Text · Opinion parliamentary committee draft
On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an EU talent pool
Document EMPL-PA-758776 · COM(2023)0716 – C90413/2023 – 2023/0404(COD)
- Kind
- Opinion parliamentary committee draft EMPL-PA-758776
- Date
- 19 February 2024
- Committee
- Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
- Rapporteur
- Marianne Vind
- Dossier
- 2023/0404(COD)
More facts (3)
- Formats
- Official page PDF Word
- Subject matter
- IMMI, EMPL
- Reference
- COM(2023)0716 – C90413/2023 – 2023/0404(COD)
In short
A summary of the text written by AI; ¶ opens the paragraph it rests on.
AI: In short Written by AI from the official text — check the source · deepseek-v4-flash · 6 Sept 2026
This draft opinion amends the proposed regulation establishing an EU talent pool. It calls for the talent pool to be used only when no suitable applicants exist in the Union, and for the list of shortage occupations to be set by the Steering Group, not the Commission. It strengthens protections for migrant workers, including fair recruitment, equal treatment, and complaint mechanisms, and requires employers to provide detailed job information and cover travel and language training costs. It also expands the Steering Group to include social partners and the European Parliament, and requires monitoring of brain drain effects on sending countries.
Position. The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs proposes amendments to the proposed regulation to strengthen fair recruitment, protect workers, and give social partners a role in governance.
Key points
- The EU Talent Pool should only be used for job vacancies and recruitment if there are no suitable applicants in the Union, and job vacancies should only be advertised if no suitable candidate was found through EURES for at least six months.
- The automated matching tool must be set up to avoid replicating existing biases or discriminatory practices.
- The EU Talent Pool Steering Group should create and regularly update a list of shortage occupations at ISCO-08 4-digit level, replacing the Commission's delegated acts and the Annex.
- The Steering Group should include two members from each participating Member State, two from the Commission, and four from cross-industry social partners, with equal representation of trade unions and employers; the European Parliament may appoint an observer.
- Employers must have substantial economic activities in the participating Member State and only transfer job vacancies related to those sectors.
- Employers must comply with applicable collective agreements and ILO fair recruitment principles, and must not charge fees to jobseekers; travel costs and required language training must be paid by the employer.
- Job vacancies must include information on place of work, type of work, duration, remuneration, working hours, paid leave, language profile, and other working conditions.
- National Contact Points must verify employers before registration, including checks on arrears and criminal records, and must suspend employers who breach obligations.
- Complaint mechanisms must be accessible, effective, and timely, and protect complainants from retaliation.
- The EU Talent Pool should support quality employment and fair labour mobility, and cooperate with the European Labour Authority.
- The EU Talent Pool should not increase brain drain in sending countries, and the Secretariat must monitor its impact on them.
Who is affected
- Employers in participating Member States: must meet stricter conditions, provide detailed job information, and face suspension for breaches.
- Jobseekers from third countries: benefit from no recruitment fees, paid travel and language training, and better information and complaint mechanisms.
- Social partners: gain representation in the Steering Group and involvement in National Contact Points.
- Sending countries: the talent pool must avoid increasing brain drain.
Figures and deadlines
Text
The text as parsed from the official Word file. Every paragraph has a link (¶) and can be saved to a project as a passage.
Jump to an amendment (68)
- Amendment 1
- Amendment 2
- Amendment 3
- Amendment 4
- Amendment 5
- Amendment 6
- Amendment 7
- Amendment 8
- Amendment 9
- Amendment 10
- Amendment 11
- Amendment 12
- Amendment 13
- Amendment 14
- Amendment 15
- Amendment 16
- Amendment 17
- Amendment 18
- Amendment 19
- Amendment 20
- Amendment 21
- Amendment 22
- Amendment 23
- Amendment 24
- Amendment 25
- Amendment 26
- Amendment 27
- Amendment 28
- Amendment 29
- Amendment 30
- Amendment 31
- Amendment 32
- Amendment 33
- Amendment 34
- Amendment 35
- Amendment 36
- Amendment 37
- Amendment 38
- Amendment 39
- Amendment 40
- Amendment 41
- Amendment 42
- Amendment 43
- Amendment 44
- Amendment 45
- Amendment 46
- Amendment 47
- Amendment 48
- Amendment 49
- Amendment 50
- Amendment 51
- Amendment 52
- Amendment 53
- Amendment 54
- Amendment 55
- Amendment 56
- Amendment 57
- Amendment 58
- Amendment 59
- Amendment 60
- Amendment 61
- Amendment 62
- Amendment 63
- Amendment 64
- Amendment 65
- Amendment 66
- Amendment 67
- Amendment 68
The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs calls on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, as the committee responsible, to take the following into account:
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (3) In order to facilitate international recruitment and provide opportunities for third-country nationals to work in EU-wide shortage occupations, an EU Talent Pool should be established in the form of a Union-wide platform that brings together and supports the matching of profiles of registered jobseekers from third countries residing outside the Union and job vacancies of employers established in the participating Member States. | (3) In order to facilitate international recruitment and provide opportunities for third-country nationals to work in EU-wide shortage occupations as well as to enhance fair recruitment and protection of migrant workers in line with international human rights and labour standards, an EU Talent Pool should be established in the form of a Union-wide platform that brings together and supports the matching of profiles of registered jobseekers from third countries residing outside the Union and job vacancies of employers established in the participating Member States. The Commission should ensure that the automated matching tool is set up in a way that does not lead to replicating existing biases or discriminatory practices. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (5) The EU Talent Pool should aim at supporting participating Member States to address existing and future skills and labour shortages via the recruitment of third country nationals to the extent the activation of the domestic workforce and intra-EU mobility are not sufficient to achieve this objective. As a voluntary tool to facilitate international recruitment, the EU Talent Pool should offer additional support at Union level to interested Member States. To this end, complementarity and interoperability with existing national initiatives and platforms should be ensured. Member States’ specific needs should be taken into account in the development of the EU Talent Pool in order to ensure the widest participation possible. Hence, ‘Talent’ is an encompassing term referring to the entire range of skills that might be needed by the Member States’ labour markets. | (5) The EU Talent Pool should aim at supporting participating Member States to address existing and future skills and labour shortages via the recruitment of third country nationals to the extent the activation of the domestic workforce and intra-EU mobility are not sufficient to achieve this objective. As a voluntary tool to facilitate international recruitment, the EU Talent Pool should offer additional support at Union level to interested Member States. To this end, complementarity and interoperability with existing national initiatives and platforms should be ensured. Member States’ specific needs should be taken into account in the development of the EU Talent Pool in order to ensure the widest participation possible. Third country skills shortages should also be taken into account when defining shortage occupations for recruitment in order not to increase the brain drain. