EU Parliament plans AI and workplace initiative for next year
The European Parliament will begin negotiations on an own-initiative legislative proposal to tackle issues around artificial intelligence and the workplace in the first quarter of this year, with the aim to adopt a report in early 2026, sources from within the institution told Euronews.
Last year, the bloc's AI Act – stringent rules which regulate AI systems according to the risk they pose to society – entered into force, and the Parliament has been vocal about the need for additional rules to cover workplace changes arising as a result of AI technology.
Lawmaker Brando Benifei (Italy/S&D), the MEP in charge of determining the Parliament's position on the AI Act, repeatedly sai d that possible AI and workplace rules could cover issues such as obligations to involve social partners in bargaining, as well as safety and training elements.
The AI Act already bans specific practices to protect workers, such as social scoring or real-time remote biometric identification. In addition, the EU institutions reached an agreement on platform work last year, with the aim to protect and improve the working conditions of people working in the gig economy.
Possible legislation
The issue was flagged in the mission letter of Roxana Mînzatu, the EU Commissioner in charge of Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness.
'I would also like you to focus on the impact of digitalisation in the world of work. This should notably be done through an initiative on algorithmic management and through possible legislation on AI in the workplace, following consultation with social partners. You will also propose to introduce a right to disconnect,' the mission letter, drafted by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said.
The European Commission did not comment on when such a proposal could be presented.
A survey published on Thursday by the EU executive found that most Europeans support the use of AI in the workplace.
More than 60% of Europeans view robots and AI in the workplace positively and more than 70% believe that they improve productivity, the survey suggested.
'While a majority supports the use of robots and AI to make decisions at work, 84% of Europeans believe that AI needs to be carefully managed to protect privacy and ensure transparency in the workplace,' it said.
'Artificial intelligence is now an integral part of modern workplaces. We need to use it in a way that supports and protects workers. We have a solid foundation of rules, with our General Data Protection Regulation, the AI Act and the Platform Work Directive. We will review how these rules are applied to address the impact of AI across the labour market,' Mînzatu said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
21 minutes ago
- France 24
'Almost non-stop sirens' across Israel as Iran fires missiles
03:28 23/06/2025 Did US strikes 'finish the job' of destroying Fordow plant? 23/06/2025 Turkey braces for refugees as Iranian flock to borders 23/06/2025 EU urges 'all sides to step back' after US strikes Iran, but can bloc find unified response? 23/06/2025 US warns against Iran retaliation as Trump raises 'regime change' 23/06/2025 Will US strikes be enough to derail Iran's nuclear programme? 23/06/2025 Residents shelter in Tel Aviv as Israel, Iran trade strikes 23/06/2025 How successful were US strikes on Iran? 23/06/2025 'I never expected he would be freed', wife of Belarus opposition leader tells FRANCE 24 23/06/2025 US reveals details of 'Operation Midnight Hammer'
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Did US strikes 'finish the job' of destroying Fordow plant?
08:58 23/06/2025 Turkey braces for refugees as Iranian flock to borders 23/06/2025 EU urges 'all sides to step back' after US strikes Iran, but can bloc find unified response? 23/06/2025 US warns against Iran retaliation as Trump raises 'regime change' 23/06/2025 Will US strikes be enough to derail Iran's nuclear programme? 23/06/2025 Residents shelter in Tel Aviv as Israel, Iran trade strikes 23/06/2025 How successful were US strikes on Iran? 23/06/2025 'I never expected he would be freed', wife of Belarus opposition leader tells FRANCE 24 23/06/2025 US reveals details of 'Operation Midnight Hammer' 22/06/2025 Iran: How is the war with Israel affecting civil society? Middle East
Local France
2 hours ago
- Local France
5 things you need to think about before setting up a business in France
With the French employment sector not always easy for foreigners to access, it's common for people planning a move to France to think about setting up on their own - either as a freelancer or contractor or even setting up a small business. Sectors such as tourism are especially popular with foreigners - for example running a gîte or chalet, or setting up a bike hire company - since this allows people to use their knowledge of English to good effect, but there are many other sectors that foreign residents get involved in. While some people want to set up a small business, others operate as self-employed, freelance or contractors. But although this is a good way of working that works for many people - there are some important questions to ask before starting out. 1. Do you have the right to be self-employed in France? Citizens of an EU country can skip this bit, but non-EU citizens need a visa in order to move to France and you need to ensure that your visa is compatible with working in a self-employed capacity. Some visas, such as the visitor visa, specifically require you to state that you will not work in France while others - such as the salarié - are only available to people who have a job contract in France. The most common visa type for self-employed/freelance workers is the entrepreneur visa, although you may also qualify for the 'talent' visa which is aimed at highly qualified or highly paid workers. Advertisement Certain types of vie privée visa also allow self-employed work, while Brits who benefit from the post-Brexit Article 50 card are allowed to do all types of work, including being self-employed or running a business. READ ALSO: What type of visa do I need for France? 2. Is your chosen field a regulated profession? In France certain jobs are counted as professions réglementées - regulated professions - which require specific qualifications. If you obtained your qualifications outside the EU, you will need to apply for your qualifications to be recognised. Not all non-EU qualifications are recognised in France so you may end up having to take extra exams, depending on the sector. There are more than 250 regulated professions in France - find more information here . Even if your profession is not regulated, you will naturally be required to adhere to French laws, which may be different to those in your home country - for example if you want to set up a café or hair salon you will need to abide by French health, safety and hygiene standards. Advertisement For this reason it is often recommended that people take a course in the relevant rules before they get started, just to ensure that they are fully up to speed with French rules and regulations. 3. Have you calculated your earnings with French taxes and social contributions deducted? If you are working in France then you are subject to French taxes and social security contributions - these can be high, especially if you are employing any staff, so when calculating your expected income you will need to take these into account. If you are employing staff you will need to pay employer's social security contributions too, which makes hiring people quite expensive. You also need to be aware of the rules around hiring freelancers - if you hire someone on a freelance basis but your work makes up most or all of their income then you could be guilty of "disguised employment", which is illegal. 4. Remember to register your French business . . . If you are setting up any kind of business in France, or setting up as a freelancer or contractor, you need to register your business with URSSAF. Advertisement If you are setting up a small business or as a freelancer or contractor, then you might benefit from the micro-entrepreneur status. This is designed to be a simplified system aimed at people working for themselves or starting out in business in a small way. It has an annual limit on earnings - €188,000 for retail or sales or €77,000 for services - and if you go over that limit you will have to change the registration. READ ALSO : Micro-entrepreneur: How to set up as a small business in France✎ Depending on the type of working you are doing, you may also need to register with the professional guild or local business organisation. 5 . . . And do a tax declaration Once your business is registered then URSSAF will deduct your social charges, but that is only half the story - you will also need to complete the annual tax declaration in order to pay taxes on your earnings. You can find more information in our taxes sector here . . . . And a note about remote work For some foreigners the ideal compromise is to live in France and work remotely for a company back in their home country. This has historically been regarded as something of a grey area, since most of the rules were written before remote working became widespread. However, that the French tax office has recently clarified that they consider this to be 'work in France' - as they consider it is your location that matters, not the location of your clients. This has potential knock-on effects for both your residency and tax status - full details here . You can also finds lots more information on all aspects of working life in our Working in France section
