How to Ensure Compliance When Mobilising Power Engineers to Europe

Europe’s power sector remains a cornerstone of industrial and economic stability, driving innovation in grid modernisation, nuclear energy and thermal power generation. Yet, as demand surges – spurred by energy security concerns and decarbonisation goals – the industry faces a critical shortage of power engineers. 

For power companies, mobilising skilled professionals across borders is no longer optional but a strategic necessity. However, navigating Europe’s fragmented compliance landscape – with an array of labour laws, visas, tax regimes and so on – can stall even the most urgent projects. 

This blog examines how to deploy power engineers across Europe and comply with all the various regulatory requirements, to mitigate the legal, financial and reputational risks. It also explains how partnering with an Employer of Record (EOR) services provider can make power recruitment much more straightforward. 

Europe’s Power Sector: A Talent Crisis Amid Change

Global political tensions are forcing many European countries to review their energy security, which is leading to increased demand for home-grown sources. This is while efforts to decarbonise the power sector are continuing to pick up pace, along with the necessary improvements to grid interconnectivity. And, of course, there is still much demand for nuclear power to meet current demand.

This is exemplified by the EU’s REPowerEU Plan to save energy, diversify energy supplies and produce clean energy, as well as resulting in a complex landscape of energy compliance within the EU.

Yet, European energy firms are reporting that skills shortages are hindering project delivery. This includes roles such as grid engineers, nuclear specialists and plant operations managers, to name just a few.

So, there is the very real energy recruitment challenge of competing for increasingly scarce skilled talent. Plus, once you’ve identified the right power engineers, you’ll then need to ensure that their cross-border deployment complies with often very complex regulations. 

In the next section, we highlight some of the most common aspects of compliance that need to be carefully considered before mobilising power engineers to Europe.

(Our blogs on moving personnel internationally for renewable energy projects and recruitment advice for chemical companies contain further details, much of which also applies to the power sector.)

Compliance Framework

1. Labour laws: contracts that cross borders

European employment protections vary greatly from country to country. For example: 

• Germany – there is a strong focus on collective bargaining agreements.
• UK – engineers on assignments exceeding two years gain certain employment rights. 
• France – there are strict limits on working hours (typically a 35-hour week). 

So, it’s vital to audit all mobilisations against host-country laws and also to keep up to date with all relevant changes. This will also ensure that all engineers receive statutory benefits and entitlements, such as paid vacation days, sick leave, and maternity and paternity leave.

2. Work permits and visas: fast-tracking critical skills

Again, requirements vary, but power engineers will typically require: 

• EU Blue Card – for non-EU nationals whose education, experience and employment meet the criteria. This scheme is “designed to make Europe a more attractive destination for professionals from outside the European Union” (although it doesn’t apply in Denmark or Ireland, again highlighting regional differences).
• Intra-Corporate Transfer (ICT) Permit – this is a combined work and residence permit for non-EU nationals who are already with the company but transferring to a different country. 
• Local work visas – many countries have their own fast-track schemes that are designed to attract workers to particular in-demand sectors, including energy.

The process for applying for permits and visas is frequently slow and complex, making it important to, first, identify the relevant permit(s) that is required and then, second, apply in a timely manner.

It’s also worth noting that permits tied to specific projects can lapse if delays occur. So, it’s essential to keep on top of this and proactively apply for renewal within required timelines. 

3. Payroll and tax: avoiding double burdens

To ensure ongoing compliance with country-specific regulations, energy companies also need to consider differences in payroll and tax, such as:

• Social security – while working abroad, employees may be subject to tax in both their home and host countries. However, there are tax treaties that have been established to avoid this double taxation. Engineers on short-term assignments may retain home-country coverage via EU A1 forms.
• Tax equalisation – there are large disparities in tax rates across Europe. For example, in 2024, personal average tax rates ranged from 15.6% in Cyprus to 39.7% in Belgium. However, there are tax equalisation policies that will protect employees from higher tax burdens while working abroad. 

Due to the complexity of international payroll regulations, partnering with a global payroll provider, which has local expertise, can be beneficial for energy companies. The provider will also ensure that all the necessary records of payroll-related transactions are kept, ready for disclosure to the local tax authority.

Employer of Record (EOR): Compliance Without Local Entities

For power firms launching projects in new markets, establishing a legal entity in the host country is often costly and slow. An EOR solves this by: 

• Hiring engineers legally under the EOR’s local entity, including obtaining permits and visas. 
• Managing payroll, tax and benefits in compliance with the host country’s laws. 
• Mitigating the risk of permanent establishment (e.g. avoiding corporate tax liabilities in a host country if an employee works there for an extended length of time). 

NES Fircroft’s EOR services make it easy for businesses to hire employees in Europe without having to maintain a physical presence there.

Conclusion: Strategic Mobility for Power Recruitment

The power sector’s future isn’t just about gigawatts – it’s also about moving the right engineers, compliantly, to where they’re needed the most. In fact, Europe’s energy transition hinges on the mobilisation of power engineers. Yet, the risks of non-compliance – fines, revoked permits, delayed projects, reputational damage – can all derail growth. 

To navigate this complex regulatory environment, energy companies should audit relocation policies against all applicable labour and immigration laws within targeted host countries. Alternatively, partnering with an EOR services provider will substantially relieve this burden. 

Need support? NES Fircroft combines power recruitment expertise with EOR services to place engineers and manage your compliance – so that you can focus on your core business of generating power for the future. Please get in touch to find out how we can help you with our power sector recruitment solutions and global mobility services.