Mihai Tudose, a Romanian MEP from the Socialists and Democrats group, has asked the European Commission what measures it plans to take to address labour and skills shortages by mobilising the European workforce, rather than relying on international recruitment. Tudose's written question, submitted on 9 June 2026, cites Eurobarometer data showing that 46% of EU SMEs struggle to find workers with adequate skills, and points to bureaucratic obstacles in recruiting from outside the EU. He argues that prioritising education for young people and retraining for adults within Member States would be a more sensible approach.
The MEP highlights figures from the Commission's 2025 labour market report: 51 million working-age citizens are not in employment, 13 million are unemployed, and nearly 1 in 10 young people drops out of school, with Romania reaching 15.5%. These 93 million citizens at risk of poverty and social exclusion represent untapped human potential, Tudose contends.
Tudose's question contains no specific numerical targets or deadlines but calls for a strategic shift toward domestic workforce activation. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will signal whether it plans to adjust its skills policy to focus more on EU-based solutions. The issue affects SMEs across sectors such as construction, healthcare, cleaning, catering, and transport, as well as unemployed and inactive EU citizens who could benefit from retraining programmes. National education and training systems would also be impacted by any new EU measures.
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