J.C. Juncker: Europe needed its labour authority

"The EU's brand new agency, the European Labour Agency (ELA), is necessary with regard to labour market mobility", said Slovak Labour Minister Ján Richter (Smer-SD) at the ceremonial inauguration of the Bratislava-based agency in Brussels on Wednesday. According to the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who was present at the ceremony, there is a real need in the EU to ensure fair, efficient and enforceable EU labour rules and to fulfil the slogan "equal pay for equal work at the same place". ELA is the first major European agency that will have its seat in Slovakia. The agency's staffing is supervised by the European Commission in line with standard recruitment procedures, with at least one third of the employees coming from the host country. ELA should have a total of 150 employees.