—

having regard to the Commission communication of 17 January 2023 entitled ‘Harnessing talent in Europe’s regions’ (COM(2023)0032),

—

having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (1),

—

having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights,

—

having regard to the European Committee of the Regions study entitled ‘Addressing brain drain: The local and regional dimension’, published in 2018,

—

having regard to the study entitled ‘Brain Drain in the EU: Local and Regional Public Policies and Good Practices’ of 27 February 2020, published in the Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences  (2),

—

having regard to its resolution of 17 April 2020 on EU coordinated action to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences (3),

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 30 September 2020 on achieving the European Education Area by 2025 (COM(2020)0625),

—

having regard to the opinion of the European Committee of the Regions of 14 October 2020 entitled ‘Demographic change: proposals on measuring and tackling its negative effects in the EU regions’  (4),

—

having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/817 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 establishing Erasmus+: the Union Programme for education and training, youth and sport and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1288/2013 (5),

—

having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on the European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund (6),

—

having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1059 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on specific provisions for the European territorial cooperation goal (Interreg) supported by the European Regional Development Fund and external financing instruments (7),

—

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 (8),

—

having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1056 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the Just Transition Fund (9),

—

having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (10) (Common Provisions Regulation),

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 30 June 2021 entitled ‘A long-term Vision for the EU's Rural Areas – Towards stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040’ (COM(2021)0345),

—

having regard to the Commission report of 9 February 2022 entitled ‘Cohesion in Europe towards 2050 – Eighth report on economic, social and territorial cohesion’  (11),

—

having regard to Decision (EU) 2023/936 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 on a European Year of Skills (12),

—

having regard to the European Committee of the Regions study entitled ‘Rural proofing – a foresight framework for resilient rural communities’, published in 2022,

—

having regard to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report of 22 June 2022 entitled ‘Making the most of public investments to address regional inequalities, megatrends and future shocks’  (13),

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 5 July 2022 entitled ‘A New European Innovation Agenda’ (COM(2022)0332),

—

having regard to its resolution of 15 September 2022 on economic, social and territorial cohesion in the EU: the 8th Cohesion Report (14),

—

having regard to its resolution of 14 September 2021 entitled ‘Towards a stronger partnership with the EU outermost regions’  (15),

—

having regard to its resolution of 13 June 2023 on the assessment of the new Commission communication on outermost regions (16),

—

having regard to its resolution of 15 September 2022 on EU border regions: living labs of European integration (17),

—

having regard to its resolution of 14 June 2023 with recommendations to the Commission on quality traineeships in the Union (18),

—

having regard to the ‘At a Glance’ briefing entitled ‘Question time: tackling depopulation through cohesion policy instruments, published by its Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services on 30 September 2022  (19) ’,

—

having regard to the study entitled ‘The EU legal migration package: Towards a rights-based approach to attracting skills and talent to the EU’, published by its Directorate-General for Internal Policies on 1 December 2022  (20),

—

having regard to the Council recommendation of 16 June 2022 on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability (21),

—

having regard to the Council recommendation of 16 June 2022 on individual learning accounts (22),

—

having regard to the briefing paper of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training and the Lifelong Learning Platform entitled ‘Implementing a holistic approach to lifelong learning: Community Lifelong Learning Centres as a gateway to multidisciplinary support teams’, published in 2019,

—

having regard to the Commission staff working document of 17 January 2023 entitled ‘The impact of demographic change – in a changing environment’ (SWD(2023)0021),

—

having regard to the OECD report of 14 March 2023 entitled ‘Job creation and local economic development 2023 – Bridging the Great Green Divide’  (23),

—

having regard to the working paper entitled ‘The geography of EU discontent and the regional development trap’, published by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy in March 2023 (24),

—

having regard to the resolution of the European Committee of the Regions of 16 March 2023 on harnessing talent in Europe’s regions (25),

—

having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 14 June 2023 on the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Harnessing talent in EU regions (26),

