Policy Brief letterbox companiesPolicy Brief by Jan Cremers (University of Amsterdam)

Date of publication: 2014

This policy brief demonstrates how the emphasis on the primacy of economic freedoms has negatively affected the application of EU social security rules and the working conditions of posted workers. It also discusses the legal ambiguities accompanying the notion of 'genuine undertakings' and some recent cases of abuse of the freedom of establishment through the spread of letter-box companies. Finally it formulates policy recommendations for clear, transparent regulation, tighter controls and closer cooperation between national law-enforcing authorities.

The Policy Brief can be downloaded from the ETUI website.