Brussels, 12th October 2009

As the Swedish Presidency and the European Commission work to prepare the ground ahead of the Spring European Council discussion on the post 2010 Lisbon Strategy, Eurociett, the European federation of Private Employment Agencies, has published a position paper with the industry’s contribution on Europe’s future priorities in employment policy.

“Shaping the Social and Employment Dimension of the European Union’s Post-Lisbon Strategy”, recommends that any future EU Growth and Jobs Strategy should focus on raising employment levels and labour market participation; facilitating access to the labour market, especially for the young and unemployed; reconciling flexibility and work security; upgrading skills and qualifications; and promoting work mobility.

“The upcoming debate at EU level on the “Post-2010 Lisbon Strategy” is of vital importance, as it will provide a framework for adapting and reforming labour markets and economies to current and future needs, not least recovery from the economic crisis,” commented Denis Pennel, Managing Director of Eurociett. “The key role played by the industry in helping to meet the requirements of the Lisbon Strategy, through its contribution to increasing employment and competitiveness, was recognized by the European Council back in June 2008 and we want to ensure that the potential contribution of the industry is fully recognized and tapped moving forward.”

The industry is calling for the new EU Growth and Jobs Strategy to encourage Member States to:

Recognise the positive contribution of private employment agencies to the five pillars for Growth and Jobs and encourage Member States to share best-practices.

Adapt national regulation on temporary agency work, particularly by lifting existing, unjustified restrictions, thus helping to offer more work opportunities for more people and easing transitions in the labour market. The Implementation of the EU Directive on Temporary Agency Work is an important instrument in this context, as it calls upon Member States to review their national temporary agency work regulation and to lift unjustified restrictions.

Implement Flexicurity policies building on the four components of Flexicurity and encourage Member States to strengthen cooperation between public employment services and private employment agencies in the framework of these policies.

Strengthen the investment in skills and vocational training, thereby by providing access to new skills for new jobs.

Promote work mobility at all levels, thus covering particularly geographical, occupational, social and contractual mobility.

Agency work has contributed to maintaining jobs and boosting job creation in Europe over the past decade with research showing that 80% of the jobs carried out through agency work would otherwise not have existed. It also facilitates labour market access, particularly for young people and first time entrants, who are significantly overrepresented among temporary agency workers. It is key to any Flexicurity policy approach, as it reconciles labour market flexibility and work security for both companies and workers and enhances work mobility in the labour market

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