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (5 a) Labour shortages can be the result of low wages, unattractive jobs, poor working conditions and a lack of investment in vocational education and training (VET). Addressing these issues is essential to attract and retrain workers. The EU Talent Pool should support the creation of quality employment in the Union, in line with the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights. Decent wages, access to social protection, lifelong learning opportunities, good working conditions in safe and healthy workplaces, as well as the respect for workers’ rights, trade union rights and collective agreements are essential in this regard. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (5 b) The European Employment Services (EURES), which provides information, advice and recruitment or placement for the benefit of workers and employers across the Union, can play a significant role in the publication of vacant positions with a view to attracting workers from other Member States. EURES should therefore be fully used to fill vacant positions before using the EU Talent Pool. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (6) The EU Talent Pool aims at providing services to employers that are established in the participating Member States, including private employment agencies, temporary work agencies and labour market intermediaries as defined by the International Labour Organisation Convention 181 from 1997. | (6) The EU Talent Pool aims at providing services to employers that are established in the participating Member States, have significant business operations in that Member State and have or intend to have a direct employment relationship with an employee from a third country. Employers should only transfer job vacancies to the EU Talent Pool related to the sectors of their substantial economic activities. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (8) In order to ensure that Member States’ authorities are adequately represented in the EU Talent Pool Steering Group, participating Member States should appoint two representatives each, one from the employment authorities and one from the immigration authorities. | (8) In order to ensure that Member States’ authorities are adequately represented in the EU Talent Pool Steering Group, participating Member States should appoint two representatives each, one from the employment authorities and one from the immigration authorities. The social partners should also be abe to nominate two representatives each for the EU Talent Pool Steering Group. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (22) The principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights should apply for all activities conducted in the context of the EU Talent Pool, in particular with regard to the right to fair and equal treatment with respect to working conditions, minimum wages, access to social protection, training, and protection of youth people at work. In accordance with those principles, the EU Talent Pool should ensure quality employment. | (22) The principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights should apply for all activities conducted in the context of the EU Talent Pool, in particular with regard to the right to fair and equal treatment with respect to workers’ rights and working conditions, minimum wages, access to social protection, vocational education and training, and protection of young people at work. In accordance with those principles, the EU Talent Pool should ensure quality employment and fair labour mobility. The EU Talent Pool should closely cooperate with the European Labour Authority in this regard. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (23) The International Labour Organisation (ILO) in its ‘General principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment’ sets out a number of standards on adequate protection of jobseekers from third countries against unfair recruitment. Employers should comply with applicable Union law and practice. Equal treatment of jobseekers from third countries with respect to nationals of the participating Member States should also be ensured by the employers in accordance with Directive 2011/9813 , Directive 2014/36/EU14 , Directive 2021/1883/EU15 , and Directive 2016/801/EU16 . In accordance with Directive 2019/1152/EU17 , employers participating in the EU Talent Pool should provide to registered jobseekers from third countries information in writing and in an understandable language on their rights and obligations resulting from the employment relationship at the start of the employment. This information should at least include the place and the type of work, the duration of employment, the remuneration, the working hours, the amount of any paid leave and, where applicable other relevant working conditions. An employer should neither charge any recruitment fee nor prohibit a worker from taking up employment with other employers, outside the work schedule established with that employer, nor subject a worker to adverse treatment for doing so. Employers participating in the EU Talent Pool should comply with Directive 96/71/EC18 as amended by Directive 2018/957 when posting workers in the framework of the provision of services, in particular with regard to the terms and conditions of employment thereby established such as the obligation that third country workers can only be posted to a Member State if they are legally and habitually employed in another Member State. | (23) The International Labour Organisation (ILO) in its ‘General principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment’ sets out a number of standards on adequate protection of jobseekers from third countries against unfair recruitment. Employers should comply with applicable Union law and practice. Equal treatment of jobseekers from third countries to nationals of the respective participating Member State should also be ensured by the employers in accordance with Directive 2011/9813, Directive 2014/36/EU14, Directive 2021/1883/EU15 , and Directive 2016/801/EU16. National Contact Points, in cooperation with social partners, should monitor the compliance of employers in this regard. In accordance with Directive 2019/1152/EU17, employers participating in the EU Talent Pool should provide to registered jobseekers from third countries information in writing and in an understandable language on their rights and obligations resulting from the employment relationship at the start of the employment. This information should at least include the habitual place and the type of work, the duration of employment, the remuneration, the working hours, the amount of any paid leave, the requested language profile and, where applicable other relevant working and employment conditions. There should be no direct or indirect costs or fees for jobseekers from third countries related to their participation in the EU Talent Pool or their recruitment. An employer should neither charge any recruitment fee nor prohibit a worker from taking up employment with other employers, outside the work schedule established with that employer, nor subject a worker to adverse treatment for doing so. Travel costs and required language training should be paid by the employer. Employers participating in the EU Talent Pool should comply with Directive 96/71/EC18 as amended by Directive 2018/957 when posting workers in the framework of the provision of services, in particular with regard to the terms and conditions of employment thereby established such as the obligation that third country workers can only be posted to a Member State if they are legally and habitually employed in another Member State. |
