Agreement on European Labour Authority - a major success for the S&D Group
Date
14 Feb 2019
Sections
Social Europe & Jobs
The negotiators of the European Parliament and the Council struck today a deal to set up a European Labour Authority (ELA) in order to end labour exploitation, tackle undeclared work in Europe and ensure fair mobility of workers across the EU. The Socialists and Democrats, who have been calling for such a body for many years, welcomed the outcome of the negotiations.
S&D negotiator on the European Labour Authority, Georgi Pirinski MEP, said:
“The establishment of ELA represents a major achievement for the S&D Group, since we have been calling for many years for the creation of such a body. The European Labour Authority is now called upon to ensure the strict observance of labour rights, to counter exploitation, and eradicate cases of present-day slavery at European level.
“The S&D is proud to have secured the inclusion of social partners in the deliberations of the management board of ELA. This will definitely help ELA to fulfil the high expectation we vested in it.
“Given the exclusive competences of national authorities within member states, S&Ds also succeeded in defining the role of ELA as a body actively promoting cooperation between such authorities on a voluntary basis.”
S&D spokesperson on employment and social affairs, Agnes Jongerius, MEP, added:
“It is not enough to draft good legislation at European level. It is also necessary to ensure that it is properly implemented, applied and enforced afterwards. The European Labour Authority will do all that, helping us fight against exploitation of workers in Europe.
“I am proud that during the negotiations, the S&D managed to include fighting letter box companies into the mandate of the European Labour Authority. Companies that are trying to circumvent paying a proper wage or labour rights through malicious constructions will now have to fear inspections and fines for their practices. All workers in Europe will be better protected from now on.”
Note to editors:
The vote on the outcome of the trilogue is foreseen for 19 February 2019 in the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, followed by a plenary vote in April 2019. The Authority will be up and running in 2019 and is expected to reach its full operational capacity by 2024.