The European Commission is exploring ways to align procedures for worker postings and social-security certificates across the European Union, in a move aimed at reducing administrative burdens for businesses.
The review follows the European Parliament’s approval of legislation establishing a common electronic declaration system for employees temporarily sent to work in another EU member state.
The proposed alignment would apply the “once-only” principle to A1 social-security certificates and the new eDeclaration system, potentially allowing companies to submit information more efficiently and avoid duplicating paperwork.
An A1 certificate confirms that an employee temporarily working in another EU country remains covered by their home country’s social-security system.
More than 5.6 million such certificates were issued across Europe in 2024, highlighting the scale of the administrative process.
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A European Commission spokesperson revealed on Tuesday that the two procedures could be brought closer together from both technical and user-oriented perspectives once the common eDeclaration portal is established.
During the parliamentary debate, co-rapporteur, Johan Danielsson said the initiative could reduce bureaucracy without compromising workers’ rights.
Fellow co-rapporteur, Andreas Schwab described the legislation as a major step towards simplifying procedures for posted workers.
The European Trade Union Confederation also welcomed the final legislation, saying it strengthened protections for workers and labour inspectors.
However, Germany’s VDMA engineering association cautioned that the benefits would depend on widespread participation by EU member states.
It warned that if only a few countries adopted the voluntary system, businesses would continue to face differing reporting requirements across Europe.
The Commission said member states would be required to notify Brussels at least six months before joining the system, but declined to estimate how many countries would participate.
The electronic declaration platform is expected to become operational in late 2027.
Reuters
