EWCs: Agreement reached on Directive rewrite

EU institutions reached a deal revising the European Works Council Directive, the deal does not feature GDPR-sized fines and/or injunctions. We will circulate a detailed commentary to members when we have the draft text...

The key points: On May 20, EU negotiators from the Council, Parliament, and Commission agreed on a revision of the European Works Council Directive. The agreement notably excludes provisions for injunctions and GDPR-sized fines. Details of the revised text are not yet public, but further information and commentary will be shared with member companies as soon as it becomes available.

Why this matters: This revision could directly affect how companies with European Works Councils operate, particularly regarding compliance and enforcement. The Directives transposition into law in Ireland will be important as many companies now base their EWCs in Ireland.

What you should be doing:  Stay alert for updates and, once available, review the revised Directive in detail to ensure your EWC practices remain compliant with the new rules. The Directive will proceed through the final legislative steps before coming into force.