Changes from plenary report to adopted text

RemovedDRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

AddedP10_TA(2024)0027

Changedon the proposal for a Council decision on guidelinesGuidelines for the employment policies of the Member States

Removed(COM(2024)0599 – C100084/2024 – 2024/0599(NLE))

AddedCommittee on Employment and Social Affairs

AddedPE763.150

AddedEuropean Parliament legislative resolution of 23 October 2024 on the proposal for a Council decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (COM(2024)0599 – C10-0084/2024 – 2024/0599(NLE))

▸11 unchanged paragraphs

(Consultation)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2024)0599),

– having regard to Article 148(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C100084/2024),

– having regard to Rule 84 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A10-0004/2024),

1. Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

2. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, in accordance with Article 293(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

3. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

4. Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to substantially amend the Commission proposal;

5. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and the Commission.

Change 1

ChangedRecital -1 (new): (-1) The European Parliament welcomes the Commission’s proposal for updated employment guidelines for the Member States, in particular its strong focus on education and training as well astraining; new technologies, artificial intelligence and algorithmic management as wellmanagement; asand recent policy initiatives such as platform work, affordable housing and tackling labour and skills shortages. The European Parliament, with a view to strengthening democratic decision-making, reiterates its call to be involved in setting the Integratedintegrated Guidelinesguidelines at Union level on an equal footing with the Council, in line with its legislative resolutions of 8 July 2015, 19 April 2018, 10 July 2020 and 18 October 2022 on the proposalrelevant proposals for a Council decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States.

Change 2

RemovedTo be included in the EP resolution.

Recital 1: (1) Member States and the Union are to work towards developing a coordinated strategy for employment and in particular for the promotion of quality employment and improving working conditions, a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce, as well as labour markets that are inclusive, resilient, future-oriented and responsive to economic and demographic change, with a view to achieving the objectives of full employment and social progress, balanced growth, a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment laid down in Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). Member States are to regard promoting quality employment as a matter of common concern and are to coordinate their action in that respect within the Council, taking into account national practices related to the responsibilities of management and labour.

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ChangedRecital 4: (4) In order to enhance economic and social progress and upward convergence, support the green and digital transitions, strengthen the Union industrial base and achieve inclusive, competitive and resilient labour markets in the Union, while preventing any negative social consequences, Member States should promote fair wages,wages and decent working conditions, foster democracy at work, social dialogue and collective bargaining, protect workers´ rights, address labour and skills shortages and promote quality and inclusive education and training, with a particular focus on improving basic and cross-cutting skills, especially among disadvantaged students, and on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) inat school and in higher education, future-oriented vocational education and training, and lifelong upskilling and reskilling, as well as effective active labour market policies and improved working conditions and career opportunities. Member States should take prevention and prompt intervention measures to reduce early school leaving, with a particular focus on students and pupils at risk. Such measures should include psychological support, mentoring, career guidance and extracurricular activities to foster students' interest and participation, to ensure inclusive and quality education for all. This is of particular relevance for the less developed, remote and outermost regions of the EU, where the needs are the greatest. Shortages can be further addressed by improving fair int…intra-EU…

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ChangedRecital 5: (5) The Guidelines contribute to the full implementation of the European Social Pillar, the EU headline targets for 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,Goals (SDGs), and are consistent with the existing Union legislation and various Union initiatives, including Council Recommendations of 14 June 2021 (5), 29 November 2021 (6), 5 April 2022 (7), 16 June 2022 (8), 28 November 2022 (9), 8 December 2022 (10), 30 January 2023 (11), 12 June 2023 (12) and 27 November 2023 (13), Commission Recommendation (EU) 2021/402) (14), Council Resolution of 26 February 2021(15), Commission Communications on building an economy that works for people: an action plan for the social economy (16), on the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 (17), on the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 (18), on the Disability Employment Package (19), on a European Care Strategy (20), on A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age (21), on strengthening social dialogue in the European Union (22), on Better assessing the distributional impact of Member States’ policies (23),and(23), and on labour and skills shortages in the EU: an action plan (24), Decisions (EU) 2021/2316 (25) and (EU) 2023/936 (26) of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directives (EU) 2022/2041 (27), (EU) 2022/2381 (28), EU(EU) 2023/970 (29) and EU(EU) 2024/1500(29a)2024/1500 (29a) of the European Parliament and of the Council, and the Commission proposals for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 De…Co…

