FinMobility, together with FinUnions, organised a study visit to the European Labour Authority (ELA) in Bratislava with a Finnish delegation representing the road transport sector. The delegation included representatives from transport sector social partners, FinMobility member ALT and employer’s counterpart AKT, as well as representatives from MEP offices in the European Parliament’s TRAN and EMPL Committees.
The purpose of the visit was to gain a deeper understanding of ELA’s activities, current priorities and future developments in the field of labour mobility and enforcement.
Although ELA was established only in 2019, the agency has quickly become an important actor in supporting the free movement of workers and ensuring the fair application of EU labour mobility rules. ELA facilitates cooperation between national authorities, supports cross-border information exchange and coordinates joint inspections where several Member States are involved.
Road transport is among the most mobile sectors in Europe and therefore receive particular attention in ELA’s work. During the visit, participants discussed topics including the posting of workers, driving and rest time rules, social security coordination, tachograph enforcement and the growing role of data and digital tools in labour mobility.
ELA representatives also presented ongoing initiatives linked to digitalisation, including work related to the EU Digital Identity Wallet, ESSPASS and new digital information services. ELA, together with social partners, is also piloting a remuneration transparency tool for posted workers, for which road transport has been selected as one of the pilot sectors due to the highly mobile nature of its workforce.
The delegation also learned about ELA’s operational activities. Demand for joint inspections, training and practical cooperation has increased significantly in recent years. In 2026, ELA has already supported more than 80 inspections across Europe. The agency acts as a facilitator and coordinator, helping national authorities cooperate more effectively while enforcement itself remains the responsibility of Member States.
The visit also highlighted Finland’s increasingly active participation within ELA. Finnish authorities and institutions have gained recognition for their work in preventing labour exploitation and human trafficking, conducting targeted inspections and fostering effective cooperation between different authorities. Finland’s experiences and best practices are increasingly being shared across Europe.
FinMobility would like to thank the European Labour Authority for the warm welcome and valuable discussions. Special thanks go to Finland’s National Liaison Officer at ELA, Noora Mattsson, for facilitating the visit and preparing such a comprehensive programme for the delegation.
