European Labor Mobility Congress in:

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17-18.02.2025, Kraków

POLISH VERSION

About

We are pleased to invite you to the 8th edition of the European Labour Mobility Congress (ELMC), which will take place on February 17-18, 2025, at the ICE Congress Centre in Krakow. This prestigious event has been a magnet for audiences from Poland and across Europe, bringing together professionals interested in the single market, labour mobility, and the freedom to provide services.

The first day of the Congress, under the name SIMFO@ELMC (Single Market Forum at European Labour Mobility Congress), will also be part of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Participants will have the opportunity to attend lectures on key issues related to the single market, such as the expansion of the European Union to new member states, free trade agreements, and the challenges related to the posting of workers within the context of the freedom to provide services.

One of the most critical topics to be addressed during the Congress will be the posting of workers, which has long been a source of controversy at the European Union level. In theory, posting workers offers benefits to all parties involved—workers can earn more abroad than at home, their rights are protected under the principle of favorability, and employers can access the vast EU market without needing to establish branches in every member state. However, in practice, the process faces significant challenges. Issues such as social dumping, unscrupulous business practices, and difficulties in enforcing regulations have made the posting of workers one of the most controversial subjects in EU political debates over the past decade.

The first day will therefore offer a deep dive into the distinction between social protection and protectionism and will explore how the principle of “equal pay for equal work” perpetuates wage inequality within the European Union. Experts will also discuss whether the difficulties in enforcing existing regulations justify their revision and how to strike a balance between the freedom to provide services and worker protection.

The second day will focus on practical solutions to challenges related to labour mobility and the functioning of the single market. Participants will be able to join workshops where experts will share valuable insights and strategies on managing the posting of workers and ensuring compliance with regulations.

More information about the program, registration and speakers will be available soon. Make sure to secure your spot at this exceptional event!

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Poland’s EU Presidency

SIMFO@ELMC – Official Event of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

The first day of the European Labour Mobility Congress is combined with the Single Market Forum (SIMFO), co-organized by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology and the European Labour Mobility Institute. This joint event is recognized as an official event of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Congress Topics and Presidency Priorities

The themes of the Congress are directly aligned with the priorities of the Polish Presidency, which were announced in June 2023. The Polish Presidency focuses on four key areas:

  1. The enlargement of the European Union to include new member states – The accession of Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans will significantly impact the services market and create new opportunities for businesses while helping to address labor shortages in many sectors. This will be the leading topic of the Congress, with a focus on the delegation of workers from these new member states, particularly Ukrainian citizens.
  2. Strengthening cooperation between the European Union and the USA – The planned free trade agreement between the EU and the USA will allow European service providers to offer services to American clients and open the European market to American companies. The Congress will address the impact of this agreement on the freedom to provide services and its importance for the services sector.

While these two priorities will be the main focus of the Congress, it’s also worth noting that the Polish Presidency promotes two other significant areas:

  1. Supporting Ukraine in its reconstruction – The economic growth and rebuilding of Ukraine after the war will require a large mobilization of labor and service providers, emphasizing the importance of labor mobility within the EU.
  2. Energy transformation and climate protection – These priorities influence policies related to labor mobility, especially in the context of companies and workers adapting to the challenges of the green economy.

During the Congress, the main emphasis will be on the enlargement of the European Union, followed by transatlantic cooperation.

Impact on Labour Mobility and Service Provision

The anticipated deepening of cooperation between the EU and the US, including a potential free trade agreement, will facilitate European service providers in offering their services to American clients, while also enabling American service providers to do the same within the EU.

How will the expansion of the service market be affected by the accession of new member states to the EU? More companies, increased competition, but also more clients—and above all, the opportunity to fill workforce gaps. Until this expansion occurs, the pressing issue remains the posting of third-country nationals, particularly Ukrainian citizens.

The Presidency is Approaching…

The Presidency of the Council of the EU rotates among all member states every six months, starting from January and July each year. Representatives from the country holding the Presidency, at both ministerial and expert levels, are responsible for setting the agenda of Council meetings and leading negotiations among member states.

