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:
- Directive for a general framework for informing and consulting employees (Directive 2002/14/EC)
- Transposition of Framework Directive for informing and consulting employees (Directive 2002/14/EC)
See also:
European Works Councils legislation and regulation
- European Works Council Recast Directive 2009/38/EC
- European Works Council national transposition laws
- Archive of European Works Council laws
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
- European Company statute and the SE Directive
- National transposition
Related EU documents/reports (including the national transposition laws) can be downloaded from the EU Commission website.
European Cooperative Society (SCE) legislation and regulation
- Statute for a European Cooperative Society (SCE) 1435/2003
- Council Directive 2003/72/EC supplementing the Statute for a European Cooperative Society (SCE) with regard to the involvement of employees
- SCE Transposition
- Denmark
- European Cooperative Society (SCE) Directive national transposition table (as of 8 November 2023)
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:
- Board-level Employee Representation: National laws and other instruments
- Board-level Employee Representation: EU law (European Company (SE), European Cooperative Society (SCE) and Cross-Border Company Mergers Directives)
- European Company (SE) national transposition laws
- European Cooperative Society (SCE) Directive national transposition table (as of 8 November 2023)
- Cross-border mergers, Company law and Cross-border conversions, mergers and divisions Directives national transposition table (as of 8 November 2023)
Corporate Governance, Company Law and Worker Participation Legislation and Regulation
- Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and amending Directive (EU) 2019/1937
- Digital Tools and Processes Directive 2019/1151
- Cross-Border Conversions, Mergers and Divisions Directive 2019/2121
- Insolvency and Restructuring Directive 2019/1023
- Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive 2022/2464
- Directive on corporate social responsibility
- European Company law Directives
- Consolidated Company Law Directive 2017/1132
- Takeover Bids Directive 2004/25/EC
- Company Law Package
- European Company (SE) Directive 2001/86/EC
- European Cooperative Society (SCE) Directive 2003/72/EC
Sustainability and Worker Participation Legislation and Regulation
(under construction)
- Directive on corporate social responsibility
European Social Dialogue legislation and regulation
(under construction)
- Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) Article 154
- Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) Article 155
The ETUI has a long-standing research focus on monitoring and analysing legislation from a European perspective with regard to:
- workers' rights in the European Pillar of Social Rights;
- the company law package; and
- the history of the (failed) legislative initiative on the European Private company (SPE).
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).
- Jurisprudence for European Works Councils and SE works council section
- Jurisprudence for corporate governance section
- Jurisprudence for European Social Dialogue section
- Jurisprudence for Board Level Employee Representation section