In September 2022, the EU Commission presented the European Care Strategy, whose contribution should help improving the situation of caregivers and the quality of long-term care and early childhood education.

On 11 November 2022, Paolo Gentiloni, the European Commissioner for Economy, presented the Autumn Forecast for the economic development in the EU. Following a strong first half of the year 2022, the energy crisis weakens the purchasing power of households and burdens the manufacturing industry. In spite of the Commission’s positive Summer 2022 Interim Economic Forecast, the forecast for 2023 suggests less growth and higher inflation.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the vulnerability of the current nursing and care system in the EU into the focus of the general public. In particular, the numerous deficits related to the availability of high-quality care services and the working conditions of care personnel have given rise to calls for a comprehensive reform of the care sector.

The European Parliament held the third European Gender Equality Week from 24 to 30 October 2022. As in the two years before, the various Committees focused in particular on the subject of equality in their respective fields of competence.

On 28 September 2022, the EU Commission presented a new concept for an asbestos-free Europe. Consisting both of a Communication and a Proposal for amending the relevant Directive, the package of measures shall ensure the comprehensive improvement of  the protection of all people against asbestos. However, the Commission’s proposals fall significantly short of the requests made by trade unions and the EU Parliament.

In this open letter, 37 civil society organisations and trade unions, including AK EUROPA, call on Finance Commissioner Mairead McGuinness to consistently pursue the implementation of a strict and standardised set of rules for corporate sustainability reporting. In particular, it must not come to a situation where individual sustainability aspects are weighed against each other, as the different areas such as environment and social affairs are closely related and a separation would be counterproductive.

The Brussels offices of the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK EUROPA) and the Austrian Trade Union Confederation (ÖGB Europabüro), as well as the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) and the Federation of European Social Employers, cordially invite you to our joint event "On the way to a gender-sensitive and sustainable European Care Strategy".

Against the background of rising energy prices and high inflation, minimum income schemes have gained even more importance throughout the EU. As a final safety net, well designed minimum income benefits are essential to lift people out of poverty and to prevent the risk of poverty. The EU Commission has now presented a proposal, which shall serve Member States as a guideline for an adequate and inclusive design of their minimum income schemes.

On 5 October 2022, the EU Parliament adopted a resolution, which identifies the right to clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right. This resolution underlines the EU’s commitment to ensure that all people worldwide have appropriate access to water and to take further action to achieve this objective.

On 14 September 2022, the EU Commission presented a draft regulation, according to which products, which were made with forced labour, are to be banned from the European market. What Ursula von der Leyen had already announced in her 2021 State of the Union Address, has now been set in motion, albeit twelve months later. It is now up to the EU Parliament and the Council to negotiate the draft submitted.