EMPL

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

NEWSLETTER - JUNE I 2023

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Welcome to this June edition of the EMPL Newsletter, which

highlights EMPL's involvement in the Porto Social Forum, sheds light
on EMPL's activities regarding health and safety at the workplace,
and as usual, provides an overview of upcoming events and votes.
Do you want to keep abreast about the latest news of the
Committee? Follow us on twitter.
Dragoş Pîslaru,
Chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Selected News

Porto Social Forum: MEPs advocate for a strong social Europe

A nine-Member EMPL delegation took part in the Porto Social

Forum on 27 May. This year's main themes of the Forum were:
the European Year of Skills and the European Social Model.

The committee prepared a "Resolution on a roadmap towards a

Social Europe: two years after Porto", under the co-sponsorship
of Denis Radtke and Agnes Jongerius, that both took stock of
major initiatives and also underlined the need to continue
implementing the social objectives agreed in Porto in 2021.

The Forum saw 37 European leaders, the European Commission, the European Parliament
represented by Dragoş Pîslaru, Dennis Radtke and Agnes Jongerius, signing an open letter renewing
the commitments of the Porto Social Summit for 2030, foreseeing the acceleration of the target for the
European Child Guarantee, as well as in the dimensions of skills and qualifications in the world of the
dual transition (digital and environmental).

In the context of the European Year of Skills, the forum underlined the pressing need for upskilling
and reskilling to effectively meet the evolving demands of today's and tomorrow's job market. Its
central objective was to strengthen Europe's social agenda, with a particular emphasis on education
and skills development as vital enablers of employment opportunities.

Composition of the EMPL delegation

The EMPL delegation comprised the Committee Chair Dragoş Pîslaru, Dennis Radtke (EPP, DE)
and Agnes Jongerius (S&D, NL), the two co-rapporteurs of the resolution on a roadmap towards a
Social Europe, Jose Manuel Fernandes (EPP, PT), Estrella Durá Ferrandis (S&D, ES), Max
Orville (Renew, FR), Rosa D’Amato (Greens, IT), Beata Szydło (ECR, PL), and Joao
Albuquerque (S&D, PT).

The Porto Social Forum

The 2023 Porto Social Forum commemorated the two-year anniversary of the Porto Social
Summit, which focused on the adoption of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and on the
implementation of its 20 principles. It brought together Ministers of Social Affairs and Labour from
member states, Commissioner Schmit, the presidents of the European Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions as well as social partners and stakeholders.
The forum, scheduled to take place every two years, was organised by the Portuguese government in
cooperation with the European Commission, with the involvement of the European Parliament and
was endorsed by the Swedish Presidency of the Council.
Spotlight on health and safety at work
Shaping legislation protecting the Union's workers and preventing
work-related diseases is at the core of EMPL's priorities. Presently,
two legislative proposals are being examined by the Committee, one
on protecting workers from risks related to asbestos, another one on
protecting workers from lead and diisocyanates; EMPL Members
also participated in the 2023 Occupational Safety and Health
Summit:

Protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to

asbestos at work
Rapporteur: Véronique Trillet-Lenoir (Renew, FR)
Asbestos is the main cause of occupational cancers. This substance was banned at European level in
2005 but is still present in many buildings and infrastructures, including transport. Following the
publication of a commission proposal on 28 September 2022, EMPL, on 26 April 2023, adopted its
Report and a decision to enter into inter-institutional negotiations on the basis of that report. A first trilogue
on the protection of workers from risks associated with asbestos exposure at work took place on 11 May
2023. The three institutions reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to enhancing occupational health and
safety (OSH) as part of a broader strategy to achieve an asbestos-free future. The next trilogues are
scheduled on 7 and 15 June 2023.

Proposal on lead and its inorganic compounds and diisocyanates

The Rapporteur Nikolaj VILLUMSEN (The Left, DK) will present his draft report on the Commission
proposal setting limit values for diisocyanates and lead.
The report endorses the proposed limit value for diisocyanates, but puts forward a number of amendments
in respect of lead. Most importantly, it reduces the biological limit value to the maximal European reference
value of 4.5μg Pb/100ml, which is important to protect women of childbearing age and to ensure equal
protection for all workers regardless of gender.
Lead, widely used across various industries, is an occupational reprotoxic substance that accumulates in
the body and can affect sexual function and fertility for both men and women, and the development of the
foetus or offspring. Diisocyanates, commonly used in polyurethane production, can result in occupational
asthma and dermal diseases – allergic reactions.
Deadline for amendments: 6 June 2023.

OSH stocktaking summit

The first Vice-Chair Alicia Homs Ginel (S&D, ES) together with Antonius Manders (EPP, NL), Marianne
Vind (S&D, DK) and Nikolaj Villumsen (The Left, DK) represented the EMPL Committee at the 2023
Occupational Safety and Health Summit, which examined the implementation of the Strategic Framework
on Health and Safety at Work 2021-2027. The event explored several core key themes for the EMPL
committee, such as mental health at work, the 'vision zero' approach to eliminating work-related deaths,
and the impact of climate change on occupational safety and health. The event was organised by the
Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, on 15 and 16 May in Stockholm.
Link to the latest EU-OSHA report "Occupational safety and health in Europe: state and trends 2023"
released in May 2023.

