A major step for fair labour mobility in the EU: on 15 May 2025, Italy and France signed a new bilateral agreement to strengthen data exchange on unemployment benefits — a key measure to detect and prevent cross-border fraud and error in the social security field. 

The agreement was signed during a workshop co-organised by ELA and INPS (Italy’s National Social Security Institute) in Rome, with the full support of ELA. The two-day event, “Cooperation and data exchange to improve cross-border social Security services and tackle fraud and error”, brought together public authorities from across Europe as well as the European Commission to explore practical ways to supporting the implementation of this agreement, where necessary and continue improving coordination in tackling fraud in the field of social security. 

“I would like to congratulate the Italian and French authorities on signing this important cooperation agreement on data exchange today. This strengthened cooperation aims to improve cooperation in tackling cross-border fraud and error in social security. ELA gladly supports such initiatives and continues to stand ready helping Member States with targeted actions and reinforced cooperation ensuring fair and effective labour mobility.”
— Cosmin Boiangiu, ELA Executive Director 

The agreement between INPS and France Travail includes free-of-charge digital data exchange based on predefined risk scenarios, focusing on unemployment and wage compensation schemes — areas increasingly impacted by cross-border work. 

The workshop gathered representatives from nine Member States — Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain — along with the European Commission, to share operational experience and identify new areas for joint action. Key institutional participants included INPS President Gabriele Fava, INPS Director General Valeria Vittimberga, Romolo De Camillis from the Italian Ministry of Labour, Benoit Abeloos from DG Employment, and ELA Executive Director Cosmin Boiangiu. 

Through this and similar initiatives, ELA continues to support practical cross-border cooperation, helping Member States strengthen social security coordination and ensure fair, rules-based labour mobility across the EU.