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In a joint warning, European construction employers and trade unions have questioned the need for the European Commission's planned Construction Services Act, arguing that the initiative risks creating new problems in a sector that already relies on effective national systems for safety, qualifications and enforcement.
While the initiative, announced in the Single Market Strategy, aims to reduce barriers to cross-border market access for construction and installation services, both organisations are concerned that the policy options currently under consideration could undermine national frameworks that protect workers, uphold high standards and ensure effective enforcement.
Construction is a highly fragmented and fraud-sensitive sector with well-established national systems governing occupational safety and health, skills and qualifications, labour mobility and enforcement. According to EFBWW and FIEC, any future initiative must respect these realities and avoid a one-size-fits-all approach.
The two organisations stress that occupational safety and health, robust qualification systems and effective enforcement mechanisms are essential pillars of the construction sector. Proven tools such as social ID cards play an important role in combating fraud and ensuring compliance, and any initiative that risks weakening these systems would be a step in the wrong direction.
EFBWW and FIEC do not see a clear case for further legislative intervention in the sector at this stage. They urge the European Commission to carefully assess whether additional legislation is necessary and insist that the sectoral social partners must be fully informed and involved in any further discussions.
"Nobody in construction is asking for this legislation. Workers are asking for safer workplaces. Companies are asking for legal certainty and fair competition. Authorities are asking for effective tools to combat fraud and enforce the rules. We do not see convincing evidence that a Construction Services Act will respond to these priorities.” - Tom Deleu, General Secretary of EFBWW
"The construction industry benefits from a strong social dialogue at national and company level. Within these frameworks rules have been negotiated and tools implemented to address the specific challenges and needs of our sector. At a time when construction companies need stability and predictability, we are concerned that the Construction Services Act could undermine what has been put in place" - Domenico Campogrande, Director General of FIEC.