Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

with recommendations to the Commission on just transition directive in the world of work: ensuring the creation of jobs and revitalising local economies

(2025/2131(INL))

The European Parliament,

Changed– having regard to ArticleArticles 153 and 225 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

▸5 unchanged paragraphs

– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs on the proposed legal basis,

– having regard to Rules 47 and 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to Articles 4, 9, 46, 149, 151, 153, 162, 164, 174 to 178 and 349 TFEU,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 11 December 2019 on the European Green Deal (COM(2019)0640),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 4 March 2021 on the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan (COM(2021)0102),

Changed– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF),– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1056 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the Just Transition Fund (JTF),(RRF),

Added– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1056 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the Just Transition Fund (JTF),

▸4 unchanged paragraphs

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1296/2013,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/691 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2023/955 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 establishing a Social Climate Fund and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1060,

– having regard to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC,

Added– having regard to the European Added Value Assessment briefing of September 2025, entitled ‘Just transition directive in the world of work: ensuring the creation of jobs and revitalising local economies,

Added– having regard to its resolution of 23 November 2023 on job creation – the just transition and impact investments,

Added– having regard to the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) resolution concerning a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all,

Added– having regard to Enrico Letta’s report of 10 April 2024 entitled 'Much more than a market',

– having regard to Mario Draghi’s report of September 2024 entitled ‘The future of European competitiveness’ (the ‘Draghi report’),

– having regard to the Quality Jobs Roadmap,

Change 1

Added– having regard its resolution of 10 September 2025 on Role of cohesion policy in supporting the just transition,

– having regard to the Council Recommendation on fair transition towards climate neutrality from 2022,

Change 2

Removed– having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A100000/2025),

Added– having regard to the Council Recommendation on fair transition towards climate neutrality from 2022 and the key messages from EMCO and SPC on its implementation,

RemovedA. whereas the green and digital transitions are having a profound transformative effect on Europe’s economies, regions and workplaces; whereas ensuring an effective shift to a climate-neutral and digitalised economy and a reduction on energy supply dependencies is essential for Europe’s sustainability, growth and competitiveness; whereas the ultimate success of the twin transition will depend heavily on ensuring that transition is just and inclusive for workers, businesses and impacted regions;

Added– having regard to its resolution of 17 December 2020 on a strong social Europe for Just Transitions,

RemovedB. whereas managing the shift to a carbon neutral economy should not only support transitions to new jobs in emerging sectors but also maintain and adapt existing jobs and sectors to climate-neutral and clean industries and technologies for people living in impacted territories; whereas it is important that workers and jobseekers feel supported in managing transitions in order to foster understanding and acceptance of the aims of the 2050 strategy;

Added– having regard its resolution of 9 September 2025 on public procurement,

RemovedC. whereas while a number of important Union legislative and non-legislative initiatives aim to or can help address the impacts of the twin transition (in particular, the Just Transition Mechanism, the JTF, the Union of Skills, the Social Climate Fund, the ESF+ and the RRF) gaps remain in the legislative and policy framework when it comes to disruptions at the workplace, workers’ rights, social protection and social dialogue; whereas only action at Union level can ensure real added value and concurrent upward social convergence to make the promise of ‘leaving no-one behind’ a reality;

Added– having regard to the Political guidelines for the European Commission 2024−2029,

RemovedD. whereas the Draghi report identifies persistent skills shortages as a barrier to innovation, technology adoption and decarbonisation efforts in turn hampering growth and competitiveness; whereas the Draghi report notes that nearly 80 % small and medium-sized businesses have difficulties in finding workers with the right skillset; whereas the Draghi report further stresses the need to ensure that productivity growth and social inclusion go hand-in-hand, with Member States’ welfare systems critical to providing strong public services, social protection, housing, transport and childcare during the transition;

Added– having regard to the Commission communication of 26 February 2025 on the Clean Industrial Deal (COM (2025) 85 final),

