The Commissioner-designate for Employment, Nicolas Schmit, will ensure the proper implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights during his term of office, drawing in particular on the ‘European Semester’ budget process, according to his written replies to the European Parliament, published on Friday 27 September. To this end, he intends to develop a detailed action plan.
The Luxembourger, who was Minister of Employment and Social Affairs from 2009 to 2018, therefore intends to consolidate the action of Marianne Thyssen, who preceded him in this position. He will closely monitor the implementation of the Directive on ‘Work-Life Balance’, the directive on transparent and predictable working conditions and the Directive on posted workers (with the help of the new European Labour Authority), but will also encourage the application at national level of the recommendations on access to social security.
Moreover, although he was an opponent of the Regulation on the coordination of social security systems (see EUROPE 12047/21), Mr Schmit is committed to continuing interinstitutional negotiations and wishes for an “early and ambitious” agreement. He also wants to strengthen the Youth Guarantee and continue to update the Directive on occupational exposure to mutagenic and carcinogenic agents.
European minimum wage and unemployment reinsurance
In addition to completing the work already begun under the previous Commission, he confirms the preparation of major legislative projects, starting with a legal instrument to establish a minimum wage in the European Union, defined in accordance with national negotiating processes, which will reassure the Scandinavian states.
He also mentions the creation of a European unemployment benefit reinsurance scheme and the drafting of a new European Gender Strategy. Hearing the European Parliament's requests, he is planning the launch of a child guarantee.
Finally, in general, he wants to fight poverty and tackle the issue of housing, for which he wants to make a meticulous follow-up through the “European Semester”.
His hearing is scheduled for Tuesday 1 October, from 9:00 am to noon.
To consult his written answers: http://bit.ly/2mjDWph (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)