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ChangedRecital 6: (6) The European Semester combines different instruments in an overarching framework for integrated multilateral coordination and surveillance of economic, employment, social and environmental policies within the Union. As part of its integrated analysis of employment and social developments in the context of the European Semester, the Commission assesses socio-economic risks to upward social convergence in Member States and monitors progress on the implementation of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights on the basis of the Social Scoreboard and of the principles of the Social Convergence Framework. While pursuing environmental sustainability, productivity, fairness and macroeconomic stability, the European Semester provides for strong engagement with social partners, civil society and other stakeholders. It also supports the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),SDGs, including SDG5 on gender equality. Gender equality policies should be anchored and mainstreamed in all phases of the economic governance. The economic and employment policies of the Union and the Member States should go hand in hand with the Union’s fair transition to a climate-neutral, socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable and digital economy, improve competitiveness and productivity, ensure fair wages and decent working conditions, foster innovation, democracy at work, social dialogue and collective bargaining, promote social justice, equal opportunities and upward socio-e…socio-economic convergence, support and…

Change 6

ChangedRecital 7 – paragraph 1: Climate change, biodiversitythe loss of biodiversity and other environment-related challenges, the need to ensure a fair green transition, energy independence, enhanced competitiveness of net-zero industries and the need to secure Europe’s open strategic autonomy, as well as the development of digitalisation, artificial intelligence and the platform economy, an increase in teleworking and demographic change are deeply transforming Union economies and societies. The Union and its Member States are to work together to effectively and proactively address such structural developments and adapt existing systems as needed, recognising the close interdependence of the Member States’ economies and labour markets, and related policies. This requires coordinated, ambitious and effective policy action at Union, national and regional levels while recognising the role of social partners and involving them,the social partners, in accordance with the TFEU and with the Union’s provisions on economic governance, taking into account the European Pillar of Social Rights. Such policy action should encompass a boost in sustainable investment across all EU regions, a renewed commitment to appropriately sequenced reforms and investments that enhance sustainable and inclusive economic growth, the creation of quality jobs, productivity, decent working conditions, social and territorial cohesion, upward socio-economic convergence, social justice, equal opportunities, resilience and the exercise of fiscal and social responsibility.

Change 7

ChangedRecital 11: (11) Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Council, in its conclusions of 24 February 2022, condemned Russia’s actions, which seek to undermine European and global security and stability, and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people, underlining Russia’s violation of international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. In the current context, temporary protection, as granted by Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 and extended by the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2409 (37), offers quick and effective assistance in Union countries to displaced people fleeing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and allows such displaced people to enjoy minimum rights across the Union that offer an adequate level of protection. It should be noted that suchSuch assistance, according to Council Directive 2001/55/EC(37a),2001/55/EC (37a), needs to be extended to all displaced persons and refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. By participating in the Union’s labour markets, persons displaced from Ukraine can continue to contribute to strengthening the Union’s economy and help support their country and people at home. In the future, the experience and skills acquired can contribute to rebuilding Ukraine. For unaccompanied children and teenagers, temporary protection confers the right to legal guardianship and access to childhood education and care. Member States should ensure that the implementation of the European Child Guarantee ensures access to free service…services for children fleeing …

Change 8

ChangedRecital 12 – paragraph 1: Reforms to the labour market, including national wage-setting mechanisms, should respect and strengthen national practices of social dialogue, collective bargaining and the autonomy of the social partners, with a view to providing fair wages that enable a decent standard of living, sustainable growth and upward socio-economic and territorial convergence. Such reforms should allow for a broad consideration of socio-economic factors, including improvements in sustainability, competitiveness, innovation, the creation of quality jobs, decent working conditions, democracy at work, gender equality, in-work poverty, education, training and skills, public health, social protection and inclusion, as well as real incomes. Member States should implement the Directive (EU) 2022/2041 without delay. Member States, starting with an effective and rigorous implementation of Directive (EU) 2023/970, are also invited to take measures to ensure wage transparency, implement monitoring policies and stimulate companies to implement equal pay action plans. The importance of social dialogue in tackling challenges in the world of work, including labour and skills shortages, was reaffirmed at the 2024 Val Duchesse Summit.