—

having regard to the OECD report of 5 July 2023 entitled ‘Rethinking Regional Attractiveness in the New Global Environment’  (27),

—

having regard to Rule 54 of its Rules of Procedure,

—

having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development,

—

having regard to the letter from the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs,

—

having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Development (A9-0325/2023),

A.

whereas the EU’s population has grown steadily over the last 50 years, increasing by 92,3 million people from 354,5 million in 1960, to 446,8 million in 2022; whereas population growth has slowed in recent decades, halting during the COVID-19 pandemic; whereas current predictions point to growth at a limited rate until 2029, at which date population growth will begin to slow down (28); whereas the population in the EU is ageing and birth rates have been declining since the 1960s;

B.

whereas, according to Eurostat data, 46 EU regions, representing 16 % of the EU population, are currently in a talent development trap; whereas another 36 EU regions are at risk of falling into a talent development trap; whereas regions in a talent development trap face an accelerating decline in their working-age population, and a low and stagnant number of people with a tertiary education; whereas most of these regions are less developed;

C.

whereas the latest statistics indicate that the overall EU population will decrease from 446,8 million in 2022 to 419,5 million in 2100; whereas it is estimated that the average age of the EU population will increase by 5,8 years over the same period; whereas this will lead to a shrinking working-age population in the EU, with a loss of an additional 35 million people by 2050 and a significant reduction in the proportion of people active in the labour market (29); whereas this process will trigger new and growing territorial disparities;

D.

whereas demographic changes vary significantly among regions, with some Member States facing a projected decline in their population in the coming seven years and others expecting projected population growth over the same period; whereas such demographic changes also take place between regions, generally translating to exoduses from rural to urban areas within Member States;

E.

whereas population loss is a sustained trend over time, particularly affecting rural areas with older populations on average than those found in cities and suburbs (30); whereas young people are on average more likely to leave rural areas and less-developed regions, due to the lack of paid traineeships, career prospects and quality jobs, actively contributing to the phenomenon of rural exodus; whereas statistics indicate that the elderly in the EU-27 are generally more inclined than young people to live in predominantly rural and intermediate regions; whereas, according to estimates, one in three people living in rural areas will be aged 65 or over by 2050 (31);

F.

whereas the loss of population in rural areas and other territories listed under Article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) (32) is deeply linked to a lack of investments, infrastructure, connectivity, nearby and accessible essential public services, training opportunities, quality educational, social and cultural facilities, and attractive and high-quality employment opportunities; whereas adapting rural infrastructure, investing in public transport, medical services and education services, and developing digital infrastructure in rural areas are important to make these regions more attractive; whereas the posting of young workers poses significant challenges to demographics and the overall quality of life of EU citizens, including through low generational renewal, ageing communities and overall population decline; whereas, however, particular emphasis must also be placed on programmes for the active involvement of older people in community life;

G.

whereas Article 174 TFEU states that the EU must aim to reduce disparities between the levels of development of the various regions, paying particular attention to certain regions, notably rural areas;

H.

whereas in spite of its temporary impact on the labour market, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a fragmented landscape of teleworking opportunities from which not all workers are able to benefit; whereas, however, such teleworking opportunities offer great potential to connect jobs from urban centres to smaller cities, suburbs and towns (33); whereas, in order to boost this trend, it is necessary to improve connectivity in areas with low coverage, including rural areas, and to provide necessary infrastructure to enable internet access in ‘white areas’; whereas opportunities emerging as a result of the green and digital transitions have brought renewed attention to non-urban areas, and have opened up new job opportunities;

I.

whereas the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was highly varied across populations, as the elderly, people from disadvantaged backgrounds and those living in regions lacking connectivity were further left behind (34) , (35) , (36);

J.

