The European Commission has evaluated the European Labour Authority.

On 26 May, the European Commission presented an evaluation of the work done by the European Labour Authority (ELA) to date. According to the ELA's founding regulation, the European Commission is obliged to carry out such an evaluation every five years. The first evaluation covers the period from the authority’s establishment in July 2019 through to the year 2023. In preparation, the European Commission conducted a public consultation in 2024.

Contents of the ELA's mandate and its tasks

The ELA was founded in 2019 with the mandate to support the Member States of the European Union (EU) in implementing and enforcing EU law in the labour mobility sector and coordinating the social security systems. It acts as a central platform for networking the national administrations, and it also provides support for cross-border inspections and conflict mediations.

Evaluation results

The European Commission has underlined the growing importance of ELA with regard to the more than 14 million EU citizens who live or work in another Member State. During the period under review, the ELA supported the Member States in 168 cross-border labour inspections and checked the situation of more than 13,500 employees, particularly those in high-risk sectors such as agriculture, construction and transport.

The ELA has also made noticeable progress in implementing its tasks, especially in easing access to information in the labour mobility sector, supporting joint cross-border controls and strengthening cooperation between Member States. The stakeholders also highlighted the ELA's translation service, as well as its coordinating role and the successful transfer of knowledge between national authorities.

What needs to be improved?

The evaluation also identified areas for improvement for the still young organisation. Mediation activities for combating and preventing conflicts should be used more extensively and expanded. Only four mediation procedures were recorded during the evaluation period. Furthermore, the ELA has no possibility within the scope of its mandate to become involved in recruiting and placing third-country nationals with companies within the EU. Supportive intervention by the ELA in the event of certain risks for posted workers from third countries - such as exploitative working conditions - is possible in principle, but would require expanded power to act. Additional resources would also be needed to implement ELA's tasks, for example to conduct inspections. Therefore, there is also an urgent need for the organisation to have its own staff, as the organisation currently employs mostly Seconded National Experts (SNEs).

Conclusion of the evaluation

ELA’s work has gained in importance and relevance due to current labour market policy developments, the increasing mobility of employees - including those from third countries - and digital, green and demographic transitions. In its evaluation, the European Commission stated that the ELA's mandate only allows limited room for action and therefore, this needs to be revised in order to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of its activities. The European Commission is also asking the ELA to prepare an action plan so that it can reorganise itself based on the findings of the evaluation.

Political outlook

Roxana Mînzatu, the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, welcomed the European Commission's evaluation of the ELA, which underlined the importance of the ELA in supporting fair labour mobility within the EU. The ELA must be further strengthened, for example through the review of its mandate. She also announced a corresponding proposal for early 2026 as part of a more comprehensive package for fair labour mobility.