On 4 December 2025 the Commission published the Quality Jobs Roadmap, a flagship initiative to promote quality jobs across the European Union. The Roadmap sets out a comprehensive approach to improving working conditions and job transitions for workers and self-employed, while remaining competitive in a fast-changing global context.
Improving job quality across the EU relies in particular on effective systems of social dialogue and collective bargaining. This is why the Commission has worked closely with social partners in designing the Roadmap and remains committed to working hand in hand with them throughout its follow-up.
A Roadmap shaped with social partners
Between April and June 2025, the Commission carried out consultations with around 200 organisations, gathered more than 100 written contributions and held over 50 discussions across the EU.
At EU level, all 88 recognised European social partners were consulted through a series of dedicated meetings, including the cross-industry Social Dialogue Committee and the 44 EU Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees, resulting in 11 joint contributions and 32 unilateral submissions. At national level, the Commission held consultations in all 27 Member States, reaching 111 national organisations and gathering 52 written inputs from 19 Member States.
On 12 December, Stefan Olsson, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), presented the Roadmap to the representatives of the cross-industry and sectoral social partners at EU level in a dedicated meeting, thanking them for their input.
Social dialogue and collective bargaining as enablers
The Quality Jobs Roadmap places social dialogue and collective bargaining as fundamental enablers of quality jobs. It reaffirms the importance of collective bargaining to ensure wage adequacy across the EU and including the commitment of the Commission to the monitoring of the Minimum Wages Directive. This comprises the requirement for Member States with collective-bargaining coverage below 80% to put in place enabling frameworks and an action plan to reinforce collective bargaining systems.
The Roadmap also highlights the role of social dialogue and collective bargaining in the enforcement of labour standards. Through structured dialogue, social partners help translate rights into real protections at work, ensuring the effective implementation of existing rules.
Social dialogue is equally important for information and consultation processes, especially in managing digital, green and industrial transitions where early engagement of workers contributes to fair transitions. The Roadmap stresses that collective bargaining, when promoted through social conditionalities in public funding, allows workers to benefit from the support provided to industry.
Enhancing social dialogue across the EU
The Quality Jobs Roadmap reaffirms the Commission’s intention to support social dialogue and collective bargaining. Together with the Employment Committee (EMCO), the Commission will keep improving data collection on social dialogue and promoting the sharing of good practices, helping Member States in the implementation of the 2023 Council Recommendation on Strengthening Social Dialogue.
As regards EU financial support, the Roadmap affirms that financial means will remain available for social partners at both EU and national levels, as well as from candidate countries, contributing towards strengthening their capacity to engage in meaningful dialogue and effective negotiations. This reflects the commitments taken under the Pact for European Social Dialogue.
Towards a Quality Jobs Act
As a key deliverable, and to complement the actions in the Roadmap and strengthen their impact, the Commission will propose a Quality Jobs Act as announced by President von der Leyen in the State of the Union address in September 2025.
In line with Article 154 (2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the Commission has launched the first-stage consultation of European social partners to obtain their views on the possible direction of EU action to further improve quality jobs. It will run until 29 January 2026. Subject to social partners’ views and their decision on potential negotiations, the Commission will follow up with a second-phase consultation in the spring of 2026.
More information
Quality Jobs Roadmap: Communication
Details
- Publication date
- 12 December 2025
- Author
- Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion