Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

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 2030 EU headline target on employment. To that end, they should reduce the barriers that businesses face in hiring people, foster responsible entrepreneurship and genuine self-employment and, in particular, support the creation and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to finance. Member States should actively promote the development and tap the full potential of the social economy, foster social innovation and social enterprises, and encourage those business models creating quality job opportunities and generating social benefits at local level, in particular in the circular economy and in areas most affected by the transition to a green economy due to their sectoral specialisation, .

Member States should actively promote full employment based on a competitive, innovative and sustainable social market economy and support investment in the creation of quality jobs . Member States should implement smart, ambitious and inclusive employment policies to anticipate labour market shortages, in order to take advantage of the potential linked to the digital and green transitions, and reaching the 2030 EU headline target on employment. Member States should support businesses in hiring people 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 small and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to finance , capacity building and guidance and targeted measures for hiring new and retaining existing staff. Members States should fully implement the Social Economy Action Plan and the European Green Deal and actively promote the development and tap the full potential of the social , green and digital economy, foster social innovation and strengthen social enterprises, and encourage business models , which create sustainable quality job opportunities , in particular for disadvantaged groups, and generate social benefits at local level, in particular in the circular economy and in sectors and areas where more support is needed for the transition to a green and digital economy.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Following the COVID-19 crisis, well-designed short-time work schemes and similar arrangements should also facilitate and support restructuring processes, on top of preserving employment when appropriate, helping the modernisation of the economy, including via associated skills development. Well-designed hiring and transition incentives and upskilling and reskilling measures should be considered in order to support job creation and transitions, and address labour and skill shortages , also in light of the digital and green transformations as well as of the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Following the COVID-19 crisis, well-designed short-time work schemes and similar arrangements should preserve employment where possible and also facilitate and support restructuring processes, helping and empowering workers in the transition towards a sustainable economy, including via associated skills development. Well-designed hiring and transition incentives , lifelong learning, VET and upskilling and reskilling measures should be considered in order to support job creation and manage transitions, as well as to address and anticipate labour and skill shortages and close the gap between education and the labour market, in light of the necessary digital and green transformations as well as to limit the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the rising cost of living in Europe . Member States should adapt their employment policies and coordinate at Union level the implementation of best practices with regard to temporary measures that protect workers and labour markets in times of crisis and involve the social partners in that regard. Such measures could include wage subsidies, income support and extension of unemployment benefit schemes as well as the extension of paid sick leave, carers’ leave and teleworking arrangements. Member States should support the transformation of crucial economic sectors ensuring self-sufficiency and strategic autonomy. In view of facilitating fair labour mobility, particular attention should be paid to safeguarding the rights and jobs of mobile workers, the recognition of diplomas and the strengthening of cross-border education and exchange programmes. The European Labour Authority plays an important role in helping Member States and the Commission to ensure that Union rules on labour mobility and social security coordination are enforced in a fair, simple and effective way.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Taxation should be shifted away from labour to other sources more supportive of employment and inclusive growth and in line with climate and environmental objectives , taking account of the redistributive effect of the tax system , while protecting revenue for adequate social protection and growth-enhancing expenditure.

National taxation should support employment and inclusive growth in line with the policy objectives outlined in Article 3 TEU, as well as the SDGs, the Paris Agreement and the climate and environmental objectives of the European Green Deal. Tax reforms should take account of their distributive effect of the tax system and protect revenue for public investment, in particular quality public services, social protection and sustainable growth enhancing expenditure.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Member States, including those with statutory minimum wages, should promote collective bargaining with a view to wage setting and ensure an effective involvement of social partners in a transparent and predictable manner, allowing for an adequate responsiveness of wages to productivity developments and fostering fair wages that enable a decent standard of living, paying particular attention to lower and middle income groups with a view to strengthening upward socio-economic convergence. Wage-setting mechanisms should take into account socio-economic conditions, including 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 fair wages by benefitting, directly or indirectly, from collective agreements or adequate statutory minimum wages, taking into account their impact on competitiveness, job creation and in-work poverty.

