Mobility is a prerequisite for prosperity, quality of life and social participation. At the same time, motor vehicles continue to be an essential component of everyday and economic mobility. CO₂-savings in the transport sector are crucial for achieving the goals of the "Fit for 55" package.

The Austrian Chamber of Labour demands that there must be professional and financial prospects for the ones that are affected by this structural change. A fair distribution of costs and profits is necessary.

AK supports the goal of EU-wide decarbonisation by 2050. However, this process must be designed to be fair and in the interest of workers (“just transition”). Thus, AK welcomes the establishment of a Social Climate Fund. There is, however, no support for the proposal for heating fuels and motor fuels for households to be included in an EU-wide cap-and-trade system in the form of a separate emissions trading scheme. This is due to the risk of unpredictable price peaks, which can affect low-income households in particular.

On 19 October 2021, the EU Commission relaunched the economic governance review which had been suspended due to the Covid-19 outbreak. From the Austrian Chamber of Labour’s point of view, a reform is urgently required to enable the sustainable development of wealth and wellbeing in all Member States.

Energy is not a resource like any other. More than ever, it is the central resource for participating in modern life. However, people who are affected by energy poverty can only use basic energy services such as electricity, heat or hot water to a limited extent or not at all. This already massively affects them in their current everyday life, but in view of the upcoming energy transition and climate change, this will become an even greater challenge for these households.

On 8 October 2021, 136 OECD countries agreed on a global minimum tax rate of 15%. At a webinar organized by AK EUROPA, ÖGB Europabüro and the EU Tax Observatory, the international agreement was assessed and political and legal aspects of implementing the global minimum tax in the EU were discussed. The panelists agreed that the deal is an important step, but that many details are still unclear.

For weeks, energy prices at stock exchanges have been at record level. In order to counteract the huge economic and social impact of this rise on businesses and consumers, the Commission presented a toolbox of measures on 13 October 2021 to help Member States to tackle the immediate effects of the price increase.

A recent poll shows the overwhelming public support for a law, which holds companies accountable for human rights violations and environmental harms. The EU Commission has to act now and present – as announced – the proposal for an EU supply chain law.

136 members of the Inclusive Framework at the OECD agreed on a global minimum tax rate of 15%. Although, the agreement partly lacks ambition, the minimum tax is an effective tool to increase public revenue and curb both profit shifting and tax competition of large multinational enterprises. However, the negotiation outcome clearly depicts the uneven power balance between the Global South and the Global North.

Just a click and a Deliveroo cyclist delivers a fresh meal to our front door, an Uber driver takes us from A to B and a Helpling cleaner tidies our home. Platforms and the use of these services have become an inseparable part of our lives. However, over all this comfort we are only too ready to ignore the issue concerning the working conditions of these service providers.

The debate on the Stability and Growth Pact is now gaining pace again. Participants at a webinar, organised by AK EUROPA and ÖGB Europabüro, discussed the weaknesses of the existing fiscal rules and outlined possible reforms. It is essential to adapt the Stability and Growth Pact in order to enable large-scale investments for a socio-ecological transformation.