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OPINION (COM(2023)0335 – C90209/2023 – 2023/0199(COD))

On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’) and amending Directive 2003/87/EC, Regulations (EU) 2021/1058, (EU) 2021/1056, (EU) 2021/1057, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) 2021/1060, (EU) 2021/523, (EU) 2021/695, (EU) 2021/697 and (EU) 2021/241

EMPL-AD-753709

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs · Rapporteur: MariePierre Vedrenne

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The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs proposes amendments to the proposed regulation establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP). It wants the platform to address labour and skills shortages and mismatches, promote quality jobs, training and apprenticeships, and apply social award criteria. The amendments add references to social dialogue, gender equality, people with disabilities, young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs), and cooperation with education and training providers and the European Net Zero Industry Academies. They also require the Sovereignty Seal to be awarded to actions meeting the platform's objectives and requirements, and allow strategic projects to receive cumulative funding without exceeding total eligible costs. The opinion asks for a publicly available Sovereignty portal accessible to all users, including users with disabilities, and for exceptional pre-financing of 30% for ESF+ priorities contributing to STEP objectives, including training in net-zero technologies.

Committee position. The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs proposes amendments to the STEP regulation to strengthen its social dimension: addressing labour and skills shortages, promoting quality jobs, training and apprenticeships, applying social award criteria, and ensuring accessible information and exceptional pre-financing for ESF+ priorities.

Key points

  1. The committee calls on the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy to take its amendments into account.
  2. The amendments add to the recitals that the Union should promote open and rules-based trade and quality jobs, and address labour shortages and skills mismatches.
  3. They state that STEP should address root causes of shortages, boost integration into the labour market, promote social dialogue, quality jobs and paid or remunerated apprenticeships, especially for young and disadvantaged persons, NEETs and young people with disabilities.
  4. They add that the Commission should swiftly rationalise and simplify reporting requirements by 25% for green, digital and economic areas, and recall that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of social cohesion.
  5. They require STEP funding to be deployed without unnecessary administrative burden, in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights, and with a geographically balanced distribution of projects.
  6. They specify that a Sovereignty Seal should be awarded to projects contributing to the two STEP objectives and meeting minimum quality requirements.
  7. They state that the ESF+ should support investments for a skilled and resilient workforce while supporting individual growth and choices of workers.
  8. They provide that exceptional pre-financing should apply to STEP priorities, with an increased EU financing rate of 100%, and that managing authorities should apply social award criteria and promote social positive outcomes.
  9. They amend Article 2 to make the platform promote inclusive access to training and attractive, quality jobs for all, and to delete the separate objective on addressing labour and skills shortages.
  10. They add a new subparagraph requiring the platform to address skills shortages through training and lifelong learning, in cooperation with social partners and existing education and training initiatives, including the European Net Zero Industry Academies.
  11. They define social award criteria to include compliance with labour and social law and collective agreements, skilling, upskilling and reskilling, gender equality, diversity, inclusion of people with disabilities and NEETs, and quality apprenticeships, and require their use in public procurement.
  12. They require the Sovereignty portal to be accessible to all users including users with disabilities and to display ongoing and upcoming calls linked to the European Net Zero Academies and other training initiatives.

Who is affected

  • Workers and jobseekers, especially young people, NEETs, people with disabilities and women, who would benefit from training, apprenticeships and quality jobs.
  • Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which the amendments describe as the backbone of social cohesion and which should face reduced regulatory burden.
  • Managing authorities, which should apply social award criteria and promote social positive outcomes when implementing STEP objectives.
  • Projects supported by the platform, which must comply with social award criteria in public procurement and can receive cumulative funding.
  • Users of the Sovereignty portal, including users with disabilities, who should have access to information on funding opportunities.

Figures and deadlines

  • 25%: the reduction in reporting requirements for each of the green, digital and economic thematic areas.
  • 100%: the increased EU financing rate available for STEP priorities.
  • 30%: the exceptional pre-financing on the basis of the allocation to ESF+ priorities contributing to STEP objectives.
  • 31 December 2024: the deadline by which the exceptional pre-financing shall be paid.
  • 31 October 2024: the deadline by which the Commission must have adopted the decision approving the programme amendment.