In February, Parliament approved - by a large majority - the results of trilogue negotiations on EURES, the new European jobs platform. The free movement of workers is one of the EU's main achievements, as well as an important pillar.
Given the current high unemployment rates, especially among young people, this platform is hugely valuable for the European labour market. Safeguarding workers' freedom of movement is crucial for Europe's growth and development.
The EURES platform will connect all of the EU member states' job markets. Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein will also be part of the network. This will help find employees for vacant positions and offers for job seekers across the continent.
EURES can help reduce the imbalance between job offers and workers required within Europe. 8.9 per cent of the European workforce is currently unemployed, 10.2 per cent in the Eurozone.
Youth unemployment rates - people between the ages of 15 and 24 - are even higher, with 19.2 per cent in the EU and 22 per cent in the Euro area. Meanwhile, companies in, for example, Germany and Finland are desperately looking for skilled workers to fill hundreds of thousands of vacancies.
The European network of employment services was established in 1993; 31 countries are now members. Last month, there were 1.1 million vacancies, compared to 242,000 job seekers. So far, around 150,000 jobs have been conveyed annually by EURES. This number is likely to increase over the next few years with the installation of a new, easily accessible online platform. Anyone seeking employment deserves the chance to choose from a wide pool of offers.
Skilled workers who are unable to find a job in Athens or Barcelona should get the opportunity to work in Berlin or Copenhagen.
Young people are, of course, part of the EURES platform's main target audience. Unemployment in people under 24 is much higher than the overall rate.
The European Commission launched the 'My first EURESjob' initiative in an effort to bolster young job seekers with tailored recruitment services, in order to harness their potential. This should also help them find apprenticeships and internships, consequently facilitating their inclusion in the labour market.
Young workers are, without a doubt, a valuable source of innovation for many industries and branches. EURES' main objective is to bring together national employment services and private employment agencies, in order to boost job seekers' chances. On the new platform, social partners play a key role.
As representatives of employers and employees, job seekers and vacancy providers should be awarded with a voice in the process of increasing the European employment rate and securing the interests of all parties involved.
In the new directive, particular attention is paid to facilitating mobility in cross-border regions and to providing services to frontier workers who are subject to different national practices and legal systems.
By establishing EURES cross-border partnerships in cross-border regions, member states can address frontier workers' specific needs for information and guidance. They can also provide placement and recruitment services and develop cooperation between participating organisations. These cross-border partnerships are financially supported by EaSI, the EU programme for employment and social innovation.
The EURES headquarters, the European coordination office, are based within the European Commission.
This office operates the platform, and also serves as the help-desk for national employment services. Additionally, it is responsible for common training, communication and information, as well as best-practice exchanges between national agencies.
The national coordination office will be in charge of client services in each member state, providing information to job seekers and exchanging information with the European coordination office.
Another main goal of EURES is to make the recruitment process easier for both parties. As such, alongside the online platform and matching software, job seekers and providers can expect additional services from national public or private employment agencies, free of charge, courtesy of the new EURES directive.
Of course, no one will be forced to accept a job offer in another member state if they prefer to look for a job domestically. Nevertheless, research has shown that a change of location could double employability chances.
Gaining new skills, know-how and experiences, all thanks to a new environment, can definitely expand a person's horizons and could, in the long run, improve employability.
The EU and EEA member states have two years to implement the new directive. By June 2018, a fair system of registration and monitoring for national public and private employment services will be established.
Reports will be drawn up every two years in order to ensure maximum effectiveness and regularly improve usability. EURES is a valuable tool, but it remains relatively unknown in most parts of Europe. It is crucial for member states and the Commission to raise awareness of the platform, in order to harness its full potential for the European labour force.