| 13 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, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2011/98/oj). | 13 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, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2011/98/oj). |
| 14 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, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/36/oj). | 14 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, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/36/oj). |
| 15 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, OJ L 382, 28.10.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2021/1883/oj). | 15 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, OJ L 382, 28.10.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2021/1883/oj). |
| 16 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 (recast) (OJ L 132, 21.5.2016, p. 21, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2016/801/oj). | 16 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 (recast) (OJ L 132, 21.5.2016, p. 21, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2016/801/oj). |
| 17 Directive (EU) 2019/1152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on transparent and predictable working conditions in the European Union (OJ L 186, 11.7.2019, p. 105, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/1152/oj). | 17 Directive (EU) 2019/1152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on transparent and predictable working conditions in the European Union (OJ L 186, 11.7.2019, p. 105, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/1152/oj). |
| 18 Directive 96/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1996 concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services (OJ L 18, 21.1.1997, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1996/71/oj). | 18 Directive 96/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1996 concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services (OJ L 18, 21.1.1997, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1996/71/oj). |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (24) In order to ensure high quality matching, registered jobseekers from third countries and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool should access a list of suggested registered jobseekers’ profiles and job vacancies based on the relevance of their skills, qualifications and work experiences for the job vacancy. The list is generated by the automated matching tool of the EU Talent Pool IT platform. | (24) In order to ensure high quality matching, registered jobseekers from third countries and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool should access a list of suggested registered jobseekers’ profiles and job vacancies based on the relevance of their skills, qualifications and work experiences for the job vacancy. The list is generated by the automated matching tool of the EU Talent Pool IT platform. Registered jobseekers from third countries and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool should also have the possibility to search the Talent Pool database themselves independently. Jobseekers should have the possibility to indicate the region or Member States where they would like to work. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (25) The EU Talent Pool platform should meet established needs on the labour market and should not serve as a means to displace or negatively affect the existing workforce or otherwise undermine decent work or fair competition. To better support Member States’ efforts in addressing existing and future labour shortages, the EU Talent Pool should target specific occupations at all skills levels, based on the most common shortage occupations in the Union and on the occupations with a direct contribution to the green and digital transitions, set out in the Annex to this Regulation. In order to adapt the job vacancies to the specific needs of the national labour markets and taking as a starting point the list of EU-wide shortage occupations set out in the Annex, participating Member States shall be allowed to notify to the EU Talent Pool Secretariat the addition or removal of specific shortage occupations. Such notifications should only impact the matches for job vacancies submitted by the respective Member State. Neither the list of EU-wide shortage occupations nor the Member States’ notifications should affect the principle of preference for Union citizens. | (25) The EU Talent Pool platform should meet established needs of the labour market and should not serve as a means to displace or negatively affect the existing workforce or otherwise undermine decent work or fair competition. To better support Member States’ efforts in addressing existing and future labour shortages, the EU Talent Pool should target specific occupations, based on the most common shortage occupations in the Union, with special focus on high skill occupations and occupations with a direct contribution to the green and digital transitions. For that purpose, the EU Talent Pool Steering Group should create a list of shortage occupations. The EU Talent pool should not affect the principle of preference for Union citizens and should therefore only be used for job vacancies and recruitment if there are no suitable applicants in the Union. Job vacancies should only be advertised in the EU Talent Pool if no suitable candidates could be found through the EURES portal for at least six months. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (28) Information provided on the EU Talent Pool IT platform should be made available at least in the official languages of the participating Member States. | (28) Information provided on the EU Talent Pool IT platform should be made available at least in the official languages of the participating Member States and, where appropriate, in official languages of third countries participating in the Talent Partnerships. