Regulation 2019/1149 - European Labour Authority, amending Regulations (EC) No 883/2004, (EU) No 492/2011, and (EU) 2016/589 and repealing Decision (EU) 2016/344 (Text with relevance for the EEA and for Switzerland) - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 186/21

The freedom of movement for workers, the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services are fundamental principles of the internal market of the Union, enshrined in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

Pursuant to Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), the Union is to work for a highly competitive social market economy, aiming at full employment and social progress, and to promote social justice and protection, equality between women and men, solidarity between generations and combatting discrimination. Pursuant to Article 9 TFEU, the Union, in defining and implementing its policies and activities, is to take into account requirements linked to the promotion of a high level of employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection, the fight against social exclusion, and the promotion of a high level of education, training and the protection of human health.

The European Pillar of Social Rights was the subject of a joint proclamation by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission at the Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth, in Gothenburg on 17 November 2017. That Summit emphasised the need to put people first in order to further develop the social dimension of the Union, and to promote convergence through efforts at all levels, as confirmed in the conclusions of the European Council following its meeting on 14 and 15 December 2017.

In their Joint Declaration on the EU’s legislative priorities for 2018 to 2019, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission committed themselves to taking action to reinforce the social dimension of the Union, by working on improving the coordination of social security systems, by protecting workers from health risks in the workplace, by ensuring fair treatment for all in the Union labour market through modernised rules on posting of workers, and by further improving cross-border enforcement of Union law.

In order to protect the rights of mobile workers and to foster fair competition between companies, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), it is crucial to improve the cross-border enforcement of Union law in the area of labour mobility and to tackle abuse.

A European Labour Authority (the ‘Authority’) should be established in order to help strengthen fairness and trust in the internal market. The Authority’s objectives should be clearly defined, with a strong focus on a limited number of tasks, in order to ensure that the means available are used as efficiently as possible in areas where the Authority can provide the greatest added value. To that end, the Authority should assist the Member States and the Commission in strengthening the access to information, should support compliance and cooperation between the Member States in the consistent, efficient and effective application and enforcement of the Union law...