Fair working conditions in agriculture

Fair working conditions in agriculture: the local and regional perspective

NAT-VII/045
Karine GLOANEC-MAURIN
 Adoption: 20/11/2024
The transition towards the ecological sustainability of agriculture must go hand in hand with social justice and Green Deal commitments must be complemented by commitments to a Social Deal.
The aims of social conditionality can be achieved across all agricultural sectors in order to limit distortions of competition between regions linked to different labour costs. The CoR suggests setting up a system of additional support for farms that guarantee a higher level of compliance with social, working and employment conditions and that the European Commission undertake a review of the system for coordinated penalties for infringements to labour and social rules across the EU, in order to achieve greater harmonisation.
The CoR advocates the creation of independent bodies to which agricultural workers can submit anonymous complaints about non-compliance with labour law and underlines the importance of implementing comprehensive health and well-being programmes for agricultural workers. It also calls on the Member States to adopt the ILO’s Safety and Health in Agriculture Recommendation (No 192) and the Council recommendation concerning the improvement of the protection of the health and safety at work of self-employed workers.
The CoR suggests developing instruments to support agricultural employers in providing decent housing conditions for agricultural workers, and deems it crucial to better protect women’s rights in the agricultural sector, regardless of their status, and promote a gender-sensitive approach in this sector.
Finally, the CoR recommends that all EU Member States sign, ratify and implement the International Convention on Migrant Workers and the International Labour Organization’s Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention (No 184).
The European Commission comments on five main headings in the CoR opinion.
CAP and social conditionality (paragraphs 6–20, 38, 50):
The Commission explains that social conditionality, mandatory from 2025, links CAP payments to compliance with labour law and occupational safety and health rules. It underlines, however, that the mechanism depends on national enforcement systems and has limits in sectors such as fruit and vegetables, where CAP support is low or absent.
Occupational health and safety (paragraphs 27 and 31): the Commission points to existing Eurostat accident-at-work data and notes that the opinion relies on incomplete or outdated references, in particular by omitting the original 2017 Eurostat publication and more recent data for 2010–2022 and NACE sector A01.
Social dialogue (paragraphs 44 and 46): the Commission recalls that while it promotes the role of social partners at EU level, the organisation of social dialogue remains a national competence. It refers to the agricultural sectoral social dialogue committee and the 2023 Council Recommendation on strengthening social dialogue.
Occupational safety and health (OSH) (paragraphs 37, 41, 59): the Commission highlights the role of SLIC, the application of EU OSH directives to agriculture, and cooperation between EU-OSHA and the European Labour Authority, including awareness campaigns and compliance support.
Data on agricultural employed persons (paragraph 60): the Commission notes that substantial data already exists through the EU Labour Force Survey, including information on employment, working conditions, accidents at work and work organisation. Overall, the Commission’s comments both support the opinion’s objectives and seek to clarify legal, statistical and institutional points.

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR)
- believes that a transition towards the ecological sustainability of agriculture must go hand in hand with social justice and that Green Deal commitments must be complemented by commitments to a Social Deal;
- recommends that action be taken to ensure that the aims of social conditionality can be achieved across all agricultural sectors in order to limit distortions of competition between regions linked to different labour costs;
- suggests setting up a system of additional support for farms that guarantee a higher level of compliance with social, working and employment conditions;
- suggests that the European Commission undertake a review of the system for coordinated penalties for infringements to labour and social rules across the EU, in order to achieve greater harmonisation;
- advocates the creation of independent bodies to which agricultural workers can submit anonymous complaints about non-compliance with labour law;
- underlines the importance of implementing comprehensive health and well-being programmes for agricultural workers and calls on the Member States to adopt the ILO’s Safety and Health in Agriculture Recommendation (No 192) and the Council recommendation concerning the improvement of the protection of the health and safety at work of self-employed workers;
- suggests developing instruments to support agricultural employers in providing decent housing conditions for agricultural workers;
- deems it crucial to better protect women’s rights in the agricultural sector, regardless of their status, and promote a gender-sensitive approach in this sector;
- recommends that all EU Member States sign, ratify and implement the International Convention on Migrant Workers and the International Labour Organization’s Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention (No 184).