WEC-Europe Meets with Mario Nava, Director-General for Employment, European Commission

The meeting brought together senior representatives of WEC-Europe and one of the EU’s most senior figures on labour market policy for an open and constructive exchange on the key challenges and opportunities shaping employment in Europe today. 

Discussions covered the evolving EU labour market landscape, including the structural pressures facing European economies, from persistent skills mismatches and demographic change to the growing need for more agile and inclusive workforce policies. The conversation also touched on the role the private employment services industry plays in supporting labour market resilience, connecting people to work, and helping businesses navigate an increasingly complex environment. 

WEC-Europe used the meeting as an opportunity to share the industry’s perspective on current and forthcoming EU policy developments, and to reaffirm its commitment to engaging constructively with EU institutions in shaping frameworks that enable growth while protecting workers. 

Ethical Labour Corridors: A Shared Agenda 

The bilateral meeting was complemented by Mario Nava’s participation as a speaker in one of the standout sessions of the conference: Grow with Global Talent: Ethical Labour Corridors as Accelerators of Growth. 

Alongside Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), Elizabeth Warn, Head of the Labour Mobility Division at the International Organization for Migration, and Florian Zahn, Head of Social Policy at The Adecco Group Germany, Lohit Bhatia, Chief Executive Officer at Quess Corp Limited, Nava contributed a European policy perspective to a conversation that was both timely and substantive. 

The session made a compelling case that ethical recruitment is not a constraint on growth, it is one of its most powerful drivers. Speakers drew on operational examples of cross-border labour corridors already functioning between countries that have chosen to treat labour mobility as a strategic asset, rather than a compliance obligation. 

For the private employment services industry, the message was clear: responsible recruitment at scale represents both a defining responsibility and a significant commercial opportunity. Firms that build the infrastructure, standards, and partnerships to deliver it will be best placed to lead in an increasingly mobile global talent market. 

Mario Nava’s dual engagement, in the bilateral meeting with WEC-Europe and on the conference stage, reflected the deepening dialogue between EU institutions and the private employment services sector, and the shared recognition that smart, enabling policy and responsible industry practice are two sides of the same coin. 

WEC-Europe represents the interests of the private employment services industry at European level, engaging with EU institutions, social partners, and policymakers to advocate for smart regulation and an enabling environment for the industry and the millions of people it serves across the continent.