On 2 December 2015, the Permanent Representatives Committee approved an agreement reached with the European Parliament for the re-establishment and re-organisation of the existing EURES network.

The new EURES is strengthened and modernized. Its portal becomes an up-to-date mobility tool using the latest IT technologies, accessible for all.

“This new regulation on the re-establishment of EURES emphasizes the importance that we all put in one of the fundamental freedoms of Union citizens, the free movement of workers. It offers new job opportunities and is so contributing to reduce unemployment in the European Union”, said Nicolas Schmit, Minister of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy.

Its aim

The objective of EURES is to facilitate the free movement of workers within the EU, thereby facilitating a more integrated Union labour market. All EU citizens can benefit from the entire range of services provided. Special attention is given to the accessibility of services to persons with a disability.

The improved EURES network assists workers in overcoming barriers to mobility, increases access to employment opportunities throughout the EU and helps to facilitate job creation. It contributes to tackling unemployment by helping to better match supply and demand in the labour market.

Participation to EURES is extended

In order to provide the best possible services to all workers and employers, the range of EURES Members and Partners has been widened. Private employment organisations can join the network and their vacancies will be advertised on the web portal together with those of the public ones. Profit-making organisations have to provide all services, e.g. vacancies, CV´s to the portal and as well as support services to jobseekers and employers, unless they can justify to the national authorities that they are not able to provide all three services. Non-profit organisations can choose among the three options. Public employment services will also offer all services and will furthermore ensure that all users who are not IT-skilled can have also an offline access to information.

Also involved in the network are: trade unions, employers’ organisations and other relevant actors in the labour market. Representatives of the social partners are involved at EU level but also at national and the cross-border level.

Publishing of job vacancies, job applications and CV’s

The EURES Portal will regroup all publicly available job vacancies, job applications and CV’s, thereby increasing the transparency of available information. This also includes vacancies on traineeships and apprenticeships that are based on an employment relationship.
In order to ensure quality and protect minors, member states can exclude traineeships or apprenticeships which have a mainly educational focus.

Cross-border dimension

EURES has also an important role to play in providing specific information and services for the benefit of employers and frontier workers in European cross-border regions. Specific support structures will help to provide services to frontier workers and thereby facilitate mobility in these cross-border regions.