One of the pivotal discussions of the day centered on the potential introduction of a new EU Directive on Quality Traineeships. Chiara Monti, Deputy Head of Unit for ‘Future of Work, Youth Employment’ at the European Commission, introduced the debate, during which participants highlighted the need to establish stronger guidelines to ensure that traineeships provide meaningful learning experiences while safeguarding the rights of young workers.

MEP Dennis Radtke, European Parliament rapporteur on European Works Councils (EWCs) joined for a further debate on a revision of the European Works Councils (EWC) Directive. The discussion emphasised the need for clearer and more enforceable regulations to protect workers’ rights within multinational companies operating across the EU and for better dialogue between employees and management, ensuring that workers are adequately represented in decisions impacting their working conditions, particularly in times of company restructuring or transnational change.

Following a workshop in collaboration with the European Policy Centre (EPC) on October 8 on the labour inclusion of Ukrainian refugees, Anastasia Karatzas, Policy Analyst at the EPC, presented key takeaways from this workshop. Subsequent discussions centered around best practices to integrate Ukrainian refugees into the EU labor market, highlighting the challenges these individuals face, such as recognition of qualifications, language barriers, and securing stable employment. As such, the debate aimed to inform policy recommendations to facilitate smoother transitions for refugees into the workforce, contributing both to their personal stability and to the broader European economy.