Members of the CEACR

Professor Waas is a member of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) of the ILO.

Once a country has ratified an ILO Convention, it is required to report regularly on the measures it has taken for its implementation. Every three years, governments have to provide reports detailing the steps they have taken in law and practice to apply any of the eight fundamental and four governance Conventions that they have ratified. For all other Conventions, reports have to be provided every six years, except for Conventions that have been “shelved” (which are no longer supervised on a regular basis). Reports on the application of Conventions may be requested at shorter intervals. Governments are required to submit copies of their reports to employers’ and workers’ organizations. These organizations may comment on the government reports, or send comments directly to the ILO on the application of Conventions.

The Committee of Experts was set up in 1926 to examine the growing number of government reports on ratified Conventions. Today it is composed of 20 eminent jurists appointed by the Governing Body for three-year terms. The experts come from different geographic regions, legal systems and cultures. The role of the Committee of Experts is to provide an impartial and technical evaluation of the application of international labour standards in ILO member States.

The annual report of the Committee of Experts consists of three parts. Part I contains the General Report, which includes comments on compliance by member States with their Constitutional obligations. Part II contains observations on the application of international labour standards, while Part III is a General Survey on a specific subject selected by the ILO Governing Body (see the section on General Surveys)

• Reports of the Committee of Experts since 1932 – Links to pdf documents 
• For detailed information concerning comments of the Committee of Experts by country or by convention see NORMLEX  database.

Professor Waas is the coordinator of a network of highly qualified legal experts which is part of the European centre of expertise in the field of labour law, employment and labour market policies (ECE) of the European Commission (DG Employment Social Affairs & Inclusion). Within the scope of the network´s activities are: EU labour law  and national labour law (including collective rights and individual rights); employment protection legislation; posting of workers; undeclared work; new forms of employment;  self-employment ; work-life balance.

The network provides regularly independent advice, analysis and information to the European Commission allowing the Commission services to objectively monitor the legal situation in the Member States and identify problems encountered in the national legislation, its application and administrative practice. The information provided focuses on recent developments, such as legislative proposals, case law and existing administrative practice and includes: the transposition at national level (and, where applicable, at federal and/or sub national) of the labour law Directives;  the practical implementation and application of national legislation transposing these Directives ; relevant national initiatives;  important national court rulings; preliminary assessments of the conformity of the above with the requirements of European Union Law; important cases where the application of EU law could be at stake including the description of the national background; the impact of judgements of the European Court of Justice on national law and, where appropriate, of the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights;  monitoring of the national initiatives linked to EU infringements proceedings in the fields mentioned above; monitoring the implementation of legal reforms following up to country specific recommendations in the context of the European Semester.

The experts also provide responses to requests for information, advice and detailed analysis in relation to their countries and/or specific themes. Such request emerge for example: when the Commission is preparing policy documents, reports, papers for meetings, or other. Requests are likely to follow the European Semester calendar and comparative analysis on the implementation of the relevant country specific recommendations (CSR) can be required;  when the Commission is preparing policy documents, reports, papers for meetings or in the framework of complaints, infringement procedures, parliamentary questions, or other. 

The network also prepares thematic reviews the scope of which are defined by the Commission services.

Finally, the network is responsible for planning and organising an annual conference in the field of labour law as well as expert meetings.

The Website is currently under reconstruction.

Professor Waas also coordinates the Study Group on a Restatement of Labour Law in Europe

The aim of this project is to identify similarities and differences between national regulations in important areas of labour law and to make them available to the interested public in a structured form. For this purpose, in-depth country reports are prepared in a uniform format, evaluated in a comparative legal manner with results presented in a form based on legal language.

The project is aimed at actors from politics, science and social partner circles and is intended to contribute to a comprehensive penetration and better understanding of the labour law regulations applicable in Europe.

Project partners are: European Trade Union Confederation/European Trade Union Institute (ETUC/ETUI), Confederation of the German Employers' Associations (BDA), European Employment Lawyers Association (EELA), European Association of Labour Court Judges (EALCJ), European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (EUROFOUND).

The members of the Study Group represent: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Professor Waas is General Editor of the corresponding book series which is published by Bloomsbury Professional, UK.