Policies to ensure that wages allow for a decent standard of living, including for disadvantaged groups, remain important to tackle in-work poverty. Member States, including those with statutory minimum wages, should promote collective bargaining with a view to wage setting and ensure an effective involvement of social partners in a transparent and predictable manner, allowing for an adequate responsiveness of wages to long-term productivity developments and fostering fair wages that enable a decent standard of living for all workers , paying particular attention to lower and middle income groups and their purchasing power with a view to strengthening upward socio-economic convergence. Wage-setting mechanisms should take into account socio-economic conditions, including regional and sectoral developments , using, for example, a basket of goods and services at real prices established at national level or international or national reference values . Respecting national practices and the autonomy of the social partners in line with the treaties , Member States and social partners should ensure that all workers have fair wages by benefitting, directly or indirectly, either from collective agreements or from adequate statutory minimum wages, taking into account their impact on competitiveness, job creation , gender equality and in-work poverty. Without prejudice to the competence of Member States to set the statutory minimum wage and to allow for variations and deductions, it is important to avoid using variations and deductions widely, as they risk to negatively impact the adequacy of wages. They shall ensure that those variations and deductions respect the principles of non-discrimination and proportionality and pursue a legitimate aim in accordance with the Directive on adequate minimum wages in the European Union  (1a) .

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Recipients of Union funds shall respect applicable Union and national law on social and labour rights and taxation. Member States should ensure that public financial support provided to firms in order to combat the economic effects of the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine is conditional upon the funding being used to benefit employees and the recipient firms refraining from paying bonuses to management, paying out dividends or offering share buy-back schemes for as long as they are receiving this support.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

In the context of the digital and green transitions, demographic change and the Ukrainian war , Member States should promote sustainability, productivity, employability and human capital, fostering acquisition of skills and competences throughout people’s lives and responding to current and future labour-market needs, in light of the 2030 EU headline target on skills. Member States should also adapt and invest in their education and training systems to provide high quality and inclusive education, including vocational education and training, access to digital learning, and language training (e.g. in the case of refugees including from Ukraine). Member States should work together with the social partners, education and training providers, enterprises and other stakeholders to address structural weaknesses in education and training systems and improve their quality and labour-market relevance, also with a view to enabling the green and digital transitions, addressing existing skills mismatches and preventing the emergence of new shortages, in particular for activities related to REPowerEU, such as renewable energy deployment or buildings’ renovation. Particular attention should be paid to challenges faced by the teaching profession, including by investing in teachers’ and trainers’ digital competences. Education and training systems should equip all learners with key competences, including basic and digital skills as well as transversal competences, to lay the foundations for adaptability and resilience throughout life. Member States should seek to strengthen the provision of individual training entitlements and ensure their transferability during professional transitions, including, where appropriate, through individual learning accounts, as well as a reliable system of training quality assessment. Member States should deliver on the potential 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 fair and just transitions for all, strengthening social outcomes, addressing labour-market shortages and skills mismatches, improving the overall resilience of the economy to shocks and making potential adjustments easier .

In the context of the digital and green transitions, demographic change and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as the rising cost of living , Member States should promote social rights, sustainability, productivity, employability and investments in workers and people by fostering acquisition of skills and competences throughout people’s lives and responding to current and future labour-market needs, in light of the 2030 EU headline target on skills , in particular digital skills . Member States should also adapt , modernise and invest in their education and training systems to provide high quality and inclusive education, in particular vocational education and training , entrepreneurial knowledge, including social entrepreneurship , access to digital learning, and language training (e.g. in the case of all refugees including those from Ukraine) , as well as formal and informal lifelong learning . Member States should work together with the social partners , regional and local authorities , education and training providers, enterprises and other stakeholders to address structural and emerging weaknesses in education and training systems and improve their quality and labour-market relevance, to further support and accelerate the green and digital transitions, addressing existing skills mismatches , skills obsolescence and preventing the emergence of new shortages, in particular for activities related to REPowerEU, such as renewable energy deployment , energy efficiency and deep renovation of buildings. Member States should address the needs of sectors and regions with structural labour market and skills shortages, inter alia with a view to simultaneously enabling the green, technological and digital transitions. Member States should support and encourage undertakings to invest in the skills of their staff and to provide decent working and employment conditions to attract qualified workers. Moreover, Member States should use all available resources of the ESF+ and other Union programmes and instruments, such as the Next Generation EU, to strengthen the qualifications of young people and to promote dual education systems . Particular attention should be paid to challenges faced by the teaching profession, including by investing in teachers’ and trainers’ digital competences as well as their knowledge regarding climate change and sustainable development . Education and training systems should equip all learners with key competences, including basic and digital skills as well as transversal formal and informal competences , such as communication and critical thinking , to lay the foundations for adaptability and resilience throughout life and should prepare teachers for being able to provide those competences to their learners . In order to foster learner’s development and mobility in view of the 2030 target for increasing annual adult participation in training to 60 %, Member States should seek to strengthen the provision of individual training entitlements and ensure their transferability during professional transitions, including, where appropriate, through individual learning accounts, as well as a reliable system of training quality assessment. Member States should deliver on the potential of micro-credentials to support lifelong learning and employability. They should simultaneously ensure that the humanistic side of education is preserved and the aspirations of individuals respected. With a view to supporting fair and just transitions for all, as well as to anticipate and better adapt to labour market needs, it is crucial that Member States improve the overall resilience of the economy . They should facilitate decent working conditions and potential adjustments through continuous upskilling and reskilling, through strengthening of the social protection systems and services and through providing integrated guidance and counselling, as well as active labour market policies also in view of future economy shocks .

