The European Commission has published the Communication on the “EU Renovation Wave” to ensure that the building sector too makes its contribution to achieving the Green Deal. The Austrian Chamber of Labour has scrutinised the Communication and reached the conclusion that many of the planned strategies are to be welcomed; however, a socially balanced implementation has to be ensured and the fight against energy poverty must be at the forefront.

In spite of the principle of non-discrimination, women across Europe are still earning 14 % less than men. Hence, the Pay Transparency Directive, which had already been announced for 2020, is long overdue.

For AK it is important that there is a focus on the social dimension of carbon neutrality and the energy transition, next to the ecological and economic dimension. The problem of energy poverty and the social effects generally caused by climate change and the energy transition are still not given enough attention, even though it is clear that not all households are equally able to afford energy efficiency measures or renewable energy sources to heat. Therefore AK calls for:
  

In December 2020, the EU institutions agreed on a 750 billion euros stimulus package to finance the recovery after the Covid-19 crisis. Now the question has arisen, which projects are to be funded with this money. Together with 15 other organisations, AK EUROPA is now urging the EU Finance Ministers: Europe must seize this chance to build a bridge to a new economy that is sustainable, resilient, and guarantees better living standards for everyone!

Inhumane working conditions and exploitation are the reality for many agricultural workers in the EU. In an open letter, the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT) demands more social rights for the agricultural workers within the scope of the common agricultural policy, which is supported by more than 300 other organisations – among them AK EUROPA.

In order to achieve a climate-neutral Europe by 2050, the EU wants to use the Just Transition Fund to support those regions, which will be confronted with serious socio-economic challenges. Following the European Commission’s presentation of its proposal on 13 January 2020, the negotiations between European Parliament, Council and Commission have now, a year later, been successfully completed.

While the coronavirus pandemic has revealed the vulnerabilities of the global economy, the cause and shortcomings of trade policy’s persisting legitimacy crisis are rooted much deeper and are reinforced by the EU’s trade and investment agenda. This Policy Brief comprehensively looks at shortcomings and vulnerabilities of the global economy beyond the coronavirus pandemic and proposes a number of principles to ensure that EU trade and investment policy puts public welfare above private profit interests.

On 15 December 2020, the Commission presented its Proposal on a Digital Markets Act. It is, above all, to include rules for particularly powerful and influential Internet platforms – so-called gatekeepers. The Austrian Chamber of Labour welcomes the Proposal; however, it demands urgent improvements.

AK EUROPA’s latest Policy Brief 1/2021 is dedicated to the topic of socio-ecological guidelines for the revision of the Energy Tax Directive