Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002064/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Anthony Smith (The Left)
Labour inspectorate staff in Europe are in a dire situation.
The Court of Auditors in France has reported that 16 % of labour inspector positions were cut between 2016 and 2021. The country has only around 1 700 labour inspectors left, with more than 20 million employees to protect and roughly two million businesses to inspect.
Despite this, the Ministry of Labour is planning to slash the number of labour inspector posts open for recruitment – only 45 for 2025.
While the International Labour Organization recommends a one labour inspector per 10 000 employees, in practice the ratio is often one inspector to more than 15 000 employees.
Many Member States are in similar situations. This state of affairs makes it impossible to transpose EU legislation.
- 1.Does the Commission intend to ensure Member States comply with international labour inspection obligations, particularly so as to check EU rules are transposed?
- 2.Does the Commission intend to ensure Member States implement the Commission’s objective of ‘zero deaths’ by 2030?
Submitted: 22.5.2025