The Brussels Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB European Office), the Brussels Office of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour (AK EUROPA) and the Daseinsgewerkschaft (Younion) are pleased to cordially invite you to our event "EU Blue Deal — a plan for the future of our water".

Spain has taken over the EU Council Presidency for the coming six months. Under the motto "Europe, closer", Spain is presenting a programme that attempts to find committed European solutions to common problems. Before the approaching elections to the EU Parliament, Spain thus holds the last full EU Council Presidency in this legislative period. This is a strategically important phase to finalise legal acts that are still being negotiated.

In the course of the strategic foresight, the EU Commission annually tries to identify the challenges of the EU’s future and to anticipate them in political present day measures. This year, the focus is on sustainability and well-being and thus on the question of which strategic decisions need to be taken today in order to create a socially, ecologically and economically sustainable EU in the future. Not only can future expectations determine policy today, but policy today also determines the future situation, not least of workers.

The development of European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) is an important step in the realignment of sustainability reporting. The EU Commission recently presented a draft delegated act for these standards. A significant reduction is envisaged in the disclosure obligations of companies in the areas of environment, social affairs and governance. If adopted in this form, it would represent a significant deterioration compared to the Sustainability Reporting Directive, which has just come into force.

In her State of the Union address on 14 September 2022, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared 2023 the European Year of Skills. In October 2022, the EU Commission presented a proposal for a decision by the EU Parliament and the Council. After political agreement was reached in March 2023, the thematic year was launched on 9 May 2023, this year's Europe Day. The plan now is to fill the coming months with actions that effectively contribute to strengthening people's skills and the position of workers.

Two years after the Porto Social Summit, the Porto Social Forum took stock of the progress made so far on the European Pillar of Social Rights (ESSR) on 26 and 27 May 2023. The main themes of the Forum were the European Year of Skills in the context of the digital and green transformation and the continuation of the EU Social Agenda. In particular, the need to provide adequate education and training and to implement the EU Child Guarantee more quickly and effectively was highlighted.

The European Semester Spring Package was presented on 25 May 2023, which, according to the European Commission, shall secure the EU's long-term prosperity, competitiveness, equity and resilience. There are good approaches, such as the promotion of women and disadvantaged groups in the labour market. However, a fair transition in which no one is left behind is still far from becoming a reality.

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems has already penetrated many areas of life in recent years. Due to the current rapid spread of ChatGPT, awareness of AI and the need for regulating AI systems has recently risen sharply. Besides positive expectations towards innovation, AI systems also raise concerns, especially with regard to the safety and protection of the fundamental rights of workers and consumers. On 14 June 2023, the EU Parliament will vote on how the future EU law on Artificial Intelligence should be designed.

Together with civil society organisations and trade unions, in this open letter AK EUROPA raises concerns about the slow pace of engagement at the Council level on the EU Forced Labour Regulation. The proposed regulation could contribute to creating conditions for EU companies to meaningfully address forced labour in their value chains, both inside and outside the EU.

The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive aims to hold companies accountable for human rights abuses and environmental damage along their entire value chain. With the vote in the EU Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee on 25 April 2023, in which the report by EP rapporteur Lara Wolters (S&D) was adopted, the legislation has cleared an important hurdle. The vote in the plenary of the EU Parliament will now follow on 1 June 2023.