Legislation and regulation

This section features a collection of legislative acts providing information, consultation or participation rights for workers and their representatives. For some of the Acts, we provide national transpositions.

Framework regulation

More than 35 EU directives provide for workers' information and consultation rights of some kind (see Palette of Workers' Participation Rights). The directives are a clear expression of the willingness at European level to make employees citizens in their workplace. This is also mirrored in the EU Charter of fundamental rights (the Lisbon Treaty) which gives information and consultation rights the status of a basic right of European citizens (see Worker Participation and the Lisbon goals).

The idea of workers' information, consultation and participation has slowly evolved into a more encompassing concept of democracy at work. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) gave expression to this evolution as "part of a broader approach for a more Social Europe which is urgently needed." (see ETUC 2020 publication and video).

Information about relevant regulation can be found here:

See also:

European Works Councils legislation and regulation

You can also find all the national transposition acts of the EU Directive 2009/38/EC on the EWC database in original languages and an English translation (automated).

European Company (SE) Works Council legislation and regulation

Related EU documents/reports (including the national transposition laws) can be downloaded from the EU Commission website.

European Cooperative Society (SCE) legislation and regulation

Board-level Employee Representation legislation and regulation

National, EU legislation and national transposition laws and other information on Board-level Employee Representation rights can be found here:

Corporate Governance, Company Law and Worker Participation Legislation and Regulation

Sustainability and Worker Participation Legislation and Regulation

(under construction)

  • Directive on corporate social responsibility

European Social Dialogue legislation and regulation

(under construction)

The ETUI has a long-standing research focus on monitoring and analysing legislation from a European perspective with regard to:

Case law and jurisprudence

We provide access to case law and jurisprudence related to selected directives (i.e. European Works Council Directive, Company law, and the European Company (SE)) Directive).