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Member States should foster equal opportunities for all by addressing inequalities in education and training systems. In particular, children should be provided access to good quality early childhood education and care, in line with the European Child Guarantee. Member States should raise overall qualification levels, reduce the number of early leavers from education and training, support access to education of children from remoted areas , increase the attractiveness of vocational education and training (VET), access to and completion of tertiary education, facilitate the transition from education to employment for young people through quality 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 strengthen work-based learning in their VET systems, including through quality and effective apprenticeships, and increase the number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates both in VET and in tertiary education, especially women. Furthermore, Member States should enhance the labour-market relevance of tertiary education and, where appropriate, research; improve skills monitoring and forecasting; make skills more visible and qualifications comparable , including those acquired abroad; and increase opportunities for recognising and validating skills and competences acquired outside formal education and training. They should upgrade and increase the supply and uptake of flexible continuous VET. Member States should also support low-skilled adults to maintain or develop their long-term employability by boosting access to and uptake of quality learning opportunities, through the implementation of Upskilling Pathways Recommendation including a skills assessment, an offer of education and training matching labour-market opportunities , and the validation and recognition of the skills acquired .

Member States should foster equal opportunities for all by eradicating inequalities in education and training systems. In particular, children should be provided equal access to high quality early childhood education and care, in line with the European Child Guarantee and the Barcelona targets . Member States should raise overall qualification levels, reduce the number of early leavers from education and training, support access to education of children from disadvantaged groups and regions , increase the attractiveness of vocational education and training (VET), promote access to and completion of tertiary education, facilitate the transition from education to employment for young people through paid inclusive quality 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 strengthen work-based learning in their VET systems, including through paid inclusive quality and effective apprenticeships, and ensure continuous investment in lifelong learning, increase the number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates both in VET and in tertiary education, especially women. Furthermore, Member States should enhance the labour-market relevance of tertiary education and, where appropriate, research; strengthen dual training, improve skills monitoring and forecasting; make skills more visible and simplify the comparability and recognition of qualifications, including those acquired abroad; and increase opportunities for recognising and validating skills and competences acquired outside formal education and training also for third country nationals . They should upgrade and increase the continuous supply and uptake of more flexible and inclusive VET. Member States should support job creation and invest in social protection schemes, including for persons with disabilities and workers with difficulties in upskilling and reskilling, and also support low-skilled adults to gain access to the labour market and stable quality employment. It is important in this context to maintain or develop their long-term employability by boosting access to and uptake of quality learning opportunities, through the implementation of Upskilling Pathways Recommendation including a skills assessment, an offer of education and training matching labour-market opportunities . The right to paid educational leave for professional purposes should be encouraged, in line with relevant conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which allow workers to attend training programmes during working hours . Member States should take the necessary measures to promote universal, effective and equal access to distance learning and training, taking full account of the needs of persons with disabilities, persons living in remote areas and parents, especially single parents.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Member States should provide unemployed and inactive people with effective, timely, coordinated and tailor-made assistance based on support for job search, training, requalification and access to other enabling services, paying particular attention to vulnerable groups and people particularly affected by the green and digital transitions. Comprehensive strategies that include in-depth individual assessments of unemployed people should be pursued as soon as possible, at the latest after 18 months of unemployment, 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 school leaving and structural improvement of the school-to-work transition, including through the full implementation of the reinforced Youth Guarantee, which should also importantly support quality youth employment opportunities in the post-pandemic recovery. In addition, and in the light of the European Year of the Youth 2022, Member States should boost efforts notably at highlighting how the green and digital transitions offer a renewed perspective for the future and opportunities to counter the negative impact of the pandemic on young people.

