European Union: Quality Jobs Act: A Road Towards New EU Social Legislation?
What is it?
The Quality Jobs Act, also referred to as the “Roadmap”, is an initiative launched by the European Commission under the leadership of Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu. Announced in February 2025, the project is expected to take concrete shape by the end of the year. Its aim is to fundamentally improve working conditions across the European Union. It is based on the recommendations of Mario Draghi’s 2024 report. Draghi outlined his personal vision for Europe’s competitiveness, at the Commission’s request. He called for sweeping reforms.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed this timeline in her State of the Union address, on Tuesday 16 September 2025, what does it aim to achieve?
The Quality Jobs Act seeks to address years of declining real wages and growing job insecurity across various sectors. It emphasizes transition pathways and the protection of workers during these processes. Key proposals include:
- Broader implementation of collective bargaining agreements.
- A strong focus on the “human in control” principle, ensuring that artificial intelligence is deployed in a responsible and manageable way within companies.
Where do things stand?
The project is currently being developed in collaboration with social partners. Core elements of the proposal include:
- Fair wages
- Safe and healthy working conditions
- Access to more training
- Robust transition pathways for both employees and the self-employed
These measures are expected to be supported by an increase in the long-term EU budget. The call for evidence period closed on 29 September, and formal adoption is scheduled for Q4 2025, as mentioned earlier.
The ‘Roadmap’ itself will take the form of a communication and hence does not require a legal basis per se, but it may announce legislative initiatives, this is still unclear.
How does it fit into the bigger picture?
The Quality Jobs Act runs in parallel with two other major Commission initiatives: the Pact for European Social Dialogue and the Clean Industrial Deal. Together, these form a broader strategy, also called the competitiveness compass.
Some points of concern
Reactions to the Quality Jobs Act have been mixed. One major concern is the proposed 28th company law regime, which could potentially undermine the Act’s objectives. This ‘28th Regime’ refers to an optional, EU-wide legal framework allowing innovative companies to operate under a single standardized digital regulatory system, rather than navigating 27 separate national laws. This would allow certain companies to operate outside national labour laws which could undermine employment legislation and the collective bargaining. Another concern is that potential new EU legislation or initiatives would lead to new administrative burdens for companies.