Removed1. Highlights that the successful transition to more sustainable energy sources and industries will play a major role in the long-term competitiveness of Union businesses on the global market; underlines the need to ensure that businesses and workers are well equipped to take advantage of the opportunities arising from the switch to new and innovative solutions; believes that a binding framework to address the challenges and opportunities of a just transition in the workplace is essential to ensure minimum common standards the provide clarity and structure for both workers and employers in anticipating and managing change and ultimately improve the Union’s resilience, competitiveness and upward social convergence; stresses that regions can support the just transition by combining social protection, economic diversification, and territorial coordination to reduce negative impacts and promote more inclusive development;

Added– having regard to the Commission communication of July 2025 “Framework for State Aid measures to support the Clean Industrial Deal” (C/2025/3602),

Removed2. Highlights that the impact of decarbonisation on employment goes beyond reductions in fossil fuels sectors and will have a broader impact in terms of job redefinition and overall labour market transition; stresses the need for the forthcoming update of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and the new Quality Jobs Roadmap to include a set of concrete legislative and non-legislative measures that tangibly improve the working conditions, health and safety, collective bargaining coverage and training and skills of workers’ and the self-employed; stresses that such measures also provide an opportunity to support Union employers, particularly SMEs, to retain and improve their competitiveness by providing a clear framework for anticipating and managing change in partnership with workers and to invest in vocational education and training (VET), up-skilling and re-skilling workers to address skills and labour shortages that impede productivity and growth;

Added– having regard to the La Hulpe Declaration on the future of the European Pillar of Social Rights of 16 April 2024,

Removed3. Calls on the Commission, following consultation of the social partners, to propose a directive to ensure a just transition in the world of work and facilitate the Union’s transition to a sustainable, climate-neutral, and digital economy; believes that this directive should include measures to ensure, inter alia:

Added– having regard the Opinion on the dimensions of job quality of the Employment Committee (EMCO) of the Council of the European Union of 6 June 2025,

Removed(a) a dedicated framework to anticipate and manage change through the timely information and consultation of workers and their representatives, social dialogue and collective bargaining;

Added– having regard the Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on Towards a just transition legislative proposal and EU policy tools that enable a more social European Green Deal of 4 December 2024,

Removed(b) an individual right to cost-free training for workers during working hours;

Added– having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A10-0261/2025),

Removed(c) the establishment of national just transition strategies;

AddedA. whereas the green and digital transitions are having a profound transformative effect on Europe’s economies, societies, regions and workplaces in different ways, requiring comprehensive social and employment policy measures to prevent adverse impacts and promote economic, social and territorial cohesion; whereas ensuring an effective shift to a climate-neutral and digitalised economy and a reduction on energy supply dependencies is essential for Europe’s long-term prosperity, wellbeing, sustainability, growth and competitiveness; whereas the ultimate success of the twin transition will depend heavily on ensuring that transition is just and inclusive for workers, businesses and regions and that it contributes to social justice for all, with particular focus on the most vulnerable, in order to ensure that no one is left behind; whereas a fair transition alone could yield 261 billion euro per year in benefits, particularly by addressing social inequalities and regional disparities; whereas the pathways of each affected region will be different, based on their economic and social realities;

Removed(d) the development of business support programmes and the promotion of enterprise-level transition plans;

AddedB. whereas the effects of the twin transition on employment are asymmetrical across the Union and the socio-economic impact varies greatly across different regions; whereas a spatial challenge arises, as jobs in the modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy may be created in different regions from those experiencing job losses;

AddedC. whereas the transitions must be managed in a way to ensure social inclusion, to reduce poverty and inequalities, and to seize the potential to create quality jobs, foster democracy at work, protect workers’ rights and raise labour standards across affected sectors;

AddedD. whereas EU labour markets remain territorially divided and whereas job quality and employment contracts show a rise in non-standard forms, especially among youth;

AddedE. whereas managing the shift to a carbon neutral economy should not only support transitions to new quality jobs in emerging sectors but also maintain and adapt existing jobs and sectors to more sustainable and clean industries and technologies for people, especially those living in more impacted territories; whereas a particular focus on regions and industries dependent on fossil fuels is crucial as these will have to be redesigned to meet the Union’s climate commitments; whereas it is important that everyone, including workers and jobseekers are supported in managing transitions in order to foster understanding and acceptance and effectiveness of the goals of the 2050 long-term strategy; whereas as shown by Eurofound research, broad involvement of civil society, social partners and public authorities in the transition process is critical to securing and fairly distributing the returns from economic activity and resources, as well as navigating conflicts;

