FIT Europe
FIT Europe provides representation for its members at European level.
ID: 340206843025-70
Lobbying Activity
Response to Revision of EU rules on late payments (Late Payments Directive)
17 Mar 2023
FIT Europe represents the interests of around 40,000 freelance translators and interpreters in Europe and welcomes the Commission's proposals to update the Directive. There is considerable anecdotal evidence among the translator/interpreter community of dire payment practices and various member associations of FIT Europe have began efforts to more accurately map payment practices in their relevant countries. Many associations regularly brief their members about the Directive and its importance. Improvements in how the Directive functions are to be welcomed. A clear definition of unfair payment practices would be greatly welcomed by the freelance translator/interpreter community in the EU. We notice that the consultation document makes extensive reference to SMEs but not clearly identify micro-enterprises as being affected by late payments: the vast majority of translators and interpreters in Europe work as solo self-employed persons. It would be useful for the Commission documentation in the next steps of the process to specifically include this economically important category of service providers by specifically naming them, rather than subsuming them within the SME title. FIT Europe also welcomes the Commission's willingness to develop more effective remedies. An equally important aspect, though, is disseminating information about the existence of the Directive, the rights it confers, how solo self-employed persons can utilise those rights, and the remedies under the Directive and those adopted in national implementing measures. While revising the Directive will be a useful step in improving the current situation, if those impacted by late payments are not made adequately aware that something can be done on their side, implementation of the Directive will be sorely hampered. We would recommend that the Commission develop an extensive scheme to promote awareness of the Directive among all categories of persons who can benefit from its provisions.
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