Capacity building strategy launched.

In January 2024, the implementation of the Capacity Building Strategy 2024-2030 of the European Labour Authority (ELA) began. The capacity building of the ELA is derived from its Founding regulation and aims to support the Member States of the European Union (EU) and to improve cooperation, knowledge sharing and mutual learning between Member States in order to promote the consistent application and enforcement of EU labour mobility legislation.

Capacity building refers to the process of improving the knowledge, skills and capabilities of individuals, organisations or systems so that they can perform their tasks effectively. The ELA's vision presented in the strategy is to support and oversee coordinated capacity building efforts in the Member States until 2025. By 2030, the end date of the strategy, the ELA should have established itself as a reference point and important partner for capacity building in the context of labour mobility in Europe.

Capacity building based on three principles

The flexible support through various measures that the ELA is planning as part of the strategy is based on the three principles of knowledge, networking and technical focus. Firstly, the ELA will collect and share information on the application and enforcement of EU labour mobility legislation. Secondly, networks between Member States and stakeholders involved in labour mobility are to be promoted. Thirdly, the focus will be on advanced tools and technologies for the electronic exchange of information between national organisations. The electronic exchange of social security data (EESSI) is also addressed here. The ELA is committed to get involved in the ongoing work and support it.

Putting the strategy into practice

The ELA's capacity building focuses on all stakeholders involved in labour mobility, including employees of national institutions, authorities and agencies, such as labour, social security, tax and transport authorities. Social partners, especially employers working in sectors with high labour market mobility, are also identified as both a target group and a cooperation partner. Based on this, the training needs of the target groups form the starting point for the conceptualisation of specific capacity building measures. A pilot study on training needs was already conducted between December 2022 and February 2023.

Various target group-orientated measures

The ELA's capacity building programmes are to be tailored to the specific needs and target groups. Accordingly, the strategy includes various sectoral and cross-sectoral activities aimed at promoting understanding and mutual learning, including different types of training programmes, study visits and exchange programmes, sharing of knowledge and best practices as well as workshops. There will also be an online platform on which interactive modules, e-learning courses, webinars and other educational materials will be accessible.

The strategy is to be implemented step by step until 2030, continuously evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively and adjusted as needed. The measures planned over the course of a year are presented in annual activity plans.