On Thursday 10 April, Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the Commission for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, did not rule out the possibility of working on a just transition directive to accompany the various professional changes in the EU, as called for by part of the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL).
The European Commissioner was invited to talk to the MEPs of the EMPL Committee about how to protect jobs in the digital and green transitions, and how to support the need for new skills and training.
She also warned that not everything can be done “through regulation”, but that a “just transition directive could respond” to a whole series of challenges.
While the Vice-President was taken to task by Spanish political opponents from the EPP and PfE, she was questioned by other groups on social criteria in public procurement, on the right to training, which S&D MEP Estelle Ceulemans (Belgian) would like to see enshrined in legislation, and on accessible housing.
Without being able to give very firm commitments to MEPs, she pointed out that the Commission had just proposed new rules for the Globalisation Adjustment Fund, which could now cover workers at imminent risk of redundancy (see EUROPE 13612/23).
A Social Climate Fund has also been set up to cushion the impact of the energy transition.
With regard to the new rules on public procurement, she pointed out that the Clean Industrial Act had already proposed that 30% of the conditions for public procurement bids should be based not just on the lowest price, but also on “environmental standards, quality of employment or innovation”. She is now awaiting “formal adoption” of these proposals, while the Commission is also due to present a recast of the Public Procurement Directive in 2026.
With regard to housing, she announced a forthcoming public consultation on the rules governing services of general interest and the way in which they could contribute to housing policy. “We want to strengthen accessible housing” with a new housing policy that can create jobs and growth, she said.
Teresa Ribera also emphasised that the Just Transition Observatory will make it possible to collect data, particularly on employment, which will help the Commission to identify new actions.
When it comes to artificial intelligence, for example, it will be necessary to look at how this can modernise production capacity. And to improve quality jobs, which will be a priority, it will be necessary to look at the situation with the various sectors. The Vice-President promised close cooperation with her counterpart responsible for employment, Roxana Mînzatu. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)