whereas the EU labour market faces a shortage of workers with skills adapted to the new socioeconomic realities, as well as to the green and digital transitions; whereas enabling workers with or without tertiary education to migrate to and integrate in Member States and their regions with the highest population loss represents one of the solutions to address the challenges facing these places; whereas the success of action plans on migrants’ integration and inclusion depends on the involvement of local and regional authorities and civil society organisations; whereas further improvement is required across the EU concerning the recognition of qualifications and prior learning;

K.

whereas the European Labour Authority, in its report entitled ‘Report on labour shortages and surpluses’, and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, in its report entitled ‘Cybersecurity skills development in the EU’, identified 28 occupations as having skills shortages in 2021, including in the healthcare, hospitality, construction and service sectors, and identified shortages of IT and security specialists, in particular cybersecurity experts, as well as workers with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM);

L.

whereas regions in, or at risk of, a talent development trap are characterised by a sharp decline in the working-age population, a low and stagnating share of people with tertiary education, a significant number of departing young people, a lack of economic dynamism and economic diversification and low innovation capacity; whereas these regions have significantly higher rates of youth unemployment and of people unemployed or not in education or training (NEETs) compared to the EU average; whereas, in these regions, wages, income and economic development are substantially lower than in the rest of the EU; whereas labour shortages are the consequence of unattractive salaries and poor working conditions in some sectors; whereas in this regard, a clear strategy for continuous employee training and skills development during worktime is needed;

M.

whereas brain drain is closely related to the need to improve working and living conditions, job opportunities, wages, equal opportunities, the availability of essential services such as transportation, connectivity, healthcare and education, including early education and care, the trust in institutions of people living in regions with low incomes across sectors and positions, social gaps and other socioeconomic disparities; whereas reducing such disparities is a commitment that has been reiterated through the European Pillar of Social Rights, but is far from being implemented; whereas fostering talent demand, supply and retention are inherently linked and must be assessed from a quality of life perspective;

N.

whereas, considering their know-how and proximity to regular people, regional and local authorities are best placed to create the socioeconomic conditions for attracting talent; whereas these administrations need improved economic and administrative capacity; whereas governance in the EU is improving overall, but disparities remain between and within Member States, and the role and capacity of sub-national governments remain unequal; whereas these administrations need to be supported in ensuring cross-border regional cooperation and in engaging with a diverse range of regional stakeholders to ensure that the aforementioned gaps and disparities can be adequately and equitably closed; whereas, however, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and a place-based approach is the best way to tackle these obstacles;

O.

whereas the regions in which the knowledge economy is better developed tend to be those that have better technological infrastructure, high-quality education systems, a dynamic cultural and artistic environment and a modern network of public healthcare, social and conciliation services; whereas it has been demonstrated that the participatory governance model, in which co-governance is promoted through cooperative work with social partners, organised civil society and public entities, offers better responses adapted to the specific reality of a given territory, as it generates synergies focused on identified needs; whereas physical distance to education infrastructure poses a challenge for young people and adults who want to acquire the skills needed by the labour market in regions in a talent development trap, which increases the mismatch between education levels and available vacant posts;

P.

whereas talent retention does not refer exclusively to stopping the emigration of highly qualified persons from one country to another, or from one region to another, but also to attracting populations whose professional backgrounds are related to jobs and skills that are still in high demand in less-developed regions and territories, as listed in Article 174 TFEU; whereas attracting talent to disadvantaged regions can help spur new activities, create new sustainable jobs and diversify the local economy, thereby making it more resilient; whereas regional attractiveness depends on various factors, such as residents’ well-being, the economy and labour market, the natural environment, connectivity, housing, cultural capital and tourism; whereas local authorities play an important role in launching strategies and policies aimed at developing attractive career opportunities and favourable economic prospects in order to mitigate brain drain and at offering equal chances for young people, regardless of their origin;

Q.

