The new revision of the European Works Council Directive has
been adopted by the Council of Europe. It aims to strengthen the
functioning of European Works Councils and improve the
effectiveness of consultation. Once published, Member States will
have two years to transpose the Directive into national law. The
new rules will then enter into force one year later. We outline the
key changes below.
A recap: Haven't we been here before?
The European Works Council Directive was first adopted back in
1994 and then revised in 2009. It established European Works
Councils (EWCs), bodies representing the European employees of
large multinational businesses on transnational matters. Through
them, workers can be informed and consulted by management on the
progress of the business and any significant decision at European
level that could affect their employment or working conditions. The
requirements under the Directive apply to multinational companies
with at least 1,000
