The EU Commission presented its proposal for a European Climate Law in early March 2020. The Chamber of Labour supports an ambitious law, which enables the effective fight against the climate crisis and a socially just transition towards a climate neutral Europe.

The AK supports the EU’s goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. It will require all instruments to achieve this: investments, enforcement orders and prohibitions, ecotaxes and other fiscal instruments, as well as soft measures such as awareness campaigns. The process of decarbonisation must focus on fairness and the interests of workers. Strategies for this so-called “Just Transition” must take the climate policy requirements seriously and at the same time place workers – not least in negatively affected sectors – at their centre.

On 20 May 2020, the European Commission set another important step to implement the Green Deal: with the now presented Farm to Fork Strategy, food production in Europe is to become more sustainable and ensure more transparency for consumers.

The calls for reopening Europe’s internal borders and for a revival of the tourism sector are getting increasingly louder. On 13 May 2020, the Commission presented a package comprising five recommendations, which contain provisions for free movement and tourism – including the protection of consumers – during the COVID-19 crisis.

Many EU Member States responded to the COVID-19 crisis and the queues at internal EU borders by relaxing their domestic driving times and rest periods. On 29 April 2020, the Commission has approved these exemptions for eleven Member States - including Austria. As a result, drivers in many States are permitted to drive longer hours and/or may have shorter breaks.

Will the Green Deal fall victim to the collateral damage of the coronavirus crisis, or will it help us to emerge from the crisis? Whilst business lobby groups push for a delay with regard to action aimed at the Green Deal, other actors are campaigning for the Green Deal to be maintained.

Closed borders, traffic jams for miles: during the Coronavirus crisis, key achievements of European integration are being suspended from one day to the other. Meanwhile, the European Commission tries to control national solo actions and to reinstate unhampered intra-European goods transport – at the expense of workers in the transport sector.

For all people in Europe, the current crisis has a tremendous impact on all areas of live. Not least for passengers. Whilst airlines and tour operators are lobbying for watering down current EU law, the Chamber of Labour and consumer protectors are fighting for those who are affected.

The ambitous plans of the European Commission on the European Green Deal are not least also raising social issues. In order to create a fair path towards a climate-neutral Europe by 2050, the Commission had published a proposal on setting up a Just Transition Fund already in January. The Chamber of Labour has scrutinized the proposal within the scope of its current Position Paper on the Green Deal.