I voted in favour of Establishing a European Labour Authority because I believe that the EU needs more resources to ensure that its rules on labour mobility are effectively enforced.
Further, the EP’s amendments to the Commission’s proposal as regards the introduction of specific references to recognised Union sectoral social partners, representing sectors particularly concerned by labour mobility issues, are commendable.
Such an authority should work hard on assuring that information about the different social security systems is provided clearly to EU workers moving from one country to the other.
However, it must be clear that my vote in favour is conditionedby the following reservation.
The creation of this new agency should be done in a way to strengthen the Commission’s work on labour rights, and not to simply offload the Commission’s work to a second less prominent entity.
In no way should this be seen as a go-ahead for the Commission to decentralise its role,or to be less involved in the protection of labour rights for EU workers.
A new labour authority is welcome only in the context of strengthening the EU’s work toward EU labour rights, and not vice versa.
Final Vote: 459 votes in favour; 160against; 41 abstentions
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