A sober and workable framework for the EU talent pool

MEP Assita Kanko welcomes the agreement on the EU Talent Pool. This online platform connects jobseekers from outside the EU with hard-to-fill vacancies for which no suitable candidates are available locally. “It’s a useful tool—not a backdoor to migration,” Kanko emphasises.

Restoring balance after an overreaching proposal

According to Kanko, the left-liberal rapporteur in Parliament initially went too far. The original mandate would have turned the Talent Pool into a de facto migration instrument. During the negotiations, Kanko steered it back on course, aligning it more closely with the European Commission’s intention: a practical matching platform to help fill labour shortages, while fully respecting the competences of the member states.

Clear limits on migration and abuse

The agreement makes it crystal clear that each member state retains full control over visas, work permits, labour market checks, and all migration procedures. Nothing is being relaxed. The deal also introduces strict safeguards:

• only employers lawfully established in the relevant member state can participate
• a register will track companies that break the rules
• profiles based on false declarations will be removed
• inactive profiles will be deleted after one year
• jobseekers are clearly informed that registration does not guarantee access or the right to stay

A practical tool for businesses

Kanko describes the final text as “realistic and workable.” Less red tape, clear rules, and a platform that does what it’s meant to do: support Flemish and European businesses in the global war for talent.