Effective Enforcement of EC Labour Law: A Comparative Analysis of Community Law Requirements

Abstract

This article deals with the rules designed to enforce European Union labour law in the workplace. Directives do not normally provide specific rules on procedures and sanctions according to which their substantive provisions are to be enforced. Instead, domestic rules are to be applied. The European Court of Justice, however, has developed some requirements that limit the autonomy of the Member States in this area. The aim of this article is to evaluate the principle of effective enforcement in the field of labour law, in the light of actual enforcement procedures in the Member States.