Member States should provide unemployed and inactive people in working age, in particular the long-term unemployed, with effective, timely, coordinated and tailor-made assistance to improve their labour market prospects, based on support for job search, training, requalification and access to other enabling services, also in the areas of health and housing, paying particular attention to disadvantaged groups and people in need of extra support to manage the green and digital transitions. Comprehensive strategies that include in-depth individual assessments of unemployed people should be pursued as soon as possible, at the latest after 18 months of unemployment with a view to significantly reducing long-term and structural unemployment and at the latest after 8 months for newly unemployed workers to prevent the risk of long-term unemployment, with a special focus on persons with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups. Member States should, with the involvement of the social partners, facilitate job transitions, supported by the ESF+, the Just Transition Fund and initiatives such as RePowerEU . Youth unemployment , precarious employment of young people and the issue of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) should continue to be addressed as a priority through prevention of early school leaving , including paid inclusive apprenticeships and structural improvement of the school-to-work transition, including through the full and effective implementation of the reinforced Youth Guarantee and use of relevant Union funding such as from the ESF+ and the Recovery and Resilience Facility , which should also support quality youth employment in the post-pandemic recovery . Moreover, Member States should ensure decent working conditions and access to social protection for interns, trainees and apprentices . In addition, and in the light of the European Year of the Youth 2022, Member States should boost efforts at highlighting how the green and digital transitions offer a renewed perspective for the future and opportunities to counter the negative impact of the pandemic on young people. Member States should consider implementing a youth clause assessing the impact on young people for new initiatives across all policy areas.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

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 and those furthest away from the labour market including people with a migrant background and marginalised Roma. In view of high labour shortages in certain occupations and sectors, Member States should contribute to fostering labour supply, notably through promoting adequate wages and decent working conditions, as well as effective active labour market policies. Member States should also support an adapted work environment for persons with disabilities, including through targeted financial support and services that enable them to participate in the labour market and in society.

Member States should aim to remove barriers and disincentives to, and provide incentives for accessing and participating in the labour market, in particular for disadvantaged groups and those furthest away from the labour market including persons with disabilities, people with a migrant background and marginalised Roma. In view of high labour shortages in certain occupations and sectors, Member States should contribute to fostering labour supply, notably through promoting decent wages and working conditions, as well as effective active labour market policies. Member States should also support an accessible work environment for persons with disabilities and the provision of reasonable accommodation in the workplace , including through targeted financial support , products, services and an environment that enable them to participate in the labour market and in society. Regulated teleworking and new technologies can provide opportunities, in particular for disadvantaged groups, as long as the necessary digital infrastructure is in place, which is affordable and accessible for all. Teleworking, however, should not release employers from the obligation to provide reasonable accommodation in the workplace and to create inclusive workplace cultures for workers with disabilities.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

The gender employment and pay gaps should be tackled . Member States should ensure gender equality and increased labour market participation of women, including through ensuring equal opportunities and career progression and eliminating barriers to access to leadership at all levels of decision making. Equal pay for equal work, or work of equal value, and pay transparency should be ensured. The reconciliation of work, family and private life for both women and men should be promoted, in particular through access to affordable, quality long-term care and early childhood education and care services. Member States should ensure that parents and other people with caring responsibilities have access to suitable family-related leave and flexible working arrangements in order to balance work, family and private life, and promote a balanced use of those entitlements between women and men.

