EU proposes creation of “Single Digital Declaration” portal to reduce administrative burden for companies posting workers in EU

The European Commission has presented a proposal to create a web portal for submitting digital posting declarations for companies temporarily posting workers to other EU Member States. This initiative aims to simplify administrative procedures for the approximately 5 million workers posted to EU countries each year, eliminating the need for companies to navigate between different national systems.

Currently, employers face significant difficulties in managing the different procedures and documentation requirements in each Member State. The proposed portal aims to streamline this process, reducing costs and administrative efforts, while ensuring full protection of posted workers' rights in accordance with existing national and European regulations.

Main features of the portal for single digital declarations

1.     Reduction of administrative burden

The portal will introduce a single model that will replace the 27 current national models and will be accessible in all European Union languages. This will allow companies to save around 73% of the time spent on procedures for submitting posting declarations, thanks to an optimised process that will require only 30 essential data relating to workers and posting.

2.     Voluntary adoption by Member States

Member States will have the choice of adopting the portal or not. For those that do, the simplified system will make it easier to comply with the requirements for submitting declarations, contributing to the Commission's objective of reducing administrative burdens for companies by around 25%.

3.     Greater transparency and regulatory compliance

Member States will be able to provide posted workers with copies of their declarations, ensuring full transparency of the process, and this tool will also enable national authorities to monitor and enforce the regulations more effectively, in line with the highest standards of worker protection.

4.     Integrated cooperation through IMI

The portal will be integrated with the Internal Market Information System (IMI), which is already used by Member States to exchange information and ensure compliance with posting rules. This proposal builds on existing systems for reporting road transport workers, which have been operational since 2022.

Benefits for businesses and workers

Simpler reporting: A unified, multilingual and intuitive system that reduces complexity for service providers.

Greater protection for workers: Improved supervision will strengthen enforcement and protect the rights of posted workers.

More effective inspections: Streamlined processes for submitting and updating declarations will enable authorities to conduct targeted and efficient labour inspections.

The European Commission's initiative builds on the "New Industrial Strategy 2020" and is in line with the "March 2024 EU Action Plan" on Labour and Skills Shortages. It has also been included in the Commission Work Programme 2024, reflecting the priority of improving competitiveness while ensuring strong protections for workers.

Conclusion

The proposed Single Digital Declaration Portal represents a significant step forward in reducing barriers for businesses, while maintaining high standards in protecting the rights of posted workers. By simplifying processes and promoting cooperation, it promises to improve both the efficiency of cross-border services and the protection of workers across the EU.

Official source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_5784

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