The head of Labor, Solidarity, and Social Security, Rosário Palma Ramalho, emphasized that labor mobility in the European Union should be ensured not only between citizens of member states but also among workers from third countries.
“It is essential, and we have also reached this conclusion, to strengthen cooperation between authorities to ensure formal rather than informal or clandestine mobility. When well-regulated, mobility increases productivity and cohesion between member states and citizens,” stated the minister at the closing of the Porto Social Forum.
Rosário Palma Ramalho further noted, following discussions on the fourth European Pillar of Social Rights dedicated to quality employment, that ministers achieved “some consensus” and several conclusions.
“These conclusions signify an open collective commitment for subscription, and to that end, we have already sent them during this session to all social partners and member states,” said the minister, handing over a dossier to the Director-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission.
Earlier today, the Porto Social Forum, held in the city, opened the possibility of implementing a fourth European Pillar of Social Rights, specifically focused on measuring quality jobs, as stated by the Vice-President of the European Commission, Roxana Mînzatu, to journalists.
“We discussed the possibility, but these are just conversations. Beyond the three Porto targets included in the European Pillar of Social Rights—the unemployment rate, lifting people out of poverty, and adult qualification—we talked about potentially having a fourth goal: measuring quality jobs. Because what is measured can be achieved,” Mînzatu told journalists today at the Palácio de Cristal in Porto.
Rosário Palma Ramalho noted, on the same occasion, that “it will be up to the member states [of the European Union] to evaluate” the European Commission’s ideas.
“Today, we will have an initial conversation on this matter among ministers,” she added.
Following the contacts made, the Portuguese official handed the dossier to the European Commission’s representative.
The European Commission conducted in Porto an assessment of the progress in implementing the Action Plan of the European Pillar of Social Rights, whose targets were set during Portugal’s EU Council presidency.
Under the theme “Quality Jobs in a Competitive Social Europe,” the Porto Social Forum provides an opportunity to assess “progress made in implementing the Action Plan of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the EU’s three social objectives for 2030 regarding employment, training, and poverty reduction,” announced the European Commission in a statement released on Wednesday.
In May 2021, when Portugal held the rotating presidency of the EU Council and António Costa was the Prime Minister, a social summit was held in Porto which gave new political impetus to implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights, setting goals such as achieving a 78% employment rate, ensuring 60% of adults receive annual training, and taking 15 million people out of the risk of poverty or social exclusion.
The Porto Social Forum is an initiative of the Portuguese government, supported by the European Commission, in collaboration with the European Parliament and the European Council.