The existing gender employment , pay and pension gaps should be closed . Member States should ensure gender equality and increased labour market participation of women, including through ensuring equal opportunities , education and career progression and eliminating barriers to access to leadership at all levels of decision making. Member States should swiftly implement the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on improving the gender balance among non-executive directors of companies listed on stock exchanges and related measures  (1a) . Member States should ensure that periods of maternity and parental leave are adequately valued in terms of both contributions and pension entitlements, to reflect the importance of raising future generations, especially in the context of an ageing society. Equal pay for equal work, or work of equal value, and pay transparency should be effectively ensured in line with the treaties, for example by establishing national wage equity indexes comparing men and women in all their diversity . The reconciliation of work, family and private life for both women and men should be promoted, in particular through universal and effective access to quality long- term care and early childhood education and care services as well as the equal sharing of care and domestic responsibilities . Member States should ensure that parents and other people with caring responsibilities have access to suitable family-related leave and flexible working arrangements in order to balance work, family and private life, and promote a balanced use of those entitlements between women and men. Moreover, they should ensure access to quality professional training for care workers, the recognition of their qualifications and support employers in the care sector to find and retain qualified staff, with a special focus on decent working conditions. Member States should progressively advance towards fully paid and equal length maternity and paternity leave.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

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 both a suitable environment for recruitment and the necessary flexibility for employers to adapt swiftly to changes in the economic context, while protecting labour rights and ensuring social protection , an appropriate level of security and healthy, safe and well-adapted working environments for all workers. Promoting the use of flexible working arrangements such as teleworking can contribute to higher employment levels and more inclusive labour markets in the context of the post-pandemic environment. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the workers’ rights in terms of working time, working conditions, and work-life balance are respected. Employment relationships that lead to precarious working conditions should be prevented , including in the case of platform workers, especially if low-skilled, and by fighting abuse of atypical contracts. Access to effective, impartial dispute resolution and a right to redress, including adequate compensation, should be ensured in cases of unfair dismissal.

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 for workers and employers. The Commission and the Member States should take concrete measures to promote and strengthen collective bargaining and social dialogue in this regard . 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 undertakings to thrive and the flexibility for employers to adapt to changes . Promoting the use of flexible working arrangements agreed between employers and workers or their representatives, such as teleworking, can contribute to higher employment levels and more inclusive labour markets in the context of the post-pandemic environment , especially for single parents, persons with disabilities and persons living in rural and remote regions . At the same time, it is important to ensure that the workers’ rights in terms of working time, working conditions, including occupational health and safety, as well as social protection and work-life balance are respected. Employment relationships that lead to precarious working conditions and unfair competition should be urgently tackled , including in the case of platform workers, especially if low-skilled, by fighting abuse of atypical contracts . Member States should ensure that all workers enjoy decent working conditions, social rights and access to adequate social protection. To that end, Member States should fully implement the ILO’s Labour Inspection Convention No 81 and invest in effective labour inspections by empowering competent authorities and coordinate their efforts to combat cross-border abuse in the framework of the European Labour Authority . Access to effective, impartial dispute resolution and a right to redress, including adequate compensation, should be ensured in cases of unfair dismissal. Member States should draw on European agencies and the Union-wide network of public employment services (PES) to identify evidence-based best practices, encourage bench-learning and promote greater coordination of employment policies.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Policies should aim to improve and support labour-market participation, matching and transitions, including in disadvantaged regions. Member States should effectively activate and enable those who can participate in the labour market, especially vulnerable groups such as lower-skilled people, people with a migrant background, including persons under a temporary protection status, and marginalised Roma. 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, whilst they are seeking work and based on their rights and responsibilities. Member States should 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, supported also via digitalisation.

Policies should aim to improve and support labour-market participation, matching and transitions, in particular the green and digital transition, also in disadvantaged regions and areas, including remote and rural regions, islands and outermost regions. Member States should effectively enable those who can participate in the labour market to find quality employment , especially disadvantaged groups such as young and older people , people with lower skills, informal workers, persons with disabilities , people with a migrant background, including persons under a temporary protection status, and marginalised Roma. 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 decent income support for the unemployed, whilst they are seeking quality employment, based on their rights and responsibilities. Member States should enhance the capacity of public employment services to provide timely and tailor-made assistance to jobseekers, respond to current and future labour-market needs as well as the aspirations of jobseekers , and implement performance-based management, supported also via digitalisation. Member States should ensure that these services and support are offered online and offline in order to be accessible for all, including for older people and persons with disabilities, to ensure that no one is left behind.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Member States should provide the unemployed with adequate unemployment benefits of reasonable duration, in line with their contributions and national eligibility rules. Unemployment benefits should not disincentivise a prompt return to employment and should be accompanied by active labour market policies.

