On Thursday 3 April, on the initiative of The Left, the European Parliament will be called upon to confirm the mandate of the Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) to enter into negotiations with the EU Council on the EU talent pool, a tool designed to allow workers from third countries to come and fill labour needs in the EU.
For The Left, this request is above all a question of principle, since the opinion of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) was totally ignored, argues the group represented by the Dane Per Clausen. A shared competence between the LIBE and EMPL Committees would also have made sense, he believes.
The ECR, PfE and ESN groups have also supported this request to vote the LIBE negotiating mandate in plenary session, with a view to amending it later. The ECR group hopes to be able to table amendments emphasizing a demand-driven approach, the attraction of highly qualified professionals, and the reduction of administrative burdens.
On 19 March, during the vote in the LIBE Committee (see EUROPE 13603/21), these groups voted against the report. Three groups rejected the mandate, with The Left abstaining.
Negotiations with the EU Council are due to start on 7 April. EFFAT, the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions, representing sectors with a high proportion of mobile and migrant workers, called on the European Parliament to reject this mandate. “This project, as proposed by the Commission, would only be a source of cheap labour and unfair competition, with major shortcomings that could lead to risks of exploitation and social dumping in the workplace”. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)