The European Observatory on Cross-Border Activities within the Temporary Agency Work sector is a bipartite sectoral platform working under the authority and control of UNI-Europa and Eurociett. It aims to provide analysis on the cross border movement of workers and companies in the temporary agency work sector, with a special focus on the impact of the implementation of the Posting of Workers and Temporary Agency Work directives.

The Observatory is designed to support the work of the European social partners to:

• Ensure a better understanding of the reality of cross-border activities within the temporary agency work sector, through research and data collection;
• To gather and analyse good and bad practices with regards to cross-border activities;
• To prepare practical information tools for temporary work agencies and temporary agency workers wishing to work abroad.

On behalf of UNI-Europa, Ms Ségol said: "The European Observatory has been launched as means by which to provide workers and agencies with guidance before choosing working abroad and to support them during their cross border assignments. It will help them in the fight against unfair practices, with the aim of preventing and denouncing them. I also would like to remind social partners taking part in the implementation of the TAW directive on a national level to take the transnational aspects of the sector into account."

On behalf of Eurociett, Ms Muntz said: "This new tool is aimed at helping temporary work agencies that wish to assign workers abroad to better understand the legal framework in the EU, especially with regards to the implementation of the Posting of Workers Directive. Our final objective is to facilitate the development of a well organised work migration through agency work, in order to provide the skills needed while at the same ensuring that cross border temporary agency workers are well integrated into societies."