This leaflet provides a short sample of the many ways trade unions get involved in improving the quality and effectiveness of European Youth Employment policies at national level. The leaflet is available in the links below in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

Letter to Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the Commission Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Johannes Hahn, European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Dear Vice-President, Dear Commissioners, The next EU-Egypt Association Council meeting, scheduled for 20 December, will primarily focus on implementing the 2017-2020 Partnership Priorities adopted on 16 June 2017.

This report of the ETUC and its Youth Committee contributes to the following aims: Need for a pool of systematic knowledge on what is happening at European and national levels in implementation of EU youth employment policies, with a focus on trade union involvement; provision of comparable cross-national information on existing practices of trade union involvement in EU youth employment policies; creation of a practical toolbox (recommendations) on trade union involvement in youth employment policies.

As the EU Japan FTA comes before the European Parliament the ETUC calls on MEPs to raise the threats it poses to workers’ rights, public services and social welfare.  We are concerned that the deal contains no enforceable provisions on workers’ rights. The sustainable development chapter of the agreement contains no independent enforcement court or sanctions when violations of labour rights occur which is essential to ensure commitments to labour standards are upheld as the ETUC has outlined in our progressive trade agenda.

EU Employment Ministers meeting in the Employment Council yesterday agreed to recommend that all member states should guarantee adequate and effective social protection - such as sickness, unemployment, maternity and paternity benefits and pensions - to all working people including the self-employed. Unfortunately the Ministers did NOT agree to recommend that mandatory social protection should include the self-employed – who now make up more than 15% of the Europe’s workforce - somewhat undermining the principle of equal social protection for all.

EU Employment Ministers today agreed a ‘general approach’ on the Regulation establishing a European Labour Authority (ELA). This now means the final regulation to set up the Authority will be negotiated in trialogue discussions between national government officials, MEPs and the European Commission.