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (30) Upon request from registered jobseekers from third countries and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool, the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points could provide additional support. Additional support should include tailored information on relevant visas and residence permits for work purposes in the participating Member State including with regard to third country nationals’ rights and obligations such as access to social benefits, health assistance, education, and housing. Specific guidance and information may also be provided on family reunification procedures and family members’ rights, and existing measures to facilitate integration in the host Member State such as language courses and vocational training. Such information should also include available redress mechanisms for cases of labour exploitation and unfair recruitment practices in the participating Member States. The EU Talent Pool National Contact Points should provide information to employers participating in the EU Talent Pool on their rights and obligations relating to social security, active labour market measures, taxation, issues relating to work contracts, pension entitlements and health insurance. | (30) Upon request from registered jobseekers from third countries and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool, the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points should provide additional support and easy access to information, as well as an intuitive navigation on the EU Talent Pool IT platform to allow jobseekers to register themselves without assistance from third parties. Additional support should include tailored information on relevant visas and residence permits for work purposes in the participating Member State including with regard to third country nationals’ rights and obligations such as access to social benefits, health assistance, education, and housing. Specific guidance and information may also be provided on family reunification procedures and family members’ rights, and existing measures to facilitate integration in the host Member State such as language courses and vocational training. Such information should also include available redress mechanisms for cases of labour exploitation and unfair recruitment practices in the participating Member States. The EU Talent Pool National Contact Points should provide information on cases of labour exploitation and unfair recruitment practices to the EU Talent Pool Steering Group and exclude involved employers from the EU Talent Pool. The EU Talent Pool National Contact Points should provide information to employers and jobseekers participating in the EU Talent Pool on their rights and obligations relating to social security, including pension entitlements and health insurance, as well as active labour market measures, taxation and issues relating to work contracts and employment conditions. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (30 a) Support networks for mobile workers by social partner organisations can play an important role in providing information to third country nationals and the promotion of fair labour mobility. Such networks should receive adequate funding. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (33) In order to fulfil the objectives of this Regulation of facilitating international recruitment, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should be delegated to the Commission to amend this Regulation with regard to the Annex providing the list of EU-wide shortages occupations. It is of particular importance that the Commission carries out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level, and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making19 . In particular, to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts, the European Parliament and the Council receive all documents at the same time as Member States' experts, and their experts systematically have access to meetings of Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts. | deleted |
| 19 Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on Better Law-Making (OJ L 123, 12.5.2016, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2016/512/oj). |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (36) This Regulation respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in accordance with Article 6 TEU. | (36) This Regulation respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights, including the right to collective bargaining and collective action, of the European Union in accordance with Article 6 TEU. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. This Regulation applies to jobseekers from third countries residing outside the Union and employers established in the participating Member States. | 1. This Regulation applies to jobseekers from third countries residing outside the Union and employers with substantial economic activities established in the participating Member States. The EU Talent Pool shall only be used for job vacancies and recruitment if there are no suitable applicants in the Union. Job vacancies shall only be advertised in the EU Talent Pool if no suitable candidate could be found through the EURES portal for at least six months. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1 a. All information provided by the EU Talent Pool shall be available in a clear, comprehensive and user-friendly manner, including accessible formats for persons with disabilities respecting the relevant accessibility requirements as set out in Directive 2016/21021a and Directive (EU) 2019/8821b. | |
| 1a Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies. | |
| 1b Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1 b. This regulation is without prejudice to Union and national requirements on occupational health and safety as well as requirements on operational safety. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1 c. This regulation is without prejudice to sector specific legislation. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. Any Member State may decide, at any time, to participate in the EU Talent Pool. It shall notify its decision to the Commission at the latest 9 months before the date from which it intends to participate. From the first day of participation, job vacancies of employers established in that Member State may be transferred to the EU Talent Pool IT platform. | 1. Any Member State may, after consultation with social partners, decide, at any time, to participate in the EU Talent Pool. It shall notify its decision to the Commission at the latest 9 months before the date from which it intends to participate. Registered employers with substantial economic activities established in the Member State concerned may transfer job vacancies to the EU Talent Pool IT platform. