Employment guidelines

MEPs vote for more socially inclusive employment policies

The European Parliament today adopted its annual report on the employment guidelines. Following the vote, Danish Green MEP Emilie Turunen said:

"The report adopted today is a landmark for the EU's employment guidelines. MEPs have voted to include a proper social component to the guidelines for the first time, including measures to deal with poverty and the working poor, as well as to address youth unemployment and integrate marginalised and vulnerable groups into the labour market."

Dutch Green MEP Marije Cornelissen added:

"EU governments and the Belgian EU presidency must take heed of the message delivered today by the European Parliament and commit to make their employment policies more socially-inclusive. Specifically, national governments must follow up on Parliament's demand to take measures to improve work-life balance and gender equality. Huge efforts are needed in this respect in order to raise the participation of women in the labour market to 75% by 2020."