Member States should provide the unemployed with adequate unemployment benefits of reasonable duration, in line with their contributions and national eligibility rules. Such benefits shall not constitute a disincentive for a quick return to employment as outlined in Principle No 13 of the Pillar and should be accompanied by active labour market policies.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

The mobility of learners and workers should be adequately supported with the aim of enhancing their skills and employability and exploiting the full potential of the European labour market, while also ensuring fair conditions for all those pursuing a cross-border activity and stepping up administrative cooperation between national administrations with regard to mobile workers, benefitting from the assistance of the European Labour Authority. The mobility of workers in critical occupations and of cross-border, seasonal and posted workers should be supported in the cases of temporary border closures triggered by public health considerations .

Member States should support labour mobility throughout the Union to overcome regional and sectoral labour market shortages and make use of the full potential of the Union’s labour market, while effectively tackling the negative impact of the ‘brain-drain’ in certain regions. At the same time, the mobility of learners and workers should be supported to increase their knowhow, skills and employability , in particular by further strengthening Erasmus +. Member States should ensure the rights and decent working and employment conditions for all those pursuing a cross-border activity , as well as the portability of social security rights and entitlements through improved administrative cooperation between national administrations with regard to mobile workers, benefitting as well from the assistance of the European Labour Authority. The fair labour mobility of workers in critical occupations and of cross-border workers, including frontier , seasonal and posted workers should be supported and their rights should be respected also in the cases of temporary border closures , for instance in terms of health and safety, tax residency and social security coordination .

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Member States should cooperate in coordinating social security for mobile workers, including self-employed workers who work in another Member State. The modernisation of social security systems should be conducive to the principles of the Union’s labour market providing for sustainable national social security systems that avoid any gaps in protection and ultimately ensures a productive workforce. To that end, Member States should enhance, through their national plans under the Recovery and Resilience Facility and other Union instruments, the digitalisation of public services in order to improve the quality of their work, in particular by fully implementing the system for electronic exchange of social security information. Member States should increase cross-border partnerships and better promote and use other relevant European tools, such as the European Employment Services Network (EURES) and the PES network, to support mobile workers, in particular by providing them with comprehensive information on job opportunities and social protection.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Member States should also strive to create the appropriate conditions for new forms of work, delivering on their job-creation potential while ensuring they are compliant with existing social rights. Member States should thus provide advice and guidance on the rights and obligations applying in the context of atypical contracts and new forms of work, such as work through digital platforms. 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 platform work. Member States should also provide support for enforcement – such as guidelines or dedicated trainings for labour inspectorates — concerning the challenges stemming from new forms of organising work, such as algorithmic management, data surveillance and permanent or semi-permanent telework.

Member States should also strive to create the appropriate conditions for new forms of work, delivering on their job-creation potential while ensuring they are compliant with existing labour law and social rights. Member States should thus ensure the rights and obligations applying in the context of atypical contracts and new forms of work, such as work through digital platforms , and provide advice and guidance where necessary. At the same time, Member States should foster the transition towards open-ended forms of employment in line with the Pillar . 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 platform work while facilitating collective representation and action for genuinely self-employed persons . Member States should also provide support for enforcement , including through the provision of adequate human and financial resources, guidelines or dedicated trainings for labour inspectorates concerning the challenges stemming from new forms of organising work, such as algorithmic management, data surveillance and permanent or semi-permanent telework , as well as effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties .

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Building on existing national practices, and in order to achieve more effective social dialogue and better socio-economic outcomes, including in crisis times like with the war in Ukraine, Member States should ensure the timely and meaningful involvement of the social partners in the design and implementation of employment, social and, where relevant, economic reforms and policies , including by supporting increased capacity of the social partners . Member States should foster social dialogue and collective bargaining. 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.

Building on existing national practices, and in order to promote and achieve more effective and intensive social dialogue and better socio-economic outcomes, including in crisis times like the Russian invasion of Ukraine , the rising cost of living and the accelerating climate change , Member States should support the strengthening of social partners at all levels and ensure their timely and meaningful involvement in the design and implementation of employment, social and, where relevant, economic and environmental reforms and policies. Member States should foster and promote social dialogue and the extension of collective bargaining coverage . 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.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Where relevant, and building on existing national practices, Member States should take into account relevant civil society organisations’ experience of employment and social issues.

