The Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu, defended this Wednesday at the Forum Europa in Brussels the European social model as a "competitive advantage" for the EU and announced a minimum investment of 100 billion euros from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) for social objectives between 2028 and 2034.
During an event organised by New Economy Forum in the EU's capital, Mînzatu stressed that "the European social model is our selling point" and highlighted the need to maintain it as a central element in the digital and green transformation.
The Vice-President explained that a significant part of the funds will be allocated to improving and retraining workers' qualifications, with special attention to the digital and green skills demanded by the current labour market.
"Without a strong social fabric, without strong social cohesion, we cannot really think about the competitiveness or security of the EU project", she emphasised during her address to representatives from business, trade unions and European institutions.
The Commissioner announced that the Commission will present before July 2026 a fair labour mobility package that will include a skills portability initiative to facilitate the recognition of qualifications between countries.
She also announced that a roadmap for quality employment will be presented in December, which will prioritise decent working conditions in the context of digitalisation and just transitions.
"We need new tools and instruments", she stated, but not a "new paradigm" because we already have the "best model", argued Mînzatu about the European social model.
The Vice-President announced that next year the first European strategy against poverty will be presented, with special emphasis on combating child poverty, which she considers "unacceptable".
"Poverty is the most toxic and damaging enemy to our cohesion and our social fabric", warned the Commissioner, who has defended the need for coordinated action amongst Member States.
Mînzatu highlighted that the Commission will open its Blue Book traineeship programme to Vocational Training graduates from next year onwards, as a sign of recognition for these qualifications.
"Vocational jobs were never at the top and now even less so than in the past", she lamented, whilst announcing a 50% increase in the Erasmus+ mobility budget for VET students.
The Vice-President defended the role of social dialogue as a fundamental tool for managing transitions, citing the Nordic model of collective bargaining as an example.
"The real answer for the best possible navigation of the times we are seeing for employment and businesses is quality social dialogue", she concluded.