Highlights of the EMPL Committee Meeting 8 June

Statistics on population and housing

Members will discuss the draft report on "Statistics on population
and housing" of Rapporteur, Sandra Pereira (The Left, PT). The
report emphasizes the significance of statistical knowledge in
comprehending and addressing complex issues faced by
populations, including poverty, inequalities, limited infrastructure and
public services, housing, gender equality, and energy assessment.
Population and housing statistics play a critical role in facilitating
comparisons between countries and conducting demographic
analyses and are crucial to evidence-based European policymaking.
Deadline for amendments: 13 June 2023.
Reducing inequalities and promoting social inclusion in times
of crisis for children and their families.
Sandra Pereira (The Left, PT) will present her draft report on
"Reducing inequalities and promoting social inclusion in times
of crisis for children and their families." The report emphasizes
the importance of investing in policies that positively impact children's
lives, and highlights the significant role of high-quality public services
such as healthcare, education, housing, and culture and leisure
activities in achieving this goal. This pledge addresses several
principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights. The report calls for
a strong national and EU-level policy response to address the
challenges ahead and ensure a sustainable and inclusive social Europe.
Deadline for amendments: 30 June 2023

New jobs in the context of climate and digital transitions

Sarah Matthieu (Greens/ALE) will be presenting her draft report on
"Job Creation: Just Transition and Impact Investment", which
emphasizes the need to address the issue of new jobs in the context
of climate and digital transitions. While up-skilling and re-skilling are
important, the report stresses that a just transition involves more than
just skills. It calls for green economy opportunities, decent work and
skills, public policy coherence, and investment in sustainable job
creation.
Deadline for amendments: 28 June 2023

Coming up in next Committee meetings

Items on the agenda of 28 June

Consideration of Draft Report:

• Limit values for lead and its inorganic

compounds and diisocyanates
Rapporteur: Nikolaj VILLUMSEN (The
Left, DK)
Link to the draft report
Deadline for amendments: 6 June 2023
Votes scheduled on 28 June
Consideration of Draft Opinions:
Fostering and adapting vocational
training: • Net Zero Industry Act
Rapporteur: Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE
• Rapporteur: Anna ZALEWSKA (Renew, FR)
(ECR, PL) Link to the draft opinion
Deadline for amendments: 7 June 2023
• Link to the Draft Report
• Implementation report on the EU-UK
• Link to the Amendments tabled in
Trade and Cooperation Agreement
the Committee
Rapporteur: Dragoş PÎSLARU (Renew,
Establishing a Single Market emergency RO)
instrument Link to the draft opinion
Deadline for amendments: 7 June 2023
• Rapporteur: Marc ANGEL (S&D, LU)
• General budget of the European Union
• Link to the Draft Report for the financial year 2024
• Link to the Amendments tabled in Rapporteur: Dragoş PÎSLARU (Renew,
the Committee RO)
Deadline for amendments: 4 July 2023
Two-years anniversary of the child guarantee

To mark the two year-anniversary of the Child Guarantee, the

EMPL Committee backed by its Working Group on the Child
Guarantee is organising an Interparliamentary Committee
Meeting on the 28 June. With the participation of high level
politicians, national parliamentarians, national coordinators of
the Child Guarantee and children’s representatives, the event
should explore National Action Plans from the 27 Member
States. Focus will be not only on practices and lessons learnt so
far, but also on concrete proposals to accelerate the reduction of
child poverty and social exclusion across the EU.

Available research

Minimum health and safety requirements for the protection of

mental health in the workplace. The study focuses on the analysis
of national legislation and best practices across the EU Member
States that address health and safety requirements for the protection
of mental health at work. The study reveals that efforts at EU and
national level are currently insufficient to protect employees from
psychosocial risks. EU-level legislation on work-related psychosocial
risks is therefore needed to set the minimum health and safety
requirements for mental health at work. Link to the study

Policy instruments to tackle social inequalities related to climate

change. Assesses the extent to which policy frameworks at EU and national level are equipped to tackle
the socioeconomic impacts associated with climate action policies, identifies gaps and outlines
recommendations for action that could be taken up by the European Parliament in future policy
debates. At a glance overview - Study.

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Contact the editor: European Parliament, Secretariat of the Committee on the Employment and Social Affairs, email: empl-
secretariat@ep.europa.eu
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Images copyright: Images used in "Highlights meeting of 8 June" and "Available research" under the license of
https://stock.adobe.com/ | Copyright for the picture of Mr. Pislaru and pictures used in "Health and Safety at work" and "Votes"
sections: European Parliament.

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