Questions and Answers on Fair Labour Mobility Package

How will the package make labour mobility fairer for people moving across EU borders?

Documents proving social security and health insurance as well as qualification will be available digitally in the EU Digital Identity Wallet. It means they will become easier to check across borders and will help citizens use their social security rights, health insurance and qualifications.

The skills portability initiative will make it easier for workers to use their qualifications across the EU, both in regulated and non-regulated professions. New qualifications will be issued digitally free of charge for everyone, whether or not they work in another Member State.

People returning to their country will also benefit from the new rules. Ensuring that that the rules which apply will be properly enforced, wherever the worker comes from, will bring better protection from abuse for mobile workers, and it will protect those who stay from unfair competition.

The package will also strengthen the role of the European Labour Authority (ELA) in supporting people working abroad and enforcing EU labour mobility and social security coordination rules.

How will the package support businesses?

The European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS) will reduce paperwork and provide more legal certainty for businesses operating across EU borders. It will be easier for them to follow the rules when sending employees abroad for a short time. Standardised procedures, binding issuance deadlines and faster verification will reduce administrative burden and waiting times. Common information requirements for requesting the so-called ‘portable document A1' (PD A1), which is needed for posting workers temporarily in another EU country, will provide better interoperability with the e-declaration portal. That way, the same data is not submitted twice for the posting of workers. This is particularly important for SMEs, which represent 99% of EU businesses, and sectors such as construction and services.