FROMONT BRIENS

[ARTICLE] European Works Council: get set to (re)negotiate!, 2026/04/22

The internationalisation of career paths has never been so pronounced. Between secondments, expatriation, cross?border remote working, nomadic work and new forms of mobility, both companies and employees are operating in a legal environment that is constantly evolving.

To support companies through these changes, the International Mobility team at Fromont Briens, led by lawyers Sophie Pélicier?Loevenbruck, Pierre Sandres, Thomas Baudoin, Charles Dumel and Pierre Pomerantz, has launched the first edition of its newsletter dedicated to international mobility.

Below, you can find one of the articles from this inaugural issue (available here): our analysis of EU Directive 2025/2450, which substantially overhauls the legal framework governing European Works Councils (EWCs). The timetable is tight: the directive entered into force on 1 January 2026, must be transposed into French law by 1 January 2028 at the latest, and will then become fully applicable after a further one?year period.

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European Works Council: on your marks, get set… (re)negotiate!

Directive (EU) 2025/2450 of 26 November 2025 (OJ EU of 11 December 2025), revising Directive 2009/38/EC 

The revised directive redefines the concept of a “transnational matter”, which lies at the heart of the EWC’s jurisdiction. Going forward, even a purely national measure may be regarded as transnational if its effects are liable to impact employees in other Member States. As a result, projects previously excluded from the EWC’s scope may now be subject to information and consultation, provided that their impact is substantial. Routine operational decisions and purely individual situations remain excluded. 

From a procedural standpoint, the effectiveness of consultation is strengthened: management must now provide a reasoned written response before adopting the relevant decision, provided that employee representatives have expressed an opinion within a reasonable timeframe. The EWC can no longer be reduced to a mere rubber?stamping body.

As regards the substance of EWC set-up agreements, the list of mandatory items has been amended and clarified. The parties also enjoy greater flexibility regarding meeting formats, which may now take place in person, remotely or in a hybrid format. 

Another key development concerns resources: the budget allocated to the EWC must expressly cover the use of experts, including legal advisers, as well as their possible participation in meetings and the appropriate training of members. 

Gender balance is also recognised as an objective: women and men must each represent at least 40% of the members of the Special Negotiating Body (SNB), the EWC delegation and the select committee, without non?compliance preventing the establishment of the body.

Lastly, confidentiality obligations are now more strictly framed. Management may designate certain sensitive information as confidential, but must justify the reasons for doing so.

Why act now? 

Even before formal transposition, the directive already serves as a reference framework. Employee representatives are making active use of it and are receiving training accordingly. From 2 January 2028, they will be entitled to request renegotiation of any EWC agreement that does not cover all newly mandatory items. Failing agreement, the statutory fallback regime will apply. 

In addition, any group meeting the EU?level thresholds (1,000 employees within the EU, spread across at least two Member States with at least 150 employees in each) may be subject to a request to open negotiations. If management fails to respond within six months, a statutory EWC will have to be established.

For groups that already have an EWC agreement in place, anticipation is key: assessing the directive’s impact on the current agreement, identifying gaps and implementing the necessary changes methodically is far preferable to being forced into an urgent renegotiation. 

For groups not yet equipped with an EWC but falling within the directive’s scope, preparation is equally crucial. The renewed focus placed on EWCs by this revised directive significantly increases the risk of negotiation requests.

In all cases, employers and social partners retain substantial freedom to design tailored, bespoke solutions. 

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Did you find this article of interest? Our International Mobility newsletter offers analyses that are accessible, practical and immediately useful.

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