Revision of the European Labour Authority’s mandate
PURPOSE: to strengthen the European Labour Authority (ELA).
PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.
ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.
BACKGROUND: the European Labour Authority (ELA) aims to contribute to ensuring fair labour mobility throughout the Union and to assist Member States and the Commission in coordinating social security systems in the Union.
The Commission carried out a first evaluation of the Authority’s performance, which was published in 2025. The evaluation confirmed that the Authority has addressed a previously unmet need for support in the effective implementation of Union labour mobility policies. At the same time, it identified certain limitations in the Authority’s current mandate.
Targeted modifications to Regulation (EU) 2019/1149 are necessary to enable the Authority to fully realise its potential. Relevant adjustments identified by the evaluation include enhanced data handling competencies, improved cooperation with Member States, including in terms of information provision, the Authority’s role vis-à-vis in situations involving certain third-country national workers and its responsibilities in the development of the European network of employment services (EURES).
This proposal for a revision of ELA’s mandate complements the other legislative proposals included in the Fair Labour Mobility Package, i.e. the proposal for a European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS) and the proposals under the Skills Portability Initiative.
CONTENT: the proposal aims to provide ELA with the adequate tools to enhance its strategic and operational capacity to contribute to the enforcement of EU law and improving the functioning of the internal market. The initiative provides for targeted legal adjustments. It leaves the Authority’s core objectives and main tasks unchanged.
Its specific objectives are as follows:
- improve access to, and quality of, information and support in cross-border labour mobility situations, so that individuals, intra EU mobile workers (including cross-border workers), third-country nationals, and employers are better able to exercise their rights and comply with their obligations;
- increase the number of individuals benefiting from cross-border mobility support and improve job-matching outcomes by increasing the efficiency of governance and operation of the EURES network and portal;
- improve the targeting and effectiveness of enforcement actions in cross-border situations, including cases involving third-country nationals by strengthening ELA’s analytical and operational support for concerted and joint inspections;
- simplify the ELA mediation procedure helping Member States to resolve cross-border disputes more quickly and avoid disputes, thereby reducing costs and uncertainty, and improving administrative cooperation.
These targeted measures will improve protection for workers, including third-country nationals, given that more targeted and effective inspections will aid the enforcement of compliance with labour standards.
Workers and jobseekers will also derive advantages from smoother cross-border mobility owing to improved information provision, counselling and job-matching through EURES. Employers will benefit from a reduction in unfair competition as well as from improved job-matching through EURES, better access to information and counselling, which will reduce the compliance and recruitment costs associated with cross-border operations.
Budgetary implications
This proposal has budgetary implications at EU level. Reinforcing the Authority’s operational capacity requires additional human and financial resources. This cost notably relates to improvements concerning information provision and counselling for individuals and employers through the provision of grants, increased inspection capacity, the development of internal data-analysis capacity and the Authority’s complementary responsibilities concerning third-country nationals. The adjustments in the area of mediation do not have budgetary implications.
The funding sources and the extent of the EU’s financial commitment beyond 2027 will depend on the outcome of the interinstitutional negotiations on the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework. Thereafter they must be determined through the annual budgetary procedure.