Poland’s Role in 2025

From January 1, 2025, Poland will take over the Presidency from Hungary and will pass it on to Denmark on June 30, 2025. Since the Lisbon Treaty, three consecutive countries work together with the European Commission to develop an 18-month program, with each country detailing its specific priorities for its six-month term. This triangular handover rarely leads to abrupt policy shifts.

Our Commitment
We are proud to host an official event of the Polish Presidency in the Council of the EU and eagerly anticipate the growing importance of the freedom to provide services in realizing the Presidency’s priorities. The European Labour Mobility Congress is not only an opportunity to discuss key challenges facing Europe but also a platform for developing practical solutions that will strengthen the single market and enhance labour mobility.

Speakers

Krzysztof Paszyk

Minister of Economic Development and Technology

Ignacy Niemczycki

Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister

Prof. Maciej Szpunar

First Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union

Tanel Feldman

Immigration Law Associates

Jo Antoons

Attorney and Managing Partner of Fragomen’s Brussels office, member of European Commission Expert Group on Economic Migration

Ewald Obberhammer

Corporate Migration Centre

Karolina Schiffter

advocate, partner, PCS | Littler

Frederic De Wispelaere

Research expert at HIVA–KU Leuven

Marta Zięba-Szklarska

Expert in Human Resources, Payroll, and Cross-border Employment, Interim Manager in the area of Consulting and Business Development in Poland and in international projects, a board member of the European Labour Mobility Institute

Zbigniew Bartuś

Journalist and columnist for Forsal.pl and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna

Ada Zaorska

President of the Polish Home Care Association

Dr Kamil Matuszczyk

Assistant professor, University of Warsaw

Dr Marcin Kiełbasa

Legal scholar and legal advisor, currently serving as an assistant professor at the Department of Public Economic Law and Labor Law at the Cracow University of Economics

Dr Karolina Ziemianin

Head of German Desk - European Labour Mobility Institute

Dr Marek Benio

Lawyer, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Vice President of the European Labour Mobility Institute

Dr Julia Uznanski

Attorney & Founder - The Labour Migration Law Firm

Venue

ICE Kraków Congress Centre – The Modern Heart of Historic Kraków

Kraków, one of Europe’s oldest and most beautiful cities, is a place where the past seamlessly blends with the future. At the heart of this dynamic city, rich in historical heritage and cultural wealth, lies the ICE Kraków Congress Centre. ICE Kraków, or International Conferences & Entertainment, is a state-of-the-art convention center designed to host prestigious events on a global scale.

Located on the banks of the Vistula River, with a stunning view of Wawel Castle, ICE Kraków harmoniously combines modern architecture with the beauty of its historic surroundings. This venue perfectly captures the essence of Kraków—a complete city that is both a modern hub for business and technology and a guardian of its rich cultural and historical legacy.

With its advanced technological solutions, prime location, and flexible space, ICE Kraków is the ideal venue for conferences, congresses, and cultural events. It is here, in the unique atmosphere of Kraków, that our European Labour Mobility Congress will take place, serving as an official event of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Program – DAY 1 – SIMFO@ELMC

Please note that the following schedule is provisional. Detailed information will be updated regularly.

9:00 – 9:30 Registration

9:30 – 10:00 Opening of the Forum/Congress

10:00 – 10:45 – 15 Years of SIMFO

10:45 – 11:30 – Dialogue – Moderated Conversation

11:30 – 12:00 Coffee Break

12:00 – 13:30 Session I

13:30 – 14:30 Lunch

14:30 – 16:00 Session II

16:00 – 16:30 Coffee Break

16:30 – 18:00 Session III

18:00 – 18:15 Summary

19.30 – 22.00 Banquet and Formal Closing of Day 1

Program – DAY 2 – ELMC – workshops

Please note that the following schedule is provisional. Detailed information will be updated regularly.

