EU: Little on labour law in Commission work program

EU Commission's 2025 Work Program focuses on simplification, with no new labour law initiatives. EWC Directive revision and "right to disconnect" consultations continue. Meanwhile unions continue to push for Just Transition Directive.

Key points:  The EU Commission's 2025 Work Program will focus on legislative simplification and reducing administrative burdens. It has the aim of cutting administrative burden by 25% for all companies and 35% for SMEs. Most significantly there are no new labour law initiatives planned.

Why this matters: This program signals a shift towards reducing regulatory complexity, potentially easing compliance burdens for businesses across the EU.

What might happen next:  Implementation of Omnibus packages to streamline reporting and due diligence requirements. Possible consolidation of CSRD, CSDDD, and Taxonomy laws. 

The unions continue to call for a “Just Transition Directive”  to manage change through social dialogue and collective bargaining and prevent job losses and a “a quality jobs package” to include “regulation and limits on the length of subcontracting chains, simplified  public procurement rules. 

What you should be doing:  Monitor developments in the EWC Directive revision and "right to disconnect" consultation. Prepare for potential simplification of reporting processes, especially in sustainability and due diligence areas

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

ETUC statement on just transition a “Just Transition Directive”  

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