whereas ‘brain waste’ is defined as the phenomenon experienced by workers with advanced degrees or professional qualifications who are either unemployed or employed in jobs that do not match their educational background or professional qualifications; whereas creating upskilling and reskilling opportunities plays an essential role in limiting skills mismatches in the labour market; whereas there has been a significant exodus of highly skilled young people, especially women, who are leaving rural areas and less-developed areas in search of environments conducive to personal and professional growth; whereas recent data shows that highly skilled people were among the most mobile workers between 2012 and 2019 (37), proving that a knowledge-based economy is a key determinant for mobility within the EU;

R.

whereas retention strategies should encompass not only professions requiring highly educated workers, but all occupations, as it is essential to safeguard the well-being of all workers and improve the social and industrial fabric of all EU regions;

S.

whereas the European Year of Skills should promote the creation of quality jobs and retention strategies as the best way to attract and retain a skilled workforce and promote incentives for employers to invest in the development of their workers’ skills, especially in the green and digital sectors;

T.

whereas there is still a deep digital divide in the EU in terms of geography, gender, educational attainment, socioeconomic status and income that prevents some individuals and businesses from reaping the benefits of the digital transformation; whereas this gap could exacerbate the isolation of certain regions;

U.

whereas the outermost regions (ORs) are particularly vulnerable to brain drain, given their specific characteristics, as recognised in Article 349 TFEU; whereas these regions and have higher levels of unemployment and lower education rates, while their share of NEETs is above the EU average (38); whereas young people in the ORs are often forced to move to other regions in order to continue their education, access specific training or find a job, which has a strong impact on the demography and development of these territories;

V.

whereas EU policies addressing brain drain and the negative effects of demographic trends must respect the four freedoms, with particular focus on the free movement of persons, and in no case should they prohibit the migration of citizens of Member States from one EU country to another, or to countries outside the EU;

W.

whereas the concept of ‘rural proofing’ has become more prevalent after the publication of the long-term vision for rural areas; whereas the concept should not only consist of a general revision of all EU public policies through a ‘rural lens’ to adapt them to such environments, but must also include assessments of demographic aspects, gender impacts, consequences for work-life balance, job creation and the possibility of attracting talent to sparsely populated areas; whereas EU legislation should include these aspects, through impact assessments carried out prior to the design of public policies for rural and sparsely populated areas;

X.

whereas the current European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund (ERDF-CF) pay specific attention to the development challenges at the level of NUTS 3 and local administrative units that are sparsely populated, in particular those that have a population density of fewer than 12,5 inhabitants per square kilometre and areas that have suffered from an average annual population decline of at least 1 % between 2007 and 2017; whereas according to the ERDF-CF, the Member States can, under cohesion policy, develop specific voluntary action plans at local level for such areas to counter these population challenges; whereas these areas tend to fall under the category of ‘less developed’ regions;

Y.

whereas Annex XXVI of the Common Provisions Regulation laying down the methodology on the allocation of global resources per Member State for the political objective of the ERDF-CF on investment in jobs and growth, in particular for the regions classified as ‘less developed’, goes beyond GDP and the unemployment rate and now includes criteria such as the education rate and net migration, therefore reflecting a more pluralistic reality than the measures related exclusively to income per country; whereas the methodology of these allocations could be revised and enhanced in view of the particular challenges faced by regions in a development trap;

Z.

whereas one of the lessons learned through the use of the previous ERDF in times of crisis is that regional and local authorities and stakeholders welcomed the greater flexibility introduced for the remainder of the programming period, as it ensured that affected regions received the necessary support and resources to mitigate the negative effects of crises, enabled faster decision-making and paved the way for greater flexibility to be included in the design of the future cohesion policy;

AA.

whereas the Commission communication entitled ‘Harnessing talent in Europe’s regions’ sets up the Talent Booster Mechanism with the objective of stimulating supply and demand for skills, taking into account the different economic contexts faced by each region; whereas this mechanism includes a new strategy on smart adaptation of regions to demographic transition and direct financial support under existing instruments, thus opening the door to innovative solutions for different demographic realities that have not yet been considered;