This milestone reflects the dedication, efforts and commitment of national authorities and ELA to protect workers’ rights and address suspected irregularities in the application of the Union labour mobility Law. Immediately after its establishment, ELA together with all involved stakeholders set up an effective cross-border enforcement framework, enabling national authorities, national social partners, and ELA itself to initiate, carry out and follow up on concerted and joint inspections (CJIs).

Thanks to this framework, the first-ever cooperation mechanism at the EU level in the field of labour mobility was established and the number, scope and geographical coverage of cross-border enforcement activities have rapidly expanded: 11 CJIs in 2021, 37 in 2022, and already 52 this year. The mission for the future is unequivocal: to bolster the capabilities of competent national authorities in safeguarding the rights of individuals exercising their freedom of movement and efficiently addressing cross-border irregularities. Out of all CJIs, 14% have targeted the agriculture sector, 22% on construction, and an expressive 54% have focused on road transport. CJIs are progressively extending to other sectors, such as HORECA, inland waterways and passenger transport. This sectoral coverage closely aligns with the agreed annual priority areas of ELA, which largely correspond to national priorities and, as such, will remain high on our agenda.

The wealth of experience gained through the participation in cross-border inspections, supported by ELA, and the seamless cooperation and information exchange among Member States, facilitated by the National Liaison Officers, have played an instrumental role in solidifying ELA’s position as the main partner for competent authorities and social partners when confronted with challenges related to intra-EU labour mobility. In this pivotal role, ELA provides much-needed operational, logistical, and expert support.

A noticeable shift towards increased communication with ELA in the context of inspections was mentioned in a recent interview with Belgian authorities1: “A new trend of communicating more with ELA in the context of labour inspections was noted by the Belgian Police. Following this operation, the Police have been in more frequent contact with ELA and have actively sought its assistance.” Additionally, the interview highlighted ELA’s pivotal role in facilitating cooperation and information exchange between social security institutions: “ELA was essential in the facilitation of the transmission of information and exchange of information between the social security institutions of Belgium and Portugal.”

ELA’s aspirations remain both ambitious and pragmatic, underpinned by operational agility. ELA aims to build up its own capacity, as well as national authorities, to address urgent issues in the most effective way. For this, it invests heavily in strengthening cooperation with its key enforcement stakeholders and works shoulder to shoulder with national authorities to ensure the most serious cases are addressed and that cross-border cooperation is daily business for labour and social inspectors across the EU. Each successfully completed cross-border inspection stands as a testament to ELA stakeholders’ adaptability, innovation, and tenacity to transform challenges into opportunities. It also demonstrates how high the protection of mobile workers’ rights is on Member States’ agendas.

Bratislava, 16 October 2023

The European Labour Authority (ELA), through its diligent efforts, contributes significantly to strengthening fairness and trust in the internal market. It assists Member States and the European Commission in ensuring the fair and effective enforcement of EU rules on labour mobility and social security coordination. It also simplifies the process for citizens and businesses to harness the benefits of the internal market.