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ChangedRecital 12 – paragraph 2: The Recovery and Resilience Facility and other Union funds are supporting Member States in implementing reforms and investments that are in line with the Union’s priorities, making Union economies and societies more sustainable and resilient and better prepared for the green and digital transitions in the changing context following the COVID-19 pandemic. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has further aggravated pre-existing socio-economic challenges, as higher energy prices particularly affected low-income households. Member States and the Union should continue to ensure that the social, employment and economic impacts are mitigated and that transitions are socially fair and just, also in light of the fact that increased open strategic autonomy and an accelerated green transition will help reduce the dependence on imports of energy and other strategic products and technologies, in particular from Russia. Strengthening resilience and pursuing an inclusive and resilient society in which people are protected and empowered to anticipate and manage change, and in which they can actively participate in society and the economy, are essential. This is whyTherefore, democracy at work has to be strengthened at Union and national levels.level.

Recital 12 – paragraph 3: A coherent set of active labour market policies, consisting of temporary and targeted hiring and transition incentives, skills policies including learning for the green transition and sustainable development and targeted, effective and adaptable employment services, is needed to support labour market transitions and make full use of untapped labour market potential, also in line with the active inclusion approach and in light of the green and digital transformations as highlighted inter alia in the La Hulpe Declaration on the Future of the European Pillar of Social Rights (38). Adequate working conditions, including occupational health and safety, and both the physical and mental health of workers should be ensured. There is therefore an urgent need for a package on quality employment including legislative initiatives on decent working conditions with regard to telework, the right to disconnect, and artificial intelligence (AI) at the workplace; a revision of the directives on public procurement to ensure they promote collective bargaining; a “vision zero” approach aiming to prevent work-related deaths, including the prevention of hazards to workers from extreme weather caused by climate change and psychosocial risks at the workplace; a framework directive on minimum income schemes; an increase of the dedicated budget of the European Child Guarantee to at least EUR 20 billion; and climate change resilient safety nets integrating climate change adaptation into social protectio…

Recital 13 – paragraph 1: Discrimination in all its forms should be eliminated, gender equality ensured and employment of young people and people over 50 years old promoted. Equal access and opportunities for all should be ensured and poverty and social exclusion eradicated, with a special emphasis on vulnerable groups, namely children, persons with disabilities, single parents, ethnic minorities, such as Roma people, LGBTIQA+ people, people living in remote and rural areas and older people. This should be done, in particular by ensuring an effective functioning of labour markets and adequate and inclusive social protection systems, as set out in the Council Recommendation of 8 November 2019 and the Council Recommendation of 30 January 2023 (39). In addition, barriers to inclusive and future-oriented education, training, retraining, lifelong learning and labour-market participation should be removed and Member States should invest in early childhood education and care, in line with the European Child Guarantee and the Council Recommendation on early childhood education and care (the ‘Barcelona targets for 2030’), in making vocational education and training more attractive and inclusive in line with the Council Recommendation on vocational education and training, and in digital and green skills, in line with the Digital Education Action Plan and the Council Recommendation on learning for the green transition and sustainable development and the Council Recommendation on Pathways for School Success. Acce…

Change 10

ChangedRecital 13 – paragraph 2: The potential of persons with disabilities to contribute to economic growth and social development should be further realised, in line with the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (40) which invited Member States to set up employment and adult learning targets for persons with disabilities. The EU Roma Strategic Framework highlights the capacity within the marginalised Roma communities to reduce labour and skills shortages and aims to cut the employment gap between Roma and general population by at least half (41). New technologies and evolving workplaces throughout the Union allow for more flexible working arrangements as well as improved productivity and work-life balance, whilst contributing to the Union’s green commitments. Those developments also bring new challenges to labour markets, affecting the working conditions, health and safety at work and effective access to adequate social protection for workers and the self-employed. Member States should ensure that new forms of work organisation translate into quality jobs and adequatesadequate healthy and safe workplaces and working conditions as well as work-life balance, active and healthy ageing, maintaining established labour and social rights and strengthening Europe’s social model. / 40 COM(2021)0101. / 41 EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation for 2020-2030, COM(2020)0620.