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (2) ‘jobseeker from a third country’ means a person residing outside the Union who is not a citizen of the Union within the meaning of Article 20(1) TFEU and is seeking employment in the Union; | (2) ‘jobseeker from a third country’ means a natural person residing outside the Union who is not a citizen of the Union within the meaning of Article 20(1) TFEU and is seeking employment in the Union; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (3) ‘employer’ means any natural person, or any legal entity, established in a participating Member State under the direction or supervision of whom the employment is undertaken as well as private employment agencies, temporary work agencies and labour market intermediaries; | (3) ‘employer’ means any natural person, or any legal entity, established in a participating Member State that has significant business operations in that Member State and has or intends to have a direct employment relationship with a jobseeker from a third country; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (3 a) ‘public employment services’ means the organisations of the Member States, as part of relevant ministries, public bodies or corporations falling under public law, that are responsible for implementing active labour market policies and providing quality employment services in the public interest; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (4) ‘profile’ means the information provided by a jobseeker from a third country via a standard data format for the purpose of seeking an employment through the EU Talent Pool IT platform; | (4) ‘profile’ means the information provided by an individual jobseeker from a third country via a standard data format for the purpose of seeking an employment through the EU Talent Pool IT platform; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| The Commission shall ensure that the automated matching tool is set up in a way that does not lead to replicating existing biases or discriminatory practices. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The EU Talent Pool Secretariat may process personal data of registered jobseekers from third countries and those of employers participating in the EU Talent Pool only to the extent necessary for the performance of its tasks pursuant to Article 8. When processing personal data for this purpose, the EU Talent Pool Secretariat shall act as data controller, within the meaning of Article 3, point (8), of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725. | 1. The EU Talent Pool Secretariat may process personal data with the explicit consent of the registered jobseekers from third countries and those of employers participating in the EU Talent Pool only to the extent necessary for the performance of its tasks pursuant to Article 8. When processing personal data for this purpose, the EU Talent Pool Secretariat shall act as data controller, within the meaning of Article 3, point (8), of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3. Profiles of registered jobseekers from third countries shall include the name, surname, contact details, date of birth and nationality, information on academic and professional qualifications, work experience, other skills and language knowledge. Job vacancies of employers participating in the EU Talent Pool shall include the name, surname and contact details. | 3. Profiles of registered jobseekers from third countries shall include the name, surname, contact details, date of birth and nationality, information on academic and professional qualifications, work experience, other skills and language knowledge. Job vacancies of employers participating in the EU Talent Pool shall include the name, surname, contact details, and the company registration number. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. Profiles of registered jobseekers from third countries that have not been accessed for a period of two years from the registration of their profiles shall be removed or anonymised and no personal data shall be stored. Once profiles are removed, a limited set of anonymised data could continue to be stored for research and statistical purposes as well as to extract data to improve the functioning of the EU Talent Pool. | 6. Profiles of registered jobseekers from third countries that have not been accessed for a period of two years from the registration of their profiles shall be removed or anonymised and no personal data shall be stored. The jobseekers concerned shall be informed prior to any such action. Profiles of registered employers that have not been accessed for a period of two years from the registration of their profiles shall be removed or anonymised and no personal data shall be stored. The employers concerned shall be informed prior to any such action. Once profiles are removed, a limited set of anonymised data could continue to be stored for research and statistical purposes as well as to extract data to improve the functioning of the EU Talent Pool. Job vacancies that have been open for one year shall be removed. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article 8a | |
| Compositon of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group | |
| 1. The EU Talent Pool Steering Group shall be composed of: | |
| (a) two members from each participating Member State; | |
| (b) two members representing the Commission; | |
| (c) four members, representing cross-industry social partner organisations at Union level, with an equal representation of trade union and employer organisations; | |
| 2. Members of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group shall be appointed on the basis of their relevant knowledge in the field of employment and immigration. All parties shall aim to achieve gender balance in the EU Talent Pool Steering Group. | |
| 3. Member States not participating in the EU Talent Pool may participate in the meetings of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group as observers. Representatives of the European Labour Authority, the Centre for the Development of Vocational Training and the European Training Foundation may participate in the meetings of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group as observers. Representatives of the sectorial social partners organisations at Union level may participate in the meetings of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group as observers. The European Parliament may appoint one independent expert as observer to the EU Talent Pool Steering Group. The EU Talent Pool Steering Group may also decide to invite other relevant stakeholders as observers to its meetings. | |
| 4. Each member and observer of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group shall sign a written statement at the time of taking office declaring that they are not in a situation of conflict of interest. Each member shall update the statement in the case of a change of circumstances with regard to any conflict of interest. The EU Talent Pool Secretariat shall publish the statements and updates on its website. |
This new article is introduced to clearly separate the composition and the functioning of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group. As in the case of the EU-agencies, cross-sectoral social partners and the European Parliament should be included in the Steering Group.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| EU Talent Pool Steering Group | Functions of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The EU Talent Pool Steering Group is established. The EU Talent Pool Steering Group is responsible for: | 1. The EU Talent Pool Steering Group is responsible for: |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (a) providing support to the EU Talent Pool Secretariat in the preparation of the list of EU-wide shortage occupations pursuant to Article 14; | (a) providing a list of shortage occupations at ISCO-08 4-digit level for the purpose of this regulation and to keeping it up to date; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. Only participating Member States shall be members of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group. Member States not participating in the EU Talent Pool may participate in the meetings of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group as observers. | deleted |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. Representatives of the cross-industry social partners organisations at Union level shall have the right to participate as observers in the meetings of the EU Talent Pool Steering Group. Representation of two participants from trade union and two participants from employer organisations shall be ensured by the EU Talent Pool Steering Group. Those representatives shall sign a written statement declaring that they are not in a situation of conflict of interest. | deleted |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. Each participating Member State shall designate an EU Talent Pool National Contact Point. Participating Member States shall ensure that relevant authorities from the field of employment and immigration are appointed as the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points. | 1. Each participating Member State shall designate an EU Talent Pool National Contact Point, involving relevant authorities from the field of employment and immigration, public employment services as well as social partners at national level. