Pearle* statement
The international activities of the Seviqc festival involve frequent short-term cross-border work by artists. Efforts to make mobility procedures simpler, more consistent and more accessible are therefore also important for our festival. Below, we publish the statement by Pearle*-Live Performance Europe on the European Commission’s Fair Labour Mobility Package.
Pearle* statement on the Commission’s Fair Labour Mobility Package
Brussels, 17 September 2026
Pearle*-Live Performance Europe welcomes the European Commission’s Fair Labour Mobility Package presented on 15 September and, in particular, the proposal to establish a European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS).
Pearle* welcomes the broader approach taken by the package, which brings together the ESSPASS and four other legislative initiatives, including on skills portability, recognition of qualifications, and the role of the European Labour Authority. This is a positive recognition that labour mobility cannot be improved through one measure alone. For sectors characterised by frequent and short-term cross-border work, progress is needed both on administrative simplification and on the practical application of mobility rules across Member States.
These objectives closely reflect the findings of Pearle*’s recent mobility report, Unleashing the Potential of the European Live Performance Sector, which highlighted divergent administrative procedures, lengthy processes and compliance costs as persistent barriers to mobility in the live performance sector. The proposed ESSPASS is particularly relevant in this regard. The digitalisation of the Portable Document A1 and its integration into the EU Digital Identity Wallet respond directly to the sector’s call for simpler, more consistent and more accessible procedures for cross-border work.
Pearle* will therefore follow the forthcoming discussions in the European Parliament and the Council closely and hopes for a timely conclusion of the legislative process. The effectiveness of the initiative for highly mobile sectors such as live performance will ultimately depend on the adoption and implementation of solutions that are simple, interoperable and workable in practice across all Member States.
About Pearle*-Live Performance Europe
Created in 1991, Pearle*-Live Performance Europe is the European Federation of performing arts, live music and other live performance organisations. Pearle* represents through its members more than 14,000 managers of theatres, concert venues, theatre production companies, orchestras, operas, ballet and dance companies, festivals, promoters and other professional organisations in the performing arts in Europe.
Pearle* is the leading organisation on EU and international regulatory affairs issues affecting the daily operations of live performance organisations.