AddedF. whereas Europe’s economic transformation requires a strong focus on competitiveness and growth; whereas entrepreneurs and job creators must be given the right conditions to invest and expand, and ensuring efficient use of funds is essential to attract private investment; whereas it is important that citizens, in both urban and rural areas, are engaged in and supportive of a just transition that balances competitiveness with solidarity, and that they can be confident their job, income and way of life will be safeguarded so that no one is left behind;

AddedG. whereas while a number of important Union legislative and non-legislative initiatives aim to or can help address the impacts of the twin transition (in particular, the Just Transition Mechanism, the JTF, the EGF, the Union of Skills, the Social Climate Fund, the ESF+ and the RRF) and enhance competitiveness, gaps remain in the legislative and policy framework when it comes to disruptions at the workplace, workers’ rights, social protection, social dialogue and education and training opportunities; whereas only action at Union level can ensure real added value and concurrent upward social convergence to make the promise of ‘leaving no-one behind’ a reality, while taking into account national labour market models and traditions;

AddedH. whereas the Draghi report identifies persistent skills shortages as a barrier to innovation, technology adoption and decarbonisation efforts in turn hampering growth and competitiveness; whereas nearly four in five small and medium sized businesses in the EU report difficulties in finding workers with the right skillset; whereas a decline in education and training systems, particularly adult education and training, are failing to prepare the workforce for the twin transitions; whereas participation in adult learning remains insufficient as only 39.5% of adults engage in training annually, far below the 2030 target of at least 60% and some 50 million more workers would need to receive training in order to reach it;

AddedI. whereas through investing in high-skill development, the EU can foster a virtuous cycle of increased productivity, higher wages, and greater economic equality; whereas almost 50% of adults may need upskilling or reskilling; whereas the EU's energy sector alone will require at least 145.000 skilled workers by 2030; whereas clean tech is one of the drivers of economic prosperity in Europe, contributing to 30% of EU growth and creating millions of jobs in 2023 alone;

AddedJ. whereas Europe’s strategies for skills, competitiveness and investment should create opportunities for both large companies and SMEs, while also addressing national, regional and local needs; whereas policies that reinforce industrial capacity, encourage entrepreneurship and build a workforce with skills adapted to local realities are essential to ensure that all Europeans can benefit from growth and innovation;

AddedK. whereas adequately funded welfare and social protection systems are a prerequisite for ensuring a fair and just transition towards climate neutrality and digital transformation; whereas the Draghi report further stresses the need to ensure that productivity growth and social inclusion go hand-in-hand with Member States’ welfare systems which are critical to provide strong public services, social protection, housing, transport and childcare during the transition; whereas quality jobs, decent working conditions, access to social protection, social dialogue and collective bargaining play a crucial role in attracting and retaining the workforce and are important for the Union’s competitiveness and workplace democracy;

AddedL. whereas according to the Commission report on Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2024 (ESDE 2024), constraints on participation in adult education and training are attributed to barriers such as perceived lack of necessity, insufficient supply or difficulties in accessing relevant quality training, schedule conflicts, balancing family responsibilities and financial constraints; whereas the Draghi report calls for the EU to ensure that all workers have a right to education and retraining, allowing them to move into new roles as their companies adopt technology, or into quality jobs in new sectors;

AddedM. whereas an integrated policy mix combining education and skills development, finance and industrial policy is a key enabler for Europe’s competitiveness, social resilience and fairness, strategic autonomy, investment and sustainable job creation; whereas the green and digital transition requires significant investments in reskilling, upskilling, vocational education and training and lifelong learning to equip workers with both the technical skills specific to each occupation and the core soft skills required; whereas older, low-skilled and female workers may face greater obstacles in ‘skilling up’ and competing for new jobs; whereas education and training efforts must therefore be closely linked with just transition policies; whereas disadvantaged workers and communities will require targeted support to ensure they are not left behind;

AddedN. whereas important economic disparities continue to exist between EU Members States and regions, with big differences in terms of GDP since 2012, linked to the share of industry in economic activity;