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (d) keeping a registry of employers participating in the EU Talent Pool; | (d) keeping a registry of employers participating in the EU Talent Pool and overseeing the quality of job vacancies; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3 a. EU Talent Pool National Contact Points shall remain neutral during collective bargaining disputes, such as strikes or lockouts in accordance with applicable labour law. They shall not transfer any related job vacancies and shall put ongoing recruitment processes on hold until the dispute is settled. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Registration and access of jobseekers from third countries | Registration and access of jobseekers from third countries to quality employment |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. Jobseekers from third countries may create their profiles via the Europass profile builder in order to register on the EU Talent Pool IT platform. | 1. Jobseekers from third countries, who wish to register on the EU Talent Pool IT Platform, shall create their profiles via the Europass profile builder. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. Jobseekers from third countries registered in the EU Talent Pool IT platform may search for job vacancies. | 4. Jobseekers from third countries registered in the EU Talent Pool IT platform may search for quality job vacancies offered by employers from the participating Member States. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Profile registration and access of jobseekers from third countries in the context of Talent Partnerships | Profile registration and access of jobseekers from third countries to quality employment in the context of Talent Partnerships |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. Participating Member States taking part in a Talent Partnership may decide to rely on the EU Talent Pool to facilitate the recruitment of jobseekers from that third country whose skills were developed or validated in the framework of that Talent Partnership and certified by an ‘EU Talent Partnership pass’. | 1. Participating Member States taking part in a Talent Partnership may decide to rely on the EU Talent Pool to facilitate the recruitment of jobseekers from that third country whose skills were developed or validated in the framework of that Talent Partnership and certified by an ‘EU Talent Partnership pass’, provided that quality employment is available for them. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Participation of employers in the EU Talent Pool | Registration and participation of employers in the EU Talent Pool |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. Employers interested in participating in the EU Talent Pool may request the EU Talent Pool National Contact Point in the Member State where they are established to transfer their job vacancies to the EU Talent Pool IT platform. | 1. Employers interested in participating in the EU Talent Pool may request the EU Talent Pool National Contact Point or the public employment service in the Member State where they are established to transfer their job vacancies to the EU Talent Pool IT platform. Employers shall only transfer job vacancies related to the sectors of their substantial economic activities. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1 a. The EU Talent Pool National Contact Points shall coordinate with the relevant national authorities as appropriate to verify employers before their profile is registered and activated. This shall include checking arrears regarding salary payments, social security payments and tax payments, as well as a criminal record check of the natural person(s) in charge of the company. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Employers participating in the EU Talent Pool shall comply with the relevant Union and national law and practice to ensure third-country nationals’ protection against unfair recruitment and inadequate working conditions as well as non-discrimination. Participating Member States may introduce additional conditions for the employers’ participation in the EU Talent Pool to ensure compliance with other relevant national practices, collective agreements and the principles and guidelines set out by the International Labour Organisation, in compliance with Union law. | Employers participating in the EU Talent Pool shall comply with the relevant Union and national law and practice, including applicable collective agreements, as well as the ILO General Principles and Operational Guidelines on Fair Recruitment, to ensure third-country nationals’ protection against unfair recruitment, inadequate working conditions and discrimination. Participating Member States shall ensure that employers participating in the EU Talent Pool comply with relevant national law and practices, and respect workers’ rights, including the freedom of association and affiliation, the right to strike and take industrial action, and the right to negotiate and conclude collective agreements. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Employers participating in the EU Talent Pool shall not charge fees to registered jobseekers from third countries for the purpose of the recruitment. | The use of the EU Talent Pool shall be free of charge for jobseekers from third countries and there shall be no direct or indirect charges for the purpose of the recruitment. Travel costs and required language training shall be paid by the employer. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. Job vacancies of employers participating in the EU Talent Pool shall be visible to registered jobseekers from third countries in the EU Talent Pool IT platform. | 4. Job vacancies of employers participating in the EU Talent Pool shall be visible to registered jobseekers from third countries in the EU Talent Pool IT platform. Each job vacancy shall at least include the habitual place and the type of work, the duration of employment, the remuneration, the working hours, the amount of any paid leave, the requested language profile and, where applicable other relevant working and employment conditions. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. The national authorities responsible for the relevant law and practice in the participating Member States shall immediately inform the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points on any breaches of the provisions of the relevant law and practice set out in paragraph 3 for the purposes of Article 10(2), point (e). | 6. The national authorities responsible for the relevant law and practice in the participating Member States shall immediately inform the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points on any breaches of the provisions of the relevant law and practice set out in paragraph 3 for the purposes of Article 10(2), point (e). The EU Talent Pool National Contact Points shall also keep a register of those breaches to prevent repetitions. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article 14 | deleted |
