EP Plenary session - Oral Questions - Empowering European Youth: post-pandemic employment and social recovery

The European Parliament is celebrating its second annual Gender Equality Week! In all EU policy areas, from digital to the green transition, from trade to employment, gender equality is at the centre of Parliament's work. The EU is continuing to build a fairer, more equal society for everyone.

It’s gender equality week 2021!

Around 800 people from all over Europe got together for the European Citizens’ Panels in Strasbourg in September and October to discuss the challenges facing the EU. An integral part of the Conference on the Future of Europe, their suggestions will help build the EU of tomorrow.

Building the future: 4 weekends of EU Citizens’ Panels

The first European citizens’ panel has been held in Strasbourg! For three days, 200 Europeans gathered for a historic exercise in participatory democracy. They discussed the economy and how to make it fairer and more resilient to crises, but also issues like the digital transformation and youth unemployment.

Conference on the Future of Europe: Europeans discuss a fairer economy

MEPs debated the Commission's track record over the past year with President Ursula von der Leyen, discussed the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and simplified access to the EU job market for highly-skilled foreign workers. All that and more happened in Parliament this week.

Plenary highlights: State of the EU debate, Afghan crisis and LGBTIQ rights

MEPs scrutinised the work of the Commission during the State of the European Union debate in Strasbourg. The response to the pandemic and the recovery, climate change and the EU’s role in the world were just some issues tackled during the debate.

State of the European Union debate 2021

As the EU’s population ages, some sectors of the economy are seeing a shortage of new workers. With the European Blue Card, the EU is taking steps to make the European job market more easily accessible to highly skilled workers – a move that is backed by the European Parliament.

The EU Blue Card for highly skilled foreign workers

The ESF+ aims to invest in people and create a more social and inclusive Europe. Parliament wants to make sure that all children have a fair start, young people get a chance at quality employment through training and apprenticeships and vulnerable populations are supported.

European Social Fund Plus: helping the most vulnerable

The EU is undergoing deep and lasting demographic changes. The population is ageing, birth rate is falling and rural areas are emptying. Meanwhile, major European cities are continuing to grow as people move to richer regions in search of work. While the pandemic may well have an impact, with people moving to rural areas, what can the EU do about these demographic imbalances? Parliament wants a Demographic Deal.

Tackling the EU's demographic challenges

Presidents of EU institutions signed a declaration to launch the Conference on the Future of Europe, which gives citizens a chance to shape EU policies. Members also adopted the pan-European health programme EU4Health and the ambitious strategic investment plan InvestEU. The Parliament called for measures to help people with disabilities enter the job market and celebrated International Women’s Day.

Plenary highlights: Future of Europe, EU4Health and people with disabilities

During the crisis, the EU can provide financial assistance under the Sure programme in the form of loans granted on favourable terms to EU countries that request support. Assistance helps finance national short-time work schemes, unemployment benefits and similar job protection measures. This infoclip shows consequences of the COVID-19 crisis on jobs and employment.

Infoclip: Employment – Jobs impacted by the COVID-19 crisis

The European Parliament wants to make ‘the right to disconnect’ a legal right in the EU. MEPs say workers, when off the clock, should not feel the pressure to answer work-related communication. The need for this bill was increased by the pandemic and the rise of telework.

The right to disconnect from work

The EU is working on a €750 billion coronavirus recovery plan to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and pave the way for a sustainable future, so that Europe can emerge greener and stronger.

What’s the EU’s plan to help Europe recover from the Covid-19 crisis?

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted many sectors, including Europe’s industries. MEPs are asking the Commission to come up with a new Industrial Strategy to help the sector recover and transform to a greener, more digital form.

A post-pandemic Industrial Strategy

Forests cover nearly half of the EU. They play a major role in the fight against climate change and in protecting our biodiversity. MEPs want to make sure the EU Forest Strategy can help forests and the forestry sector prosper. The strategy aims to be a bridge between national policies and EU environmental objectives.

Europe needs healthy forests to fight climate change

Following the resignation of Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has reshuffled her team. MEPs held two extraordinary hearings for the posts of Trade and Finance. Mairead McGuinness, who served as Parliament's first vice-president was questioned by the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee for the finance portfolio. Parliament will have the final say on her appointment.

Parliament vets Commissioner-designate Mairead McGuinness

The Roma are Europe’s largest minority with some 6 million in the EU. The European Parliament wants to do more to make sure their fundamental rights are protected and they have access to decent education, employment, healthcare and housing.

MEPs demand action to end Roma exclusion

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed Parliament in her first State of the European Union speech, outlining her plan for a green recovery from the Covid-19 crisis. Climate, the importance of unity and cooperation and the next seven-year budget were key elements of the debate..

Von der Leyen tells Parliament she will lead the EU to green recovery

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the EU has been at the forefront of coordinating measures, fighting both the health crisis and its economic impact. Here are  10 things the EU is doing to get Europe back on its feet.

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