Where relevant, and building on existing national practices, Member States should take into account relevant civil society organisations’ expertise and experience of employment, social and environmental issues , including those representing and working closely with disadvantaged groups, facing barriers to the labour market and quality employment . Moreover, Member States should support civil society organisations that provide not-for-profit social and employment services.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

A healthy and safe workplace is vital. Member States should support and ensure that employers comply with health and safety regulations and provide workers and their representatives with adequate information, make risk assessments and take preventive measures. This should include reducing to zero the number of fatal accidents at work and cases of occupational cancer by establishing, among others, binding occupational exposure limit values on hazardous substances in the workplace. In this regard, Member States should take into account the impact of occupational psychosocial risks, occupational diseases, as well as risks related to climate change, such as heatwaves, droughts or wildfires, on the health and safety of workers, in particular in the construction sector, the agricultural sector and public service sector. Member States should address and anticipate the impact of present and future crises on the labour market, also in the context of the climate emergency and Europe’s open strategic autonomy, by supporting workers who are temporarily unemployed or on short-time work because employers are forced to suspend carrying out activities or providing services as well as by supporting self-employed workers and small businesses so that they are able to retain staff and maintain their activities or services.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Member States should promote inclusive labour markets, open to all, by putting in place effective measures to fight all forms of discrimination and promote equal opportunities for all, and in particular for groups that are under-represented in the labour market, with due attention to the regional and territorial dimension. They should ensure equal treatment regarding employment, social protection, health and long-term care, education and access to goods and services, regardless of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

Member States should promote social rights and inclusive labour markets, accessible to all, by putting in place effective measures to fight all forms of discrimination and stereotypes and to promote equal opportunities for all, and in particular for groups that are under-represented or disadvantaged in the labour market, with due attention to the regional and territorial dimension. They should ensure equal pay for equal work or work of equal value, personalised support for jobseekers as well as equal treatment and rights regarding employment, social protection, health care, childcare, long-term care, education and access to housing, goods and services, regardless of gender, racial or ethnic origin, social background, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

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 addressing inequalities, including through the design of their tax and benefit systems and by assessing the distributional impact of policies. Complementing universal approaches with selective 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.

Member States should modernise and invest in 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 convergence and mobility, supporting and incentivising labour market participation and access to quality employment , supporting social investment, eradicating poverty , including in-work poverty, and addressing inequalities, including through the progressive design of their tax and benefit systems and by assessing the distributional impact of policies. Complementing universal approaches with targeted ones will enhance the effectiveness of social protection . Member States should improve the resilience and sustainability of their social protection systems to multi-faceted challenges.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

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 encouraging people to actively participate in the labour market and society, including through targeted provision of social services.

Member States should develop and integrate the three strands of active inclusion: adequate income support, inclusive labour markets and access to quality services, to meet individual needs. Social protection systems should ensure adequate minimum income (1a) benefits accessible for everyone lacking sufficient resources in order to ensure a life in dignity and promote social inclusion by supporting and encouraging people to actively participate and reintegrate in the labour market and society, including through targeted provision of and access to enabling goods and social services. Accessibility to social protection systems should be monitored and evaluated from a rights-based approach.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

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 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 2030 EU headline target on poverty reduction . Especially child poverty should be addressed by comprehensive and integrated measures, in particular through the full implementation of the European Child Guarantee.

Taking into consideration the continuing alarming levels of poverty, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the rising cost of living, and the accelerating climate change, more efforts are necessary to fight poverty and social exclusion, through a horizontal strategy on in-work poverty, energy and mobility poverty, food poverty and homelessness . Particular attention should be paid to children, older people, single parents, in particular single mothers, ethnic minorities, migrants and persons with disabilities in this context . Especially child poverty should be addressed by comprehensive and integrated measures, in particular through the full implementation of the European Child Guarantee and an increase of the dedicated budget to at least EUR 20 billion, in line with the European Parliament resolution of 19 May 2022 on the social and economic consequences for the EU of the Russian war in Ukraine — reinforcing the EU’s capacity to act . Member States should submit their European Child Guarantee national action plans to combat child poverty and fostering equal opportunities by guaranteeing for children in need effective and free access to healthcare, education and school-based activities, early childhood education and childcare, as well as effective access to adequate housing and healthy nutrition in line with the 2030 EU headline target to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion by at least 15 million, including at least 5 million children. All Member States should spend more than 5 % of their allocated funds under the ESF+ on fighting child poverty and promote children’s well-being.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Member States should ensure that everyone, including children, has access to essential services. For those in need or in a vulnerable situation, Member States should guarantee access to adequate social housing or housing assistance. They should ensure a clean and fair energy transition and address energy poverty as an increasingly important form of poverty due to rising energy prices, partly linked to the war in Ukraine, including, where appropriate, via targeted temporary income support measures. Inclusive housing renovation policies should also be implemented. The specific needs of persons with disabilities, including accessibility, should be taken into account in relation to those services. Homelessness should be tackled specifically . Member States should ensure timely access to affordable preventive and curative health care and long-term care of good quality , while safeguarding sustainability in the long term .

