Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-11-23-Speech-2-503"
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"Mr President, today, there are 23 million unemployed people across the European Union, corresponding to an unemployment rate of about 10%.
There are highly segmented labour markets in the EU where employees with permanent safe contracts coexist, and sometimes work side by side in the same workplace doing the same job, with employees who live under temporary contracts with few social safeguards and slim prospects of a permanent job.
To improve the situation and reduce existing disparities, one possible avenue for discussion offered by the agenda adopted today could be to extend the use of open-ended contractual arrangements. These would have a sufficiently long probation period and a gradual increase in protection rights, access to training, lifelong learning and career guidance for all employees.
Over time, this would allow employees to acquire full rights while firms would have sufficient, but decreasing, flexibility during the probation period, removing the inhibiting elements that often prevent employees from taking on new recruits for the long term.
Second, we need to equip people with the right skills for the jobs on the market today and in the future. We know that even now, some employers are struggling to fill vacancies because they cannot find people with the right skills.
This reveals not only that we need more skills and the right skills, but also that there are persistent mismatches in the EU labour market between available skills and needs.
In the foreseeable future, there could be even more serious shortages of workers than today – ICT practitioners, doctors, nurses, researchers, as well as people with the green skills to help us move towards a greener economy.
‘New skills and jobs’ proposes practical tools in this respect. We will bring more transparency on skill needs and promote better matching, namely through the EU skills panorama to help people see more easily which skills are most needed now and in the future. Commissioner Vassiliou will be able to say more about this. What is clear is that we must work closely with all relevant stakeholders to bridge the gap between education and training and the working world.
Third, we propose to improve the quality of jobs and ensure better working conditions. The EU has very ambitious legislation in this field which needs now to be reviewed. Experience with implementation tells us when and where there is room for improvement. We need to make sure the legislation works better, that it is in line with new working patterns and new technology, and that it is easier to understand and apply for people and businesses.
In practice, we propose to review the Working Time Directive and make a legislative proposal aimed at improving the implementation of the Posting of Workers Directive and we will also make proposals in the area of occupational health and safety.
In addition to reviewing EU legislation, the agenda on new skills and jobs proposes an integrated approach that includes so-called soft instruments from codes of conduct and recommendations to implementing guidelines, benchmarking and exchange of good practices.
This situation emerged as a consequence of the financial and economic crisis and we have to face dramatic consequences, but this situation did not deter the European Commission from proposing ambitious objectives in the Europe 2020 strategy, and the European Union has set ambitious targets to meet in the not too distant future.
I look forward to discussing these issues with you and I am confident that together with the European Parliament, the Member States and the social partners, we can make them work better.
Last, but certainly not least, we need to create more jobs. Job creation is needed for growth, but there are too many obstacles in the way. We propose to improve the framework conditions for job creation, especially in fast-moving and R&D-intensive sectors, by reducing the administrative burden and taxes on labour, and by helping entrepreneurs.
We also propose action to foster entrepreneurship and support people who are in the process of setting up a business or have done so recently.
In this respect, one can never reiterate too often the importance of the new micro-finance facility as a tool to help people set up their own businesses. The European Union has plenty of talent. Let us make sure that the ideas and innovations around lead to the creation of quality jobs.
Today, the Commission has presented its priorities on how to make progress towards full employment. An agenda for new skills and jobs can make a real difference if we all work together. I call on you all to play your part in moving forward in our endeavour to reach full employment in Europe.
We have a headline target for an employment rate of 75% for men and women by 2020, and today, the Commission adopted yet another flagship initiative under the Europe 2020 strategy: an ‘agenda for new skills and jobs’ outlining how we intend to make progress towards full employment.
It is complementary to the flagship ‘Youth on the move’ adopted in September. Both should contribute to reach our 2020 employment and education targets. Yes, the crisis has wiped out millions of jobs. Yes, we face increasing international competition, but that is no excuse to shy away from taking action.
On the contrary, it is a call to act and shape our future. Creating more and better jobs is in our hands. Employment policy is largely a Member State responsibility but, as EU policy makers, we in the Commission, together with the European Parliament and the social partners, must do our bit. We must enable everyone who can work to actually do so. We need to allow the workforce to generate new ideas and set up new businesses. We need to ensure that the younger generation can benefit from the social model we have developed. We need better job quality and working conditions for all employees. An agenda for new skills and jobs sets out action in four areas: functioning of labour markets; skills; job quality and working conditions; and job creation.
The agenda proposes 13 specific actions at EU level to be carried out in partnership with governments, social partners and civil society.
First, we have to make sure our labour markets function better by carrying out labour reforms that ensure the necessary flexibility and security. One of the lessons learned in the past two years is that flexicurity policies have contributed to weathering the crisis.
We now propose to discuss with Member States and social partners all components of flexicurity and how to improve them, building on the EU common principles of flexicurity.
The agenda points to flexible, but reliable, contractual arrangements, comprehensive lifelong learning, active labour market policies, and modern social security systems."@en1
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