporteur. – Madam President, thanks Commissioner for being here tonight, colleagues, imagine a future where we Europeans can actually protect our planet while also creating new economic opportunities and improving the lives of working people. That is exactly what the report that I am presenting you today is about. By investing in green technologies, renewable energy and sustainable industries, we can really generate a wave of new employment opportunities. 
I call on this Parliament, the Commission and the Member States to turn the transition into an opportunity for working people to have quality jobs with fair pay and decent working conditions. 
As Members of the European Parliament, we have the power to shape politics and set the agenda for the next term, and that really means integrating sustainability into all aspects of our policymaking process. It means considering the environmental impact of every decision we make, and by putting the ecological transition at the core of our policy agenda, we can lead the way in building a sustainable and prosperous future for generations to come. 
EU legislation should encourage quality and sustainable job creation and favour investments with positive environmental and social impacts. Public money should be spent on the public good and that is why I call for a review of the directive on public procurement to ensure that those benefiting companies and subcontractors do support collective bargaining and respect workers’ rights, high-quality jobs, high-quality apprenticeships, decent and equal pay and training. 
The decarbonisation of the European economy will create new jobs in a renewable energy and circular economy. Meanwhile, existing jobs, like the ones in agriculture or construction, will undergo changes, such as working under extreme weather events. And we need to anticipate and reorganise this type of work and adjust the legal rules accordingly. 
To anticipate in all sectors, we need all companies to adopt just transition plans negotiated by social partners. The social partners in the German metal industry, for instance, already reached an agreement including working time redistribution with partial wage compensation or the Italian social partners, they collectively agreed to reskill the workforce as part of their decarbonisation strategy. 
I think it is very clear that there cannot be a just transition without worker representation via the trade unions. Workers really have a very good view on the on the skills that they have already acquired and on the ones that are missing. So access to training, to education, that is really key to prepare the workforce for tomorrow’s green economy, and that really benefits the companies too. 
I think we also need strong safety nets to bridge the temporary gaps for workers that are in between jobs. And I suggest setting up a tool similar to the SURE mechanism that we had during the pandemic, that would really support workers who lose their jobs in those transitional regions. 
The green transition also requires proper funding. The investment gap right now amounts to an estimated EUR 520 billion a year until 2030. STEP was not an answer to this challenge, colleagues. We need fresh EU money to mobilise large-scale investments in green technology and in strong public social services. 
Last but not least, I call on the Commission to ensure diligent and comprehensive social impact assessments for all proposed legislation assessing the socioeconomic impact and with consideration to jobs, skills, competencies, working conditions in all different countries, regions, sectors and companies. 
Colleagues, this report is, of course, the result of many fruitful discussions and exchanges with my colleagues in the EMPL Committee, and I would really like to thank them for their commitment. We have the chance to ensure that working people are at the forefront of this transition. Let’s make it happen.