Slovakia could host the European Labour Agency

Slovakia is a strong candidate for the future headquarters of the European Labour Agency (ELA), according to a document prepared by the Slovak Labour Ministry. The Government has already prepared promotional materials on Bratislava in order to support Slovakia's candidacy. The other three Visegrad 4 countries - Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic - have already confirmed their support for Slovakia. Other countries, including Luxembourg and Estonia, have expressed their informal support. The ministry claims that France and Germany have praised Slovakia's constructive attitude in certain labour-related matters, which has also boosted the country's prospects. The next step in implementing Slovakia's candidacy will be active political lobbying by Government representatives. The final decision will be made at the level of EU-member states. The agency will have some 140 employees, including 60 experts sent by member states.