On Monday this week, the European Commission published the country reports on implementing European environmental policies. Overall, Austria was given a clean bill of health. Yet, at the same time, the Commission highlighted two “challenges” that Austria needs to tackle.

 

It is a fixed date in the calendar of many in Brussels: the New Year’s Reception hosted by AK EUROPA, the Brussels Office of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour and the ÖGB Europabüro, the Brussels Office of the Austrian Federation of Trade Unions. Thus, the rooms were well filled by attending guests.

There are first signs of a change in economic policy. However, it does not go far enough.

In a joint meeting of the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the recently presented Annual Growth Survey 2017 was discussed this week.

A vote on the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure showed improvements regarding the transparency and integrity of the work of the EU Parliaments. However, a big step forward was not made.

On Tuesday, the EU Parliament voted in Strasbourg on renewing its Parliament's Rules of Procedure. These regulate the daily work in Parliament for Members of the EU Parliament and their staff.

On Tuesday, 6th December, the question “How to build the pillar of social rights” was debated from a social society and trade union perspective Brussels.

In spring this year, the EU Commission presented a first draft for a more social Europe. The new “Pillar of Social Rights” is to strengthen the social dimension in Europe; however, how this will be achieved is still not quite clear. The concrete proposal is expected for early next year.

The EU Commission wants to establish a “European Pillar of Social Rights” and is asking the public for their opinion. European trade unions have prepared a concept to reply to the questions of the European Commission in order to give social rights priority over the interests of big corporations and banks. Everybody is able to support this concept here!

The European Commission has announced that it will focus more on the achievements of the European Social Model in future and that it will adjust it to meet new challenges.

The Commission has published a Communication on “Improving and Modernising Education” this week. Therein it demands high quality education for all and submits proposals, which, in view of the once more weak Austrian performance in PISA 2016, might definitely be of interest.

To begin with, the Commission establishes in its Communication that education is the building block for social cohesion and an open society.

A first evaluation of the Juncker Plan is now available. At the same time, there are signs that the EU Commission might deviate from its strict austerity policy.

Due to the strict austerity policy Europe is lacking in investments, in particular long-term investments in infrastructure and research & development. The strict fiscal rules have put countries into a far too tight corset for investments.

The focus this week in the European Parliament was clearly on foreign trade: first, the decision on CETA was postponed to have more time for an in-depth discussion on the Agreement; then EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström was invited to a joint meeting of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the International Trade Committee.

The initial intention was to make a decision on CETA, the controversial Free Trade Agreement of EU with Canada, before Christmas, both in the competent committee and in the plenum.