BETA


2020/2664(RSP) Resolution on European protection of cross-border and seasonal workers in the context of the COVID-19 crisis

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 132-p2

Events

2020/12/14
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2020/06/19
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2020/06/19
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2020/06/19
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 593 votes to 34 against, 38 abstentions, a resolution on European protection of cross-border and seasonal workers in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.

The resolution was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA, ECR and GUE/NGL groups.

Cross-border and seasonal workers have been hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis and by the measures taken by Member States to contain the spread of the virus. The pandemic has led to the closure of borders and the cessation or suspension of many economic activities. This led to increased unemployment and serious relocation issues for cross-border and seasonal workers who found themselves stranded without income, protection or transport and sometimes without shelter or access to health care and food.

Protecting rights, ensuring safety and enforcing existing legislation

Parliament welcomed the Commission’s continuing guidance as part of the ongoing coordination of a common EU response to the COVID-19 outbreak, particularly as regards the implementation of the principle of equal treatment and non-discrimination, and the exercise of the free and fair movement of workers.

Member States, which have not yet done so, are called on to lift as soon as possible all travel restrictions and discriminatory confinement and quarantine measures for cross-border and seasonal workers to avoid labour shortages in key sectors and for the benefit of the workers, while ensuring their health and safety.

The Commission and the Member States are invited to:

- implement measures to ensure that cross-border and seasonal workers and cross-border entrepreneurs and self-employed persons are afforded adequate protection from COVID-19 and its effects, including easy access to testing, and are informed about the risks and the safety precautions to be taken in a language they understand;

- take measures to ensure that their health and safety are safeguarded during their travel to and decent housing conditions ensuring social distancing at their places of their employment other than of their residence, and that repatriation solutions that are not at the expense of the worker are made available, should they be necessary;

- support the work of social partners and civil society organisations actively working in this area so as to ensure that any workers who are left stranded on their territory as a result of the crisis or otherwise have adequate and urgent access to public services, trade union support, decent housing, protective equipment, meals and healthcare;

- ensure, in the context of COVID- 19, the equal treatment of third-country seasonal workers with EU nationals;

- ensure the proper implementation and enforcement of applicable EU legislation as regards the rights of cross-border and seasonal workers, particularly as regards the right to equal pay for equal work in the same place, including through national and cross-border concerted and joint labour inspections.

Parliament called on the Commission to: (i) issue new specific guidelines for cross-border and seasonal workers and cross-border entrepreneurs and self-employed persons, employers and Member States in the context of COVID-19; (ii) propose long-term solutions to combat abusive subcontracting practices and to protect cross-border and seasonal workers employed along subcontracting and supply chains.

Member States should ensure quality housing for cross-border and seasonal workers, which should be decoupled from their remuneration and ensure decent facilities, tenant privacy and written tenancy contracts enforced by labour inspectorates.

Promoting fair mobility and strengthening the internal market

Parliament called on the Member States and the Commission to prepare for possible future waves of COVID-19 and called once again for the coordination of national border measures and the development of safety measures for mobile workers, including safe shelter. It called for standing mobility contingencies to be put in place and stressed the key role for regional and local authorities and existing cross-border institutions, including in maintaining and regularly updating the records of all cross-border and seasonal workers registered in the municipalities where they have their housing.

The Commission was invited to examine the possibility of creating a portal or mobile application which would be able to collate data from the Member States in order to offer EU citizens accurate and real-time travel restriction information. Members requested that time worked as teleworking abroad should be classified as if it were undertaken in the country of work.

Resilience, going digital and ensuring transparency

Parliament called on the Commission to undertake an urgent study of the general situation of the employment and health and safety conditions of cross-border and seasonal workers, including the role of temporary work agencies, recruiting agencies, other intermediaries and subcontractors. This would identify protection gaps and the possible need to revise the existing legislative framework, such as the legislative framework for health and safety at work, Directive 2014/36/EU on seasonal workers and Directive 2008/104/EC on temporary agency work.

Members considered that establishing a digital and dynamic system for data exchange between the Member States could help to facilitate the fight against abuses of and issues with cross-border and seasonal workers’ rights and undeclared work, and help to determine the coverage of the responsible social security system.

Documents
2020/06/19
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2020/06/18
   EP - Debate in Parliament

Documents

Activities

Votes

B9-0172/2020 - Am 3= 6= 10= #

2020/06/19 Outcome: -: 338, +: 286, 0: 51
IT IE BE ES DE PT CY LU MT FI EL DK LV HR SE AT EE SK HU LT SI CZ NL RO BG FR PL
Total
75
13
20
56
88
21
4
6
6
13
20
14
8
11
21
19
7
14
20
10
8
21
28
26
17
79
50
icon: S&D S&D
138

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Finland S&D

2

Greece S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Lithuania S&D

1

Slovenia S&D

2
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
65

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Spain Verts/ALE

2

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
39

Belgium GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Denmark GUE/NGL

1

Sweden GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Czechia GUE/NGL

1

Netherlands GUE/NGL

For (1)

1
icon: NI NI
26

Germany NI

1

Greece NI

Against (1)

