Getting to know ELA: a discussion with European capitals

Last week, the European Labour Authority’s (ELA) Executive Director Cosmin Boiangiu held fruitful exchanges with national authorities in Slovakia, Romania, Croatia and Slovenia. These meetings kicked-off a round of discussions during which Mr Boiangiu, who took office in December 2020, will present the Authority’s mission and vision to all EU countries.

In Slovakia, the Authority’s host country, ELA’s mediation task and its ambition to deliver an effective mediation procedure in all the area of labour mobility was discussed.

The question of seasonal workers was an important topic of the meeting in Romania. In addition, an upcoming workshop on capacity building involving training centres in several EU Member States was announced.

ELA’s support through capacity building activities was also discussed in Slovenia. As part of this task, the Authority will offer hands-on assistance in the application, cooperation and enforcement of EU rules on labour mobility and social security coordination.

All countries expressed their readiness in taking part in joint and concerted inspections, one of ELA’s main tasks. However, the issue of ensuring that inspections are carried out safely during the pandemic was raised in Croatia.

During the meetings, Mr. Boiangiu presented the European Labour Authority’s role and priorities and exchanged on specific national challenges. “The COVID-19 pandemic confirmed the need for better provision of information to individuals and employers, enhanced cooperation and exchange of information between competent national authorities, and a more effective enforcement of EU rules. In this, there is a clear role for ELA” declared the Director.

Regarding the operational priorities of the Authority, the Director announced that during the first part of 2021, ELA will focus on the impact of the pandemic on labour mobility, including dedicated actions on seasonal workers, road transport and construction sector. “We want to involve as many EU countries as possible in these activities, in cooperation with social partners, and show that ELA begins to effectively fulfil its mandate while at the same time consolidates its capabilities” highlighted Mr. Boiangiu.