ELA joint inspections, the 2026 numbers
ELA joint inspections have gone from experiment to routine in a few years. In 2026 the European Labour Authority, established by Regulation (EU) 2019/1149, has already coordinated action weeks on undeclared work, construction, transport and, for the first time, transnational temporary work agencies. The numbers published by the Authority deserve a joined-up reading, because they describe an enforcement system that no longer knows national borders.
How many companies were checked in 2026
The action week on undeclared work, with results published in March, involved eighteen EU and EFTA countries with 2,294 companies inspected, 5,239 workers checked and over 700 suspected irregularities, from under-declared hours to bogus self-employment. Italy took part on the cross-border side.
Add the construction week, 128 companies and 27 sites across fourteen States, the road transport week, 556 vehicles checked with twenty-one States involved, the first action on transnational temporary agencies, 70 companies and around 2,800 workers, and seven concerted inspections dedicated to pay alone.
The comparison with 2025 shows the progression. The previous construction week stopped at 137 companies and 19 sites in twelve States, the 2026 edition widened the countries involved and added an entire new strand on temporary agencies. Each cycle absorbs the sectors where the previous one found the most irregularities.
Concerted versus joint inspections, the difference that matters
In concerted inspections the authorities of several States check in parallel, each on its own territory, exchanging findings. In joint inspections officers of one State physically take part in checks in another. In both cases the ELA supports organisation and information flow, and what surfaces in one country can feed an investigation elsewhere. That is the mandate the founding Regulation gives the Authority, and Italy takes part in both instruments.
What these numbers mean for companies posting to Italy
For a foreign company with workers in Italy the consequence is concrete. A file opened in the State of establishment can reach the Italian posting, and vice versa, because genuineness indicators are now read across borders. And when a posting proves non-genuine the Italian rule is blunt, the worker is deemed for all purposes an employee of the party that used the work (Article 3(4), Legislative Decree 136/2016).
Frequently asked questions
Can joint inspections take place in Italy?
Yes. The Italian National Labour Inspectorate takes part both by hosting foreign inspectors and by sending its own abroad, as in the 2026 action weeks.
Can data collected in one country be used in another?
Administrative cooperation runs through the ELA and the IMI system, and findings circulate among authorities. A documentary inconsistency surfacing abroad can resurface in an Italian check.
We assist foreign companies involved in cross-border posting checks. Write to us for a confidential assessment.
Informative content, updated 13 October 2026. Legal quotations are courtesy translations, the Italian text prevails. Every actual case requires a dedicated review.