| List of EU-wide shortage occupations | |
| 1. | |
| For the purpose of this Regulation, a list of EU-wide shortage occupations at the ISCO-08 4-digit level is set out in the Annex. | |
| The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 21 to amend the Annex, in accordance with the following criteria: | |
| (a) shortage occupations common to a significant number of participating Member States as notified to the EU Talent Pool Secretariat by the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points pursuant to Article 10(2)(c); | |
| (b) occupations which contribute directly to the EU green and digital transitions and which are likely to grow in importance. | |
| 2. The EU Talent Pool Secretariat shall publish the list of the EU-wide shortage occupations on the EU Talent Pool IT platform. |
Article is deleted as the Annex is deleted. The list of shortage occupations should be created and regularly updated by the EU Talent Pool Steering Group.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article 15 | deleted |
| National adjustments to the list of EU-wide shortage occupations | |
| 1. | |
| The participating Member States may decide to add shortage occupations at the ISCO-08 4-digit level, in order to satisfy their specific labour market needs. They may also decide to remove shortage occupations from the EU-wide list where those do not correspond to their specific labour market needs. The country-specific adjustments shall only affect the matching of job vacancies in the Member State concerned. | |
| The EU Talent Pool National Contact Points of the Member States notifying their participation in the EU Talent Pool pursuant to Article 3 shall notify any additions to or removals from the EU-wide list of shortage occupations at the latest 3 months before joining the EU Talent Pool. | |
| The EU Talent Pool National Contact Points of the participating Member States shall notify any additions to or removals from the EU-wide list of shortage occupations within 3 months following the amendments to the Annex. | |
| The EU Talent Pool National Contact Points may notify to the EU Talent Pool Secretariat further additions to and removals from the EU-wide list of shortage occupations maximum once a year. | |
| 2. The EU Talent Pool Secretariat shall publish the adjustments to list of EU-wide shortage occupations notified by the EU Talent Pool Contact Points on the EU Talent Pool IT platform. | |
| 3. The EU Talent Pool National Contact Points shall transfer to the EU Talent Pool IT platform only those job vacancies that correspond to the EU-wide list of shortage occupations taking into account the adjustments referred to in paragraph 1. |
Article is deleted as the Annex is deleted. The list of shortage occupations should be created and regularly updated by the EU Talent Pool Steering Group.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. Registered jobseekers from third countries may search for job vacancies in the EU Talent Pool and access a list of suggested relevant job vacancies generated by the automated matching tool. | 4. Registered jobseekers from third countries may search for job vacancies in the EU Talent Pool and access a list of suggested relevant job vacancies generated by the automated matching tool. Jobseekers from third countries and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool may also search the Talent Pool themselves independently. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| The EU Talent Pool Secretariat, with the support of the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points, shall make available, on the EU Talent Pool IT platform, the following information: | The EU Talent Pool Secretariat, with the support of the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points and in cooperation with social partners, shall make available, on the EU Talent Pool IT platform, the following information: |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (a) information concerning recruitment and immigration procedures, recognition of qualifications and validation of skills, rights of third country nationals, including with regard to available redress mechanisms as well as information on living and working conditions in the participating Member States; | (a) information on fair recruitment and immigration procedures, on the recognition of qualifications and validation of skills, on workers' and trade union rights, on rights of third country nationals, including with regard to access to justice and available redress mechanisms, and on relevant organisations supporting third country nationals as well as on living and working conditions in the participating Member States; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. Upon request from registered jobseekers from third countries and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool, the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points shall provide additional support, and post-selection assistance to registered jobseekers from third countries and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool, in particular with regard to: | 2. Upon request from registered jobseekers from third countries and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool, the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points shall provide additional support, counselling and post-selection assistance, where relevant in the jobseeker’s or worker’s own language, to registered jobseekers and workers from third countries and employers participating in the EU Talent Pool, in particular with regard to: |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (c) specific information on third-country nationals’ rights and obligations including access to social benefits, health assistance, education, housing, recognition of qualifications and the complaint mechanism pursuant to Article 18; | (c) specific information on third-country nationals’ rights and obligations including access to social benefits, health care, education, housing, recognition of skills and qualifications and the complaint and redress mechanisms pursuant to Article 18; |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (e) where available, the contact details of organisations which offer post-recruitment assistance for third country nationals. | (e) where available, the contact details of organisations which offer post-recruitment support and assistance for third country nationals such as trade unions, employer associations and chambers of commerce. