This year’s Ordinary General Assembly of the Members of the European Labour Mobility Institute (ELMI) was primarily dedicated to the key legal challenges related to the posting of third-country nationals to work in Poland.
Although formally ordinary, it was anything but – due to the exceptional legislative context and the significance of the issues discussed.
The Assembly was held in several formats:
– on 5 June, we met in person in Kraków for the official session,
– the following day, we continued in a working group format,
– and on 9 June, we held an online meeting with international members to summarise key outcomes and plan future cooperation.
During the Assembly, the annual report was approved, and the Management Board and Audit Committee were elected for a new three-year term.
The Management Board remains unchanged, with Stefan Schwarz (President) and Marek Benio (Vice President) continuing their roles.
A major focus was placed on the impact of new regulations, which have severely restricted access to the Polish labour market and paralysed the process of employing third-country nationals.
The most urgent priority was clearly identified:
restoring normal operating conditions for Polish service exporters, including the legal employment and posting of third-country nationals within the EU.
The agenda also included a simulation game titled “How to post a third-country national?”, which served as a basis for in-depth discussion about the legal and administrative obstacles employers are currently facing.
To support our diagnosis of the situation, we invited experts who know the system inside out and observe its functioning in practice.
We thank the following individuals for their valuable contributions:
– Dariusz Górski, Director of the Department for Employment Legality at the State Labour Inspection,
– Nadia Winiarska and Robert Lisicki, experts from the Confederation Lewiatan.
At the end of the formal part of the Assembly, legislative, informational and lobbying actions were outlined to serve the interests of ELMI members.
On the following day, during an informal working breakfast, members discussed the future of ELMI and preparations for the European Labour Mobility Congress in 2026 and 2027.
The online meeting with international members also addressed future cooperation plans for the coming year, including the launch of an English-language edition of the “Legal Posting Lab” webinar series, featuring first-hand insights from international experts.
We thank all members for their presence, commitment and willingness to act together.
We have a lot of work ahead – but we are determined.
Because Polish service providers deserve clear rules,
and third-country nationals deserve a fair path to legal employment on the Polish labour market.
