This week, the European Parliament discussed a new proposal of the EU Commission on the freedom of movement for workers. However, anybody hoping for further development concerning the rights of EU migrant workers will be disappointed. The actual issue is to facilitate the exercise of already existing rights.

This week, the so-called Fourth Railway Package was at the centre of the discussions in the Transport Committee of the European Parliament. In a further step towards liberalisation, Rail passenger transport shall now also be opened for the market. AK EUROPA, together with Trade Union for Transport, Commerce and Service Workers vida and the European Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation ÖGB took the occasion to invite to a panel discussion last Monday.

Die BAK spricht sich für drei Ziele aus: Verringerung der Treibhausgas-Emissionen, Steigerung der Energieeffizienz, Ausbau erneuerbarer Energien.

With this - by now fourth - Railway Package, the European Commission (EK) remains unperturbed in pursuing its liberalisation plans in respect of the railway sector. It is yet to provide evidence of its success. By presenting the 4th Railway Package, the European Commission has admitted that the previous liberalisation steps did not result in the promised strengthening of the rail sector.

The proposal for a Directive primarily provides for the admission of Gigaliners in cross-border transportation between two Member States.

This week, the plenum of the European Parliament voted on the Report on the Agenda for Adequate, Safe and Sustainable Pensions. The clear commitment to ensure a universal, public pension scheme, which guarantees to provide old people with an at least adequate standard of living, is a positive sign.

Only in February, EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso and US President Barack Obama had surprised the public by announcing their intention to start negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement of the EU with the United States. This week now, the European Parliament welcomed the plan regarding the Free Trade Agreement and asked the Council to award the Commission the mandate for starting the negotiations.

In its Communication, the European Commission informs that the railway sector had to undergo fundamental changes.

By launching the Fourth Railway Package, the European Commission has now sounded the bell for the next round with regard to liberalising rail transport. The probably most controversial issue in the new legislative package is the mandatory tendering of public transport services. This would mean that rail transport services, such as commuter trains would have to be put out to tender and would no longer be allowed to be operated by the public sector and its enterprises.