The Vice-President of the European Commission, Roxana Mînzatu, responsible for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, assured the members of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee on Wednesday 19 February that there was a “possibility of an agreement soon” on dossier 883/2004 on the coordination of social security rules, despite the fact that the Commission had at one time considered placing the dossier on the list of texts to be withdrawn from the 2025 work programme.
“We can have a legislative victory if all the co-legislators get on board”, she told MEPs, who asked her more generally about the concrete initiatives to be expected from the Commission in 2025.
To this end, the European Commissioner had to reassure the elected representatives who were worried about the delay of certain proposals and their deferment to 2026, such as the plan for affordable housing or the strategy to combat poverty. “We are losing a year”, lamented Finland’s Maria Ohisalo (Greens/EFA).
In particular, the Vice-President had to reassure MEPs of the Commission’s intention to present an initiative on algorithmic management at work, at the request in particular of French MEP Leïla Chaibi (The Left), or on the long-promised directive on the right to disconnect and the expected launch of the second phase of consultation.
The Vice-President has promised to do her utmost to speed up this second phase, refusing to compromise on the right to disconnect, which covers both working time and privacy issues.
On the subject of artificial intelligence in the workplace, she assured that the plans will focus on a legislative initiative, and as regards the ‘Quality Jobs Roadmap’ - which will deal with various issues such as AI, fair transition, working conditions and pay, while listening to the needs of employers - she made a point of indicating that the Commission would take the time to look at all the fundamentals, as it was not yet possible to say whether this ‘Roadmap’ would arrive in July or September.
She also announced that the mandate of the European Labour Authority was likely to be revised to strengthen it, following the publication of the evaluation of the current mandate (expected in August 2024) and the impact study to be launched at the same time.
With regard to the second action plan on the European pillar of social rights, which sets targets - some of which have not yet been met - on the rate of continuing training for adults or the fight against poverty, we need an up-to-date action plan that responds to global geostrategic developments”, she summarised, announcing that this plan will also be in place by 2025.
On 5 March, a Skills Union will be presented, followed by an action plan on vocational training. A Pact on social dialogue will also arrive in March.
Before the summer, there will also be a revision of the directives on mutagenic, carcinogenic and reprotoxic substances (health and safety at work).
For the rest, the Vice-President encouraged the co-legislators, in particular the Council of the EU, to make progress on issues already on the table, such as the “traineeships” directive.
The Council of the EU will resume its work in working group on 28 February on the basis of a new compromise proposal dated 18 February. Agence Europe will be back on 20 February. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)