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BENNIS Hamza
In Employment, Employment, Impact community Labour, Impact community Labour, Press, Publications, Skills, Skills

Strengthening Europe’s social dimension 

Workplace - News

The European Pillar of Social Rights should focus on quality, investment, and upward convergence across Member States 

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The European Pillar of Social Rights is intended to reinforce the EU’s social dimension and rebalance economic and social priorities. Public services and services of general interest (SGIs) are at the heart of this process, as they underpin citizens’ quality of life and provide the infrastructure for sustainable growth. 

Rather than producing new legislation, the priority should be to ensure that existing EU social rules remain fit for purpose. The current Social Acquis already includes around 70 directives that protect workers and guarantee rights. What is needed now is stronger enforcement and, where necessary, modernisation, for example, revisiting the Working Time Directive to provide clarity for employers and employees alike. 

The Pillar also offers an opportunity to introduce benchmarks that compare and measure social policy developments across Europe, within the framework of the European Semester. Such benchmarking could improve transparency, highlight gaps, and support upward convergence while respecting the diversity of national systems. Importantly, this approach should apply to all EU Member States, not just the euro area. 

A stronger social dimension requires reliable and predictable investment in both physical and social infrastructure, from transport and energy to education, healthcare, and social services. To make this possible, fiscal rules may need to be reviewed so that key public investments can be prioritised without undermining sustainable growth. 

The success of the European Pillar of Social Rights will depend on respecting subsidiarity and recognising national differences, while at the same time providing common principles to guide reform. By focusing on quality, enforcement, and strategic investment, the Pillar can help Europe reduce inequalities, strengthen essential services, and support sustainable growth across all territories. 

Read the declaration here 

For more information, contact: 

BENNIS Hamza
In Employment, Employment, Impact community Labour, Impact community Labour, Press, Publications

Review of the working time directive

Work - News Section

CEMR calls for a balanced review of the Working Time Directive that respects local autonomy and public service delivery 

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In response to the European Commission’s public consultation on the review of the Working Time Directive, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) reaffirms its long-standing position: any revision must safeguard both the health and safety of workers and the ability of local and regional governments (LRGs) to deliver quality public services. 

CEMR welcomes the opportunity for dialogue, while stressing the importance of flexibility, subsidiarity and legal clarity in any future proposals. The organisation emphasises that solutions must be tailored to the realities of the public sector at the local level and negotiated by social partners closest to those realities. 

A Directive in need of modernisation… but not at any cost 

Unchanged since 2003, the Working Time Directive is due for modernisation. However, CEMR warns that changes must not impose one-size-fits-all rules that hinder municipalities and regions’ capacity to organise their services effectively. 

CEMR supports a legislative framework that allows space for social dialogue, enabling employer-employee solutions that reflect local conditions and needs. It also opposes extending the scope of the Directive to cover areas beyond health and safety, such as pay, reconciliation of work and private life, or new work patterns, which are either beyond EU competence or should be left to national and local arrangements. 

Flexibility, Clarity and No Overreach 

In its response, CEMR reiterates the need for: 

  • Flexibility to adapt working time rules to diverse services and contexts; 
  • Respect for local autonomy and social partner agreements; 
  • Clarity and legal certainty to avoid confusion and facilitate implementation; 
  • No new legislative initiatives until the full impact assessments are published and analysed. 

CEMR’s position is rooted in its 2011 policy paper, which remains relevant due to the lack of substantial follow-up from the European Commission since its adoption. Until more is known from the latest assessments and stakeholder feedback, CEMR believes any legislative action would be premature. 

“Local and regional governments are employers and service providers. They know best how to balance workers’ rights with the need to ensure essential services run smoothly, day and night.” 
— Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) 

Read the position paper here 

For more information, contact: 

BENNIS Hamza
In Employment, Employment, Impact community Labour, Impact community Labour, Press, Publications

Protecting local services 

Public procurement services - news

A new Charter asserts local governments’ rights over how public services are organised and delivered

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CEMR adopts European Charter to defend local self-government and services of general interest!

Local and regional governments are on the front lines of delivering essential public services, from waste collection and housing to education and healthcare. Yet, their ability to make decisions on how these services are provided is increasingly shaped, and at times constrained, by EU internal market rules. In response, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has adopted the European Charter on Local and Regional Services of General Interest, a call to reaffirm the role of local democracy in public service delivery. 

This Charter sets out fundamental principles to ensure that municipalities and regions retain the freedom to define, organise, and deliver services in the way that best responds to local needs. It highlights that there is no “one-size-fits-all” model for public service provision, it is up to elected local governments to choose between direct delivery, public-private partnerships, outsourcing, or other legal forms. 

The Charter underlines the growing tension between the EU’s market-oriented approach and the principle of local self-government. While the European Commission has promoted internal market rules as a tool for efficiency and competition, local and regional governments stress that services of general interest are not merely economic activities. They are social responsibilities, rooted in democratic choice and proximity to citizens. 

Key articles in the Charter emphasise: 

  • Local autonomy to decide how services are defined and delivered; 
  • Exemptions from internal market rules for non-commercial, social, cultural, educational, or environmental services; 
  • Recognition of inter-municipal cooperation and in-house provision as valid and lawful approaches; 
  • Limits to EU intervention, stressing proportionality and subsidiarity. 

CEMR is concerned that recent rulings from the European Court of Justice and some Commission practices risk undermining these democratic rights by imposing market principles too rigidly. This Charter is both a political statement and a tool for advocacy, calling on EU institutions to rebalance their approach and respect the democratic space of local and regional authorities. 

In the broader context of building a strong and democratic Europe, CEMR’s message is clear: strong local services need strong local democracy. The Charter is a step forward in ensuring that local voices remain central to the future of public service provision in Europe. 

Read the Charter: 

For more information, contact: 

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