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ChangedAnnex – guideline 5 – paragraph 1: Member States should actively promote a sustainable social market economy and facilitate and support investment in the creation of quality jobs, also taking advantage of the potential linked to the digital and green transitions, in light of the Union and national headline targets for 2030 on employment. If well anticipated and substantially funded, the transition towards sustainable, renewable and circular economies generates potential to create significant number of new jobs and to transform existing employment into green and sustainable jobs in most sectors. To that end, Member States should facilitate the hiring of people by businesses, significantlymake investsignificant investments in the green transition, and foster VET, responsible entrepreneurship and genuine self-employment including among women, young people, older people and other disadvantaged groups. They should, in particular, support the creation and growth of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, including through better access to finance. Member States should fully implement the Social Economy Action Plan and the Green Deal and actively promote the development of the social economy, including social enterprises, and tap into its full potential. They should develop relevant measures and strategies for the social economy, and foster social innovation. Member States should encourage business models that create quality job opportunities and generate social welfare, notably at local level, including in the circular economy and in terri……

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ChangedAnnex – guideline 5 – paragraph 2: To strengthen resilience in the face of possible economic and/or labour market shocks, well-designedwell-designed, short-term work schemes, like the onesthose developed in the context of the European instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE),Emergency, and similar arrangements play an important role. Member States should address the impact of present and future crisis,crises, including the intensifying impacts of climate change such as heatwaves, droughts or wildfires on the labour market. Short-term work schemes can also support structural transformations by facilitating and supporting restructuring processes and the reallocation of labour from declining sectors towards emerging ones, thereby increasing productivity, preserving employment and helping to modernise the economy, including via associated skills development. Well-designed hiring and transition incentives, lifelong learning, VET, and upskilling and reskilling measures, developed in close cooperation with social partners, should be considered in order to support quality job creation and transitions throughout the working life, and to address labour and skill shortages, also in light of the digital and green transformations, demographic change, as well as of the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Recruitment difficulties and labour shortages are particularly prevalent in sectors with challenging working conditions and poor job quality. The creation of quality jobs and the implementation o…of retenti…

Change 13

RemovedAnnex – guideline 5 – paragraph 3: National taxation should be supportive of job creation while ensuring that tax systems are progressive, and in line with climate and environmental objectives. Any tax reform should increase the redistributive effect of the tax system, while protecting revenue for public investment, in particular quality public services, social protection and sustainable growth enhancing expenditure.

Annex – guideline 5 – paragraph 4: Member States, including those with statutory minimum wages, should promote collective bargaining on wage setting and ensure an effective involvement of social partners in a transparent and predictable manner, allowing for adequate responsiveness of wages to long-term productivity developments, inflation and the cost of living, and fostering fair wages that enable a decent standard of living for all workers, paying particular attention to lower and middle income groups with a view to strengthening upward socio-economic convergence. Wage-setting mechanisms should also take into account socio-economic conditions, including employment growth, competitiveness, purchasing power and regional and sectoral developments. Respecting national practices and the autonomy of the social partners, Member States and social partners should ensure that all workers have adequate wages by benefitting, directly or indirectly, from collective agreements or adequate statutory minimum wages, taking into account their impact on competitiveness, quality job creation, purchasing power and in-work poverty.

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ChangedAnnex – guideline 5 – paragraph 4 a (new): In order to avoid the offshoring of companies that have received European aid, it is essential to review existing state aid rules and funding programmes and establish strategic solutions aimedaiming atto maintainingmaintain the industrial base within Europe.the Union. This includes strengthening European strategic autonomy and promoting a robust European industrial policy. Furthermore, the transition must be accompanied by social and employment measures to ensure a just transition for all, ensuring that no workers or communities are left behind during this process.

▸5 unchanged paragraphs

Annex – guideline 6 – paragraph 1: In the context of the digital and green transitions, demographic change and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Member States should promote sustainability, productivity, inclusiveness, competitiveness, employability and the development and acquisition of skills and competences throughout people’s lives and responding to current and future labour market needs, also in light of the Union and national headline targets for 2030 on skills. Member States should also modernise and invest in their education and training systems to provide high quality and inclusive education and training including vocational education and training, improve educational outcomes and the provision of skills and competences needed for the green and digital transitions, and ensure access to digital learning, language training (e.g. in the case of refugees including from Ukraine or in facilitating labour market access in cross-border regions) and the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills, which are not yet included in typical educational plans. Member States should work together with the social partners, education and training providers, enterprises and other stakeholders, also in the context of the action plan to tackle labour and skills shortages put forward by the Commission in March 2024, to address structural weaknesses in education and training systems and improve their quality and labour-market relevance, including through targeted financial and technical support. The right to paid educatio…

