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Answer to a written question – Skilled labour shortage in the EU – E-001778/2025(ASW)

Source: European Parliament

The ‘Choose Europe’ initiative announced by the President of the Commission on 5 May 2025[1] will dedicate EUR 500 million in 2025-2027 to ensure Europe continues to attract the brightest researchers around the world, with a new long-term ‘super grant’ from the European Research Council, and a pilot under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions[2] to attract scientists early in their career in Europe.

The Commission’s Action Plan on labour and skills shortages[3] sets out 87 actions that the EU, Member States and social partners should take to tackle these shortages, including supporting skills development and attracting talent from outside the EU.

The Commission is setting up new skills partnerships under the Pact for Skills[4], co-financing more Centres of Vocational Excellence[5] and boosting the work on Skills Academies in net zero technologies and cyber skills[6]. Once established , the EU Talent Pool[7] will facilitate the recruitment of jobseekers from non-EU countries in EU-wide shortage occupations.

The Union of Skills[8], adopted on 5 March 2025, aims for a ‘radical’ step-up in both ambition and action to deliver education and skilling in the EU. It is accompanied by a new Action Plan on Basic Skills[9] and a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Education Strategic Plan[10].

It announces a European Skills High Level Board, a European Skills Intelligence Observatory and a new EU-27 Recommendation on education and skills.

T he Commission will adopt in 2026 a new European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training and a Skills Portability Initiative.

Attracting, developing and retaining talent in the EU is a key part of the Union of Skills. T he Commission will present a new Visa Strategy for skilled workers and is fostering cooperation through reinforced talent partnerships[11].

  • [1] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ac_25_1137/AC_25_1137_EN.pdf.
  • [2] https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/.
  • [3] Commission Communication on Labour and skills shortages in the EU: an action plan, COM(2024) 131 final (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52024DC0131).
  • [4] https://pact-for-skills.ec.europa.eu/about/regional-skills-partnerships_en.
  • [5] https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/skills-and-qualifications/skills-jobs/centres-vocational-excellence_en.
  • [6] https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/skills-and-qualifications/working-together/blueprint-sectoral-cooperation-skills_en.
  • [7] Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an EU Talent Pool (COM/2023/716) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52023PC0716).
  • [8] Commission Communication on the Union of Skills, COM(2025) 90 final (https://op.europa.eu/publication-detail/-/publication/5c5c5399-fa8a-11ef-b7db-01aa75ed71a1).
  • [9] https://education.ec.europa.eu/document/action-plan-on-basic-skills-legal-document.
  • [10] https://education.ec.europa.eu/document/stem-education-strategic-plan-legal-document.
  • [11] https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/legal-migration-and-resettlement/talent-partnerships_en.