The European Council today agreed on a proposal for an EU Talent Pool, an online platform designed to match jobseekers from outside the EU with job vacancies for shortage occupations of EU employers. The aim is to make the EU labour market more competitive and tackle shortages by facilitating the recruitment of talent from third countries.
“The Council’s position aims to reconcile principles of fair recruitment with a secure and comprehensive migration system while also reinforcing the position of the European Union in the global race for talent,” said a spokesperson.
Jobseekers from third countries will be able to register their profiles on the Talent Pool platform, providing information about their skills, qualifications, work experience, and language knowledge. The platform will also list job vacancies from employers in the EU.
The EU Talent Pool is expected to help overcome challenges faced by European employers wanting to recruit internationally and by third country jobseekers. These challenges include uncertainty about the accuracy, quality, and comparability of qualifications and skills obtained abroad, difficulties in accessing and understanding information about recruitment processes, and the high costs associated with these procedures.
As the EU Talent Pool is designed to tackle labour market shortages, only job vacancies that refer to designated national or EU-wide shortage occupations will be listed.
Participation in the Talent Pool will remain voluntary for member states, in line with the Commission proposal. However, the Council decided that when member states join the scheme, they should indicate which entities are allowed to take part in the Talent Pool – employers, temporary work agencies, private employment agencies, or labour market intermediaries.
The Council has also established a withdrawal procedure, with clear rules and safeguards to ensure system stability. A participating member state may withdraw from the EU Talent Pool at any time, but it must notify its decision to the Commission no later than 6 months before the desired exit date.
Based on the position member states agreed on today, the Council will be able to start negotiations with the European Parliament to find agreement on the final legislation.
The proposal was presented by the European Commission on 15 November 2023. It is part of the skills and talent mobility package of the EU which aims to attract more talent from outside the EU and to facilitate mobility within.
“The EU Talent Pool is a significant step towards making the EU labour market more competitive. It not only provides a platform for jobseekers and employers but also addresses the challenges of international recruitment,” said an EU official.
