On 29 January 2026, the European Commission published Recommendation (EU) 2026/311, focusing on attracting talent to strengthen innovation within the European labour market.
Through this document, the Commission highlights the strategic need to attract and retain third-country nationals with high qualifications or strong innovative potential as a key element to sustain economic growth, reinforce competitiveness and consolidate the European Union’s technological leadership.
The attraction of international talent is particularly relevant in sectors considered critical for European competitiveness and strategic autonomy. Among these, the Commission explicitly identifies:
- Information technologies
- Communications
- Artificial intelligence
- Advanced materials manufacturing
- Cybersecurity
- Biotechnology
This initiative forms part of a broader vision: positioning the European Union as an attractive and stable environment for the development of high value-added projects and for the consolidation of highly specialized professional profiles.
The Commission’s statement comes at a particularly sensitive moment for the European economy. The initiative is justified by the persistent shortage of skilled labour in sectors that are strategic for the development and competitiveness of the internal markets of the Member States.
Available data show a worrying trend: since 2015, the shortage of qualified personnel has doubled, and without corrective measures the deficit of talent in the identified critical sectors is expected to continue increasing.
Among the structural causes of this situation, the Commission highlights the obstacles that prevent the full use of the potential of third-country nationals. Although highly qualified professionals are available worldwide, complex migration procedures, regulatory fragmentation and limited coordination among Member States continue to represent significant barriers to planning and implementing labour mobility to the European Union.
In this context, the Recommendation calls on Member States to strengthen cooperation with partner countries in order to improve talent attraction and facilitate both the relocation and effective integration of skilled professionals into the European labour market.
Enhanced cooperation is presented as a key instrument to:
- Build mutual trust between countries of origin and destination
- Simplify and harmonise migration procedures
- Reduce the existing regulatory fragmentation among Member States
The Commission also identifies structural shortcomings that currently reduce the EU’s attractiveness as a professional destination:
- Slow processing of visas and permits
- Limited access to consulates abroad
- Lack of clear, transparent and easily accessible information on immigration requirements
In practice, these factors often lead highly qualified professionals to choose other markets that offer faster and more predictable procedures, diverting both investment and human capital away from the European Union.
As a response, the Commission proposes a range of measures and invites Member States to adopt concrete initiatives aimed at reducing administrative barriers, accelerating procedures and strengthening the competitiveness of the European labour market in attracting international talent.
Measures to speed up visa processing
The Commission stresses the need to facilitate both the submission and assessment of applications for long-term visas and residence permits. Member States are encouraged to move towards procedures that are:
- Faster and with predictable processing times
- Fully digitalised
- Transparent and easy to understand, particularly for applicants abroad
The objective is to reduce administrative burdens and improve the applicant’s experience, thereby increasing the EU’s attractiveness as a professional destination.
Measures to simplify admission conditions
According to the Commission’s recommendations, Member States should reduce the number of documents required when submitting visa applications, limiting requirements to those strictly necessary. Legislators are also encouraged to promote dialogue aimed at aligning requirements across different countries in order to facilitate intra-European mobility.
With specific reference to the EU Blue Card, which is designed for highly qualified workers, Member States are invited to consider reducing salary thresholds for occupations or sectors currently experiencing structural labour shortages.
Measures to streamline admission procedures
The Recommendation also focuses on simplifying documentation requirements. Member States are encouraged to limit documentation requests to those strictly necessary for the evaluation of applications, avoiding duplication and disproportionate administrative burdens.
Greater alignment between national frameworks is also promoted in order to reduce regulatory differences that currently hinder the mobility of highly qualified professionals within the EU.
Review of salary thresholds under the EU Blue Card
With regard to the EU Blue Card — a mechanism designed to attract highly skilled workers — the Commission encourages Member States to consider lowering salary thresholds in sectors or professions affected by structural shortages.
This measure aims to better adapt the instrument to current labour market realities and increase its effectiveness as a tool for attracting talent in strategic areas.
Measures to strengthen administrative capacity
The Commission identifies the limited operational capacity of certain national administrations as a critical issue. Consequently, it recommends that Member States:
- Increase human and technical resources dedicated to migration procedures
- Expand the availability of appointments and reduce waiting times
- Improve internal administrative management in order to shorten processing times
The objective is to ensure that third-country workers can regularise their situation within reasonable timeframes and with greater legal certainty.
The Commission also emphasises the importance of investing in the specialised training of staff within the competent authorities, in order to improve the technical quality of assessments, harmonise decision-making criteria and strengthen the overall efficiency of the system.
Our support
At Feliu N&I, we understand that attracting international qualified talent is not merely an operational matter but a strategic factor for business growth. For this reason, we provide comprehensive advisory services to our clients in the identification, hiring and mobility of highly qualified professionals, regardless of their country of origin.
We continuously monitor legislative developments and regulatory changes affecting international mobility, both in Spain and across the European Union, as well as in other relevant jurisdictions. This approach allows us to provide updated and structured advice, supporting informed decision-making with full legal certainty.
Our multidisciplinary team, specialised in corporate immigration, visas and work permits, supports companies throughout every stage of the process: initial feasibility assessment, migration planning, document preparation, submission of applications and follow-up until resolution.
For detailed information regarding the hiring of foreign qualified professionals in Spain or assistance with the processing of permits for highly skilled professionals, please feel free to contact our teams.
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