Overcoming the slowed-down economic recovery in the European Union

Last week, the EU Commission presented the Annual Growth Survey 2017 within the framework of the European Semester. In it, the EU Commission sets out next year's priorities in the areas of economic and social policy for the European Union and her Member States.

The new proposal of the EU Commission in view of the scandals, which came to light this year alone, can only be described as insufficient.

Time and again, the EU Commission is shaken by scandals, which indicate that the current rules for EU Commissioners are obviously not adequate enough to avoid conflicts of interest and to prevent unethical behaviour.

Inequality in Europe is on the rise. The scientific findings of wealth research and the political implications were hotly debated.

On Tuesday, the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK), the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) and the Austrian National Bank (ÖNB) invited two high calibre panels to discuss distribution inequality within the European States. The participants of the first panel presented findings of wealth research and talked about the available data.

In a communiqué the EU Commission for the first time argues for more public investments in Europe. This gives reason to hope that the EU at last abandons its austerity policy and makes the investments which are needed to boost the economy.

Legislation, enforcement, pursuit and global action approaches: how can tax evasion and money laundering be eradicated?

EU Commissioner Věra Jourová has come under fire by the enquiry committee on the Panama Papers. Apart from that, representatives of European and national agencies were in the EU Parliament on Monday to report on their work with regard to pursuing tax evasion and money laundering.

The proposal for a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base for corporate taxation shall reduce inner-European tax competition.

On Tuesday, 25 October, the European Commission presented its renewed proposal for a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB). After the first proposal in 2011 on the EU-wide harmonisation of calculation and consolidation failed in the Council, the Commission made a new attempt concerning a fair taxation of European companies.

The signing of the Free Trade Agreement between EU and Canada had been scheduled for this Thursday. However, Belgium was unable to do so as two of her regions withheld their approval and agreement was only reached at Thursday lunchtime. Because the agreement of all EU Members is required to ratify the Agreement, its signing had to be postponed for an indefinite period.

A particularly controversial aspect of CETA, the planned Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada, are the Courts of Arbitration for investors. The EU Commission holds the opinion that the Investment Court System (ICS) would completely reform them, whilst critics think that fundamental problems mostly remain. This was the subject of Tuesday’s panel discussion which had been jointly organised by Friends of the Earth Europe, the Brussels offices of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB Europabüro), and the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour (AK EUROPA).

The PANA Committee of Inquiry discussed the regulations on tax evasion and money laundering. OECD, UNO and other institutions answered the questions of MEPs.

The Committee of Inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion, short PANA, met on Thursday, 13 October. The objective of the second hearing was to gain information on international standards, who is setting them, how they work and which loopholes exist.

This week, national Parliamentarians and EU Commissioner Marianne Thyssen discussed the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive in the EU Parliament.

In spring 2016, the EU Commission presented a proposal concerning the Revision of the Posting of Workers Directive. The objective of the new proposal is to ensure that posted workers are granted fair remuneration and with that fair competitive conditions.