Annex – guideline 6 – paragraph 2: Particular attention should be paid to addressing any decline in the educational performance of young people, especially in the area of basic skills. Action is needed to address the challenges faced by the teaching profession, including its attractiveness, tackling teacher shortages, and the need to invest in teachers’ and trainers’ digital skills competences. Moreover, education and training systems should equip all learners with key competences, including basic and digital skills as well as transversal competences, and critical thinking in light of the threat of disinformation, to lay the foundations for adaptability and resilience throughout life, needed for successful transitions, particularly in the context of climate change, while ensuring that teachers are prepared to foster those competencies in learners. Member States should support working age adults in accessing training and increase individuals’ incentives and motivation to seek training, including, where appropriate, through individual learning accounts and ensuring their transferability during professional transitions, as well as through a reliable system of training quality assessment. Member States should explore the use of micro-credentials to support lifelong learning and employability. They should enable everyone to anticipate and better adapt to labour-market needs, in particular through continuous upskilling and reskilling and the provision of integrated guidance and counselling, with a view to supporting…

Annex – guideline 6 – paragraph 3: Member States should foster equal opportunities for all by addressing inequalities in education and training systems, including in terms of regional coverage. In particular, children should be provided with access to affordable and high-quality early childhood education and care, in line with the new “Barcelona targets” and the European Child Guarantee Member States should raise overall qualification levels, reduce the number of early leavers from education and training, support equal access to education of children from disadvantaged groups and remote areas, increase the attractiveness of vocational education and training (VET), support access to and completion of tertiary education, and increase the number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates both in VET and in tertiary education, especially women. Top performance and excellence in educational outcomes should also be supported, given their role in fostering the future innovation potential of the EU. Member States should facilitate the transition from education to employment for young people through quality, paid traineeships and apprenticeships, as well as increase adult participation in continuing learning, particularly among learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and the least qualified. Taking into account the new requirements of digital, green and ageing societies, Member States should upgrade and increase the supply and uptake of flexible initial and continuing VET, strengthen work-base…

Annex – guideline 6 – paragraph 4: Member States should provide unemployed and inactive people with effective, timely, coordinated and tailor-made assistance based on support for job searches, training, up- and reskilling and access to other enabling services, paying particular attention to vulnerable groups and people affected by the necessary green and digital transitions or labour market shocks. Comprehensive strategies that include in-depth individual assessments of unemployed people should be pursued as soon as possible, with a view to significantly reducing and preventing long-term and structural unemployment. Youth unemployment and the issue of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) should continue to be addressed through prevention of early leaving from education and training and structural improvement of the school-to-work transition, including through the full implementation of the reinforced Youth Guarantee, which should also support quality youth employment opportunities. In addition, Member States should boost efforts notably at highlighting how the green and digital transitions offer a renewed perspective for the future and opportunities for young people in the labour market.

Annex – guideline 6 – paragraph 5: Member States should aim to remove barriers and disincentives to, and provide incentives for, participation in the labour market, in particular for low-income earners, second earners (often women) and those furthest from the labour market, including people with a migrant background and Roma people. In view of high labour shortages in certain occupations and sectors (notably in STEM sectors, healthcare and long-term care, education, transport and construction), Member States should contribute to fostering labour supply, notably through promoting adequate wages and decent working conditions, ensuring that the design of tax and benefit systems support labour market participation, and that active labour market policies are effective and accessible, respecting the role of social partners. Member States should also support a work environment adapted for persons with disabilities, including through targeted financial and technical support, information and awareness raising, and services that enable them to participate in the labour market and in society, whereby the social economy could play a key role in securing quality jobs for persons with disabilities. The various guidelines developed within the framework of the employment package of the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2023-2030 should be fully implemented in workplaces. Particular attention should be given to the right to reasonable accommodation, deployment of retention strategies, and the fight …

