International standards are playing an increasingly important role in market governance and often have a direct impact on health, safety and the environment. In most cases, these norms are defined by experts, without the participation of civil society representatives. This Policy Brief presents the... Find out more

The fiscal constraints imposed by the new European economic governance have had a detrimental effect on public investments in the member states in recent years.This policy brief proposes to implement the 'Golden Rule of Public Investment' , a rule which states that net public investments - increases... Find out more

The EU has often been accused of soft approach to trade-labour linkages in trade agreement by the inclusion of labour provisions in the trade and sustainable development chapter and by a focus on cooperation and dialogue. Rather than focusing on hard enforcement proceeding, the EU is not yet... Find out more

Construction is an industry characterised by highly fragmented labour relations which are the result of long and complex subcontracting chains as well as of the use of agency workers, self-employment and transient employment. Free movement of labour within the EU, especially after the enlargement to... Find out more

Workers’ right to be represented on the board (of directors, or supervisory board) of their company is so widespread in Europe that it is deemed a core element of the European social model. Yet, very little is known about how those participation rights operate in practice.This Policy Brief outlines... Find out more

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) pose the most widespread occupational health problem in the European Union. Their high incidence bears witness to the intensification of working conditions that is affecting growing numbers of employees in industry and services.This policy brief looks at the work... Find out more

The European legislation on occupational health and safety has failed to achieve any substantial reduction in the incidence of work-related accidents and disease.The author of this Policy Brief argues that the regulatory approach is effective only in cases where employers actually care about the... Find out more

This Policy Brief demonstrates how legal ambiguities in the EU’s regulatory framework on worker mobility between EU member states allow companies to circumvent social regulations in order to save on labour costs.Taking concrete examples from Finland and the Netherlands, the authors show that firms... Find out more

The increasing politicisation of the better regulation agenda, including REFIT, the latest initiative in this context, has led to the introduction of a rhetoric according to which any piece of legislation is deemed an obstacle to growth, competitiveness and employment, as well as particularly... Find out more

This Policy Brief provides an overview of female employment in the EU and of how it is affected by a transition to motherhood, as well as of recent policies devised to remedy the post-2008 unemployment crisis. It also investigates the link between job quality and women’s employment patterns. The... Find out more