The European Union is deeply committed to enhancing the quality of life for all its citizens. This commitment is reflected in a wide array of policies and initiatives designed to improve living and working conditions across Member States. Factors such as access to quality healthcare, robust education systems, and efficient transport networks are all crucial components of this overarching goal. Recognizing contemporary challenges like social exclusion and demographic shifts, the EU continuously adapts its strategies to ensure a high standard of living for everyone in Europe.
EURES and Employment Opportunities Across Europe, Including Luxembourg
A central pillar of the EU’s social policy agenda is fostering employment and facilitating job mobility. The European Commission prioritizes initiatives aimed at tackling unemployment and creating a dynamic European labor market. Among these key initiatives is the European Employment Services network, better known as EURES. EURES plays a vital role in supporting the European Employment Strategy by providing information, guidance, and recruitment services to both jobseekers and employers across Europe, including in Luxembourg. Alongside EURES, tools like the EU Skills Panorama contribute to a comprehensive approach to employment within the EU.
For individuals considering working in Luxembourg, Eures Luxembourg serves as an invaluable resource. It provides tailored support and information about the Luxembourgish job market, living and working conditions, and the practicalities of moving to Luxembourg for employment. Whether you are an EU citizen seeking new career prospects or a Luxembourgish employer looking to recruit talent from across Europe, EURES Luxembourg offers essential services to facilitate the process.
Health and Healthcare: A Priority for the EU and Luxembourg
Health is undeniably a fundamental value that significantly impacts daily life. For Europeans, maintaining good health is a top priority, and EU policies reflect this concern. A healthy environment is considered essential for personal and professional growth, and EU citizens increasingly expect high standards of health and safety in the workplace, as well as access to quality healthcare services. Furthermore, the need for accessible medical treatment while traveling within the EU is a key consideration. EU health policies are strategically designed to address these crucial needs and expectations.
The European Commission employs a coordinated approach to health policy, implementing numerous initiatives that complement the efforts of national public authorities in Member States like Luxembourg. These joint actions and objectives are consolidated within EU health programmes and strategies, ensuring a unified and effective approach to healthcare across the Union.
The current EU4Health Programme (2021-2027) stands as the EU’s ambitious response to the far-reaching COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing the pandemic’s profound impact on patients, healthcare professionals, and health systems throughout Europe, EU4Health extends beyond immediate crisis response to focus on strengthening the resilience of healthcare systems for the future.
Established by Regulation (EU) 2021/522, EU4Health allocates substantial funding to eligible entities, health organizations, and NGOs from EU member countries, as well as non-EU countries associated with the program. With a significant investment of €5.3 billion (in current prices), EU4Health supports actions that provide clear EU added value, complementing national policies and pursuing key objectives:
- Improving and Fostering Health in the Union:
- Disease prevention and health promotion initiatives.
- International health collaborations and initiatives.
- Tackling Cross-border Health Threats:
- Prevention, preparedness, and response mechanisms for cross-border health threats.
- Complementing national stockpiling of essential crisis-relevant products.
- Establishing a reserve of medical, healthcare, and support personnel.
- Improving Medicinal Products, Medical Devices, and Crisis-Relevant Products:
- Ensuring the availability and affordability of medicinal products, medical devices, and crisis-relevant products.
- Strengthening Health Systems, their Resilience, and Resource Efficiency:
- Enhancing health data infrastructure, digital health tools and services, and the digital transformation of healthcare.
- Improving access to healthcare services for all citizens.
- Developing and implementing EU health legislation and evidence-based decision-making processes.
- Promoting integrated collaboration among national health systems.
Education and Training Opportunities in the EU
Europe boasts a rich and diverse educational landscape with deep historical roots. As early as 1976, education ministers recognized the importance of collaboration and established an information network to facilitate understanding of educational policies and systems within the then nine-nation European Community. This initiative underscored the principle of respecting the unique character of each Member State’s education system while simultaneously fostering coordinated interaction between education, training, and employment sectors. Eurydice, the European information network on education, was officially launched in 1980, further solidifying this commitment to knowledge sharing and collaboration.
Building upon information exchange, the focus expanded to student mobility in 1986 with the introduction of the Erasmus programme. This initiative has since evolved into the Erasmus+ programme, widely recognized as one of the EU’s most successful and impactful initiatives, promoting educational and cultural exchange across Europe and beyond.
Seamless Transport and the Schengen Area: Enhancing Mobility within the EU
Transport has been a cornerstone of EU common policies since the inception of the European Community. Since the Treaty of Rome in 1958, EU transport policy has prioritized the removal of border obstacles between Member States. This focus aims to ensure the swift, efficient, and cost-effective movement of people and goods across the continent, fostering economic dynamism and social cohesion. The transport sector is a significant contributor to the EU economy, generating 10% of its GDP, equivalent to approximately one trillion Euros annually, and providing over ten million jobs.
The Schengen Area, operational since March 1995, represents a landmark achievement in European integration. By abolishing internal border controls among signatory states, the Schengen Convention created a single external frontier governed by a common set of rules for checks. Today, the Schengen Area encompasses the majority of EU countries, with Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, and Romania being the exceptions. However, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania are actively progressing towards full Schengen membership and already implement significant portions of the Schengen acquis. Notably, non-EU countries like Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein have also joined the Schengen Area, further expanding the zone of free movement.
Air Transport liberalization within the EU has resulted in tangible benefits for passengers, including lower fares and a wider selection of airlines and services. The EU has also established a comprehensive framework of air passenger rights to ensure fair treatment and protection.
Air passenger rights guarantee specific entitlements concerning flight information, reservations, baggage damage, delays and cancellations, denied boarding, accident compensation, and package holiday issues. These rights apply to both scheduled and chartered flights, domestic and international, departing from an EU airport or arriving at an EU airport from a non-EU country when operated by an EU airline.
Rail Transport has been the focus of significant Commission initiatives over the past 25 years aimed at restructuring the European rail market and enhancing its competitiveness compared to other modes of transport. The Commission’s efforts have concentrated on three key areas vital for a robust and competitive rail industry:
- Opening the rail transport market to increased competition.
- Improving the interoperability and safety standards of national rail networks.
- Developing and modernizing rail transport infrastructure across Europe.
By focusing on these key policy areas, the EU strives to create a better quality of life for all its citizens, fostering a more prosperous, mobile, and healthy European society. For those looking to explore career opportunities in Luxembourg, remember that EURES Luxembourg is there to assist you in navigating the job market and making your move a success.