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ChangedAnnex – guideline 7 – paragraph 1: In order to benefit from a dynamic and productive workforce and new work patterns and business models, Member States should work together with the social partners on fair, transparent and predictable working conditions, balancing rights and obligations. They should reduce and prevent segmentation within labour markets, fight undeclared work and bogus self-employment, and foster the transition towards open-ended forms of employment. Employment protection rules, labour law and institutions should all provide for the protection of labour rights, a high level of social protection and secure employment, inclusive recruitment, health and safety at work, as well as well-adapted working environments for all workers. At the same time, Member States should ensure a suitable environment for companies and employers to adapt to changes. Member States should fully implement EU occupational health and safety regulations, including binding occupational exposure limit values, in order to work towards reducing the number of fatal accidents at work and eliminating workplace cancer. Promoting the use of flexible working arrangements such as teleworking can contribute to higher employment levels and more inclusive labour markets and can contribute to enableenabling previously excluded groups of workers to access the labour market. At the same time, it also risks diluting boundaries between working time and private life, therefore highlightingthere is a need for a directive on the right to disconnect. Furthermore…Furthermore, …

Annex – guideline 7 – paragraph 2: Policies should aim to improve and support labour-market participation, matching and transitions, also in light of demographic change, and including in disadvantaged regions. Member States should effectively activate and enable those who can participate in the labour market, especially under-represented groups, such as women and young people, as well as people in vulnerable situations, such as lower-skilled people and the long-term unemployed, persons with disabilities, people with a migrant background, including persons under a temporary protection status, people from Roma communities and older workers. Member States should strengthen the scope and effectiveness of active labour-market policies by increasing their targeting, outreach and coverage and by better linking them with social services, training and income support for the unemployed, while they are seeking work and based on their rights and responsibilities. Member States should make the best use of EU funding and technical support as well as national resources to enhance the capacity of public employment services to provide timely and tailor-made assistance to jobseekers, respond to current and future labour-market needs, and implement performance-based management, supporting their capacity to use data and digital technology.

Annex – guideline 7 – paragraph 3: Member States should provide the unemployed with adequate unemployment benefits of sufficient duration, in line with their contributions and national eligibility rules and based on the principle of non-discrimination. That should be accompanied by active labour market policies, including up- and reskilling measures, also in light of labour and skills shortages and mismatches, with the support of mutual learning mechanisms between Member States.

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ChangedAnnex – guideline 7 – paragraph 4: The mobility of learners, apprentices and workers should be increased and adequately supported, especially for learners in vocational education and training with fewer mobility experiences, with the aim of enhancing their skills and employability, exploiting the full potential of the European labour market and contributing to EU-level competitiveness. Obstacles to intra-EU labour mobility, including procedures to recognise professional qualifications or transfer acquired social security rights, should be tackled. BasedOn onthe basis of the work of the SMET (SingleSingle Market Enforcement Taskforce),Taskforce, Member States should simplify and standardise their reporting requirements. Additionally, Member States should enable their administrations to receive standardizedstandardised documents in other Union languages. Fair and decent conditions for all those pursuing a cross-border activity should be ensured by avoiding discrimination and ensuring equal treatment with EU nationals, enforcing national and EU legislation and stepping up administrative cooperation between national administrations with regard to mobile workers, benefitting from the assistance of the European Labour Authority. While supporting labour mobility, Member States should also effectively counter the negative impact of brain-drainbrain drain in certain regions, especially in southern and eastern Member States as well as in remote and rural areas.

Annex – guideline 7 – paragraph 5: The mobility of workers in critical occupations and of cross-border, seasonal and posted workers should be supported in the case of temporary border closures. Member States should further engage in talent partnerships to enhance legal migration pathways by launching new mobility schemes and provide for an effective integration policy for workers and their families, encompassing education and training, including language training, employment, health and housing.

Annex – guideline 7 – paragraph 6: Member States should also strive to create the appropriate conditions for new forms of work, and working methods, delivering on their job-creation potential while ensuring they are compliant with existing social rights as well as Union and national labour law. They should provide advice and guidance on the rights and obligations which apply in the context of atypical contracts and new forms of work, such as work through digital labour platforms and teleworking arrangements. In this regard, social partners can play an instrumental role and Member States should support them in reaching out and representing people in atypical and new forms of work. Member States should also consider providing support for enforcement – such as strengthening the role, resources and capacity of the labour inspectorate and further measures such as guidelines or dedicated trainings for labour inspectors – concerning the challenges stemming from new forms of organising work, including the use of digital technologies and of AI, such as algorithmic management, workers’ surveillance and telework.

