European Cleaning and Facility Services Industry

EU Legislative Interests

EFCI's main focus lies on policies in the area of: (i) labour market surveillance and labour law at national and European level; (ii) employment and social policy, including social protection; (iii) health and safety at the workplace; (iv) internal market and services; (v) public procurement; (vi) national and European level industrial relations; (vii) integration of the sector into circular economy.

Communication Activities

Since 1989, the EFCI carries out every two years (last edition in 2016), a survey on the Cleaning Industry in Europe. It provides a detailed and exhaustive analysis of the sector and its development over the last 25 years. It shows the most important socio-economical indicators (turnover, market penetration, number of companies, number of employees, work organisation, etc.) and compares the situation of the industry with the general economic context as well as with other service sectors. In June 2019, the EFCI published a Trend Report “The European Cleaning Industry 1995-2016” analysing the evolution of the sector during the last past 20 years. This statistical report builds on the historical EFCI Surveys and presents the evolution in the sector from different angles. Since the establishment of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee on Industrial Cleaning in 1998, the following projects were carried out with the financial contribution of the European Commission and led to the elaboration of guides and handbooks: Industrial Cleaning - Training kit (2000), Handbook on Ergonomics in cleaning operations (2002); Guide on Selecting Best Value in cleaning operations (2004); Manual on Health & Safety in the office cleaning sector (2005); Study on the Modernisation of work organisation (2008); Study on improving the implementation of European social dialogue in the cleaning industry: examination and renewal (2010); OIRA (Online Interactive Risk Assessment) tool for the cleaning sector with the financial contribution of the European Agency for Safety and Health (2014); Best Value Guide (2016). The EFCI organises every year a conference for its member associations and its Circle members (cleaning companies across Europe). Each year the theme of the conference is different, yet always related to recent develoments influencing the provision of cleaning services. EFCI's 10th Conference took place on 28 June in Brussels under the title “Cleaning and Facility Services: shaping the industry for the future”. Finally, the EFCI actively participates in the campaign "European Cleaning Days" (www.cleaningdays.eu) that was launched in 2015 and will probably be repetead in the futur. The campaign's mission is to raise awareness of the importance and benefits of professional cleaning and hygiene in Europe and to inspire society and public to take responsibility and actions for creating a cleaner environment. During the campaign, an extensive range of initiatives across Europe will be proposed; those will involve people of various age groups and professions. These events aim at engaging the general public to learn more about the necessity to preserve cleanliness in a wide variety of applications.

Interests Represented

Promotes their own interests or the collective interests of their members

Member Of

EFCI collaborates with UNI Europa regularly to advance interests of the industry. https://www.efci.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/20250508_EFCI_UNI-Europa_Statement_Quality-Jobs-Roadmap.pdf https://www.efci.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JS_PublicProcurement23_signed.pdf

Organisation Members

Members list: https://www.efci.eu/about-us/#members