3

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

1

Slovakia NI

2

Hungary NI

1

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1
icon: ID ID
75

Belgium ID

2

Finland ID

2

Denmark ID

Against (1)

1

Austria ID

3

Estonia ID

Against (1)

1

Czechia ID

2

Netherlands ID

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1
icon: ECR ECR
59

Germany ECR

Against (1)

1

Greece ECR

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1

Latvia ECR

2

Croatia ECR

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1
3

Lithuania ECR

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1

Netherlands ECR

3

Bulgaria ECR

2
icon: Renew Renew
97

Italy Renew

Against (1)

1

Ireland Renew

2

Luxembourg Renew

2

Finland Renew

3

Latvia Renew

Against (1)

1

Croatia Renew

Against (1)

1

Sweden Renew

3

Austria Renew

Against (1)

1

Estonia Renew

3

Slovakia Renew

2

Hungary Renew

2

Lithuania Renew

2

Slovenia Renew

2

Bulgaria Renew

3
icon: PPE PPE
176

Belgium PPE

Against (1)

4
2

Luxembourg PPE

2

Malta PPE

2

Finland PPE

Against (1)

2

Denmark PPE

Against (1)

1

Latvia PPE

2

Estonia PPE

Against (1)

1

Slovenia PPE

4

B9-0172/2020 - Am 14 #

2020/06/19 Outcome: -: 529, +: 134, 0: 9
IT IE CY EE MT LU LV SI BE FI SK LT HR DK CZ AT EL SE BG HU PT NL RO FR PL ES DE
Total
75
13
4
7
6
6
8
8
20
13
14
10
11
14
21
19
18
21
16
20
21
28
26
79
50
56
88
icon: ID ID
75

Estonia ID

For (1)

1

Belgium ID

2

Finland ID

2

Denmark ID

For (1)

1

Czechia ID

For (1)

Against (1)

2
3

Netherlands ID

Against (1)

1
icon: NI NI
24

Slovakia NI

2

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

1

Greece NI

For (1)

1

Hungary NI

1

Netherlands NI

1

Germany NI

Against (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
59

Latvia ECR

2

Slovakia ECR

2

Lithuania ECR

Against (1)

1

Croatia ECR

Against (1)

1

Greece ECR

1

Bulgaria ECR

2

Netherlands ECR

3

Germany ECR

Against (1)

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
39

Ireland GUE/NGL

4

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

Belgium GUE/NGL

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1

Finland GUE/NGL

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1

Denmark GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Czechia GUE/NGL

1

Sweden GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

4

Netherlands GUE/NGL

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
65

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

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1

Latvia Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Spain Verts/ALE

2
icon: Renew Renew
97

Italy Renew

Against (1)

1

Ireland Renew

2

Estonia Renew

3

Luxembourg Renew

2

Latvia Renew

Against (1)

1

Slovenia Renew

2

Finland Renew

3

Slovakia Renew

2

Lithuania Renew

2

Croatia Renew

Against (1)

1

Austria Renew

Against (1)

1

Sweden Renew

3

Bulgaria Renew

3

Hungary Renew

2
icon: S&D S&D
137

Estonia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

Against (1)

1

Latvia S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

Against (2)

2

Belgium S&D

3

Finland S&D

2

Slovakia S&D

3

Lithuania S&D

1

Greece S&D

2
icon: PPE PPE
176

Cyprus PPE

2

Estonia PPE

Against (1)

1

Malta PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

2

Latvia PPE

2

Slovenia PPE

4

Belgium PPE

Abstain (1)

4

Finland PPE

2

Denmark PPE

Against (1)

1

B9-0172/2020 - Am 12 #

2020/06/19 Outcome: +: 563, -: 82, 0: 30
IT DE FR ES RO PT HU NL EL SE BE IE AT DK CZ BG SK FI SI HR MT LU LT EE CY LV PL
Total
75
88
79
56
26
21
20
28
20
21
20
13
19
14
21
17
14
13
8
11
6
6
10
7
4
8
50
icon: PPE PPE
176

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Finland PPE

2

Malta PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

2

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1
2

Latvia PPE

2
icon: S&D S&D
138

Greece S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Lithuania S&D

1

Estonia S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2
icon: Renew Renew
97

Italy Renew

For (1)

1

Hungary Renew

2

Ireland Renew

2

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Slovakia Renew

2

Finland Renew

3

Slovenia Renew

2

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Renew

2

Lithuania Renew

2

Estonia Renew

3

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
65

Spain Verts/ALE

2

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Latvia Verts/ALE

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
39

Netherlands GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Sweden GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Belgium GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Denmark GUE/NGL

1

Czechia GUE/NGL

1

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2
icon: NI NI
26

Germany NI

1

Hungary NI

1

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1

Slovakia NI

Against (1)

2

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

1
icon: ID ID
75

Netherlands ID

Against (1)

1

Belgium ID

2

Austria ID

3

Denmark ID

Against (1)

1

Czechia ID

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Finland ID

2

Estonia ID

Against (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
59

Germany ECR

Against (1)

1

Netherlands ECR

3

Greece ECR

Against (1)

