Romania, congratulated in Brussels for the results achieved during the first part of holding the Presidency of the EU Council

Minister of Labour and Social Justice, Marius Budăi, led the debates of the EPSCO Council, which took place in Brussels on Friday, March 15, where the initiative on improving the functioning of the labour market and the proposal for a Regulation on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) was discussed.

Romania was congratulated on this occasion by European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Marianne Thyssen i and also by several Labor Ministers from the Member States, for reaching a provisional agreement with the European Parliament on all four priorities in the field of labour and social affairs that Romania assumed, in only two months of holding the presidency of the EU i Council:

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  the Directive on increasing transparency and predictability at work;
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  The Proposal for a regulation establishing the European Labour Authority (ELA);
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  the Directive on the exposure of workers to carcinogens;
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  The Work-life balance Directive.

In Brussels, the European officials have reached a partial general approach on the proposal for a regulation on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). The objective of the EGF is to maintain or reintegrate workers into the labour market following redundancy in the context of restructuring processes by financing active employment measures. EGF assistance is added to the efforts of the Member States at national, regional and local level.

The discussions during EPSCO also aimed at allocating adequate resources to increase employment opportunities, especially for people who are not integrated into the labour market, and to take preventive measures.

EU Member States must also find solutions to cope with structural changes generated by rapid technological developments such as digitalization, automation, robotics and artificial intelligence, as well as increasing demand for different skills in the labour market. The phenomenon is also accentuated by demographic ageing and migration, so there is an EU-wide concern that all citizens, including elderly people, acquire and continuously improve the knowledge and skills that will enable them to remain active and independent.

“Developing skills for adults must remain a priority for all Member States in the context of socio-economic change in the EU. In the current context, people must understand that they can no longer rely solely on initial education and training. They need to update and renew their knowledge to meet the challenges of the labour market, and we must take the necessary steps to maintain a balance between vocational training and education, the responsibilities of individuals and employers, “said the minister of Labour and Social Justice, Marius Budăi.

The Ministers present at the EPSCO Council have analyzed the measures that can be taken in the context of the European Pillar of Social Rights to better link employment and social protection policies, what tools are needed to strengthen national and local initiatives in order to create quality jobs that will lead to an increase in inclusion and what reforms are needed to combat effectively the unemployment.