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3. Where relevant, the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points shall refer requests for information, guidance and support to other national competent authorities and, if applicable, other appropriate bodies at national level supporting the integration of third country nationals on the labour market. | 3. Where relevant, the EU Talent Pool National Contact Points shall refer requests for information, guidance and support to other national competent authorities and, if applicable, other appropriate bodies at national level, including transnational support networks for mobile workers by social partner organisations, supporting the integration of third country nationals on the labour market. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Facilitation of complaints | Facilitation of complaints and redress |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. Participating Member States shall ensure that there are effective mechanisms through which registered jobseekers from third countries may lodge complaints in case of breach by the employers participating in the EU Talent Pool of the obligations and conditions laid down in Article 13(3). | 1. Participating Member States shall ensure that there are accessible, effective and timely mechanisms through which registered jobseekers and workers from third countries, their representatives or social partners may lodge complaints in case of breach by the employers participating in the EU Talent Pool of the obligations and conditions laid down in Article 13(3). The complainant shall be protected from any retaliation or any other adverse consequences as a result of a complaint. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2 a. The EU Talent Pool National Contact Points shall suspend the access of an employer participating in the EU Talent Pool to, and remove that employer’s job vacancies from the EU Talent Pool IT platform as soon as they are made aware of any breach by that employer of the obligations and conditions set out in Article 13(3). The EU Talent Pool National Contact Points shall also provide information on such breaches and relevant measures taken to the EU Talent Pool Steering Group. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. Participating Member States may decide to put in place accelerated immigration procedures to allow for a faster recruitment of registered jobseekers from third countries who have been selected for a job vacancy in the EU Talent Pool. | 1. Participating Member States may decide to put in place accelerated immigration procedures to allow for a faster recruitment of registered jobseekers from third countries who have been selected for a job vacancy in the EU Talent Pool. This may include obtaining visas and residence permits for work purposes. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. The procedure referred to paragraph 1 may cover: | deleted |
| (a) the obtention of visas and residence permits for work purposes; | |
| (b) the exemption from the principle of preference for Union citizens for job vacancies transferred to the EU Talent Pool IT platform. |
The principle of preference for Union citizens should be upheld. The part of the visas was moved to the previous paragraph.
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. The performance of the EU Talent Pool shall be regularly monitored by the EU Talent Pool Secretariat in accordance with Article 8(2), point (e). In particular, data shall be gathered on: | 1. The performance of the EU Talent Pool shall be regularly monitored by the EU Talent Pool Secretariat in accordance with Article 8(2), point (e). In particular, gender disaggregated data shall be gathered on: |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| (f a) a public list of employers whose access to the EU Talent Pool IT platform has been suspended as a result of a breach of the obligations and conditions laid down in Article 13(3). |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1 a. The EU Talent Pool Secretariat shall also monitor the impact of recruiting jobseekers from third countries on the sending countries in order to not increase the brain drain. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Article 21 | deleted |
| Exercise of the delegation | |
| 1. The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission subject to the conditions laid down in this Article. | |
| 2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 14 shall be conferred on the Commission for a period of five years from the entry into force of this Regulation. The Commission shall draw up a report in respect of the delegation of power not later than nine months before the end of the five-year period. The delegation of power shall be tacitly extended for periods of an identical duration, unless the European Parliament or the Council opposes such an extension not later than three months before the end of each period. | |
| 3. The delegation of power referred to in Article 14, may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect on the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated acts already in force. | |
| 4. Before adopting a delegated act, the Commission shall consult experts designated by each Member State in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making. | |
| 5. As soon as it adopts a delegated act, the Commission shall notify it simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council. | |
| 6. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 14 shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or the Council within a period of two months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or the Council. |
| Text proposed by the Commission | Amendment |
|---|---|
| List of EU-wide shortage occupations | deleted |
| [...] |
Back matter, 1
Parts that accompany the text rather than belong to it: explanatory statement, annexes, opinions appended by other committees. Collapsed.
Annex: entities or persons from whom the rapporteur has received input 3 blocks
The rapporteur has received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the draft opinion:
| Entity and/or person |
| ETUC – European Trade Union Confederation |
| FH – Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisation |
| 3F - Faglig Frelles Forbund |
| FNV - Central Workers Union |
| DGB - Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund |
| BDA - Die Arbeitgeber |
| Picum |
| ILO - International Labour Organisation |
| DA - Danish_Employers Organisation |
| ETF - European Transport Workers' Federation |
| IndustriALL |
Connections
The dossier, the decisions on this text and its other versions.
No connections found for this item.
Sources & citation
Where the facts on this page come from, and how to cite it.
- Data source
- Licensed CC BY 4.0.
- Retrieved
- 25 September 2026
Cite as
European Parliament (2024). “DRAFT OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an EU talent pool”. Text, 19 February 2024. docId EMPL-PA-758776. EU Parl Watch Research. https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/EMPL-PA-758776 (retrieved 25 September 2026). Data: EP Open Data API: document record, https://data.europarl.europa.eu/api/v2/documents/EMPL-PA-758776 (CC BY 4.0).
BibTeX
@misc{epw-text-empl-pa-758776,
author = {{European Parliament}},
title = {{DRAFT OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an EU talent pool}},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-02-19},
howpublished = {\url{https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/EMPL-PA-758776}},
url = {https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/EMPL-PA-758776},
urldate = {2026-09-25},
publisher = {EU Parl Watch Research},
note = {Text. docId EMPL-PA-758776. Data: EP Open Data API: document record (CC BY 4.0)}
}