Member States should ensure that everyone, including children, has access to essential services of good quality . For those in need or in a vulnerable or disadvantaged situation, Member States should guarantee access to decent social housing or housing assistance , tackle forced evictions and their consequences, invest in an accessible housing for persons with reduced mobility and take measures to ensure a fair and inclusive transition as regards improving the energy efficiency of the existing housing stock . They should ensure a clean and fair energy transition and address energy poverty as an increasingly important form of poverty due to rising energy prices, including, where appropriate, via targeted temporary income support measures and structural investments . Inclusive housing renovation policies , to ensure accessible, affordable and healthy housing, should also be implemented to prevent that the cost of living for tenants increases disproportionally . The specific needs of persons with disabilities, including accessibility, should be taken into account in relation to those services. Homelessness should be eradicated by 2030, in line with the European Parliament resolution of 24 November 2020 on tackling homelessness rates in the EU, taking the Housing First approach as a basis . The COVID-19 crisis demonstrates the need for more public investment to ensure sufficient levels of well-trained medical and care staff and access to healthcare for all, including disadvantaged groups. Therefore, Member States should ensure effective and equal access to sustainable preventive and curative public health care, particularly mental health care and long-term care of high quality.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

In line with the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive (43), Member States should offer an adequate level of protection to refugees from Ukraine, including residency rights, access and integration to the labour market, access to education, training and housing, as well as access to social security systems, medical care social welfare or other assistance, and means of subsistence. Children should be ensured access to childhood education and care and essential services in line with the European Child Guarantee. For unaccompanied children and teenagers, Member States should implement the right to legal guardianship.

In line with the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive (43), Member States should offer an adequate level of protection to refugees from Ukraine, including Roma and third-country nationals legally residing in Ukraine and fleeing to Europe as a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Residency rights, access and integration to the labour market, access to education, language support, training and housing, as well as access to social security systems, medical and psychosocial care, social welfare or other assistance, and means of subsistence should be provided in this regard . Children should be ensured access to free quality childhood education and care and essential services on equal basis with their peers in the host Member State in line with the European Child Guarantee. For unaccompanied children and teenagers, Member States should implement the right to legal guardianship. Member States should consider extending the protection offered by the Temporary Protection Directive to all refugees and address employers’ concerns of hiring people with only a temporary status.

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

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 an adequate income in old age . Pension reforms should be supported by policies that aim to reduce the gender pension gap and measures that extend working lives, such as by raising the effective retirement age, notably by facilitating labour market participation of older persons, and should be framed within active ageing strategies . Member States should establish a constructive dialogue with social partners and other relevant stakeholders, and allow for an appropriate phasing in of the reforms.

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 individuals to acquire and accrue pension rights in public or occupational schemes or a mix along with supplementary schemes in order to ensure a decent retirement income above the poverty line . Pension reforms should be based on active ageing through optimising opportunities for workers of all ages to work in good quality, productive and healthy conditions until 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. Specific measures should be identified in the field of workforce demography, health and safety at the workplace, education and training, skills and competence management, work organisation for healthy and productive working lives, with an inter-generational approach. Member States should facilitate youth employment and pre-retirement transition, together with the transfer of knowledge and experience from one generation to the next . Member States should establish a constructive dialogue with social partners , civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders and allow for an appropriate phasing in of reforms as well as a change in the perception of older workers and their employability . Furthermore, Member States should draw up healthy ageing plans that cover access to health and care services, as well as strategies for health promotion and prevention.