Academics, labour inspectors and employer federations gathered in **Leuven on 3 March 2026 for the final conference of the EU-funded POSTING.STAT 2.0 project**, a two-year initiative led by KU Leuven to improve statistics on the posting of workers. The event matters for global-mobility teams because intra-EU posting remains a critical, but often misunderstood, vehicle for short-term assignments and subcontracting in Belgium’s construction, logistics and agri-food sectors. Key research findings presented include: • **Record numbers of third-country nationals (TCNs)** are now being posted intra-EU, with some sending states reporting TCN shares above 30 %. Road transport, construction and agriculture are most affected. • Administrative data show **growing complexity of subcontracting chains**, often involving multiple tiers of foreign and Belgian firms. Lack of transparency raises compliance risks around wage parity and social-security coordination. • Enforcement remains uneven. Member-state inspection services use divergent definitions, making it impossible to benchmark infringement rates or recovery of sanctions EU-wide.
![Leuven conference highlights surge in posted third-country nationals and data gaps]()
While policymakers debate long-term fixes, companies still need practical support today. VisaHQ’s Belgium desk (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) can streamline Schengen visas, work permits and even liaise on A1 portability for posted workers, giving HR teams a single point of contact until the promised EU-wide e-Declaration system materialises.
Participants from the European Labour Authority and Belgium’s Social Inspection Service called for a **single digital declaration system**—sometimes dubbed "e-Declaration"—to replace today’s patchwork of LIMOSA, A1 forms and national portals. Employers welcomed the idea but argued that data fields must be harmonised with the upcoming Entry/Exit System to avoid duplication. For companies that rely on posted-worker frameworks to plug skill gaps in Belgian projects, the Leuven debate underscored three practical steps: 1. **Audit subcontractor chains** to map posting routes and ensure A1 validity, especially when TCNs are involved. 2. **Budget for stricter inspections** in 2026-27 as Belgium aligns with the EU drive for more credible enforcement. 3. **Track social-security coordination reform (Regulation 883)**, which may introduce an EU-wide e-declaration as early as 2027. POSTING.STAT 2.0’s final report, due later this spring, will feed into Commission impact assessments on labour-mobility data and pave the way for pilot projects financed by the European Labour Authority. Given Belgium’s central role as both a sending and receiving country, the findings are likely to shape national policy on **chain liability, sanctions and digital compliance tools**.
While policymakers debate long-term fixes, companies still need practical support today. VisaHQ’s Belgium desk (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) can streamline Schengen visas, work permits and even liaise on A1 portability for posted workers, giving HR teams a single point of contact until the promised EU-wide e-Declaration system materialises.
Participants from the European Labour Authority and Belgium’s Social Inspection Service called for a **single digital declaration system**—sometimes dubbed "e-Declaration"—to replace today’s patchwork of LIMOSA, A1 forms and national portals. Employers welcomed the idea but argued that data fields must be harmonised with the upcoming Entry/Exit System to avoid duplication. For companies that rely on posted-worker frameworks to plug skill gaps in Belgian projects, the Leuven debate underscored three practical steps: 1. **Audit subcontractor chains** to map posting routes and ensure A1 validity, especially when TCNs are involved. 2. **Budget for stricter inspections** in 2026-27 as Belgium aligns with the EU drive for more credible enforcement. 3. **Track social-security coordination reform (Regulation 883)**, which may introduce an EU-wide e-declaration as early as 2027. POSTING.STAT 2.0’s final report, due later this spring, will feed into Commission impact assessments on labour-mobility data and pave the way for pilot projects financed by the European Labour Authority. Given Belgium’s central role as both a sending and receiving country, the findings are likely to shape national policy on **chain liability, sanctions and digital compliance tools**.
