At the beginning of 2019, the European Commission presented a reflection paper, in which it elaborates as to how the goals for sustainable development and the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement, formulated by the United Nations are to be fulfilled within the scope of the EU 2020 targets. Even though many ideas are to be welcomed there are still some gaps in the presented roadmap of the ‘sustainability turn’ from the AK’s point of view.

The European Working Time Directive has been in force since 2003. Increasing demands on employees in Europe, anti-employee changes in working time regulations in Austria in autumn 2018 and not least some important rulings of the European Court of Justice make it clear how important it is to regulate working time regulations at European level.  

This new study presented by the AK shines a light on the various ways big platform companies like Uber, Airbnb, Amazon, Deliveroo and Co actively influence European officials in the policy making process. Through meetings behind closed doors with high level officials of the European Commission, job offers and numerous corporate lobbyists, think tanks as well as business associations these internet platforms try to convince the policy makers of their interpretation of existing directives – already showing success in many fields.

On 8th July 2019, a meeting took place of the Council of the European Union on the “Economy of Wellbeing”, which the Finnish Presidency chose as a key issue of its time in office. This focus shall help to shape Europe’s future and move the people to the centre of policy-making again.

For the first time in its history, the Commission will have a female President: on 17th July 2019, the European Parliament approved the proposal of the European Council to install Ursula von der Leyen as holder of the EU’s most important position from 1st November 2019. However, with just nine more votes than the required absolute majority, it was a wafer-thin win.

The first plenary session of the newly elected European Parliament took place in Strasbourg from 2nd to 4th July. AK EUROPA provides an overview of the Austrian MEPs and their range of subjects.

During its meeting on 20/21 June 2019, the European Council adopted the EU’s new strategic agenda 2019-2024. A paper containing only a few pages, however, to which great importance will be attached over the coming years, as the strategic agenda will determine the overarching priorities for the European political orientation in the next period.

The first so-called EU top job is already assigned: on 3 July 2019, the Italian Social Democrat David-Maria Sassoli was elected President of the European Parliament for the next 2 ½ years. He achieved the absolute majority of votes cast in the second ballot.

Under the banner of sustainability, Finland assumed on 1st July 2019 the EU Presidency for the next six months. Apart from strengthening the common values in the EU, Finland’s programme focusses in particular on increasing competitiveness and on social inclusion, on the fight against climate change and on the wellbeing of citizens in the EU.

The issue of how to shape future politics in Europe was the subject of a joint event organised by the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour (AK EUROPA) and the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB Europabüro), the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation on 19.06.2019. Together with Professor Björn Hacker, political and workforce representatives discussed the issue, as to what a European Union might look like, which would not only react to crises, but would actively operate as problem solver.