EFFAT - European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions

10/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/09/2025 11:18

EWC Directive: Today’s Vote Brings Us Closer to Truly Effective EWCs and Greater Workplace Democracy

EWC Directive: Today's Vote Brings Us Closer to Truly Effective EWCs and Greater Workplace Democracy

Oct 9, 2025| Company work, Featured, In the spotlight, Press release

Brussels, 9 October 2025

Today, the European Parliament voted in favour of legislation that will deliver key improvements for the European Works Council (EWC) Directive and millions of trade union representatives and working people in transnational companies.

Members of the European Parliament overwhelmingly approved the provisional agreement to revise the EWC Directive, following successful negotiations with the Council this May.

Notably, the new text delivers:

  • Better access to justice with clarification that legal costs should be borne by Management.
  • Legal certainty on the definition of transnational matters ensuring consultation takes place when envisaged transnational matters may have impact on workers' interests. This should apply where a decision impacting one country potentially impacts another, also considering level of management involved in this decision.
  • Guarantees on timely access to information, and meaningful consultation before central management takes decisions.
  • Recognition of Trade Union role in SNBs and EWCs.
  • The phase-out of exempted pre-1994 agreements that can be renegotiated if they do not deliver.

Additionally, the new Directive would substantially enhance the quality of EWCs across EFFAT's sectors, most notably with the improved subsidiary requirements, including a minimum of two meetings per year, and clarification on the timeline for negotiating EWC agreements.

Thanks to EFFAT's advocacy, the text also outlines the possibility for franchises to qualify as part of a company's undertakings for its EWC.

Enrico Somaglia, EFFAT General Secretary noted: "EWCs can be a crucial trade union tool to anticipate change and deliver for working people in transnational companies. Yet the 2009 Directive had become outdated and was full of loopholes and inconsistencies. The Parliament's decision today delivers meaningful progress and offers us an opportunity to better use EWCs as a tool to build union solidarity and cooperation, anticipating change through effective and meaningful information and consultation."

William Eddershaw, EFFAT Company Policy Officer said: "EFFAT coordinates more than 130 EWCs across our sectors. We have always placed EWCs at the heart of our trade union action in TNCs. We see the positive impact they have in society and how they strengthen Europe's economy. In a time where we see many attacks on social rights, it is heartening to know that we can still make improvements for working people in Europe."

EFFAT congratulates Rapporteur MEP Dennis Radtke, the EMPL Committee's negotiating team, and the European Parliament for its efforts.

We now call on Member States in the Council to ensure a swift adoption of this new Directive.

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EFFAT - European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions published this content on October 09, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 09, 2025 at 17:18 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]