9:00 – Registration

9:30 Inauguration – large combined room

9:45 – Workshop 1 – large combined room

11:00 – Workshop 2 – large combined room

12:00 – 12:30 – Coffee Break

Parallel workshop sessions in shared rooms:

12:30 – Workshop 3,4,5

13:40 – Workshop 6,7,8

14:40 – LUNCH

15:40 – Workshop 9,10,11

16:50 – Workshop 12,13,14

17:50- 18:00/15 – Instead of a summary

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20:00 – Afterparty – more information- coming soon

The Congress offers a unique opportunity to share practical experiences and solutions for overcoming the challenges of cross-border service provision. We believe in learning from each other, which is why Day 2 is all about hands-on learning through parallel workshops tailored to the most pressing issues. We have collected simple questions to which there are no simple answers and we will ask the best experts to offer solutions.

Here are some real examples:  

  • Can I hire a non-EU third country national exclusively for a project, which is carried out in another Member State?  
  • A PD-A1 has been revoked by my competent institution after the termination of the contract with my employee. Contributions were calculated and paid to this competent institution based on the valid (at the time of posting) PD-A1. What obligations do I have?  
  • What specific criteria determine if a worker is considered genuinely “temporarily” posted? 
  • Are letterbox companies illegal? Can I establish a company in another Member State with the sole purpose of recruiting and hiring workers there and posting them to my country of origin?  
  • How to draft workers’ contracts to be robust enough to withstand legal challenges in both sending and receiving countries? Crafting agreements to avoid dual jurisdiction conflicts and ensure workers’ rights are clear and respected?  
  • The application of the self-imposing rules on employment conditions of the receiving Member State may not be an obstacle to apply more favourable conditions of employment. Who and how determines which conditions are more favourable to employees?  
  • Board, accommodation, travel costs vs. allowances relate to posting. Which elements are included in the “remuneration” and which have to be paid on top? And if they are – are they subject to social security contribution and income tax? 
  • As a temporary employment undertaking I would like to hire out third country nationals to user undertaking in another Member State. What other obligations do I have compared to temporary workers who are EU-citizens?  
  • Are the periods of posting for the purpose of social security coordination calculated in the same manner as for the purpose of long term posting under the posting of workers directive? 
  • Where do my employees pay personal income tax? Is there anything an employer can do to optimise fiscal costs and still remain compliant?  

If you have other practical problems which need to be solved, please write them down and contact us and we will make sure that they will be answered at one of the workshops on ELMC Day 2.  

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Prices & Discounts

DAY ONE – 17.02.2025 – SIMFO@ELMC
Free admission with registration on the Polish Presidency website – limited number of seats available, so please register promptly. Due to formal reasons, the European Labour Mobility Institute does not handle direct registration for this day of the Congress.

DAY TWO – 18.02.2025 – Registration is available EXCLUSIVELY through this registration form

20% DISCOUNT ON CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION!
Take advantage of our EARLYBIRD promotion – enter the code EARLYBIRD in the registration form to receive a 20% discount – limited number of promotional tickets available.- Available till the end of October.

Take advantage of our BLACK WEEK promotion – enter the code BLACK_WEEK in the registration form to receive a 20% discount – limited number of promotional tickets available.- Available 27.11 – 3.12.2024.

5% DISCOUNT FOR REGISTERING THREE OR MORE PARTICIPANTS AT ONCE
Simply register at least three participants at once, and you will automatically receive a 5% discount for all. You can enter all participants in the last section of the registration form.

Standard GROSS prices (including VAT) and discounts are as follows:

1111 PLN – standard ticket

777 PLN – ticket for ELMI members

444 PLN – academic staff not engaged in business activities

0 PLN – public administration employees

-> Please note that prices will increase as the event date approaches.

Contact

Marcin, Ligia, Karolina, Marta, Marek

kontakt@labourinstitute.eu

tel: +48 795 586 620

Congress Team

Ligia Jaszczewska

Head of Event

ligia.jaszczewska@labourinstitute.eu

tel: +48 572 774 163

Congress Manager

Anna Grodecka

anna.grodecka@labourinstitute.eu

tel: +48 795 586 620

Participant registration

Dr Marek Benio

marek.benio@labourinstitute.eu

tel: +48 508 249 109

President of the Program Council