1
3

Bulgaria ECR

2

Slovakia ECR

Against (1)

2

Croatia ECR

Against (1)

1

Lithuania ECR

Against (1)

1

Latvia ECR

2

B9-0172/2020 - Am 15 #

2020/06/19 Outcome: -: 533, +: 134, 0: 5
PL LV CY IT EE MT LU LT HR SI FI BE CZ SK BG DK SE AT IE EL NL HU PT RO FR ES DE
Total
50
8
4
75
7
6
6
10
11
8
13
20
21
14
16
14
21
19
13
18
28
20
21
26
79
56
88
icon: ID ID
75

Estonia ID

For (1)

1

Finland ID

2

Belgium ID

2

Czechia ID

For (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Denmark ID

For (1)

1
3

Netherlands ID

1
icon: ECR ECR
59

Latvia ECR

2

Lithuania ECR

1

Croatia ECR

For (1)

1

Slovakia ECR

2

Bulgaria ECR

2

Greece ECR

1

Netherlands ECR

3

Germany ECR

Against (1)

1
icon: NI NI
24

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

1

Slovakia NI

2

Greece NI

For (1)

1

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1

Hungary NI

Against (1)

1

Germany NI

Against (1)

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
39

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

Finland GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Belgium GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Czechia GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Denmark GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Sweden GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Ireland GUE/NGL

4

Netherlands GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

4
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
65

Latvia Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Spain Verts/ALE

2
icon: Renew Renew
97

Latvia Renew

Against (1)

1

Italy Renew

Against (1)

1

Estonia Renew

3

Luxembourg Renew

2

Lithuania Renew

2

Croatia Renew

Against (1)

1

Slovenia Renew

2

Finland Renew

3

Slovakia Renew

2

Bulgaria Renew

3

Sweden Renew

3

Austria Renew

Against (1)

1

Ireland Renew

2

Hungary Renew

2
icon: S&D S&D
137

Latvia S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

Against (1)

1

Lithuania S&D

1

Slovenia S&D

Against (2)

2

Finland S&D

2

Belgium S&D

3

Slovakia S&D

3

Greece S&D

2
icon: PPE PPE
176

Latvia PPE

2

Cyprus PPE

2

Estonia PPE

Against (1)

1

Malta PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

2

Slovenia PPE

4

Finland PPE

2

Denmark PPE

Against (1)

1

B9-0172/2020 - Am 16 #

2020/06/19 Outcome: -: 572, +: 97, 0: 5
IT CY EE MT LU LV SI FI SK LT HR DK CZ AT IE SE EL BE BG HU PT RO NL FR ES PL DE
Total
75
4
7
6
6
8
8
13
14
10
11
14
21
19
13
21
20
20
16
20
21
26
28
79
56
50
88
icon: ID ID
75

Estonia ID

For (1)

1

Finland ID

2

Denmark ID

For (1)

1

Czechia ID

2
3

Belgium ID

2

Netherlands ID

Against (1)

1
icon: NI NI
26

Slovakia NI

2

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

1

Hungary NI

Against (1)

1

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1

Germany NI

Against (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
59

Latvia ECR

2

Slovakia ECR

2

Lithuania ECR

Against (1)

1

Croatia ECR

Against (1)

1

Greece ECR

1

Bulgaria ECR

2

Netherlands ECR

3

Germany ECR

Against (1)

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
39

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

Finland GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Denmark GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Czechia GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Ireland GUE/NGL

4

Sweden GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Belgium GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

4

Netherlands GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
65

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

3

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Spain Verts/ALE

2
icon: Renew Renew
97

Italy Renew

Against (1)

1

Estonia Renew

3

Luxembourg Renew

2

Latvia Renew

Against (1)

1

Slovenia Renew

2

Finland Renew

3

Slovakia Renew

2

Lithuania Renew

2

Croatia Renew

Against (1)

1

Austria Renew

Against (1)

1

Ireland Renew

2

Sweden Renew

3

Bulgaria Renew

3

Hungary Renew

2
icon: S&D S&D
137

Estonia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

Against (1)

1

Latvia S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

Against (2)

2

Finland S&D

2

Slovakia S&D

3

Lithuania S&D

1

Greece S&D

2

Belgium S&D

3
icon: PPE PPE
176

Cyprus PPE

2

Estonia PPE

Against (1)

1

Malta PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

2

Latvia PPE

2

Slovenia PPE

4

Finland PPE

2

Denmark PPE

Against (1)

1

B9-0172/2020 - § 4 #

2020/06/19 Outcome: +: 620, -: 49, 0: 6
IT DE PL ES FR RO NL PT BE HU CZ EL SE BG SK IE AT DK LT HR FI LV SI MT LU EE CY
Total
75
88
50
56
79
26
28
21
20
20
21
20
21
17
14
13
19
14
10
11
13
8
8
6
6
7
4
icon: PPE PPE
176

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Finland PPE

2

Latvia PPE

2

Malta PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

2

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1
2
icon: S&D S&D
138

Greece S&D

2

Lithuania S&D

1

Latvia S&D

2

Slovenia S&D