FEASIBILITY STUDY ON PLATFORM FOR UNDECLARED LABOUR

The European Commission (DG Employment Directorate) has commissioned Regioplan Policy Research to carry out a study called: ‘Feasibility study on establishing a European platform for cooperation between labour inspectorates, and other relevant monitoring and enforcement bodies, to prevent and fight undeclared work’

The aim of this study is to provide the Commission with an independent in-depth analysis on the feasibility and added value of creating a European platform for cooperation between labour inspectorates, and other relevant monitoring and enforcement bodies, to prevent and fight undeclared work. The precise configuration of this platform for coordinated European action, needs to be debated and an evidence-base is required to enable that discussion and debate to occur in the clearest of terms.

The study will identify the main difficulties faced by national enforcement agencies in detecting, preventing and fighting undeclared work. It will also justify how and to what extent international cooperation between such agencies can assist in solving such difficulties so as to enhance the effectiveness of the prevention and fighting of undeclared work.

The project is a European-wide study divided into four geographic regions. Apart from an internet based web survey and several interviews with experts and stakeholders, we organized expert workshops in Amsterdam, Sofia and Vilnius. A final expert meeting will be held in July.

Our partners in the project include Prof Dr Colin C. Williams, undeclared work expert and Professor of Public Policy at the University of Sheffield, Prof Dr Charles Woolfson, employment, labour law and industrial relations expert and Professor of Labour Studies at the University of Glasgow, currently visiting Prof at Linköping University, colleagues at the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) in Sofia, Bulgaria and international labour law experts at Holland Van Gijzen Attorneys. Researchers from Regioplan include: Francien Rosing, Elske Oranje, Helga Dekker en Piet Renooy.

For more information, please contact Piet Renooy (project manager).