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ChangedAnnex – guideline 7 – paragraph 7: Member States should foster democracy at work and ensure an enabling environment for bipartite and tripartite social dialogue at all levels, including collective bargaining, in the public and private sectors in accordance with national law and/or practice, after consultation and in close cooperation with social partners, while respecting their autonomy. Member States should involve social partners in a systematic, meaningful and timely manner in the design and implementation of employment, social and, where relevant, economic and other public policies including in the setting and updating of statutory minimum wages. Member States should promote a higher level of coverage of collective bargaining, including by promoting the building and strengthening of capacity of the social partners, enable effective collective bargaining at all appropriate levels and encourage coordination between and across those levels. The social partners should be encouraged to negotiate and conclude collective agreements in matters relevant to them, fully respecting their autonomy and the right to collective action. Member States should implement Directive (EU) 2022/2041 without delay and prepare action plans to increase the collective bargaining coverage in line with that directive,Directive, where applicable.

Annex – guideline 7 – paragraph 8: Without prejudice to the competences and autonomy of social partners as well as their right to negotiate and conclude collective agreements, and building on existing national practices, Member States should also take into account the relevant experience of civil society organisations’ in employment and social issues, where relevant.

Annex – guideline 8 – paragraph 1: Member States should promote inclusive labour markets, open to all, by putting in place effective measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination and ensure equal opportunities for all, and in particular for groups that are under-represented in the labour market, also with due attention to the regional and territorial dimension. They should ensure equal treatment with regard to employment, social protection, healthcare, early childhood education and care, respite and long-term care, education and access to goods and services, including housing, regardless of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

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ChangedAnnex – guideline 8 – paragraph 2: Member States should modernise social protection systems to provide adequate, effective, efficient and sustainable social protection for all, throughout all stages of life, fostering social inclusion and upward social mobility, incentivising labour market participation, supporting social investment, fighting poverty and social exclusion and addressing inequalities, including through the design of their tax and benefit systems and by assessing the distributional impact of policies. Complementing universal approaches with targeted ones will improve the effectiveness of social protection systems. The modernisation of social protection systems should also aim to improve their resilience to multi-faceted challenges. Particular support should be provided to vulnerable households that are most affected by climate change, by the challenges related to the green and digital transitions, and by the high cost of living, including energy costs. Member States should further address gaps in access to social protection for workers and the self-employed in light of the rise of atypical forms of work.

Annex – guideline 8 – paragraph 3: Member States should develop and integrate the three strands of active inclusion: adequate income support, inclusive labour markets and access to quality enabling services, to meet individual needs. Social protection systems should ensure adequate minimum income benefits for everyone lacking sufficient resources and promote social inclusion by supporting and encouraging people in working age to actively participate in the labour market and society, including through targeted provision of social services. The availability of affordable, accessible and quality services such as early childhood education and care, out-of-school care, education, training, housing, and health and long-term care as well as respite care and support for carers is a necessary condition for ensuring equal opportunities. Particular attention should be given to fighting poverty and social exclusion, including in-work poverty, in line with the Union headline and national targets for 2030 on poverty reduction. Child poverty and social exclusion should be especially addressed by comprehensive and integrated measures, including through the full implementation of the European Child Guarantee. Member States should ensure that everyone, including children, has access to essential services of good quality. For those in need or in a vulnerable situation, they should also ensure access to adequate affordable and social housing or housing assistance. They should ensure a clean and fair energy transition and urgently…

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ChangedAnnex – guideline 8 – paragraph 4: Member States should ensure timely access to affordable preventive and curative healthcare and long-term care of good quality, while safeguarding sustainability in the long term. In the context of an increasing demand for long-term care, also linked to demographic changes, gaps in adequacy, as well as labour shortages, poor working conditions and the often inadequate remuneration of carers, should be addressed.

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ChangedAnnex – guideline 8 – paragraph 6: In a context of increasing longevity and demographic change, Member States should secure the adequacy and sustainability of pension systems for workers and the self-employed, providing equal opportunities for women and men to acquire and accrue pension rights, including through supplementary schemes to ensure a decent retirement income above the poverty line. Pension reforms should be supported by policies that aim to reduce the gender pension gap, including by adequately valued periods of maternity and parental leave, and to promote active and healthy ageing and decent working conditions to ensure that workers can actually remain in employment until they reach the statutory retirement age. At the same time workers who wish to remain active after they have reached the retirement age should have the possibility to do so. Member States should establish a constructive dialogue with social partners and other relevant stakeholders, and allow for an appropriate phasing in of the reforms.