On 15 September 2026, the European Commission published its Fair Labour Mobility Package, designed to make cross-border work in the EU easier and more transparent, introduce new digital solutions, and strengthen enforcement and protection against abuse.
The Labour Mobility Package includes a Communication and five legislative proposals: a Regulation establishing the European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS), a Skills Portability Act, a Regulation strengthening the European Labour Authority (ELA), an amendment to the Professional Qualifications Directive, and a Directive on the recognition of qualifications of third-country nationals.
For the road transport sector, three elements of the Labour Mobility Package are particularly relevant.
1. Digital A1 certificates through ESSPASS
One of the most important elements for road transport operators is the planned digitalisation of the Portable Document A1, which confirms which Member State’s social security legislation applies to a worker. ESSPASS would allow workers and companies to request, receive, store and present social security documents digitally. The A1 would be the first document digitalised under the system, one year after the Regulation enters into force, while the European Health Insurance Card would follow within three years. Authorities would also be able to verify documents electronically, including through the EU Digital Identity Wallet.
For road transport operators, this could reduce paperwork, simplify procedures and speed up controls, particularly if stronger links are created between the A1 procedure and the existing IMI system.
It is worth recalling that the A1 is not one of the documents specifically required under the Mobility Package rules for roadside controls. However, it confirms a worker’s social security coverage and may be checked by national authorities during roadside or company inspections.
The digitalisation of the A1 is also relevant in the context of the current revision of the EU rules on social security coordination. Under the political agreement reached in April 2026, activities in another Member State will generally have to be notified in advance to the relevant authority in the home country. The revised rules still require formal adoption before entering into force.
2. Skills and qualifications portability
Another important part of the Labour Mobility Package concerns the portability and recognition of skills and qualifications.
The Skills Portability Initiative would introduce standardised digital qualifications that could be stored in the EU Digital Identity Wallet, together with tools allowing employers, workers and authorities to compare and verify qualifications more easily across countries.
The Commission also proposes simpler procedures for recognising qualifications obtained outside the EU, including those held by third-country professionals. The objective is to shorten recognition procedures and make it easier for employers to recruit workers across borders, particularly in sectors facing structural labour shortages.
For road transport, a key issue will be whether the new framework can facilitate simpler recognition of qualifications held by professional drivers from third countries. This is particularly relevant given the persistent shortage of drivers in both freight and passenger transport.
3. Stronger European Labour Authority
The Commission also proposes a significant strengthening of the European Labour Authority’s operational role.
ELA would gain stronger tools for risk analysis, better access to data, enhanced capacity to support and coordinate cross-border inspections, dedicated national inspection liaison officers and a simplified mediation procedure for disputes between national authorities concerning labour mobility and social security coordination. This is particularly relevant for road transport, as the sector has already been an important focus of ELA’s enforcement and cooperation activities.
ELA is already working closely with Member States, the European Commission and social partners on the implementation and interpretation of Mobility Package rules, including more consistent enforcement of remuneration rules for posted drivers and approaches to roadside and back-office controls. ELA is also working on a remuneration tool to support road transport operators in calculating remuneration due to posted drivers. User access is expected from 2027 to the data from pilot countries: Belgium, Czechia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Portugal and Slovenia, but the ambition is to cover the road transport sector across all Member States.
From the operators’ perspective, a stronger ELA mandate could therefore mean more coordinated and targeted controls, but also more consistent enforcement, clearer guidance and better access to information across Member States.
The Commission also proposes extending ELA’s mandate in relation to third-country nationals legally working in the EU, including through concerted and joint inspections and action against illegal employment and abuse. This is particularly relevant for international road transport, where companies increasingly rely on drivers recruited from outside the EU.
What does it mean for road transport?
Overall, the Labour Mobility Package has the ambition to move EU labour mobility policy towards greater digitalisation, simpler administrative procedures and stronger cross-border enforcement. For road transport operators, the main opportunities lie in the digitalisation of the A1 certificate, better interoperability between administrative systems, easier access to information and potentially simpler recognition of qualifications.
Much will depend on how these proposals will be shaped during negotiations in the European Parliament and Council. This is to be seen in the next months to come.
