Study supporting the impact assessment for the Skills Portability Initiative (SPI)
image by Foto von Jed Owen auf Unsplash
The Commission’s political guidelines for the period 2024–2029 aim to strengthen the EU’s prosperity and competitiveness by making the best use of all skills, regardless of where and how they were acquired. The Skills Portability Initiative (SPI) – one of the key pillars of the Union of Skills – aims to further facilitate labour mobility and provide workers and businesses with more opportunities to fully exploit the potential of the Single Market.
The SPI comprises three Actions:
- Action 1: a potential legislative proposal to facilitate worker mobility through improved transparency of skills and qualifications, and digitalisation;
- Action 2: potential measures to facilitate, modernise and expand recognition processes for regulated professions;
- Action 3: a potential legislative proposal for common rules for simplification of procedures for the recognition of qualifications and skills of third-country nationals.
As the proposed initiative (legislative proposal) is likely to have significant economic, social and regulatory impacts, an impact assessment must be carried out. This study (coordinated by Ecorys, BE, with 3s as consortium partner) therefore supports the impact assessment of Action 1 and the assessment of the overall impact of the Skills Portability Initiative as a whole (Actions 1, 2, 3).
The objectives of this study are:
- to provide evidence on the current situation regarding the portability of qualifications and skills across EU Member States, and how these are used in the labour market.
- to identify problems, drivers and challenges related to the portability of qualifications and skills in the EU, particularly with regard to transparency and digitalisation;
- to develop possible policy options to address these challenges;
- to assess the impact of these options.
Additionally, the project team will engage in consultation activities, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups and expert workshops, and will conduct case studies on relevant topics.
Project: Study supporting the impact assessment for the Skills Portability Initiative (SPI)
Contact: Karin Luomi-Messerer
Client: DG EMPL
Duration: 10/2025-12/2026
