Taking into account the EU unemployment hitting record levels and forecasts of a grim economic outlook for the months ahead, the European Commission has come forward with a set of concrete measures that will help job creation and set how EU funds can be used to make long-term investments in human capital. It also identifies the areas with the biggest job potential for the future, such as: the green economy, health services and ICT. The package, that includes a policy communication “Towards a job-rich recovery” underlining the need for a stronger employment and social dimension to EU governance and lays down ways to involve employers’ and workers’ representatives more in setting EU priorities, will be discussed at a high level employment conference on 6-7 September 2012. As part of the Policy communication, the EFN is closely following the Action Plan for the EU health workforce (page 25) which is extremely important for the nurses, as it will centre around 4 core areas: planning & forecasting; skills & competences; recruitment & retention strategies; and global migration & mobility, particularly in the context of the WHO Global Code of Practice. While high unemployment rates should be addressed, the EFN stresses the importance of the Action Plan in ensuring, above all, that a high quality workforce capable of delivering the best care possible is in place.