A new legal study commissioned by the European Employers’ Institute (EEI) examines the application of the EU principles of subsidiarity and proportionality to occupational safety and health (OSH) risks arising from extreme temperatures. The study on the “Application of the Principles of Subsidiarity and Proportionality – Case Study: Extreme Temperatures and Occupational Safety & Health”, authored by labour law professors José Luis Gil y Gil and Lourdes Mella Méndez, assesses

07 October 2026, Brussels - Europe's chemical industry is a strategic foundation of the European economy, supplying essential inputs to industrial ecosystems ranging from pharmaceuticals, clean technologies and construction to defence, mobility, food systems and digital technologies. Today, however, the sector faces unprecedented challenges. High energy and carbon costs, global overcapacity, growing international competition, declining demand, investment leakage, geopolitical

A new independent legal study commissioned by the European Employers’ Institute (EEI) examines the legal limits of EU action on vocational training and the possibility of establishing a general right to training at EU level. The study “The Right to Training in European Union Law: A legal study on the constitutional limits of EU action under Article 166(4) TFEU” authored by labour law professor and researcher, Duarte Abrunhosa e Sousa, assesses current calls for EU legislative

As the Republic of Cyprus takes up the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union , from January to 30 June 2026, under the motto “ An Autonomous Union. Open to the World ” , the European Chemical Employers Group (ECEG) welcomes the Presidency’s forward-looking programme , particularly its priorities in the area of employment and social policy. The Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU takes place at a pivotal moment for Europe’s economy and labour markets,

A new study by the European Employers’ Institute (EEI), conducted by Rexecode, finds that the EU–US labour productivity gap has widened significantly since 2019. In 2024, EU hourly labour productivity reached $72/hour (PPP) compared with $116/hour in the United States - a 38% gap. Over 2019–2024, US productivity grew by +9.7%, while the EU recorded only +2.4%, deepening the gap by 6.7%. The report highlights four main drivers: the EU’s employment-preservation approach during

The second study on productivity, commissioned by the European Employers’ Institute (EEI) and conducted by Rexecode (France), offers a detailed country- and sector-level analysis of the EU–US productivity gap over the 1995–2019 period. The findings show that the core EU economies – Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands – are the main contributors to the EU’s slower productivity growth, despite their strong overall contribution to the European economy