Amending Directive 2009/38/EC as regards the establishment and functioning of European Works Councils and the effective enforcement of transnational information and consultation rights
A proposed EU law. Parliament and the Council must agree on the same text: Parliament adopts its position, then negotiates with the Council.
Where it stands: Completed: published in the Official Journal on 11 December 2025 and now EU law.
- ✓ Referred to committee 26 February 2024
- ✓ Committee work Report adopted 3 April 2024
- ✓ Tabled for plenary 6 December 2024
- ✓ Negotiations with the Council Deal approved in committee 5 June 2025
- ✓ Plenary vote Adopted 9 October 2025
- ✓ Published as law 11 December 2025
How a file moves through Parliament
A file is referred to one lead committee (others may give an opinion). Its rapporteur writes a draft report, committee members table amendments, and the committee votes to adopt the report. The report is then tabled for all MEPs; political groups can table further amendments, which are voted on before the final vote in plenary. For a law, Parliament’s adopted text is its first-reading position; Parliament and the Council then negotiate a common text (trilogues) which both must approve before it is published as law.
Who is working on it
- Lead committee
- EMPL — Employment and Social Affairs
- Rapporteur
- Dennis RADTKE PPE
- Shadow rapporteurs
- Gabriele BISCHOFF S&DMélanie DISDIER PfEElena DONAZZAN ECRBrigitte VAN DEN BERG RenewNela RIEHL Verts/ALERudi KENNES The Left
The rapporteur drafts and negotiates the text for the lead committee; each other political group names a shadow rapporteur to follow the file.
The text, version by version
Committee draft → Tabled for plenary: The directive expands the definition of transnational matters and strengthens gender balance requirements for European Works Councils. It increases the frequency of plenary meetings and requires in-person annual meetings, with virtual meetings only as an exception. It strengthens enforcement by adding financial penalties, exclusion from public benefits and contracts, and provisions on judicial costs and mediation. It brings pre-existing agreements under the directive and requires negotiation of addenda to align with new requirements. The other changes are formal or wording updates, including rephrasing and corrections. see the changes →
Newest version first. Open a version to read it in full. “What changed” shows the differences paragraph by paragraph; ✦ lines are AI-written from the texts themselves.
Timeline
- Outcome
- 11 December 2025 Published in the Official Journal
The act is now EU law.
- 26 November 2025 Signed by the Presidents of Parliament and the Council
The last step before the act is published in the Official Journal.
- Plenary stage
- 9 October 2025 Plenary voteAdopted Adopted by a large majorityFor 414 Against 139 Abstained 61
Final vote on the provisional agreement at 13:12 · 67% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →
Show all 2 ballots in voting order
Rejected2. Final vote on the provisional agreement 13:12 A10-0029/2024 – Dennis Radtke – Provisional agreement – Am 79Adopted - 8 October 2025 Debated in plenary
MEPs debated the text in the chamber ahead of the vote.
- 1 October – 3 October 2025 80 amendments tabled for the plenary vote
Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.
- Negotiations with the Council
- 5 June 2025 Committee approved the deal reached with the Council
The provisional agreement from the trilogues goes to the whole Parliament for a vote.
- 19 December 2024 Plenary endorsed the mandate to negotiate with the Council
Parliament’s negotiators can now seek a compromise text with the Council (in “trilogues”).
- Plenary stage
- 19 December 2024 Plenary voteAdopted Adopted by a small majorityFor 300 Against 254 Abstained 21
Decision to open negotiations with the Council at 12:11 · 52% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →
- 6 December 2024 Report tabled for plenary
This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.
- Committee stage
- 3 April 2024 Committee vote: report adopted
EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.
- 26 February 2024 Referred to the EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs) committee
The lead committee prepares Parliament’s report.
- 13 February 2024 Draft report published
The rapporteur’s first text in EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.