MET employers are calling for European social policy that goes back to basics and brings real added value for companies. From a Ceemet perspective, the current European mandate ends with two broad debates: on the one hand, the debate on the reindustrialisation of Europe and, on the other, the maintenance of an internationally competitive European industry.
Ceemet is launching its policy perspectives in view of the upcoming European elections in June 2024 to provide a blueprint for candidates on how to achieve an EU industry which underpins local economies across Europe. It is only when legislators put in place the environment to maintain an industry which competes with third country companies that we can ensure the social model to which we have become accustomed in Europe.
While Ceemet is an ardent pro-European organisation which recognizes the real added value which the EU brings to companies, and moreover the added value it can bring to its citizens, there are a number of improvements which MET employers feel EU decision making could benefit from. To put things in context, companies have been under severe pressure for some years now and successive crises have hit our industries hard. We have experienced chronic supply chain challenges, limits on production and exploding costs of producing, along with an economic slowdown which we currently see unfolding across Europe. Furthermore, companies are operating in a particularly tight labour market, which is creating additional bottlenecks to production.
Therefore, the legislative focus must shift. The European Union already has a AAA social standard; we must now see a clear push to obtain a AAA competitiveness standard, alongside an urgent slowdown of the legislative agenda at an EU level. The EU already has a wealth of legislation in place, some of which is undoubtedly extremely important for the protection of European workers. However, it is imperative that companies have adequate time to understand, comply and really assimilate EU regulations at their production sites, before they are faced with new legislation.
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Upskill to ensure the reindustrialisation of Europe
The long-awaited reindustrialisation of Europe cannot be achieved without addressing the different challenges such as the shortage of skills and labour, the various roadblocks to labour mobility, and the international competitiveness of companies.
It is essential to invest in the promotion of talent pools, to multiply cross-border partnerships, to redouble efforts to better match skills to the labour market and to ensure adequate labour activation measures for those inactive in the workforce. In the upcoming European mandate, EU policymakers must intensify their work in the area of skills so that they correspond to the requirements of emerging professions, particularly in the digital field or the ecological transition. Furthermore, it is important that the EU take advantage of communication campaigns, especially targeting young people, in order to promote STEM learning and scientific careers. Crucially, we must pursue a mindset change so that all actors better recognise apprenticeships and vocational training as important pathways to a successful career in industry. The reindustrialisation of Europe cannot be achieved without the right skills and an adequate workforce.
Labour mobility is one of the most important tools at the disposal of companies to add value to the products they manufacture. This is facilitated greatly by the considerable free movement provided for by EU legislation. However, in this context, Ceemet proposes to further deepen the Single Market to ensure the effective free movement of workers and services within the EU. To promote intra-EU mobility, the EU institutions must coordinate European social security systems, reduce the administrative burden linked to European mobility, simplify the wage rules present in the 2018 Directive on Posted Workers and exempt companies from the obligation of prior notification for business trips and activities abroad which last less than one month. In this regard, the digitalisation of European tools by harmonising national websites on a single platform has to become a priority.
Incoming EU policymakers will have to clearly define and implement the European Commission's e-declaration proposal. Policymakers should also investigate the creation of the European Social Security Passport (ESSPASS) to allow efficient and uniform exchanges between national administrations. Furthermore, in order to deal with the continuing labour and skills shortages, policymakers will have to open a dialogue on appropriate policies for legal immigration and mobility from non-EU countries.
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Better regulate to maintain a competitive industry
It is time to put the emphasis back on European fundamentals: the four freedoms, economic cooperation and competitiveness. The EU must not only consider the day-to-day reality of businesses, but also the broader international context in which they operate.
As an employer’s organisation, Ceemet recognises the need for adequate and proportionate legislation which aims to provide good working environments. We are conscious of the fact that regulation is created to achieve an aim: when it comes to our remit, the protection of workers or the protection of the environment. However, too much regulation can reduce the possibility of companies to do business, decrease competition, investment and generally slow the whole economy. In this context we must see a slowing of the pace of European legislation.
In recent years, the EU has put in place a myriad of new legislation in the social field. Furthermore, the EU has a tendency to legislate beyond its powers in social matters. It often attempts to harmonize labour law upwards, a good example of this is the Minimum Wage Directive which goes against social dialogue and undermines collective bargaining at a national level. A more effective application of existing legislation would be preferable to the systematic creation of new legislation. Moreover, the legislation surrounding the European Green Deal will have to be implemented considering the reality of companies, regional variations and the lack of skills for its implementation. Furthermore, policymakers in the upcoming European mandate must take better account of the contributions of the social partners; unfortunately, in many instances, this is currently not the case.
A strong social Europe cannot prosper without a strong economic Europe. A strong Europe is one in which all actors have the right environment to develop their activities, add value and create a more resilient economy for all.
Promoted by Ceemet (European Tech & Industry Employers)
